Saints Get Their Man
NOPF's William Assaf chimes in on Day One of the Saints' Draft

by NOPF contributor William Assaf
posted April 23, 2005 - print me!
neworleansprofootball.com

Here at NOPF we had heard that they were really targeting the offensive linemen, defensive tackles and that they were not very high on either Derrick Johnson or Thomas Davis. So when they moved up, I thought it had to be for an offensive lineman, specifically Alex Barron. Brown was worth this pick but not the athlete that Barron is.

On the other hand, Barron lasted till the 19th overall pick, slipping past both Houston and Carolina who had a need for offensive linemen. The reason is that Barron slipped is the reason why Brown was rising on the Saints' draft board: killer instinct. Brown may not have done well on his Wonderlic test, the gimmick puzzler quiz given to NFL prospects with dubious relevance, but is a smart football player. A nasty, road-grading run blocking tackle like Brown projects well at right tackle and perhaps even left tackler. The real wonder about Brown is that he is such a good athlete and has such good footwork that he grades out even better as a pass blocker.

Giving up a future third round pick to ensure that your man is the man you get is not a hard price to pay. Brown was clearly a target by Carolina, who values a similar hard-nosed running style. While no prospects are locks, Brown gives the Saints an immediate challenger for the starting right tackle spot, a job that Brown may already have sewn up. This allows Jermane Mayberry to move back home to guard and light a fire under heavy-rolling guards Kendyl Jacox and Montrae Holland.

The drafting of Jammal Brown should also satisfy one of primary objectives of any draft: having prospect contribute right away. With that strategy in mind, the Saints turned down offers for Darren Howard, including a reported offer of the 31st pick overall from Philadelphia, and instead chose to keep Howard and make use of his skill this season. The price is steep and the Saints will likely have to sign Howard to a long-term deal to lower his current cap hit. This wouldn't prevent him from being traded next year, especially if the Saints manage to negotiate a contract with a lower proration of signing bonus and a higher base salary, shifting the some of the impact next offseason to his new team in 2006.

In the second round the Saints made a choice based blindly on their draft board. Josh Bullocks is a good value pick. The Cowboys would have taken him two picks later. But safety is not a need. Safety is one of the most solid positions on the team, for 2005, with Dwight Smith and Jay Bellamy and Mel Mitchell behind both of them. Bullocks is too slow to play corner and not physical enough to play strong safety, so he is boxed in to free safety. This isn't a terrible thing for him, Bullocks has exceptional quickness and has fantastic ball skills and field intelligence. He certainly has the potential to start at free safety, in the near future, but the Saints gave a lot of money to Dwight Smith and also gave Bellamy a new three-year contract this offseason.

I give kudos for this front office continuing - almost stubbornly - to draft on value and not reaching for need. This is an embattled administration that is under heat to produce on the field, and yet, they have the confidence and fortitude to highly-rated draft players who aren't in need positions. It shows a remarkable measure of maturity and restraint for this administration.

On the other hand, so far in the draft the Saints aren't taking projects. They clearly want players who can step in if needed. Jammal Brown should start at right tackle, the 13th overall pick should, while Josh Bullock probably could start at free safety if needed although not on this depth chart right now. Bullock's day will come, as Bellamy will retire eventually and Mel Mitchell is set to be a free agent.

In the third round, the Saints once again went for a linebacker. Alfred Fincher from Connecticut is an overachieving, intelligent guy who is best in run support. Seems like a slightly undersized middle linebacker prospect but the Saints may try him out at strongside linebacker. Fincher is limited athletically and isn't dominating physically, but is a strong hitter and a great field general for his defense. The first player drafted from Connecticut in 11 years, Fincher and his QB Dan Orlovsky brought the Huskies back to relevance in college football. Fincher should at least participate on special teams, and may be given a chance to unseat James Allen or Courtney Watson.

As always keep here at NOPF for the latest.

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