By SHELDON MICKLES
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Feb 21, 2011
Comments (0)
Whenever NFL owners and players get together and strike a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis figures to be one busy man.
When the 2010 season ended after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs, nearly half of the players on the active roster and injured reserve list — 31 in all — were unsigned for 2011.
According to an ESPN.com survey, the Saints have 27 players — more than any other team — who would be unrestricted free agents under terms of the old CBA, which expires March 3.
“I don’t envy Mickey,” fullback Heath Evans, who’s unsigned, said last month. “Obviously, you’d want to keep the bones of the team together, especially because this team has accomplished a lot. But Mickey’s got a tough job ahead of him.”
Ordinarily, the Saints would have re-signed at least a couple of their top potential free-agent priorities by now. But with the uncertainty of when a new agreement will be in place and teams not knowing the parameters of the new deal — including how much the salary cap will be — it made sense to proceed with caution.
Yet the Saints will be ready to proceed at the proper time after the coaches and front office evaluated every player following the season.
While they’ve been even more quiet than usual this offseason, here are five of their own — actually six — who could be priorities (in alphabetical order) although that doesn’t mean much if they get an out-of-this-world offer (see Scott Fujita) from another team:
TACKLE JERMON BUSHROD/CENTER JONATHAN GOODWIN: They rank as a tandem because Bushrod has started the past two seasons at left tackle, which means he protects the blind side of Drew Brees — arguably the most important job on the team.
Goodwin, on the other hand, has been solid in his two seasons as a starter and anchors the offensive line while making all-important pass protection calls.
STRONG SAFETY ROMAN HARPER: While he struggled in the loss to the Seahawks, Harper has been one of the team’s top defenders since earning a starting job as a rookie in 2006. He’s blossomed since Gregg Williams took over as defensive coordinator and was a first alternate to the Pro Bowl the past two years.
WIDE RECEIVER LANCE MOORE: A former free agent, Moore has been a productive receiver in two of the past three seasons. He caught 79 passes and 10 touchdowns in 2008 and had 65 catches and eight scores last year after an injury-plagued 2009 season. He is valued as the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver.
LINEBACKER SCOTT SHANLE: He’s has been a smart, productive starter who’s drawn consistent praise for his play at the weak side and strong side from Williams and linebackers coach Joe Vitt.
RUNNING BACK PIERRE THOMAS: While he’s a fan favorite and has been productive, Thomas missed 10 games last season, which could hurt his shot at getting a nice deal from the Saints or another team.
Advocate sportswriter
Published: Feb 21, 2011
Comments (0)
Whenever NFL owners and players get together and strike a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, New Orleans Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis figures to be one busy man.
When the 2010 season ended after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs, nearly half of the players on the active roster and injured reserve list — 31 in all — were unsigned for 2011.
According to an ESPN.com survey, the Saints have 27 players — more than any other team — who would be unrestricted free agents under terms of the old CBA, which expires March 3.
“I don’t envy Mickey,” fullback Heath Evans, who’s unsigned, said last month. “Obviously, you’d want to keep the bones of the team together, especially because this team has accomplished a lot. But Mickey’s got a tough job ahead of him.”
Ordinarily, the Saints would have re-signed at least a couple of their top potential free-agent priorities by now. But with the uncertainty of when a new agreement will be in place and teams not knowing the parameters of the new deal — including how much the salary cap will be — it made sense to proceed with caution.
Yet the Saints will be ready to proceed at the proper time after the coaches and front office evaluated every player following the season.
While they’ve been even more quiet than usual this offseason, here are five of their own — actually six — who could be priorities (in alphabetical order) although that doesn’t mean much if they get an out-of-this-world offer (see Scott Fujita) from another team:
TACKLE JERMON BUSHROD/CENTER JONATHAN GOODWIN: They rank as a tandem because Bushrod has started the past two seasons at left tackle, which means he protects the blind side of Drew Brees — arguably the most important job on the team.
Goodwin, on the other hand, has been solid in his two seasons as a starter and anchors the offensive line while making all-important pass protection calls.
STRONG SAFETY ROMAN HARPER: While he struggled in the loss to the Seahawks, Harper has been one of the team’s top defenders since earning a starting job as a rookie in 2006. He’s blossomed since Gregg Williams took over as defensive coordinator and was a first alternate to the Pro Bowl the past two years.
WIDE RECEIVER LANCE MOORE: A former free agent, Moore has been a productive receiver in two of the past three seasons. He caught 79 passes and 10 touchdowns in 2008 and had 65 catches and eight scores last year after an injury-plagued 2009 season. He is valued as the No. 3 or No. 4 receiver.
LINEBACKER SCOTT SHANLE: He’s has been a smart, productive starter who’s drawn consistent praise for his play at the weak side and strong side from Williams and linebackers coach Joe Vitt.
RUNNING BACK PIERRE THOMAS: While he’s a fan favorite and has been productive, Thomas missed 10 games last season, which could hurt his shot at getting a nice deal from the Saints or another team.
