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SUPER BOWL XLIV: INSIDE THE NUMBERS
COLTS SUPPORTING CAST FAILS THEM LATE
CARNIVAL SEASON NOW HAS SUPER LAGNIAPPE
MIAMI - Before departing South Florida after a hectic, historic, emotional week, I have time for one last reflection on the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.
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NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Another jolt of Saints euphoria is on tap for New Orleans Tuesday when the Super Bowl champs board floats borrowed from Mardi Gras krewes for a victory parade through the grateful…
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Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Raise your umbrella and your Hurricane glass to the New Orleans Saints, who are Super Bowl XLIV champions because they were flat-out better than the Colts in an…
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FORT LAUDERDALE – On a night when the new world champions ran the gamut of emotions, New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams uttered words that should bring a smile to the collective…
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Written by Les East | Monday, 17 August 2009 16:38 | Saints News
METAIRIE - The Saints released cornerback Jason David on Monday, ending
a tenure that began with promise but ultimately was filled with
disappointment.
David was signed to a four-year, $15.6 million free-agent contract before the 2007 season with the hope that he could upgrade the cornerback position and use his fresh experience with the Super Bowl champion Colts to get New Orleans over the hump one season after its only trip to the NFC Championship.
But David's shortcomings - his lack of height (5-foot-8) and propensity for allowing receivers to get behind him for big gains - were evident right away and plagued him and the Saints until his release.David was beaten for three touchdowns by his former team in his New Orleans debut as the Colts whipped the Saints, 41-10, in the 2007 season opener. He had his good moments too, but still gave up too many plays.
In the first preseason game in the Superdome in 2008, the Texans threw repeatedly at the David during an early touchdown drive, reviving memories of the Colts game and attracting the wrath of many Saints fans.
Though David went on to lead the team in interceptions with five last season, David remained one of many reasons that New Orleans ranked 23rd in pass defense.
The arrival of new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams this past offseason meant a new beginning for everyone on the defense.
During the first two weeks of training camp, David made several good plays on the ball and seemed to be competing for a roster spot. With the top four cornerbacks spots seemingly reserved for Tracy Porter, Jabari Greer, Randall Gay, and No. 1 draft choice Malcolm Jenkins, David and Leigh Torrence appeared to be the top contenders for the likely fifth and final spot.
Then came the preseason opener against the Bengals last Friday night in the Superdome, and David gave up three big plays in the Saints' 17-7 victory. That performance revived memories of the Colts game, the Texans game, and other performances that had made David the poster boy for New Orleans' defensive inadequacies.
That apparently was the final straw. After practice Sunday afternoon, on a day in which Jenkins moved from the third team to work with the first and second units, Williams was asked if the glaring breakdowns might have skewed the perception of how David played.
"It is what it is," Williams said. "Every day in this league is an interview. Each week I've thought he's bounced back and played pretty decent and obviously every week's important for these guys. Every day's an interview. ... When the lights go on, you need to be able to do in games what you do in practice. It is what it is. It's a tough league in that respect."
In other words, whatever gains David had made in practice couldn't change the fact that he wasn't dependable in game situations. Two-plus years of evidence had finally closed the case.
To the Saints credit, they realized it was pointless to continue to give reps to David in practice and preseason games that could have been going to Jenkins or anyone else. They also gave David a better chance of finding a job elsewhere by giving him more time to look for a job than he would have had if they had kept him until one of the mandatory cutdown dates.
Coach Sean Payton said when David was told of his release he "was a professional like always." Most of the interviews David gave during his time in New Orleans focused on one of two topics - big plays he had given up and why he had been unable to live up to the expectations triggered by the lucrative contract the Saints gave him.
David, without fail, handled the questions patiently, honestly, and with dignity. If he could have handled the cornerback position nearly as well as he handled the criticism of his failures, he wouldn't be out of a job today.
It appears the only things standing in the way of the Saints signing LB Derrick Brooks are money and time.
Look at it this way. Payton said after Brooks and fellow free agent LB Derek Smith worked out for the team last Wednesday, that they would wait until after the Bengals game to decide whether to offer a contract and that they would make a decision by Saturday.
There's been no news since as Payton called the situation "ongoing." The Saints saw Brooks up close in the workout, they studied film of him, they questioned his former coach - Jon Gruden, they put the player whose injury triggered the interest in Brooks (Mark Simoneau) on injured reserve, meaning he ain't coming back, and they saw their linebackers play against Cincinnati.
In other words, they have all the information they're going to get and Payton hasn't said they're not going to sign him. So they're interested and the only logical explanation for a deal not being done is that they're haggling over money.
In that regard, the Saints have the upper hand. Brooks needs them more than they need Brooks. He'd be nice to have, but he'd only be a role player, and they were prepared to go without him from the time Brooks was released in February until Simoneau was lost a week ago.
Brooks has no other serious suitors and the Saints give him a chance to play for a contender and play two games against the team that cut him - the Buccaneers. When Brooks has enough time to realize this is the best place for him and it's worth him coming on the Saints terms, or at least closer to them than he currently appears to be, presumably he'll sign.
The Saints replaced David on the roster with CB Greg Fassitt, a New Orleans native who played at Kennedy High School. Fassitt, 5-11, 185 pounds, played at Grambling and was a second-team All-SWAC selection as a junior and a senior.
He started his NFL career on the Bears' practice squad in 2007, went to training camp with the Saints last summer, and spent most of the season on the Buccaneers' practice squad.
Fassitt practiced with the team Monday afternoon during an hour-long workout under threatening skies. The team focused on goal-line situations.
There were no changes to the injury report. Payton said he'll hold WR Lance Moore out of the preseason game at Houston on Saturday even though Moore, who had offseason shoulder surgery, is participating fully in practice.
Payton said RB Mike Bell, who didn't play against the Bengals, will play "quite a bit" against the Texans.
The Saints will be off Tuesday as they travel to Houston, where they will practice against the Texans twice on Wednesday and once on Thursday morning before the teams hold separate practices Thursday afternoon.
Their next practice at their headquarters will be at 3:20 p.m. next Monday. That practice will be outdoors and open to the public, weather permitting.
well at least we didnt downgrade.....but how much further down could we have got..... now let's get these into shape and prepared for that long grueling schedule...
