NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

Last year, the New Orleans Saints Defense shocked the football world. Not since the reign of the infamous Dome Patrol has there been anything close to resembling a valid defensive unit as a whole in New Orleans.

Teams literally dominated the black and gold’s D, torching the corners and bulldozing the defensive front at will. Needless to say, no offense in the NFL was concerned about the Saints even slowing them down let alone stopping them.

But all of that changed in 2009. For the first time in a very long time the Saints defense struck fear in the minds of opposing offenses, even when they weren’t competing against them on the field.

The pass rushers were getting adequate pressure on opposing QBs forcing them to make costly mistakes, ball hawking corners and safeties lined up in exotic blitzes that often disrupted and confused opposing offenses, and speedy linebackers capable of flying to the ball consistently laid the wood down–literally.

All of a sudden the finesse team was hitting hard, flattening quarterbacks where they stood and stopping running backs dead in their tracks. Though ranked 25th overall in 2009, the Saints’ aggressive methods under the coaching of defensive master, Gregg Williams paid off in the end.

Ranked number three in the league in interceptions with 26 (5 of which were returned for TDs) and tied for thirteenth in forced fumbles with 15, their opportunistic style set the standard for what a defense is supposed to accomplish if it is run correctly, proving once again that stats are often misleading. With all that in mind, the question is, can we expect the same outcome in 2010?

In order to answer this question, we must dissect the unit and analyze the key players in order to see what’s left underneath. Fortunately, the defense pretty much remained intact, losing most notably LB Scott Fujita and DE Charles Grant. But even more important is the retention of the entire coaching staff and the majority of the defensive leaders and all the extras they bring to the table.

Leading the pack is LB Jonathan Vilma, who I like to refer to as a one man wrecking crew. This guy does it all. He’s very smart, always staying alert to where other players are on the field as well as sniffing out trickery from the opposition.

Like a general, he makes sure that other players get into position so they won’t be caught sleeping. Couple his on-the-field intelligence with his speed and agility and you’ve got a complete player who can not only scan the field, but man it in a way that is unlike that exhibited at the skill level of the average linebacker.

Don’t be surprised to see him in the backfield defending a wide receiver, batting down passes like a corner or disrupting interceptions like a safety. He’s a proven talent whose versatility is quite an asset on the defense.

Then there is the return of Darren Sharper. A valuable addition last year, he made a career-high 9 interceptions, returning three of them for TDs.

The great thing about D Sharper is his ability to get to and make a play on the ball, making him one of the most disruptive forces in the NFL. Plus, he has the experience necessary to school the novices in the art of being a safety, which he has mastered so well.

His presence on the field automatically elevates those around him. With Roman Harper on the other side, I expect the dynamic duo to pick up where they left off. Better still, we also get back a healthy Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter which is an automatic shot in the arm to what has at times been a struggling secondary when those players were injured.

Look for Malcolm Jenkins to make some noise too at the safety position. From what I’ve heard, he’s making the transition from corner nicely and is developing into quite a force.

Finally, we have another ace in the hole in DE Will Smith. In my opinion, he’s one of the most underrated DEs in the league. He finished off 2009 with 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and 49 tackles. Need I say more?

This guy is tough and fast enough to wreak havoc in any opposing team’s backfield. If Sedrick Ellis can stay healthy to help bulk up the middle against the run, I expect to see the defense perform even better than it did this past season–that is provided the key players can stay healthy.

Judging from the preseason game last week against New England, it’s evident that there are some kinks that need to be worked out. But the Saints’ unchanged coaching staff is more than capable of making the proper adjustments to ensure the team’s success.

At the same time, there are enough veterans left in place to make sure the team has adequate depth and experience at key positions. Remember that at this point last year, nobody but us fans even pondered the idea of the Saints going to and winning the Superbowl.

They were counted out before they started. But with excellent coaching, staunch on-the-field leadership, and some very hard work, they did the unthinkable. They did what we knew they could all along–took their place in history as champions. And the new improved defense was paramount to that success. Because enough of the key elements are still in place, I believe they can do it again.

Tony Gonzalez is not 100 percent sure that he’ll come back after the 2010 season, and told Fox Sports that there are plenty of factors that will go into his decision for coming back in 2011.

Atlanta Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez said he is split “50-50″ on whether he will retire after the 2010 season. “It is year to year,” Gonzalez told Fox Sports on Monday. “I could play another three or four years. I know I could … There’s a lot of different factors. Yeah, I’d probably come back but you never know. I’m going to wait.”

Gonzalez, 34, is a 10-time Pro Bowl who missed an all-star appearance last year for the first time since 1998. He had 83 catches for 867 yards and six TDs in his first season with the Falcons. His first catch in the regular season will give him 1,000 for his career. Gonzalez told Fox Sports that winning a Super Bowl is the is single motivator for him at this point.

“It’s not a secret,” he said. “People have known it. It’s the reason I got out of Kansas City (last offseason) and the reason I’m here. I don’t want to just go to the playoffs. I want to win the whole thing. I think we’ve got a good chance here.”

The roster shuffling for the 49ers continued on Wednesday, as the team decided to part ways with wide out Brandon Jones, this after one forgettable season with San Fran. He still walks away a rich man, leaving with a $5.4 million dollar bonus from when he inked with the club last season.

Two days after trading former first-round draft pick Kentwan Balmer to Seattle, the 49ers have parted ways with last-year’s most expensive free-agent acquisition. The team waived receiver Brandon Jones, who fell to the bottom of the depth chart last year after breaking a shoulder and was never able to climb back up. Jones missed several spring practices with an ankle sprain and had been dealing with a hamstring strain in training camp. He returned from that injury yesterday. Jones signed a five-year $16.5 million contract — including a $5.4 million signing bonus — last year, and the 49ers’ front office hoped he would become the deep threat they had lacked in previous seasons.

Justin Hartwig is a Pro’s pro, and he knows that when a first-round pick is spent on a position that he plays, it’s just a matter of time before he is pushed aside for that high priced rookie.

That happened in April, as the Steelers took Florida’s Maurkice Pouncey in round one, and it sounds more and more like the Steelers are already in the changing of the guard at the center spot.

Hartwig has been splitting time the past two days at center with Pouncey, both sharing time with the first team. The vet says even knowing his job is not a sure thing, he won’t change the way he goes about playing the game.

"I've been playing football for a long time and I work my butt off and do my job every day," said Hartwig. "That's not going to change based on someone pushing me for my starting spot. I will continue to do what I've been doing and everything will play itself out."

Don’t get the vet wrong, he’s not thrilled about having to share time with a rookie, more so since he has owned the center spot every game the past two seasons without missing a game.

“It's hard to ignore. The media is in your face. It's very much a part of the NFL,” Hartwig said.

When asked if he be willing to play guard if and when Pouncey takes over at center, Hartwig said: "I don't want to talk about hypotheticals," he said.

For now, Hartwig will keep helping the rookie, and he knows that the team overall is only going to be better and have a better shot to go deep into January if he helps out Pouncey.

"Maurkice and I will continue to work hard, just like everyone else on our line," Hartwig said. "We're going to continue to push each other. It's not just about Maurkice and myself.

"I am a Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman and he is one of my fellow lineman and we're doing the best we can to help each other. I'll help Maurkice just as much as I'll help the next guy.”

The Eagles starting corners this year may not be the best duo in the league, but I'm convinced that they can hold their own. What I'm not convinced on is the ability of the players behind them.

In last Friday's game against Jacksonville, we only saw the combination of Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs for a total of six plays. However, both players were able to make plays in that short amount of time. I really liked what I saw and I'm looking forward to seeing them on the field for a longer time this Friday against the Bengals.

Behind Samuel and Hobbs, we saw an array of Eagles corners come in the game last week and look terrible. They were burned multiple times by receivers for touchdowns and you have to be worried. Joselio Hanson is one of the favorites to be the nickel corner, yet we saw him get torched last week. I've always been high on Hanson as a player, but last week was embarrassing.

Dimitri Patterson is a player that caught my eye last year on special teams. He didn't get the chance to see the field much on defense, and I think we may have been shown why against the Jaguars. Patterson did not look very good and will need to prove he can have value outside of special teams if he wants to remain on the roster.

Trevard Lindley is a guy to keep an eye on as the preseason continues. He hasn't done anything to make people really pay attention to him, but I think he has it in him. I think Lindley has a physical style that many of our other corners do not, and I want to see him translate that into making some plays.

One guy that we haven't seen much of yet that can hopefully bring us some hope is Macho Harris. After being featured mostly at safety in 2009, he has moved back to the corner position. Macho did a good job last year in nickel type situations where he was responsible for shutting down high caliber tight ends. He is a guy that had a chance at being the starter at right corner but has been slowed down by injuries. I'm hoping to see him get back on the field playing at a high level.

The first Exhibition game is in the books, Training Camp is slowly winding down and the team readies for a trip to Fed Ex Field and the Washington Redskins. So now is as good a time as any to make a few observations about the roster as they begin to trim towards the magic number of 53.

1. What two players had a good showing in the first preseason game? What will they need to do to continue the success?

Jonathan Scruggs; you’re up first-

Terrance Cody has all of the tools necessary to be a major force of nature in the NFL. I was especially shocked to see him line up at full-back. The kid has deceptive athleticism and on one play arm tackled a panthers player while being blocked by two others… He reminded me so much of Siragusa that it wasn’t even funny. That being said, he has to continue to work on his conditioning and make sure that he’s out there every snap, and every down, not just as a third down run stuffer. If he can manage his body, the kid will be a superstar over night.

Gene Winner step in next-

Cornerback Cary Williams had a great first game he'll need to continue that play against the Redskins. The next game will be a better indicator on how Williams is progressing as he faces a better receiving core and a Pro Bowl caliber QB, Donovan McNabb.

Another player who had a good showing was defensive tackle Paul Kruger. He still has the great motor since bulking up in the offseason. Kruger got off the ball quickly and made some great plays. He demonstrated good stamina and speed in the fourth quarter as well. "Nightmare on Ravens Street" just needs to continue to be aggressive and have a few plays where he disrupts opposition's backfield.

Matt Jergensen to round it out -

Tom Zbikowski showed off his increased agility and flexibility against the Panthers last Thursday and I was very impressed with his quickness on the Safety Blitz. Believe me I want Ed Reed back on the field but I’m more than confident with Zibby patrolling the back end in his absence. It does make me wonder if the Ken Hamlin signing was necessary.

Antawan Barnes was another player who showed great speed in the pass rush. Barnes is often a forgotten man in the linebacker competition but if he can continue to get to the quarterback he could find himself on the field as a third down specialist. But who knows, as far as I’m concerned the last Inside linebacker spot is still up for grabs and it won’t be decided until the first game.

2. Conversely, What two players didn't play well in preseason and how will they have to improve?

Jon Scruggs -

I was not at all impressed with two of the Ravens’ veteran free agent acquisitions. Marc Bulger looked tentative and disinterested. Despite his claims to the contrary the man just didn’t look like he wanted to be out there. Shayne Graham is also clearly still struggling with his Cincinnati demons.Both players have got to get their heads on straight or this could be an ugly year for the both of them.

Gene Winner -

Rookie receiver David Reed, had good ball security, but lacked speed in the return game; hopefully the speed issue was a result of being too cautious in his first NFL return. In addition, he didn't quite get enough separation running routes in the passing game. He didn't have a bad game per se, yet he could improve by getting separation running his routes.

One player who didn't have his best game was backup QB Troy Smith. He took much time in the pocket and his 'read and react time' seemed a bit slow. Of course it is hard playing with the second team, yet you would think by now he would have a better mental clock in the pocket.

B-More Blogman -

I was most disappointed with the Offensive Line play. You can’t really single out one player either. Mike Oher and Ben Grubbs looked slow on the left side while Matt Birk was nursing some neck issues. I’ve grown tired of the Jared Gaither saga and I’m not sold at all on Oneil Cousins being able to fill the void for him during his absence. Wasn’t the O-line supposed to be a strength? It just shows you how fragile things can be. I think until Gaither is injury free and ready to practice they should move Marshall Yanda back to Right Tackle and insert Chris Chester at Right Guard.