This is just a list of some of the other tackles that are free agents along with Bushrod.  I think the Saints will make an effort to resign him, but I don't think that Bushrod is going to command top money on the market especially with so many other names available.

Offensive Tackles:

Bryant McKinnie – BAL
Andre Smith – CIN
Ryan Clady – DEN
Gosder Cherilus – DET
Corey Hilliard – DET
Winston Justice – IND
Branden Albert – KC
Jake Long – MIA
Phil Loadholt – MIN
Sebastian Vollmer – NE
Jermon Bushrod – NO
Will Beatty – NYG
Max Starks – PIT
Jeremy Trueblood – TB

Brandon Albert is quietly one of the better OT's in the league.

The Saints are really, REALLY going to have to start specializing in the draft, and go out and hire some scouts that know what the hell they are doing. Brees has too much of the enchilada to do much in free agency unless, there are those scouts again, their scouts really see something in a free agent that had previously gone unnoticed monetarily.

For the most part the Saints have done a great job on the offensive side of the ball.

Grubbs (FA)
Bushrod 4th round pick
De La Puente (UFA)
Evans 4th round pick
Strief 7th round

Colston 7th Round
Henderson 2nd round
Moore (UFA)
Graham 3rd round
Thomas (Trade for 6th round pick)

Brees (FA)
Daniel (UFA)
Sproles (FA)
Thomas (UFA)
Ivory (UFA)
Ingram 1st round

The one pick that doesn't fit is Ingram, but they have gotten decent production for every other pick especially where they were taken.

It is the defensive evaluations that have fallen short.  One big area of concern has always been the Linebackers and continues to be as the Saints continue to not put any value in them.

Casillas, Humber and Hawthorne are all underafted players.  Herring was a 5th round pick and Shanle was a 7th round pick.  Lofton was a 2nd round pick by the Falcons and a nice FA pickup from Atlanta, but even Vilma was a 1st round pick that was traded away after three years with the Jets.



Over the years the Saints have spent some picks on the DL taking Smith, Jordan, Grant and Ellis.  They also took a bust in Jonathan Sullivan.  They have taken some players in the secondary with Robinson, Jenkins and Harper all being high picks.

We traded two mid first round picks to move up and take Sullivan.  What a waste.  Don't forget that we picked Charles Grant in the 1st round also.  We have indeed invested a lot of draft picks on defense.  Either its the picks or it was coaching.  Those picks were going to be drafted somewhere around where we picked them.  Its not like we picked someone that would have gone in the 4th round had we not picked them in the 1st.  With that many picks that have not panned out, I'm going to point to the coaching.

I think that the problem lives with scouting to some degree.  I cannot tell you exactly what happens inside the Saints War Room, but Every team has a ranking system.  They also have a list of needs.

Going into this Draft I have to feel like the Saints should have DT, LB and S. 

Now they have every player ranked on the big board #1-#500.  Now the Saints pick at #15.  Lets say for argument sake that the Saints are set to pick at #15 and Dee Milner is still on the board.  Now the Saints might not be thinking about taking a CB but cannot pass up Milner.  Milner would be a great pick, but wouldn't address the need at the other positions.