As everyone knows, there is still an impasse with the labor situation in the NFL. The players are still locked out and there is not an immediate end in sight. While not being able to communicate with coaches or use team facilities will certainly be a detriment to some teams, the lockout may actually end up benefiting the Saints if and when the 2011 football season begins.

Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been organizing workouts for his teammates at Tulane University. Some other NFL teams have had some organized workouts such as the quarterback and receivers getting together for throwing sessions but, according to all reports, none of the workouts have been as extensive as the ones the Saints are participating in. Brees has paid for the use of the Tulane University facilities as well as some of the coaching staff to work with the team. Brees has also paid for his own personal trainer from California to work with the team. Brees has also arranged for players to take part in studying game films of the teams that they will face in 2011. A recent story on ESPN offered a glimpse into some of the workouts the Saints are participating in. The video segment showed Brees explaining different workouts, Jonathon Vilma working with the defensive players and Brees working with rookie running back Mark Ingram. Brees knows this offense as well as coach Sean Payton does so he is very well equipped to teach it to their rookie running back.

Thanks in no small part to the leadership being shown by Brees and other veteran players, the Saints may be the team in the best position whenever the lockout ends. This time of year, teams are normally busy with mini-camps, organized team activities and rookies learning play books. The lockout is preventing all of this but the Saints are essentially doing the same things on their own. Drew Brees has stated he will continue to pay for him and his teammates to practice and make use of the Tulane facilities as long as the lockout is in effect. If the lockout continues for some time and ends up cutting into training camp time, these practices spearheaded by Brees will become more and more important.

The biggest way the lockout may hurt the Saints is that the rookie players who aren’t attending will have less time to practice with their new teammates. Rookies Cameron Jordan and Martez Wilson both have the potential to start on defense but they will need time to learn Greg Williams’ complex defensive system. The Saints also don’t have the ability to sign undrafted free agents until the lockout ends. The Saints are very good at finding good players who slipped through the cracks of the draft and signing them as undrafted free agents.

Although they would benefit from the lockout ending immediately, the Saints will be in the best position whenever the lockout does end. They have a deep and talented veteran roster and with the leadership being shown by their players in organizing the team for workouts, they will be better prepared than any other team once the lockout is over.

After the Saints drafted running back Mark Ingram in the 1st round of the 2011 draft, a lot of people were quick to call Reggie Bush’s time in New Orleans over. I wasn’t one of those and suggested several times that the Saints offense had room for both Bush and Ingram, as well as Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory, but some recent events are changing my mind.

Let’s review what has happened in the last couple of weeks. Immediately after the Saints drafted Mark Ingram, coach Sean Payton said that he still believed Reggie Bush had a future with the team. Quarterback Drew Brees, who is possibly more of a leader to the team than the coach, also contacted Reggie Bush to give him some words of reassurance and public comments from Brees suggested that he wanted to see Bush back with the Saints. This might not mean much but Drew Brees has a lot of pull with the Saints organization.

Last week, over 40 Saints players gathered for a private workout organized by Drew Brees at Tulane University. Brees paid for almost the entire workout from his own pocket including the use of the Tulane facilities, coaching staff, lodging for players, etc. With workouts continuing this week, Brees could be shelling out over $100,000 for this. The Saints also have had the largest turn out for player led workouts of any team thus far, their NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons had about 22 players turn out for theirs. Even players without a current contract such as fullback Heath Evans, safety Roman Harper and tackle Jermon Bushrod showed up. One player who was not at the workouts? Reggie Bush. Instead, Bush is sending out twitter messages saying he is enjoying be able to relax during the lockout instead of working out in the Louisiana heat.

My question, does Reggie Bush realize his teammates, including his quarterback who quickly jumped to his defense only two weeks ago are working out in the bad Louisiana heat? No player has made a public comment about Bush not being at the workouts but you know it has been noticed. It is starting to seem more and more like Bush, despite the Saints trying to make a place for him, might want out of New Orleans. If Bush is released from New Orleans, Seattle has been mentioned as a possible landing spot and you have to wonder if Bush is looking for a fresh start with his old college coach after an injury plagued career in New Orleans never quite blossomed like it should have for a player taken 2nd overall in the 2006 draft.

Reggie Bush has done some wonderful things for New Orleans. When he is healthy, he is a threat to break a home run every time he touches the ball. He was a key contributor in the 2006 season when the Saints, recovering from Hurricane Katriana, made an improbable run to the NFC Championship and he played a vital role in the Saints 2009 Superbowl Championship. His production though just doesn’t equal what the Saints invested in him with the 2nd overall pick and in terms of money. Pierre Thomas, an undrafted free agent who was making a minimum salary his first few years, has been far more productive.

It might be time for the Saints to cut ties with Reggie Bush. How are his teammates who have been sweating it out in player organized workouts going to welcome him back into the locker room once the lockout ends?  The team has a good stable of young running backs in Ingram, Thomas and Ivory as well as Lynell Hamilton and P. J. Hill who will be returning from injuries last preseason. It is unlikely the Saints will be able to trade Bush given his high salary so releasing him may be the only option. I said before that Bush would only stay in New Orleans if he renegotiated his contract for a pay cut. It doesn’t seem likely now that either side will be very willing to do that. If Bush is released, the Saints may look to add a running back with a similar skill set in free agency. Darren Sproles could be a possibility as could undrafted free agent Noel Devine from West Virginia.

We’ll see what happens once the lockout ends.

Normally teams would be busy signing undrafted free agents in the days following the draft but that cannot happen until there is some resolution to the labor dispute that allows clubs to resume normal operations. Hopefully there will be some kind of resolution following the NFL’s expedited appeal to the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals this week. The Saints have a plan and schedule to get back to work as soon as the lockout is lifted. The first orders of business will be signing free agents and undrafted free agents.

Today I am going to take a look at some undrafted free agents the Saints should target.

Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College – Herzlich obviously wasn’t drafted over concerns for his health but, if he is able to make a full recovery cancer, he has the talent and physical skills to be a starter for almost any team in the league. The Saints need help both at strong and weak side linebacker. Martez Wilson figures to fill one of those holes, most likely on the strong side, but the Saints still need linebacker help. Signing Herzlich as an undrafted free agents gives the Saints a lot of potential without a lot of risk if he doesn’t pan out.

Deandre McDaniel, SS, Clemson – McDaniel has some “character” issues but the Saints have never had an issue dealing with players with “character” issues. The Saints could use some depth at strong safety especially with Roman Harper as a potential free agent. From what I read, McDaniel and Harper seem to be similar types of players which could make McDaniel a fit in the Saints defense.

Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia – If Reggie Bush does not agree to renegotiate his contract, Devine could provide a very similar skill set to Bush and would come at a much cheaper price. Plus, as last season showed, there is no such thing as having too many healthy running backs on the roster.

Ricardo Lockette, WR, Fort Valley State – One of the fastest players at the combine, it never hurts for the Saints to add weapons for Drew Brees and the offense. The Saints are loaded at receiver but it never hurts to have a few on hand in case of injuries to starters. Lance Moore is also a potential free agent and Devery Henderson could end up being a victim of salary cap cuts so the Saints could be looking for another receiver with top-end speed to stretch the field.

Terrence Toliver, WR, LSU – As I mentioned, the Saints could be looking to replace a receiver or two on the roster depending on what happens with the NFL labor situation. Toliver’s technique needs some polishing but he is a big receiver at 6′4″ and has decent speed. He could be another options for the Saints if they need to add some receivers, particularly as a developmental prospect who does not need to make an immediate impact.

In a few days, I’ll be taking a look at potential veteran free agents the Saints may target once the labor situation is resolved.

The 2011 draft has come and gone and it was certainly an exciting one for Saints fans. The Saints managed to find a good combination between value and need in this draft, addressing most of their key needs but also finding some tremendous value with some of their draft picks. The Saints focussed on what I identified as two of their weakest areas last season, the front-seven of the defense and the running game. I’m breaking down and analyzing the whole draft and what the picks can bring to the Saints.

2011 Draft Picks – DE Cameron Jordan (24th overall pick), RB Mark Ingram (28th overall pick), LB Martez Wilson (72nd overall pick), CB Johnny Patrick (88th overall pick), DE Greg Romeus (226th overall pick), LB Nathan Bussey (243rd overall pick).

Overall, a few years from now, I think we might be calling this one of the better draft classes in Saints history. Although the Saints only had six picks in this year’s draft, it’s hard to find a questionable prospect in their first four picks. Cameron Jordan was rated by most experts as a top-10 to top-15 talent and the Saints got him with the 24th overall pick. The most negative comment I can find about Jordan is that his technique and moves can use some refinement but he is going to be coached by Greg Williams, one of the best defensive minds in the league, so it is an ideal situation. Jordan provides an instant upgrade over Alex Brown on the left side of the defensive line and, while he is not considered to be an “elite” pass-rusher, he is a very complete defensive end with a good combination of size, speed and athleticism.

After securing a good defensive end prospect with the 24th overall pick, the Saints were then able to trade back into the first round to take the best running back in the draft. Many scouts have compared Mark Ingram to hall of fame running back Emmit Smith and they do have very similar styles. Ingram will share carries with Pierre Thomas, Chris Ivory and likely Reggie Bush but he should have very good production with the Saints. Ingram is also a very capable receiver out of the backfield so defenses will not be able to key on the run. Most importantly, an effective running game will open things up for Drew Brees and the passing game. Remember when Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell were racking up rushing yards in the 2009 season? Drew Brees was lighting defenses up down field and I know the Saints would like to get back to that kind of offense. For a coach who loves to throw the ball as much as Sean Payton, he also places great value on the running game and he will make sure there are plenty of carries / receptions to spread between Ingram, Thomas, Ivory and Bush. The cost to get Ingram was high but if he does what he his capable of doing for the Saints running game, I believe it will end up seeming like a good value.

Next, the Saints get a linebacker who was viewed by many experts as a second round pick in the top of the third round. Martez Wilson was a very productive player at Illinois and, like Cameron Jordan for the defensive end position, provides an instant upgrade to the linebacker position. Wilson will likely compete for a starting job at one of the outside linebacker positions, most likely the strong side. He will have to make an adjustment after playing inside at college but, again, he has one of the best defensive coaches to help in his transition. Wilson has very good edge rushing abilities which should help the Saints bring pressure on the quarterback in obvious passing situations.

Cornerback was not a huge position of need for the Saints but I think this is a pick where the Saints went after the best player on their draft board in Johnny Patrick. In his final season at Louisville, Patrick was very close to being a shutdown corner. With Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter, Patrick won’t be starting anytime soon but I could see him making an impact in nickel and dime situations. With injuries at the position, it also never hurts to have a stable of good defensive backs. Picking Patrick here could also make veteran Randall Gay expendable, allowing the Saints to both clear some potential salary cap room and to continue to get younger at key positions on their defense.

The Saints took another defensive end and another linebacker with their two seventh round picks. Greg Romeus would have likely been a much higher rated prospect if not for a history of injuries. When healthy, he was a very productive player both on defense and on special teams, earning Big East co-defensive player of the year honors in his junior season. If he is able to rehab from an ACL injury, the Saints may have found a steal here in the 7th round. At the ery least, when healthy, he figures to be a solid backup and special teams contributor. Nathan Bussey also figures to be developmental prospect after playing both safety and linebacker in college. He will have to learn an adapt to an NFL defense but, as I have stated several times, he has Greg Williams as a coach who will definitely get the most of his potential.

In his draft grades, ESPN’s Mel Kiper criticized the Saints for not drafting players for the offensive line, specifically an offensive tackle. I’m not an expert like Kiper but my question is, why did the Saints need to? The offensive line right now is the same as it was when the Saints won the super bowl. Last season defenses were able to hurry and get to Drew Brees more often but that can be blamed on lack of a consistent running game as much as it can on the offensive line. Also, the Saints drafted Alex Brown in the second round of the 2010 draft and he has yet to see any substantial playing time. Brown was viewed by many experts as a first round talent who slipped. It is likely that Brown will compete with Jermon Bushrod for the starting left tackle job this year. The Saints also drafted center Matt Tenant in the 2010 draft. I say give the players they have a chance before saying they need to draft more help.

I will say again that I doubt the drafting of Mark Ingram signals the end of Reggie Bush’s time in New Orleans. Multiple comments from Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis suggest that they want to keep Bush on the team and they should. Bush and Ingram have very different styles and Bush has value to the team in certain packages, as a slot receiver and a return man. Having Ingram in the backfield allows them to use Bush in an ideal situation, 10-15 plays per game, setup for him to try to break a home run. Anything could happen and it will ultimately be decided on if they can renegotiate Bush’s contract but I expect that he will be a Saint again next season.

I think the most important thing now for the Saints is for the lockout to end. The newly drafted players need to get with their coaches and teammates and get to work. The Saints figure to have at least three players in this draft that will see significant playing time and they need to be able to learn the plays an get to work.

Until the lockout ends, news might be scarce. I will be posting some comments on the labor situation as well as some thoughts on where the Saints might look in free agency. It was an exciting draft for Saints fans and has the potential to lead to a very good season.