Absurdly Early Depth Chart Predictions: Defensive Line

One of the more talented areas of the team has also served as the most under-achieving these last few years. Ever since the depature of Joe Johnson, LaRoi Glover, Wayne Martin, etc. this group has been chock full of promises, but left a trail of broken dreams scattered in their wake for Saints fans. Will a fresh influx of talent along with new D-Line Acadian Debil Ed 'O' Orgeron finally squeeze production from this group?

Yawyawyawyawyawyawyawyawyawyawyawyawyaw!

Now that we have gotten that out of our system, on to the Defensive Ends.



DE: Will Smith, Charles Grant, Bobby McCray, Josh Savage
With Will Smith and Charles Grant finally flush, Saints coaches and fans should be demanding 60 tackle and 10+ sacks seasons from both of them. Both players have limitless potential and both players have shown flashes of what they can do, but neither of them have put it together for a complete season. With new Saint Bobby McCray pushing them for playing time and Coach O just pushing them, early reports in training camp are that both players are primed for big years.

Charles Grant arrived at camp looking leaner than ever, weighing a svelte 278 lbs after spending much of the offseason at the vaunted Duke University Weight Loss and Surgery Center with Hollis Thomas. The hope is that Grant will come off the line quicker while still holding enough weight to occasionally drop down into the interior in obvious passing situations and providing pressure from the middle. There have been some off-field issues during his downtime that we'll need to keep an eye on, however I predict that they will not affect his playing time.

Will Smith is easily the best player on an improving defense, but outside of one Pro Bowl season he has yet to earn the label. With an explosive first step, he beats most Left Tackles off the snap and possesses enough upper-body strength to collapse the pocket. His rare gift is a spin move in which he almost never loses ground like most other DE's.

Bobby McCray is another classic under-achiever, which fits the theme the Saints are obviously going for here. Not known for his run defending, he has that long, lean body and arms that give QB's hell on pasisng downs. Grant and Smith are already feeling the heat from an Orgeron-motivated McCray.

Savage is a camp body in any other situation. He's been a practice squad guy for his career, but I just can't see the Saints starting the season with only three DE's on the roster. His size and work habits keep him drawing paychecks from NFL teams as a practice guy, which isn't bad work if you can get it.

DT: Hollis Tomas, Brian Young, Sedrick Ellis, Antwan Lake
Having already touched on the boyish figure of Charles Grant, fellow dieter Hollis Thomas also has people taking after arriving in Jackson weighing around 330. Unlike most pre-seasons when that's the reported weight, his Training Camp performances indicate that this is indeed a legitimate 330 lbs. Be it genuine self-improvement, taking Sean Payton's criticisms to heart or the addition of Sedrick Ellis, the situation is that Hollis Thomas is slim(er) and motivated and that's simply not good news for anyone who chooses to line up across from him.

The Hemi who lines up next to Thomas is Brian Young, the human motor. The guy still fights every play like his job depends on it. What else can you say about the guy? He always seems to make the "Must cut" list of Message Board Guys everywhere, yet remains a fixture on the defensive line every year: He's the bigger, whiter version of Fred Thomas.

The guy best known by Saints fans thus far as the guy who is not Glenn Dorsey is Sedrick Ellis. PAC-10 fans know this guy well, as does D-Line Coach Orgeron. Ellis is special enough to play the 1-tech or 3-tech spots on th eline, making him a Defensive Tackle for all occasions. He's arriving at camp 12 practices late, but I anticipate that he will quickly make up for lost time. There is no reason why he shouldn't be starting next to either Thomas or Young by the time the Buccaneers arrive in New Orleans for their ass-whipping.

Antwan Lake has proven to be a versatile defender since the Saints picked him up after the Falcons cast him aside last a couple seasons ago. He and Kendrick Clancy are basically interchangeable at this point in Clancy's career. Being that he's a Mississippi guy, I'm rotting for Clancy during TC, but Lake has youth and versatility on his side as he could step in at DE on the String Side if need be. It's not really a point worth arguing over because if either of them are seeing significant playing time, the Saints defense is in trouble.

The late, great Jim Finks always believed that you build your teams from the line of scrimmage first and then move from their. Bill Parcells (who is an obvious influenece on Payton) has made similar sentiments over the years. The Saints have invested heavily on both sides of the line since the arrival of Mickey Loomis and the Muellers.

Is this year the year we see the big pay off?