Checking in on Those New Saints

A lot of the Saints' success last year came from a massive overhaul of new blood and true competition; if you weren't Drew Brees, your job was up for grabs. The offense did well enough, and returned enough players, that the Saints were allowed to focus the majority of their free agent money on defense. All of last year's starters are back, as well, meaning competition has again been inspired. With training camp over and two preseason games left, there's still lots of room for movement.

Jason David - Rehashing Fred Thomas' 2006 troubles is just beating Barbaro, so I'll just say that Jason David, despite arriving in Indianapolis in the middle of the depth chart, didn't have much standing in the way of a starting job. So far, David has transitioned from the Cover 2 well. He excelled in camp and had a great game against the Bengals last Saturday. He has, officially, taken Thomas' spot in the starting lineup, meaning he'll be lining up against former teammate Marvin Harrison in the season opener.

Brian Simmons - As far as middle linebackers go, Mark Simoneau had trouble getting to and bringing down the ballcarrier last year, which is pretty much what a middle linebacker is counted on to do. So the Saints brought in former Bengal Brian Simmons, a frequent 100+-tackle guy. But Simmons has dealt with nagging injuries and didn't catch onto the playbook as quickly as some anticipated. In the meantime, the addition has lit a fire under Simoneau, whose had one of the best offseasons on the team. He's still the starter, and he's earned it so far, but Simmons will at least be a one- or two-down 'backer, if he doesn't supplant Simoneau entirely.


Kendrick Clancy - The Cardinals didn't cut Kendrick Clancy until late in free agency, after the Saints had already re-signed Hollis Thomas. But defensive tackle was still the team's weakest position, Thomas constantly struggles with weight problems and is playing year to year, and you can never be sure when "asthma medicine" will get him suspended again. Clancy was supposed to be nothing more than valued depth. But Clancy has taken advantage of Thomas' inability to get to his prescribed weight (335 lbs. of pure ladies man) with a great camp, and worked his way onto the first team. Thomas promises he'll be at weight by the time the season starts, and he can still win the starter's job, but the Saints rotate defensive linemen anyway, so they'll both play.

Kevin Kaesviharn - A lot of Fred Thomas' troubles could also be attributed to Josh Bullocks, who failed to help on receivers over the top. Creating interceptions was also a problem, which is odd considering Bullocks was drafted as a ballhawk. Kevin Kaesviharn picked off six passes as a situational safety in Cincinnati last year. He and Bullocks have been neck-and-neck competing for the starting spot, and the outcome probably won't be known until the Colts game.