2008 New Orleans Saints Season Preview

2008 New Orleans Saints preview from MadduxSports.com. The NFC South is a very difficult division to forecast on a year to year basis and the NFL lines makers often put up some soft numbers that sharp nfl handicappers pounce on. In 2008 be on the right side of games with the help of Maddux Sports handicapping team.

2008 New Orleans Saints Predictions
By Adam Barone

Rundown
Last season’s opening game loss at the hands of the Colts sent the Saints spiraling into suckdome, catapulting them to an 0-4 start. They managed just seven wins in a year when they were expected to have a shot at the Super Bowl.

The good news is that the off season losses were minimal. Center Jeff Faine went to division rival Tampa Bay, and was replaced by Matt Lehr.

New Orleans made some substantial pick-ups in an attempt to hurl itself back into contention in the NFC. Cornerbacks Randall Gay and Aaron Glenn, and linebackers Dan Morgan and Jonathan Vilma should greatly improve New Orleans 26th ranked defense.

Morgan has never played a full season but has pro-bowl potential if he’s healthy. Vilma, a former pro-bowler, played in all 16 games in his first three seasons with the Jets and recorded over 100 tackles in each. He missed nine games last year due to injury. He’s only 26 and should be a staple in the Saints defense for years to come.

Running back Deuce McAllister missed 13 games last season and Reggie Bush only averaged 3.7 yards per carry filling in. The Saints still managed to have the fourth best offense in the league, with 361.2 yards per game, despite being 28th in rushing yards. Quarterback Drew Brees played in every game and averaged 276.4 passing yards. The offense certainly benefited from the defense’s ineptness, as it was on the field quite a bit more often.

With Deuce McAllister back the Saints will make a strong playoff run.

Draft Analysis
Defense was the major weakness last season, and the Saints looked to improve it in the draft. Cornerback and defensive tackle were the biggest weaknesses, but Gay and Glenn should fill the hole on the outside.

The Saints used their first round pick, the seventh overall, on defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis out of USC. Ellis has a reputation for being unbeatable on the line, and could be the best player in the draft.

The Saints’ second round pick was Indiana cornerback Tracy Porter. There should now be plenty of depth at the position after Jason David was burnt last season like the pizza you accidentally left in the oven for three hours.

New Orleans didn’t have another pick until the fifth round, and had only six total. Keep an eye on seventh round pick Adrian Arrington as a possible steal.

After viewing the New Orleans Saints preview read up on the rest of the NFL Southern Division division teams including the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Panthers.

Related Pages:
Saints Official Site
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