http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/1964 Recent articles about Randall Gay en-us For the past several years the Saints defense has been the point of most concern…A far cry from the 90's when the defense was so dominant. For the most part, the offense has carried the team the past two years and was not able to overcome all the big plays the defense allowed throughout the '07 season. Some feel this was largely due to the early losses of Deuce McAllister and Mark Campbell (two significant pieces of our run success in 2006). Regardless if this was the case or not, the Defense has to step up in 08. A lot of speculation has occurred on whether the free agency and draft moves this year were enough to take our defense from the depths. I personally am an optimist, and believe that the defense will be much better this year; and possibly win us some games instead of lose them for us. I compiled a list of things that I think would definitely help our defense out this year. 1. Charles Grant and Will Smith must play up to their contracts. 2. Whoever wins the weakside linebacker spot just needs to keep up with the other studs Fujita and Vilma. 3. Someone needs to step up and play well as a solid number two corner. 4. Josh Bullocks needs to be the centerfielder he was known as at Nebraska in 2004. Now before you jump to conclusions, let me explain the list. Charles Grant and Will Smith are great DE's and I believe they have the skill to be one of the top tandems in the league, if not the best. The only problem is now that they have the fat contracts, will they have the drive to be great. Last year, Grant showed signs of complacency by playing at a heavier weight; however, has come back a little thinner this year. With the addition of top draft pick Sedrick Ellis, I believe they will be hungry and not want to be shown up by the "rookie". The player that wins the weakside linebacker spot will not have the spotlight on him, but will need to be a key contributor. As the "Dome Patrol" showed, a superior linebacking corp can really dictate what an offense does. This could give Sean Payton and Gary Gibbs more options to be creative with the play calling, which most people feel is their strong point. So if someone can step up and play well at linebacker, we could be in for a real treat. Whether it's Jason David, Tracy Porter, Randall Gay or Usama Young, we need a long term answer for the #2 starting corner. I didn't forget about Aaron Glen, but he is not a long term answer for our secondary. Aaron should be key in bringing the knowledge and experience it takes to groom young talent at the corner position. Only time will tell who will win the number two spot, but I hope that it's whoever plays the best. Some say Jason David is currently the starter, but I believe that it will be tough spot for him to hold onto with other talented young corners breathing down his neck. If he does well during camp, Porter is poised to steal the number two spot from David. If Porter can somehow break through as a rookie and if McKenzie can come back 100% from injury, then we will be in great shape at the corner position. Josh Bullocks came out of Nebraska known for his ability to cover the field. However as a Saint, his strength has been his tackling. Unfortunately, he has been noticeably weak on his play recognition and ability to be in the right place at the right time. It's not that Bullocks does not have the talent to be a solid Free Safety, the question is if he can learn to be one. In my opinion, if these four things happen, our defense will be poised to be in the top half of the league if not better. My hope is that with an improved defense, we will have the balance needed to make a run to the playoffs, if not to the Superbowl! Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:29:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293546 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293546 2007 Summary: Cornerback last year was the most visible position on the Saints defense, in a negative way. After Fred Thomas was burned late in the 2006 season, Jason David came in as the presumptive savoir and the Saints drafted two CBs. One of which, Usama Young, secured a roster on the team. David did indeed start across from Mike McKenzie, but was burned for several highlight reel touchdowns. Young rotated in with Jason Craft and Fred Thomas as the nickel or dime defensive back, but none of the three were spectacular. 2008 Offseason: During the initial free agency period, the Saints signed two free agents at the cornerback position, neither of which were high-profile signings. Randal Gay was a four year player, but rarely a starter for the New England Patriots. Aaron Glenn is surely on his last legs and is not a savoir at the cornerback position, but has been a great player in the past and has a lot of experience to impart to the Saints younger defensive backs. In the draft, the Saints picked up Tracy Porter in the second round. Fred Thomas was released from the team and is not going to be with the Saints in 2008. Around the time of OTAs, the Saints picked up a couple of other players to compete in training camp as well. Player summary: CBs on roster as of today (in the order listed on the Saints website when sorting by position): Mike McKenzie (34) Tracy Porter (22) Jason Craft (21) Aaron Glenn (31) Randall Gay (20) Greg Fassitt (32) Usama Young (28) Anwar Phillips (36) Jason David (42) Jerametrius Butler (45) Mike McKenzie: Jersey Number: 34 School: Memphis Year: Junior Drafted: 3rd Round 1999 (Packers) Experience: 10 years Height: 6-0 Weight: 194 40-Time: 4.58 (Combine) There is nothing more you can say about McKenzie except he has been the number one starting CB for the Saints for more than a few years. The prior Saints staff traded for McKenzie in 04' and it's been a praised move ever since. McKenzie, however, injured his right knee in week 15 against the Eagles in 07'. He had knee surgery soon after and has been in intense rehab trying to prepare for 08'. According to McKenzie, he is on schedule to report to training camp at full speed. If so, that is a very fast recovery. Usually a player is not back to the practice field for upwards of 9 or 10 months and really ready to play for at least year. It will be almost exactly 7 months from the injury if he is on the field and playing full speed when training camp starts. It really comes down to how McKenzie has recovered on whether he starts or is on the IR/PUP lists come the beginning of the season. How that goes will make a large impact on several other players on the team. Certainly the players who would want to fill his starting LCB spot while he is still recovering will be impacted. Also players that would not have been given a chance to play at all will be impacted, because the nickel CB will probably be the LCB. Look for whether MM is on the practice field with "the 1's" (starting players), or if he is riding a bike or missing completely from the field. That will tell you what the lay of the land is. Tracy Porter: Jersey Number: 22 School: Indiana Year: Senior Drafted: 2nd round 2008 (Saints) Experience: Rookie Height: 5-11 Weight: 186 40-Time: 4.37 (Combine) With 24 INTs in his college career and 6 in his final year, Porter was a leader on the Indiana football team. He was a stand out cornerback and considered to be one of the better man-to-man cover corners coming out of the draft. He's a bit undersized for the "ideal" cornerback, but not for the standard NFL starting cornerback. He has played well in OTAs, but has already shown his inexperience by being beaten by the veteran receivers he has faced. Cornerback is one of the harder positions to transition from college to the NFL. So don't expect the world from Porter just yet. Although it has happened before, so it's not beyond all possibility. Being drafted as a high second round pick means he is probably considered, at this point, to be a future starter for the Saints at CB. Porter did some kick returning in college and will probably spend some time returning kickoffs in TC. The Saints have suffered quite a bit from average to poor kickoff returns since Michael "Beerman" Lewis departed after 2006. Word around town is that Porter is rising fast on the Saints depth chart after an impressive performance in shorts and shells at the OTAs. Even if Porter doesn't make the starting line up, which would be surprising; expect Porter to make the team as a developmental backup, kick returner and maybe a nickel/dime package defensive back. Jason Craft: Jersey Number: 21 School: Colorado State Year: Senior Drafted: 5th round 1999 (Jaguars) Experience: 10 years Height: 5-10 Weight: 187 40-Time: 4.52 (Combine) Jason Craft has been on the Saints roster since 2004. Craft has been a decent cornerback in that time, but is not the answer long term. Craft started the last four games to the end of 2007 after Mike McKenzie went down, but will have to fight off David, Young, Gay and probably even Porter to keep that position even if MM doesn't make it back to 100% in time for the first game. He can certainly hold the position down, but is not expected to start unless there is both a surprise performance by Craft and a surprising under-performance by others. Craft has 36 interceptions in 10 years, giving him an average of 3.6 INTs a year. Last year was his best year ever in total tackles as a Saint (56) and just four behind his career high of 60 in 2001 with the Jaguars. If Craft doesn't start at the beginning of the year, he may end up competing with Aaron Glenn for the roll of veteran backup. Glenn has been a utility defensive back, playing free safety solidly when called upon. Aaron Glenn: Jersey Number: 31 School: Texas A&M Year: Senior Drafted: 1st Round 1994 (NY Jets) Experience: 15 years Height: 5-9 Weight: 183 40-Time: 4.57 (Combine) Aaron Glenn was released by the Cowboys late in the last round of cuts in 2007. He was picked up quickly by the Jaguars, but wasn't activated as a player right away. Glenn started four games for the Jags when Rashean Mathis (CB) and Brian Williams (FS) were injured, playing admirably. Glenn made his lone interception while playing the free safety position in place of Williams in game 8 against the Bucs. Glenn will probably not figure into the starting competition for cornerback, but his versatility as a backup CB or FS, makes him an interesting player for roster spot competition. That versatility and veteran experience could put any cornerback (or free safety) that lands near the bottom of the depth charts in jeopardy of a job. Sean Payton likes versatile backups, especially ones that have a lot of experience to impart to younger players. Expect Glenn to make the team if he can show he still has some gas in the tank and can stay healthy. Randall Gay: Jersey Number: 20 School: LSU Year: Senior Drafted: UDFA 2004 (Patriots) Experience: 5 years Height: 5-11 Weight: 190 40-Time: 4.38 (Combine) Randall Gay has been with the New England Patriots for the last four years. He started 9 games in his rookie year and had a decent showing. Unfortunately he hurt his ankle, forcing him to miss 3 months in 2005 and his hamstring in the third game of the 2006 season, putting him out for the rest of the year. In 2007 Gay played injury free, mostly as the nickel cornerback, but getting three starts. He was able to grab 3 interceptions and had 7 pass deflections, even with the limited playing time. Gay was picked up by the Saints in free agency, probably as an insurance policy, but also with the upside that he could end up starting. If Mike McKenzie does not make it back to the starting line up by game 1, expect Gay to make a serious challenge for a starting cornerback position. If MM does make it back, Jason David and Usama Young will probably have a battle on their hands from Gay. He has been fighting for a starting spot ever since the 2005 and 2006 injury riddled seasons. Gay is back home in Louisiana and wants to prove that he belongs in the starting line up. Gay is fast and has been coached by one of best defensive teams in the NFL. He has had a lot of experience in both man to man and zone coverage, with decent success, despite being down the depth chart. Expect Gay to make the team even if he doesn't start. He has excelled as a nickel back and the NFL today has the nickel back on the field upwards of 60% of the time. Greg Fassitt: Jersey Number: 32 School: Grambling State Year: Senior Drafted: UDFA 2007 (Bears) Experience: 1 year Height: 5-11 Weight: 186 40-Time: 4.39 (Combine) Greg Fassitt was picked up by the Chicago Bears as an UDFA and was put in their practice squad, never being activated through the 2007 season. So Fassitt is a bit of a mystery. He showed some speed at the combine and topped it at Grambling's Pro Day with a 4.36. Unless otherwise proven, Fassitt appears to be a camp body. Expect Fassitt to be near the bottom of the depth chart or even the practice squad at best. Maybe he will be a diamond in the rough though, it wouldn't be the first time that the Saints have found one. Usama Young: Jersey Number: 28 (formerly 38) School: Kent State Year: Senior Drafted: 3rd Round 2007 (Saints) Experience: 1 year Height: 6-0 Weight: 200 40-Time: 4.4 (Combine) Usama Young was an unexpected selection by the Saints in the early third round of the 2007 draft. In camp last year Young showed a lot of athleticism, but also proved that he was a long term project. Young did not start in 2007, but played in all but two games (hamstring) for the Saints. As the season wound down, Young saw more and more playing time and seemed to be improving week to week. He did not have any INTs, and only had two passes defended, unfortunately, for a Saints defensive backfield that sorely needs a game breaker. Young may be the future of the CB position for the Saints, but that has yet to be proven. After Mike McKenzie went down in the Eagles game, Young was not put in the starting role, even though the playoffs were merely a statistical possibility. One would think that if the Saints had big plans for Young, they would have played him more to give him more game experience. In addition, would they have gotten so many new CBs to compete if Young was the answer? They didn't just draft Tracy Porter in the second round, they brought in Randall Gay, Aaron Glenn Jerametrius Butler and Fassitt in free agency. That has to make one think. With that said, Young may still be in the hunt for the starting job at CB if Mike McKenzie is unable to make a full recovery from his knee injury. If MM does make it back, it will be a lot harder for Young to break into the starting role. Anwar Phillips: Jersey Number: 36 School: Penn State Year: Senior Drafted: UDFA 2006 (Saints) Experience: 2 years Height: 6-0 Weight: 187 40-Time: 4.46 (Combine) Anwar Phillips started out as a wide receiver for the Nittany Lions, but moved to defensive back midway through his college career. Phillips went undrafted in 2006, but has been in the Saints training camp and practice squad for two years now. No doubt the converted receiver was looked at as a long term project by the coaching staff, but after two years, the team probably expects some fruit for their investments soon. Phillips has never played an NFL regular season down, so there is not much to know about. If Anwar doesn't make the team this year, he is likely to be looking for a new team to play with in the future. Expect Phillips to be fighting for a final roster spot, if he makes it that far. Jason David: Jersey Number: 42 School: Washington State Year: Senior Drafted: 4th Round 2004 (Colts) Experience: 5 years Height: 5-8 Weight: 180 40-Time: 4.47 (Combine) Jason David was brought in from the Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts and was expected to save the day. Unfortunately, he had a hard time transitioning back to a mostly man to man scheme from the Colts mostly Cover-2 zone scheme. David has great instincts and deceptive speed, often showing his skills in one on one drills. He played most of his college years as a man to man specialist at cornerback. His reactions were off, though, after being forced to change his instincts for four years in Indianapolis. David was severely burned on some high profile plays early in the season. Then he broke his forearm against Tenn in the third game. David returned a month later and did start to show improvement as the season wore on. It wasn't enough to satisfy the Saints though, as they brought in a host of competition to keep David honest. David comes in as the returning starter, but with Gay, Glenn, Porter and Young all in camp, David will have to really shine to keep that job in 2008. It would be surprising to see David not make the team as a backup or nickel back if he does loose his job, so expect David to be on the final roster come September. Jerametrius Butler: Jersey Number: 45 School: Kent State Year: Senior Drafted: 5th Round 2001 (Rams) Experience: 8 years Height: 5-10 Weight: 181 40-Time: 4.57 (Combine) Butler is an interesting pickup for the Saints. After being a developmental project early in his career, he had a breakout year in 2003, starting all but one game, grabbing 4 INTs and getting 71 tackles. Then in 2004, he topped it with 5 INTs, an impressive 14 passes broken up and 79 tackles. Butler appeared to be on the way to a productive career. Then in 2005, Butler had a major injury to his right knee that eventually resulted in him being cut from the Rams after 2006. In 2007, Butler started one game for the Buffalo Bills, but was cut at the end of the year. Butler appears to be one of those low risk gambles, sort of like David Patten was in 2007. If he is finally fully healed from his knee injury, he may be a starter quality player for the Saints. If he is not, then the Saints don't have a lot invested in him and can cut him. If Butler performs well and makes it to the later rounds of cuts, he may end up being a nice pick up. Competition Summary: There are 10 players listed at CB going into camp, for either 5 or 6 positions. If the coaching staff feels very good about the first 5, there may not be a 6th position. That leaves 4 or possibly 5 players out. If McKenzie ends up on the PUP/IR list, it will give a temporary reprieve for one player. It is unlikely though, if McKenzie is rehabbing as fast as he says, that he will not be on the active roster, even if he is not ready to start. The NFL restricts a player from returning for several weeks if he is on the injured lists. The Saints will probably want him to be able to play as soon as he is ready. If he does end up on the IR/PUP list, he is probably out about half of the season. If Mike McKenzie is healthy, look for Jason David, Randall Gay and Usama Young to compete for the starting role opposite him. That would leave a large contingent vying for the final roster spots. The nickel corner position gets a lot more playing time that most think, so it will be a coveted position and most likely go to the runner up for RCB. If Mike McKenzie is out and not on the active roster, then expect to see a wide open competition for both LCB and RCB. It's going to get very interesting with wild card players like Butler that have been brought in. The most likely locks for the roster include Mike McKenzie, Tracy Porter, Randall Gay and possibly Usama Young. One could make an argument for Jason David as well, but there are no guarantees. David should be competing for a starting role, but if he is completely outperformed by some of the new arrivals, he could be odd man out. So, most likely, that leaves only one or two roster positions open. Jason Craft has tenure, but Aaron Glenn has more success filling in for both CB and FS. That makes him versatile and possibly able to fill two roles, freeing up a roster spot, which Head Coach Sean Payton likes. Then there are the unknowns with Greg Fassitt and Jerametrius Butler. Even Anwar Phillips could suddenly have the lights turn on in his third year. Strap on your seatbelts Saints fans, it's going to be a fun ride! Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:49:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288554 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288554 From: Pro Football Weekly Word out of New Orleans is that rookie CB Tracy Porter made a good first impression during OTAs and has already passed second-year CB Usama Young on the depth chart. Jason David and Mike McKenzie, if he's recovered from a torn ACL suffered late last season, are the presumed starters at corner, but David could very well lose his job to Porter or nickel back Randall Gay if he doesn't show better field awareness and he continues to get beat deep. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:27:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287614 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287614 After an incredible 2006 season, the New Orleans Saints came back to earth last year as they finished 7-9 overall with sub-par performances all around. The Saints lost their first four games, with quarterback Drew Brees throwing nine interceptions and just one touchdown in those games, and were simply unable to recover. Brees actually finished strong, setting career highs in passing yards (4,423), attempts (652), completions (440), completion percentage (67.5) and passing touchdowns (28). Unfortunately he added nine fumbles, four of them lost, and a career-high 18 interceptions. The running back tandem of Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush took a major hit when McAllister was lost for the season with another knee injury in the week 3 loss to the Tennessee Titans... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 22:57:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282807 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282807 Full Disclosure: I (Joel Stubblefield) hate the New England Patriots. I'm not sure why, but the overall smugness of the entire organization is really annoying to me. So what can be said about the 2007 season for the New England Patriots that hasn't already been said? Contributing greatly to my overall happiness, they didn't win the Super Bowl. But, they did complete a perfect 16-0 regular season, and had some incredible performances fantasy football wise. In fact, if you owned Tom Brady, Randy Moss, or Wes Welker in many leagues, you had quite the season. Brady, perhaps my least favorite player on the planet, was absolutely surgical last year. His final numbers of 398 completions, 4,806 yards, and 50 touchdowns were simply filthy. Moss managed a bounce-back year of epic proportions, harkening back to the days of purple and gold in the Metrodome and totaling 98 receptions, 1493 yards, and 23 touchdowns. Welker? What's 112 receptions, 1175 yards, and eight touchdowns? Paltry compared to Moss. Of minor disappointment, however, was Laurence Maroney, who likely cost you a first round pick, finishing with 835 rushing yards and six touchdowns. There's reason for excitement for Maroney owners in keeper leagues, however, as we'll get to later. Make sure to read more of what Bruno Boys Fantasy Football staff writer Joel Stubblefield has to say about the New England Patriots and their fantasy football worthy players heading into the 2008 season by clicking below... Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:59:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282487 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282487 It's a do-or-die year for the Panthers and we're going with the "do." The offense will get a big boost from rookie RB Jonathan Stewart. The Saints' and Bucs' hope lie with their respective QBs (Drew Brees and Jeff Garcia), while the Falcons also put their egg in the Matt Ryan basket. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:48:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280493 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280493 The first day of free agency was big for the eagles, but should it have been bigger. The eagles FA could have talked to Moss the first day and tried to pull him away from NE. That was the play maker we needed and we went out and fixed a D that was already good. Dont fix something that isnt broken!! Now we go into the season with the crappy WR we had last year. Asante better be good. Asante would have been around the 2nd day of FA. or we could have gotten moss then randall gay who would be good and not cause all the probs. with lito. Sun, 04 May 2008 15:25:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263346 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/263346 We will project the current starters prior to the draft, and detail which positions need attention in April's draft. Base defense is up first and then we will look at third down defense, including the nickel, dime, and "Cali" packages. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:50:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/232603 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/232603 With free agency seemingly dead in the water, there are still a few NFL teams looking to fill needs, but will they wait for the draft or take a veteran they know will add value? It is interesting to see how 2008 has been similar for the Patriots to free agency periods before 2007. There was too much hype on the Patriots in 2007 and now media pundits feel the Patriots have had a terrible offseason due to losing Asante Samuel, Randall Gay and Eugene Wilson from their secondary and cutting Rosevelt Colvin. Jamie recently gave a review on the Patriots free agency moves and outlines his thoughts and grades. Although the Patriots have found a few additions in the secondary with CB Fernando Bryant (lions), S Tank Williams (Vikings), CB Lewis Sanders (Falcons), CB Jason Webster (Bills), these players seem to be often injured and decent replacements for the likes of Gay and Wilson or at the very least special teamers. Dom Capers knows a few of these players and they all seem to be tough physical kind of guys he likes to have to play up in the box. I am hoping that Capers is able to improve the secondary and I agree with Jamie, 'if Bryant is the starter alongside Ellis Hobbs to start the season, I don't like the Patriots' chances to make it back to the Super Bowl'. Ty Law is still available (as well as Hank Poteat), but even then I do not like to depend on him to start the whole season. The draft is deep with cornerbacks more so then safeties, so I see Meriweather playing safety in 2008 rather then filling in at corner as he did in early 2007. If Law does join he along with Capers should be able to bring along the young talent into the Belchick mindset relatively quickly. Worse case scenario Troy Brown returns as a nickle back and the Pats at least said no to 'Pac Man' Jones. Overall, I disagree that cornerback is the top need for the Patriots this offseason as the Patriots have often filled the voids in the secondary with players off the street and have used quantity over quality. If we look at the Patriots roster, the greater need is still youth at linebacker with only Pierre Woods and Eric Alexander are the only 'veterans' (sorry Izzo is special teams and comes in on goal line defenses) behind Tedy Bruschi, AD Thomas and Mike Vrabel. They have never played well enough to even come in during the early blowouts in 2007… TJ Slaughter was recently signed and Panthers Adam Seward (RFA) was brought in for a check up with no contract given. These are back-ups not starters even if they figure out the Patriots system. Junior Seau is still surfing and has not made up his mind to return and the Pats may be interested in Takeo Spikes, but age is still a concern. So sure the Patriots did re-sign a few key players like Randy Moss and Lonie Paxton. And Tedy Bruschi is old and slow, but still a team leader and play maker having the most tackles on the team in 2007 - not bad! I think keeping Gaffney is great as he adds value with Stallworth gone, the others that were re-signed are all fillers and not game changers and talent to get to the Super Bowl. I would grade the free agency as a D, based on the Patriots not doing enough to fill the gaps and not much opportunity to draft starters in the draft. Having said that … IN BILL WE TRUST! Sun, 30 Mar 2008 09:25:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/224162 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/224162 john clayton really did a good job on this article. its broke down well an has some really good points. (personally i think that DJ Hackett is also a conciderable risk. due to the point that he has not played all than much. he is a big body to throw at but still only has 9 td's in his carrer.) Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:16:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/196097 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/196097 If true, at 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, the 27 year-old Tank Williams will be one of the biggest safeties on the team. Williams was originally selected in the second round of the 2002 draft by the Titans. Coming out of college Williams was known as a fast (4.45 in 40yd) youngster smart enough to start in a complicated Titans defensive system in his rookie year. He was full-time starter during his first two years and in his forth year as well before leaving the team for Minnesota. Williams injured his knee prior to the 2006 season and did not play and only participated in 13 games with two starts in 2007. He is no longer on the Vikings website, so this may be true… A few Pats fans on the boards think this is a good signing and has Belichick written all over it. I think the recent defensive back signings also have to do with Dom Capers hard hitting mentality and this may just be one of the most aggressive Patriots secondaries we have seen since Ty Law, Tyrone Poole, Asante Samuel, Randall Gay, Eugene Wilson and Rodney Harrison played together. IN BILL WE TRUST! Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:02:42 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/182151 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/182151 Louisiana native, LSU Tiger, Welcome home! Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:34:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179945 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179945 Randall Gay, a cornerback who spent the past four years with New England, agreed to a four-year contract with the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:14:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179534 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/179534 As we look forward to todays first game of the post-season, news on Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs is questionable with a groin injury. If Hobbs is hobbled, then look for Randall Gay to see more action at corner and possibly rookie Brandon Meriweather playing at corner instead safety. It was also reported earlier that hard hitting safety Rodney Harrison has been limited by a thigh injury and had some issues in practice with the injury being taped. If Harrison is also limited, this will mean more work safeties James Sanders and Eugene Wilson. Add to the injury list defensive backs and special teamers Willie Andrews and Atwain Spann and there just may be a cause for concern if injuries happen during the game. I would be really concerned if special teamers Mel Mitchel and Ray Ventrone take to the field in normal defensive situations. Mitchel has limited experience in normal defensive plays and Ventrone has only special teams experience. The situation could call for wide receiver and fan favorite Troy Brown to make his first appearance in game this year. Also is Bam Childress still on the practice squad? I think he has practiced with the defense before. Can Kelley Washington play corner or will the Wes Welker legend in New England eclipse Try Brown if Welker plays defense? OH JEEZ! I wish the game would start already! IN BILL WE TRUST! Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:32:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/69677 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/69677 As the Patriots prepare for their preseason game tomorrow night versus the Tennessee Titans, Patriot Nation is still not sure about what will happen with cornerback Asante Samuel's holdout. The silence leaves Patriot Nation to wonder if Samuel and the Pats are working towards an agreement and Samuel will be good to go before the season starts, or as Samuel indicated in earlier media interviews, Samuel will actually sit out until week 10. I am frustrated as much as any fan and patience is always needed with Bill Belichick at this time of the season. In the meantime, Patriot Nation has the opportunity to see the current cornerbacks on the roster compete during the preseason. Ellis Hobbs and Randall Gay seem to be the starting tandem at right and left corner. Tory James, and rookies Mike Richardson and Brandon Meriweather seem to be getting the calls to rotate after the first team is done. Thu, 16 Aug 2007 15:55:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23851 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/23851