Qustions for LSU's 2016 Spring

The 2016 LSU Football Tigers season began in earnest this week when spring practice opened last Monday. As Les Miles prepares for his 12th season as head coach, here are some questions facing him.

Will new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda have an immediate impact?

 

Aranda comes from the University of Wisconsin where his defenses were consistently ranked in the top five. 

That's the good news.
 

The bad news is Wisconsin plays in the Big 10. But Aranda is universally considered one of the bright young minds in college football defense. He has the reputation to move guys around, put them in positions to be successful, run exotic blitzes and keep the opposing quarterback confused. He is switching to a 3-4 defensive alignment. This will be an interesting move since the weakest spot on the LSU defense has generally been considered the linebacker position. Having more of them on the field at one time could be a concern.

Will the offensive line be able to withstand the loss of two starters?

 

Veterans Vadal Alexander and Jerald Hawkins have to be replaced. LSU likes to rotate the offensive lineman during the season to get them experienced, so they should be good there. They were helped in a big way when senior Center Ethan Pocich decided to return. LSU recruits offensive lineman very well year  in and year out and it's a position of talented depth.

Will Leonard Fournette win the Heisman Trophy?

 

 It's my opinion that he should've won it last season. The quarterback play was inconsistent which contributed to a lackluster passing game. But Fournette still ran for 2000 yards. He absolutely dominated his opponents in the beginning of the season but heavy amounts of carries took it's toll toward the end of the season against Alabama. However, he finished off nicely with the big game against Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl. The running back position is also stockpiled with talented depth lead by sophomore sensation Darius Guice. In fact, though LSU signed one of the best running backs in the country, freshmen Devin White, the depth is so good at running back that White was immediately moved to linebacker to bolster that position.

Will LSU's yearly bumper crop of WR's ever payoff?

 

 LSU year in and year out recruits top wide receivers. The best. So much so that two from last year's team had to transfer due to the influx of talent. The problem is the offense has not produced a quality passer to complement their superior running game.

Which leads me to the next question. Will Brandon Harris finally become the top-notched SEC quarterback that LSU fans have been waiting to see since he was signed three years ago?

 

Everything else on the offense is set, great running backs, terrific why receivers, an outstanding offensive line. The one huge obstacle has been the play of the quarterback. This will be Harris' second season as a full-time starter. The hope of the coaching staff, teammates, fans and pundents everywhere is that the experience he received from starting every game last season will carryover to this season and make him a better qb.

If that happens and Dave Aranda can improve the defense and create turnovers, LSU will have an excellent chance to win the SEC West and make the college football playoffs.

Pre-Saints Free Agency 2016 Report

As we get to the start of the 2016 NFL free agency season, it's time to take a look at some of the Saints needs as I see them. It should be noted that these are my thoughts and I have no inside information on what the Saints are looking far.

Now every season at this time of year we hear the same story. The Saints are over the salary cap and have no wiggle room to bring in top dollar free agents. Well the Saints actually brought in high-priced free agents the last couple of seasons, S Jairus Byrd being one,  CB Brandon Browner being another. To this point neither have lived up to their contracts. In fact, Brown was released after only one season.

 

So let's dive in.

First on my list is a defensive lineman, preferably a defensive tackle. The middle of the line is where all great defenses start. If the middle is weak, the whole defense suffers. The Saints have some young talent there, but nothing to write home about.

 

My choice:

Malik Jackson DE/DT Denver Broncos. 26. He can play inside or outside on the defensive line and is coming off a Super Bowl championship. The Broncos had to shell out big money to keep DE/DT Derek Wolf(4 years $36 million) and put the franchise tag on Von Miller. They cannot afford to keep Jackson. He would start right away and have an immediate impact on the Saints DL.

Next a playmaker at linebacker. Last season the Saints tried many exotic blitzes, schemes and alignments. They just were not able to generate a consistent pass rush from the edge LBers.There are some promising second year men from last season, Hau'oli Kikaha is one, Davis Tull who spent the season on injured reserve, is another. However more are needed.

 

My choice:

Tahir Whitehead, OLB, Detroit Lions. 27. Whitehead was inserted as a starting linebacker midway through the season and that's when the Lions defense started to play better. He's solid in coverage and run defense. His pass coverage skills could free up Kikaha to rush the passer exclusively.

Next, a guard. The Saints have never replaced Carl Nicks. Jhari Evans got old quick. The Saints have settled for undrafted free-agents, late round draft picks and overpaid free agents. None have worked with any consistency. All stop gap measures. They must find a guard to protect Drew Brees. It is essential that Brees gets protected up the middle so he is allowed to step up into the pocket, which is his comfort zone. Drew Brees with a good interior offensive line can play another four seasons, no problem. But he must have solid protection.

 

My choice:

Mike Harris, G, Minnesota Vikings. 27. Harris had a few starts at tackle for the Vikings but excelled when they move him inside to play guard. Playing next to C Max Unger would improve his game even further.

A solid pass receiving tightend would be next on my list. The Saints lost a tremendous play maker in Jimmy Graham when he was traded to the Seahawks. The locker room may be more content since his departure, but the production on the field has declined, and worse, there's no threat to the defense. Fan favorite Benjamin Watson has done a yeoman's job but is in his mid-30s, his time is short. He needs help. Josh Hill turned out not to be the answer. He is an average TE at best, ok receiving, below average blocking.

 

My choice:

Ladarius Green TE San Diego Chargers. 26. Green has been playing behind future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates since arriving into the NFL. The gifted athlete could be another Joe Horn type signing where the player is looking for an opportunity to step out of someone else's shadow and become a star.

And always always always, the Saints can use another playmaking WR. I just don't trust Brandon Coleman to be Marques Colston's heir apparent. Although similar in size, pass catching ability is not even close. Marques Colston, though he had a few drops throughout his career, is night and day, head and shoulders above Brandon Coleman, who has to work on improving his pass catching ability. Fact is, Colston can not be replaced right away. He was that once in a generation late round steal teams dream of landing. It will have to be done by committee.

 

My choices:

1.Marvin Jones WR, Cincinnati Bengals 26. Jones has improved each year. he had 65 catches for 815 yards in 2015.

2.Travis Benjamin WR Cleveland Browns 26.  Speed receiver that blossomed and proved he's more than just a deep threat in 2015.

Stay tuned, Saints fans. should be fun. Free agency season is always alive and active. It leads up to the draft in April. In the weeks leading up to the draft I'll be writing about the Saints needs and potential players they could land. I do my mock draft one week before the NFL draft. I only do one mock draft per season but I've done pretty well, so we'll see how it goes.