White was drafted out of Samford University; a small name school by NFL standards. During his three year career at Samford, White recorded 140 tackles with seven interceptions. White sort of has a “chip on his shoulder” because he feels that he has often been overlooked. Furthermore, White has the confidence that comes with his “swagger.” White compares himself to Green Bay Packers star cornerback, Charles Woodson. If White can play anything like Woodson it would be a major help to the Saints. Also, during an interview not long after the NFL draft White said, “It’s going to be fun picking off some balls from Drew Brees.” White was referring to anticipated practices against Drew Brees in which he claims he would intercept Brees. White is a proven college player and hopefully his success on the collegiate level will translate to success in the NFL.

White gives the Saints a lot of flexibility in the secondary because White has the ability to play either cornerback or safety. White will currently be competing for one of the backup cornerback positions; White would be backing up projected starts Jabari Greer and Patrick Robinson. However, White could also find himself playing some safety under new defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo. Spagnuolo likes his defense playing press coverage with the cornerbacks challenging receivers at the line of scrimmage. White should be able to excel at this type of defense since he is a very good tackler and plays with a lot of confidence.

White thinks that he can be a “ball hawk” for the Saints and if that is true it would bode very well for the Saints, who have a very thin secondary at the moment. White has a good shot at making the team and his versatility will be a plus for him. More importantly though, White has the talent and confidence to be a great player and could prove to be a difference maker for the Saints.

Johnson recorded seven tackles during his time with the Rams. Even though Johnson has only played in five games in two seasons his inexperience should not hurt his chances. The top cornerbacks expected to compete for the backup cornerback positions are 2012 fifth round draft pick Corey White and second year players Johnny Patrick. Besides Greer and Robinson the Saints have very inexperienced players at the cornerback position.

If Johnson can prove himself and be a quality backup corner it will be tremendous for the Saints. Since losing cornerbacks, Tracy Porter and Leigh Torrence, in the offseason the Saints are incredibly thin in their secondary. Furthermore, Johnson has good size for the cornerback position. Standing at 5’11″ and weighing 205 pounds Johnson could be able to contend with some of the bigger receivers in the NFL.

Whether Johnson becomes the backup cornerback or not remains to be seen but his signing should definitely shake things up in the Saints’ receiving corps. If anything fans can hope that Johnson’s signing creates some friendly competition and should bring the best out of the Saints’ secondary.

Last season Ayodele played in all 16 games last season in which he started 13 games. In addition, Ayodele recorded 22 takcles and one and a half sacks. During his first stint with the Saints, Ayodele started out on the practice squad, but as the season went on he started playing in games and started 29 of the 37 games he played with the Saints.

Ayodele provided the Saints with decent production when he started at nose tackle; he totaled 133 tackles with two and a half sacks. The signing of Ayodele surely gives the Saints more depth on the defensive line and the Saints know what kind of player they are getting in Ayodele.

Ayodele brings a lot of experience to this Saints team as he has learned many defenses throughout his time in the NFL. Ayodele will be able to come in and contribute right away. While Ayodele is capable of starting he will most likely be backing up defensive tackle, Brodrick Bunkley, at the nose tackle position. Bunkley, also a new addition to the Saints in the offseason, is the projected starter going into the 2012 season. However, Ayodele will see plenty of time on the field since defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, likes to rotate players to have fresh legs.

The signing of Ayodele was a smart move by the Saints because they are getting another quality player who can come in and help reshape their new defense.

It remains to be seen whether or not any of the players’ suspensions will be reduced or not. However, there have been plenty of headlines surrounding the suspensions, especially Vilma’s season long ban. Vilma has claimed that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has no concrete evidence that he participated in the Saints’ bounty program. However, during the investigation it was said that Vilma placed a $10,000 bounty on quarterback Brett Favre during the 2009 NFC championship.

Smith, Fujita, and Hargrove all have lesser suspensions than Vilma and there are some who think that some of the suspensions will be reduced. However, Goodell came down hard on the Saints during this offseason and is not really known for changing his mind once it is made up. It had been assumed that the suspended players would appeal their suspensions as soon as they were announced and if Goodell does not have evidence, as Vilma claims, and then there could be a chance that the players’ suspensions could be reduced.

Whether or not the players’ suspensions are reduced the Saints should be fine with the roster that they have now. The Saints made many acquisitions during the offseason, especially on the defensive end. It is unfortunate that the players were given suspensions but if the suspensions are not reduced the Saints will be prepared for the upcoming season.

Ingram battled injuries during last season, his rookie season, but he is expected to be a cornerstone of the Saints’ franchise for years to come. Ingram is an imposing running back that has a nice combination of power and speed. Ingram excels very well in short yardage situations where he converted 10 of 12 third and one rushing attempts last season. Even with the Saints missing Ingram for 6 weeks it will not be anything they cannot overcome. The Saints boast an impressive running back corps and are very deep at the position.

Last season Ingram did not play in the postseason but the Saints running game did not suffer thanks to the running back trio of Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, and Chris Ivory. Sproles, Thomas, and Ivory all complemented each other very well as the Saints’ ground game had much success during the regular season and postseason. Once Ingram fully recovers from his surgery the Saints’ run game should have a lot more consistency and they will be very deep at the running back position.

Ingram’s surgery was more of a precaution and it should ensure his successful return to the field. Once Ingram gets back playing he will continue to be another great addition to the Saints and provide the Saints with great production.

“I am shocked and extremely disappointed by the NFL’s decision to suspend me for the 2012 season. Commissioner Roger Goodell has refused to share any of the supposed evidence he claims supports this unprecedented punishment. The reason is clear: I never paid, or intended to pay, $10,000, or any amount of money, to any player for knocking Kurt Warner, Brett Favre or any other player out of the 2009 Divisional playoff game, 2010 NFC Championship Game or any other game.

“I never set out to intentionally hurt any player and never enticed any teammate to intentionally hurt another player. I also never put any money into a bounty pool or helped to create a bounty pool intended to pay out money for injuring other players. I have always conducted myself in a professional and proud manner.

“I intend to fight this injustice, to defend my reputation, to stand up for my team and my profession, and to send a clear signal to the commissioner that the process has failed, to the detriment of me, my teammates, the New Orleans Saints and the game.’’

In the statement Vilma does not come out and directly say that he is going to appeal his suspension but after reading his statement one has to believe that is exactly what he is going to do. Furthermore, it was announced today that the NFL Players Association were planning on appealing the players’ suspensions. If I was Vilma I might want to appeal the suspension too, what does he have to lose? Vilma was already given his suspension and it will not hurt to try and appeal it and hope for a reduction.

At the same time, I have a feeling that NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, will hear Vilma’s appeal and ultimately reject it the same way he rejected Sean Payton’s, Joe Vitt’s, and Mickey Loomis’s appeals.

I think Vilma’s appeal attempt will be futile and I think he will end up serving his full suspension. In the statement Vilma states that Goodell did not share any of the evidence that was used to prove he participated in the bounty. Whether that is true or not is irrelevant. There was evidence and proof that the bounty system was going on and there is a reason he is getting this full season suspension.

Vilma is one of the leaders of the Saints and if he really did not participate in the bounty scandal he still did not put a stop to either; that is the reason Payton is suspended. Furthermore, I would find it very hard to believe that Vilma did not know about the bounty program, as he has been a key member of the Saints’ defense for the past few seasons.

Ultimately Vilma will probably end up serving his full suspension. I do hope that during his suspension he will have learned a lesson and come back the next season a new player and have a positive impact in the NFL. Everyone makes mistakes and sometimes you get a second chance.

Vilma has to remember that he will only be gone for this season and at least he was not banned from the NFL for good. Vilma will most likely have to wait until the 2013 season for his second chance.

I think the Saints will not miss a beat losing Vilma and Smith; they were prepared for this and have had a busy offseason with all of the signings they did. Specifically, the Saints have bolstered their linebacker corps and new addition, Curtis Lofton, should be more than capable to come in and replace Vilma with no problem.

Furthermore, Vilma’s production was not the best last season as he only had 54 tackles with no sacks in 11 games. Lofton on the other hand looks to be entering his prime as he posted 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and 147 tackles last season with the Atlanta Falcons; Lofton led the Falcons in tackles last season and played every game.

It is a great opportunity for Lofton and the Saints’ defense to prove that they can have a respectable defense. Also, with new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo in the mix the defense gets a fresh start and I would expect the Saints’ defense to improve this year.

Losing Smith for 4 games should not be that difficult for the Saints to overcome. Last season Smith posted 35 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles; while the Saints will certainly miss that production they have to remember that Smith is only missing a fourth of the season. Furthermore, it will give their young defensive end, Junior Galette, an opportunity to start and develop.

Last season Galette played in every game and totaled 19 tackles with 4.5 sacks; those numbers are very good for a back up. I would look for Galette to continue his growth if he gets the opportunity to start in place of the suspended Smith.

While I feel the suspensions were definitely warranted I do not think they will hurt the Saints too much on the field. The Saints made smart moves in the offseason and have brought in players that will make their defense very deep.

If the Saints’ defense can prosper under Spagnuolo and that is coupled with their dynamic offense I think the Saints will have a good season and really make an honest run at another Super Bowl.

This also addresses a position that is in “need” for the Saints and I believe looking for defensive tackle in the third round was where they should have went.

Hicks began his career at Sacramento City College in 2007, where he played for two seasons, recording 65 tackles (32 of those solo), three sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss, 15 quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery that was taken back for a touchdown, a pass deflection, and an interception in 19 starts.

He signed with LSU in February 2009 as a highly recruited prospect, but with recruiting, transportation and housing violations by LSU with Hicks resulted in him never seeing the field in a Tigers uniform. He ultimately left school following the 2009 season.

After leaving, Hicks made his way to Canada to play football for the University of Regina in 2010. During his time at Regina he started in 16 games where he recorded 76 tackles (43 of those solo), eight sacks, 13 tackles for loss, four pass deflections to go along with four forced fumbles.

“We are really excited about our pick, Akiem Hicks,” Saints interim coach Joe Vitt said. “He’s a guy we really studied. As late as Friday we probably spent and hour and a half to two hours on this player.

“We thought it was a guy who would be there for us. Height, weight, speed, (he’s) the kind of guy we are looking at for our defensive system. We love his tenacity. We know he is raw. He’s got to be coached, but that’s the fun part. He fits the character of our football team. He has good work habits. We love his resiliency.”

The 6’5, 324 pound defensive tackle should be a great addition to the New Orleans Saints front four. After defensive tackles Aubrayo Franklin and Shaun Rogers both being unrestricted free agents, and Rogers signing elsewhere this offseason, the Saints needed to draft a prospect to potentially fill a spot in the rotation behind Brodrick Bunkley, who the Saints brought in during the offseason, and Sedrick Ellis. He is a raw type of player that has some coaching up to do, no doubt, but he definitely has everything you look for in a small school gem.

He is a very athletic player for his size with a massive 84-inch wingspan, which will definitely opposing quarterbacks something to think about when they’re throwing short passes through the middle of the field. He’s a superb pass rusher with a great amount of upper body strength which allows him to shed blocks easily, even with his lack of moves, with a good amount of speed. Great open field tackler, who has good play recognition and will dart to the ball. Good tackler with some flexibility, due to being able to play in the 4-3 or 3-4 defenses. His size will be a great addition to stopping the run game, as well as being a factor in defending the pass.

A lot of people were scratching their heads at this pick due to him being a projected late-round pick. However, he had excellent showings in private workouts and several teams actually moved him up their draft board. It’s questionable if the Saints took him a bit too early, considering he likely would have been there in the 4th or 5th rounds. However, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis does a great job at grabbing small school prospects who turn out to be tremendous players. Lets not forget, Loomis has found players such as Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston, and Jahri Evans who were diamonds in the rough during the later rounds.

This a bit of a risk by taking him this early, but they clearly liked what they seen. If anyone can coach up raw players, it’s the staff of the New Orleans Saints.

The knock on him is simply that he had not faced as good of competition in Canada as he would have in the NCAA, but lets face the facts. Just because you face good competition, that doesn’t automatically mean you can succeed at the NFL level. Players who perform well in the NCAA even in the toughest conferences will turn out to be busts when they make it to the league, so that does nothing to tell you about how good this player may or may not be. On tape, he looks phenomenal, and he passes the eye-test easily. LSU does a great job of recruiting defensive talent and he was highly recruited by the Tigers. If they were campaigning hard for this guy, I think it’s safe to say there’s a good chance that he will turn into something special

The Saints’ staff said he was the highest rated player on their draft board when they picked. Vitt said the Saints didn’t reach by drafting Hicks in the third round. In fact, Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis apparently was set to trade down if Hicks wasn’t available.

“We tried to get a group of players that we thought would be there,” Vitt said. “I know you are not going to believe me, but he was at the top of the list on the board when it was our pick. And if he wasn’t there, Mickey was entertaining some phone calls to move down. But this is the player that we coveted and the one we wanted and we studied the most. It worked out well.”

“I don’t have a crystal ball,” Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “He passes the eyeball test. He passes the commitment test. He passes the resiliency test. He wants to be a good football player. So we are going to integrate him in and see how long it takes.”

A lot of people were wondering, why did the Saints pass on a player like defensive tackle Jared Crick out of Nebraska, who has similar attributes? That’s pretty easy, actually, and it’s surprising that people make the case for a player like this for the Saints without doing some very easy homework.

The first knock on Crick is that he missed a majority of his senior season with a torn pectoral muscle. He looked to benefit from playing next to Ndamukong Suh in his early career, because after Suh left, he seen more double teams and usually always struggled with them. Whenever he was blocked by more than one linemen, he was often eliminated completely from the play or outright gave up on it. He also suffered a knee injury in training camp in the spring, prior to the season, so his durability will be even more of a question mark going forward. This is even more of a problem due to that already being an area of concern in the first place. To add to all that, he is widely regarded as a better suited as a defensive end in the 3-4 defense, which is why the Houston Texans added him to their roster.

Overall, Akiem Hicks will be competing for playing time and I believe next season you will see him in the rotation. Media and fans will often try to bash a pick if they necessarily don’t understand the reasoning behind it. Just because you don’t agree with the pick or you may have graded a player differently, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a terrible choice. It just means your eyes and understanding the fundamentals of a player is different than an NFL organization.

I believe that defensive tackle, Akiem Hicks out of the University of Regina will prove to be a solid role-player in the NFL.

Grade: B-

The Saints have signed many quality players during the offseason and the draft will only give them another chance to draft some good players. Saints’ fans should not be too worried because the Saints have a history of drafting great players in the later rounds.

The Saints drafted Jimmy Graham, Carl Nicks, Jahri Evans, and Marques Colston in the third round or later. Nicks is no longer with the Saints but during his time with the Saints he developed into arguably the best offensive lineman in the league. Evans is still with the Saints and is one of the best linemen on an offensive line that is one of the best in the league; he was a fourth round selection back in 2006.

Furthermore, the Saints have Graham and Coslton that are key parts to their dynamic offense. Graham was a third rounder and in just two seasons is turning out to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Colston’s journey might be even more impressive since he was taken in the seventh round and has developed into one of the most consistent wide receivers in the NFL.

If you take a look at their draft history you can see that the Saints are a great judge of talent and often find “diamonds in the rough.” That is why I know the Saints will draft some good players in this year’s draft even with their limited picks. I know the Saints have done their homework and will probably come out with a few great steals in the draft. Saints’ fans should not be concerned with the draft or the upcoming season for that matter; the Saints are prepared and they have the players to make a good run this season.

The latest rumor for the New Orleans Saints is one that has been on the table for quite awhile involving New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

Osi Umenyiora is currently in his final year of his seven-year, $41.3 million dollar contract with the Giants. He’s scheduled to make just under $4 million in base salary in 2012.

The New York Giants have said they’re willing to give Umenyiora a new contract, but with their defense already having exceptional defensive ends in Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck and him being a back-up, he’s likely to be getting the short end of the stick on payment.

Last year, Umenyiora wanted a new contract and sat out the first two weeks of training camp last summer to attempt to get it. The team briefly allowed Umenyiora to seek a trade with the team seeking a first-round pick in return. It’s highly unlikely that he would be worth that on the market currently, also.

With the New Orleans Saints having defensive end Will Smith‘s rumored to be facing suspension due to his role in the bounty scandal, they’ll need a productive replacement to step in immediately and contribute.

Last season, defensive ends Will Smith, Cameron Jordan, Jeff Charleston, and Junior Galette had only a combined 13 sacks. The Saints also have Greg Romeus and Turk McBride at the defensive end position. Charleston has been on the offseason and practice squad and is currently an unrestricted free agent.

In 2011, Will Smith had 6.5 sacks to go along with 35 tackles and he has helped the team this offseason by restructuring his contract in order to free up some much needed cap space.

It’s reported that the Giants may be willing to let him go for a third round pick. However, the Giants also may be willing to take a pair of late-round draft picks, if anything, in order to get something out of Umenyiora while they can.

“Would I want to? I think it would be ideal,” Umenyiora said while promoting the NFL Play 60 Youth Football game for Xbox 360 Kinect. “I think I would if things could be worked out. But is that going to happen? I really don’t think so.”

“Next year, if I leave, they won’t get anything. Maybe they will get a compensatory pick. But that’s it. So if they are going to do it, now would be the best time to.”

Umenyiora played in just nine games last season, due to having arthroscopic surgery on his knee. In those nine games, Osi managed to record 25 tackles, nine sacks, and forced two fumbles. He tacked on an additional 3.5 sacks during the Giants Super Bowl run.

He is  6’3, 255 pounds, and is a 31-year veteran entering his 10th season in the NFL. He was a second-round selection (56th overall) by the New York Giants in the 2003 NFL Draft out of Troy University.

He’s one of the better pass rushers in the league, and that ability is much-needed from the front four of the New Orleans Saints defense who rarely generated any pressure.

In Umenyiora’s nine seasons as a pro, he has achieved six sacks or more in seven of the nine seasons. The only season he didn’t achieve the six sack mark was his rookie year in 2003. He didn’t play in the 2008 season due to injury. For his career, he has had 333 tackles, 69 sacks, 12 pass deflections, and 30 forced fumbles.

The bonus to this, is he already has shown his ability to play in New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Umenyiora thrived under Spagnuolo’s scheme in 2007 when Spagnuolo was defensive coordinator for the Giants, when he recorded 52 tackles, 13 sacks, and five forced fumbles on the way to their Super Bowl victory. The familiarity with the scheme will definitely help make this an intriguing possibility.

He has told the New York Giants that he doesn’t want to play under his current contract as he did last year, but he would be willing to play under his final year for another team to prove his worth.

The only downside to this gamble is his injury issue, but if he can remain healthy, this would further add to the list of players the Saints have added to their defense that significantly improve them. Not to mention, his productivity is up in the air for years to come. However, where it may not be a long-term solution, it makes sense for the short term.

In 2011, the Saints  finished 24th in overall defense, were 12th against the run in the league, and 30th against the pass. The Saints however, were 13th in points allowed in the NFL, allowing 21.2 points per game. He would be an effective addition to the defense in the 2012 season.

The New Orleans Saints are $4.7 million under the cap. That includes middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma’s restructured contract, cornerback Jabari Greer’s three-year contract extension and quarterback Drew Brees‘ $16 millionish franchise tag counted in. However, it does not factor in  the restricted franchise tender that outside linebacker Jonathan Casillas signed or the one-year deal for kicker John Kasay.

With the NFL Draft taking place tomorrow, it’s likely a move could be made soon if the Saints wish to acquire the talented defensive end.