For Better Or Worse, The Saints Did What They Had To Do To Get Their Guy In Marcus Davenport4/27/2018
You can call Sean Payton a lot of derogatory things, as I'm sure plenty of opposing players, coaches, and fans have done just that, but one thing he's not is a liar. He was as unwavering as he's ever been, which is saying something, in declaring the positions the Saints"must" fill prior to the season, and by going all-in on Marcus Davenport he officially checked the third of three boxes. Obviously I don't think a front office that can hang their hat on last's year historical rookie class in terms of its talent evaluation decided to empty the organizational wallet for just any pass rusher, but after making the absolute most of what's fallen in their lap over the last few years, this was a clear-cut example of how you should go about drafting for need. They identified the player, as opposed to merely his position, that they wanted and they did what they had to do to bring him aboard. The price tag attached to doing so was at a premium, but so was the size, speed, and skill set of a kid whose potential - if moderately realized - could make an up-and-coming defense dangerous. With defensive end being only second to quarterback in terms of the scarcity of talent, sometimes you have to empty your proverbial pocket to push the pocket. Even so, it's a bold move rather than a panic move, as evidenced by the fact that it has been in the works for weeks, and that only makes me feel that much more confident in the people that made it...
Now look, there was a time, not all that long ago actually, in which New Orleanians would have needed a minute to decide whether to bag their heads in paper or plastic if they found out their team went shopping for a defensive player and potentially overpaid for a raw prospect from a small school in the top half of the first round. Fortunately, that time is not now. Last year's turnaround serves as quite the resume for a recently revamped coaching staff that got the absolute most out of its talent in the front seven. There's no longer reason to believe that expecting the Saints to develop defensive players is as fruitless an endeavor as betting against the sun rising. The franchise finally has the internal tools to take on a project and mold the rough edges of someone who is otherwise the physical prototype of a play-killing pass rusher...
As shocking as it may be, I didn't consider UTSA football to be appointment television on Saturday afternoons this past fall. Therefore, my familiarity with Marcus Davenport is limited to videos that are meant to highlight his best attributes. I just have a tough time hating on the selection of a player whose biggest concern is that his dominance made his competition look so damn stupid that you couldn't help but notice how inferior it was. There will no doubt be an adjustment period when he starts consistently going up against NFL tackles. I'm sure his technique could use some tweaking and his moves could use some modifying. He's not going to flat out bully the types of behemoths he'll see at the next level, so a sure thing he is most definitely not. That said, he'll probably start off by subbing in for Alex Okafor on the opposite side of a double-team magnet in Cam Jordan and being used predominantly in situations where the primary goal is to win a one-on-one matchup and get after the quarterback. If the tape - either video or measurables - is any indication, someone whose path compares to that of Demarcus Ware and whose player profile compares to that Jadeveon Clowney can strong arm his way through those struggles. All the pieces are in the package, they just need to be assembled. Just like any worthwhile gift from Santa, he might take some time to put it all together, but considering the demand that a newly trusted staff put on adding him to their cart regardless of cost, he should keep teams up at night if he does. This is an undeniable sign that the organization appears as confident as ever that they won't be picking low next year, and another late first is a fair price to pay if it ultimately fills the hole long left by Junior Galette and turns their defensive line into a unit that's capable of wreaking havoc instead of reeking so bad that the secondary has to mask it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Archives
January 2020
|