NFL Talk

[Spooky]

Let's go Packers!

[Rosie]

Yay Packers!

Did you watch the game? Did Cutler quit? Some comments elsewhere say he should have stayed in the game. Sad way for the Bears to lose a game.

[TinkTanker]

Packers-Steelers would be EPIC, that's what I'm hoping for.

[Spooky]

Did Cutler quit?

He hurt his knee and was unable to play.

[Spooky]

Go Greenbay!

[TinkTanker]

Steelers and Green Bay are my two favorite teams. I'd rather Steelers win, but so far it is a great game.

[AdmiralDigby]

Yay Green Bay and yay me .

[Spooky]

Yay Green Bay and yay me .

How much?

I had a friend down in Vegas tis weekend and he put a 20 on the Seahawks to win next year. Probably lost my 20, but at 50-1 I figure what the heck.

[AdmiralDigby]

I won $125 .

Could have had an extra $500 but it just would not have been right .

[TinkTanker]

WHO DAT THE SAINTS DONE DRAFTED?



http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2011/04/saints_hit_daily_double_with_m.html

The New Orleans Saints got a lot better on Thursday night.

A whole lot better.

In a head-spinning 30-minute period, they upgraded the two weakest aspects of their football team.

In defensive end Cameron Jordan, they added some lightning to their tepid pass rush.

And in running back Mark Ingram, they injected some thunder to their sputtering running game.

In two bold strokes, they landed the second-ranked defensive end in the draft by NFLDraftScout and the consensus top running back.

About the only one in Who Dat Nation unhappy about the unlikely set of circumstances was the Saints other Heisman Trophy-winning running back, Reggie Bush, who tweeted "It's been fun New Orleans" soon after the selection of Ingram.

Otherwise, the Saints received nuthin' but praise for their aggressive action at the bottom of the first round.

It's always dangerous to leap to conclusions on draft picks. But at first glance, this looks like a pair of hits. From all accounts, Jordan and Ingram own the makeup, character and talent to be solid pros. Maybe they won't be the second coming of Mike Strahan and Deuce McAllister -- the players Saints officials compared them to on Thursday -- but they also aren't the kind of guys who are going to fall on their facemasks and be outright busts.

"Obviously, we're excited," Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said. "We didn't think either of these guys would be there (at No. 24)."

The coach in Sean Payton wouldn't allow himself to get too giddy Thursday night. Asked how much better his roster was on Thursday night, his response was a nonplussed "two players better."

But rest assured, Payton popped a couple of cold ones with the rest of the Saints' brain trust after the first-round festivities wrapped up.

After all, the Saints didn't get their man. They got their men.

Jordan and Ingram address two of the most glaring weaknesses on the team. And both are ranked among the top players at their respective positions.

Loomis called the double-play "a bonanza."

Sure, the move mortgaged a little bit of the Saints' future. It cost them a pick in today's second round and their first-round pick in 2012. After all, everything comes with a price. But this one was justified.

But if ever there was a year to do it, this was it. The talent pool in this year's lottery drops off considerably after the top 25 picks or so. The Saints are likely to get a player of similar caliber with their third-round picks than they would have with their second-rounder at No. 56.

And if things go as planned and the Saints contend for another title next season, then the first-rounder they dealt will be a low one at that.

So, in truth, the Saints didn't surrender all that much to get the back they compare favorably to McAllister, the best runner in club history.

The Saints wisely knew they couldn't afford to wait on Ingram. They needed to act fast. The Packers, among others, had their eyes on Ingram at the end of the first round.

By dealing up, the Saints not only improved their team but also dealt a blow to the defending Super Bowl champs, a team they likely will battle for NFC supremacy next season.

It was an aggressive move and the Saints needed to be aggressive.

Atlanta and Carolina also got a lot better Thursday. Before the Saints scored their daily double, their NFC South rivals added two of the biggest stars in the drafts in Julio Jones and Cam Newton.

The Saints needed to answer. And they did in a big way.

"Part of it is this: Obviously, with (quarterback) Drew (Brees) we have a window of opportunity and we want to do everything we can to take advantage of this window," Loomis said.

The Saints acknowledged this window last season. They even issued T-shirts to the players and coaching with the slogan "Our Time."

That mantra was equally applicable to the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night. The Saints owned it.

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via Twitter: i wonder if mark ingram will let reggie bush look at his heisman & reminisce.

Also, from some guy named David Boreanaz :Mark Ingram best pick so far. Who Dat Saints. Great Pick