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Don Banks says the Saints' defense might be the most improved unit in the league in 2008. He obviously wrote that before the team's loss to the Texans on Saturday night, a game in which the Saints' defense looked exactly like the one that took the field last year. And that's not a compliment.

The team's pass defense was ripped apart, with both the front and back four failing to hold up their ends of the bargain. The impression was so accurate that it came right down to the biggest victim, Jason David, who gained the bad kind of notoriety last year for his atrocious play. Though it should be noted that rookie second-rounder Tracy Porter was similarly abused.

There are, of course, the typical caveats -- it's just the preseason, the team was missing starters in defensive tackle Brian Young, corner Mike McKenzie, and safety Josh Bullocks, and it was Porter's first NFL game action after injuring his hamstring earlier in training camp. And yes, those should be considered. But they're not good enough excuses, especially since this isn't a new set of problems. It's the same problems that have plagued the team for the last two years.

The Saints are considered NFC contenders for the second year in a row. If they want to live up to that billing, unlike last year, they're going to have to figure out a way to stop the pass.

NFL Offseason Roadmap is a series focused on the needs of NFL teams as they begin the offseason.

1. Defensive Tackle/Linebacker/Cornerback. I know this reeks of a cop-out, and I guess you're right. But every time I think that the Saints need one of these positions over the others, I change my mind. On one hand you've got defensive tackle, where Hollis Thomas, the only true nose tackle, is 34 and playing year-to-year. He's consistent against the run and pass, but can't play a full game anymore. The rest of the tackles are just adequate, and starting 3-tech Brian Young's a free agent who probably won't be back. Then there's linebacker, which features just two players, because middle linebacker Mark Simoneau has no impact whatsoever. Scott Shanle ain't no prize, neither. Finally, there's cornerback. The crew, outside of Mike McKenzie, is terrible (admittedly, with faint hints of promise). And McKenzie's torn ACL should keep him out until October at earliest. So you decide which is worse off.

I don't expect the Saints to go after any of the marquee free agents at these positions, but I wouldn't be surprised to see under-the-radar signings like Corey Williams or Drayton Florence. Most of the improvement will come in the draft. I'm all for Sedrick Ellis in the first, even if the Saints have to move up a few spots from 10 to get him. This is a deep draft for linebackers, which is helpful, and good young corners like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will be available after the first round.

For the first time in weeks, the Saints should have all of their starters in place this Sunday against Tampa. The final piece in that puzzle, Brian "Don't Call Me Bryant" Young, is expected to return this week.

Young has missed the last four weeks with a knee injury, and the Saints pass rush has softened because of his absence. In his stead, the Saints have been rotating Kendrick Clancy, Antwan Lake, and McKinkley Boykin, all run-stuffers. Young's a 3-tech tackle who specializes in getting at the passer.

Young's replacements all contributed positively, but none of them bring the skills or high motor that Young has. Though the Saints' run defense and sack totals haven't really been damaged by Young's absence, the quarterback pressure hasn't been as persistent and consistent with him gone, because the team hasn't had the weaponry to risk blitzing and abandoning the secondary.

Last week's return of Charles Grant and now Young should get this defense back on track. Plus, this is a contract year for Young, and there's no better way for him to prove his worth than showing the contrast with and without him in the lineup.

The crew at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch put the bye to good use, compiling an extensive account of how the Rams, who in three years broke records, dominated the NFL, and won a Super Bowl, became the team -- term used liberally -- we see today.

There are the five most damaging decisions, all the money tied up in injured players this year (btw, Leonard Little is on the IR), Jim Thomas' lengthy and fascinating document on how Dick Vermeil's first retirement began the degradation of the franchise, and a few draft-day gambles that didn't pay off. Yeah, that about covers it.

Speaking of those draft-day gambles, here's what I found most damning from Thomas' must-read:

Only one player remains from the '00, '01, and '02 drafts - the three drafts that followed the Greatest Show seasons.

Even factoring in the rapid turnover rate of players in today's NFL, there should be four or five current starters from those drafts now in the prime of their careers, helping to form the backbone of the 2007 Rams. Instead there is just long snapper Chris Massey, a seventh-round pick in '02.

Fast forward through the '03 and '04 drafts, and only running back Steven Jackson, and linebackers Pisa Tinoisamoa and Brandon Chillar remain. So out of the five drafts following the Super Bowl XXXIV championship season, only four players remain: three starters and a long snapper.

Jackson is the only Rams Pro Bowler produced from any draft since Super Bowl XXXIV - that's a 1-for-63 batting average over the past eight drafts.

The Saints can't rest all of their starters yet; with two preseason games to go, there's still too much time for rust to set in between now and the September 6th opener against the Colts. It's a shame, though, because they're operating pretty much perfectly.

In last night's 27-19 victory over the Bengals, both first-team units looked in midseason form. Drew Brees was slated to play a full quarter, but decided to quit while he was ahead after a 6-for-6 opening drive that finished with a Deuce McAllister touchdown. It was, surprisingly, the first scoring drive Brees has led in the seven preseason games he's been a Saint. The defense held the Bengals to one field goal in the first quarter, while Charles Grant sacked Carson Palmer and forced a fumble deep in Bengal territory. After 19 minutes, when the Saints backups started filing in, they'd built a 17-3 lead and a 125-67 differential in yardage.

When you look at the injury report, the performance of the "first-teamers" is even more impressive. All told, six starters -- left tackle Jammal Brown, center Jeff Faine, receivers Devery Henderson and Marques Colston, defensive tackle Brian Young, and strongside linebacker Scott Fujita -- missed the game. None of their backups missed a beat.

The Saints do have a step up on a lot of teams, as they've had one extra exhibition to get into the flow of the game, but after having two days of joint practices, the Bengals still couldn't stop the Saints' starters. The season can't start quickly enough.