FanHouse Josh Bullocks

Amongst Saints fans, it was the essentially the equivalent of the "chicken or the egg" debate: Who has been more responsible for the team's terrible pass coverage the last two years, cornerback Jason David or free safety Josh Bullocks? Whether you think it was David's fault for making Bullocks work overtime to cover his mistakes, or Bullocks' inability to play deep zone that often left David on the losing end of public perception, we can all agree that the two combined to form quite possibly the worst double-coverage tandem the league has seen in some time.

After the release of David on Monday, the issue is moot. In one offseason the Saints have waved goodbye to the entire right side of their secondary. Bullocks, the free safety brought in under old boss Jim Haslett as a second-rounder out of Nebraska, is now fighting for a starting job in Chicago, after the Saints failed to re-sign him as a free agent this offseason.

While it's not the concern of Saints' fans anymore, we've gathered some video of the two. Fans of the Bears, or whichever team David eventually signs with, would do well to study and steel yourself to the cold reality that lies ahead.

While those truly following the Bears' every move this offseason know the defensive backfield is a much greater concern than wide receiver, the masses are left trying to figure out who newly acquired quarterback Jay Cutler will be throwing to (the sheep can now insert, "no one!" and feel good about themselves).

After all, the leading receivers -- in terms of catches -- last season were running back Matt Forte and tight end Greg Olsen. Devin Hester was the top wideout, with 51 catches and 665 yards. Rashied Davis caught 35 balls, but no other wide receiver in training camp caught a single NFL pass in 2008.

With the departure of Mike Brown from the Bears, a hole was left in the Windy City secondary. Adding Josh Bullocks via free agency and drafting Al Afalava in the sixth round of the draft don't appear to be answers. With the roster seemingly set for the 2009 season, the Bears will have to find a free safety starter in-house. They have many cornerbacks, so moving one to safety could work well.

After wrapping up the first rookie mini-camp, Lovie Smith discussed some of the options.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

When the Bears made one of the biggest offseason splashes by trading for Jay Cutler, they were left without a first-round pick. Many Bears fans would argue this was a blessing in disguise, considering general manager Jerry Angelo's rocky history with first-round picks (David Terrell, Cedric Benson, Rex Grossman, Michael Haynes).

Still, there were more needs than just quarterback on this team for the near future. Would Angelo be able to fill all those holes with a bunch of second-day draft picks?

As he heads into his 13th season, Darren Sharper knows that he doesn't have many years left in his NFL career. He's not as much of a playmaker as he used to be, and the Vikings were OK with letting him go. But he probably has enough left to give the Saints secondary a big boost in 2009.

The Saints offense was one of the best in the league in 2008, thanks to Drew Brees. The defense was one of the worst in the league thanks in part to safeties Kevin Kaesviharn and Josh Bullocks. Even in the twilight of his career, Sharper should give the Saints a much steadier center fielder who has always had a knack for making big plays--he leads all active players with 54 interceptions.

A week ago I took the Bears, specifically general manager Jerry Angelo, to task for their utter lack of activity this offseason. Wednesday, they actually signed a free agent. The problem is that he's an outcast from one of the worst secondaries in the league. Welcome to Chicago, Josh Bullocks. I direct you to the comments section of the Sun Times' announcement of this transaction to see how disgruntled the fan base is with the front office.

In reality, Bullocks has likely been signed as a backup or part-timer. He's now the only free safety on the roster. Whether an additional signing is made, or a free safety is drafted, he won't be alone at the position in 2009.

Franchise tags and salary-cap concerns play a very important role in real-world wheelings and dealings, but what if the biggest-named free agents were matched with the teams that gave them the best chance to make a Super Bowl run? What would that list look like? Glad you asked.

Yes, this is a strictly fictional account, one that requires you to suspend reality for the next few minutes. But, hey, it's the NFL offseason, which means that there won't be any meaningful football for another seven months. What else do you have to do?