FanHouse Zachstrief

Despite the appearance that Jon Stinchcomb would be bolting for the Seahawks, who reportedly had serious interest, the seventh-year right tackle has agreed to remain in New Orleans for the next five years.

While Stinchcomb is a brainy player, good character guy, and a community leader, the Saints' decision to keep him -- pending the terms of the agreement, which are currently unknown -- is puzzling.

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

Gregg Williams hasn't informed a free agent decision for New Orleans yet, hasn't hand-picked the inevitable defensive playmaker the Saints choose with their 14th-overall selection this year, hasn't installed a single scheme in a minicamp. Yet Williams' reputation has preceded him to the Crescent City, and his hiring as defensive coordinator is already considered one of the most important moves in team history.

After almost two decades of guaranteed defensive putridity, the last three of which have revolved around Gary Gibbs' lack of talent identification and bland scheming, the idea of Williams and his history of intelligent, hard-working, active, complex defenses coming to the Superdome is music to the ears. It also might finally push the Saints over the top.

In noting that the Saints are dangling Jammal Brown, MDS asks if it makes sense to trade a 27-year-old All-Pro left tackle for a rookie who will get massive guaranteed money right away. Usually, that question is a no-brainer. In this instance, I'm not so sure.

What many don't know about Brown is that he's got a degenerative knee condition dating back to his college days that teams were aware of. The word on the injury was that it wouldn't damper his play, but would most likely shorten his career significantly. I think that injury is in the Saints' minds right now, tempting them to deal Brown before he commands a huge contract he might not live up to.

The team is also deep at tackle, and love young backups Zach Strief and Jermon Bushrod. If Brown were to be dealt it would be Strief's job, which also fits into logic. Since Sean Payton arrived, the team has slowly converted their offensive line into a nasty, physical bunch. New-ish starters Jahri Evans, Jonathan Goodwin, and potential starter Andy Alleman all have that quality, and Strief does too. Brown's a finesse tackle.

So to me, at least, it makes sense to deal Brown while the Saints can turn his value into a potentially All-Pro defensive tackle, the missing piece that has resulted in such a consistently bad defense. But it might not be the Rams Brown is headed to -- perhaps he and the 10th pick go to the Chiefs, which should land the Saints Sedrick Ellis. In return the Chiefs get a great tackle and can replace Jared Allen with Derrick Harvey. Things that make you go "hmmmmm."

You know those people. They're the casualest of football fans. Their insight typically extends as far as "Hey, that Peyton Manning is a pretty good quarterback." And yet, they're not satisfied letting you wallow in your team's 0-3 start. No, they've got to tell you what your favorite team is doing wrong. They're everywhere, and they all want to explain to me that the reason the Saints are losing is because of their defense.

And yeah, the Saints' defense has been just two or three steps below bad, but they're really no worse than they were last year. So what's the difference between 2006 and 2007?

Our own Michael David Smith knows, and he explains over at Football Outsiders.

The biggest problem facing the Saints is the offensive line, and until that problem gets straightened out, the best story of the last NFL season is going to continue to be the biggest disappointment of this NFL season.

I generally dislike the mentality of treating an offensive line as one unit, rather than treating each of the five players on the line as individuals. But the fact is, left tackle Jammal Brown, left guard Jamar Nesbit, center Jeff Faine, right guard Jahri Evans and right tackle Jon Stinchcomb all had bad games Monday night.

And the game before that. And the game before that. The problem isn't that Drew Brees is suddenly a bad quarterback, or that Reggie Bush is a bust, it's that the line hardly cares to block. MDS correctly notes that the team used a lot of tricks to mask their shortcomings last year (they also lost starting tight end Mark Campbell, a good blocker), and I wouldn't be surprised to see the unit blown up at some point this year, with youngsters Andy Alleman and Zach Strief replacing Nesbit and Stinchcomb, respectively. Something's gotta be done to fix this disaster.