It’s like Christmas in July.
NFL owners and players came to an agreement Monday, ending the lockout just 45 days before the Saints and the Packers kick off the start of the 2011 season.
Within days of the deal being signed, the entire league will reopen. Trade, resignation and free agency activity can commence.
As a giddy fan, my fantasy football league was created within minutes.
Critics instantly began debating cuts and transfers — no doubt the best part of the NFL off-season.
So I, along with every other member of the Who Dat Nation, assumed the role of Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis and began weighing the options. Who stays, and who goes?
Let me start by saying the Saints are a lucky team.
For starters, they have Drew Brees.
Not only is Brees one of the top quarterbacks in the league, he’s arguably the best leader in the NFL.
In the dead of summer, when most were sitting on the couch soaking in free time awarded by the lockout, Brees was calling his teammates and organizing his own “mini-camp” to train rookies and keep veterans sharp.
And just to add to his “Breesus” persona, the 10-year veteran helped foot the bill for any player who couldn’t afford to live in New Orleans for the summer.
Even without coaches present, Brees and linebacker Jonathan Vilma put leader caps on and led summer workouts, similar to what they do on the field every Sunday.
But there are still lots of questions to be answered.
The biggest issue lies with the running backs. We all saw how important a good running game is last season, after an array of injuries left the Saints digging for Julius Jones, who could only scrounge up 59 yards in the first round loss at the hands of the Seahawks.
Reggie Bush has been the center of trade talks after his five-year career hasn’t lived up to the No. 2 overall pick hype.
But Reggie has been unjustly scrutinized — he was given the lead role for a short period last season, forced to play out of his element and pound the ball up the middle, where he (naturally) failed.
While message boards and chat rooms have been calling for a transfer, I say the league’s best distraction and game-changing punt returner is worthy of a spot … for the right price, of course.
The rest of the Saints’ headlines fall below the Bush debacle.
Continuing on offense, one of the biggest priorities has to be wide receiver Lance Moore.
As much as I don’t want to say it, it’s time to lose wide receiver Devery Henderson. With the strength of Robert Meachem, the size and strength of Marques Colston and the consistency of Moore, it’s tough to find out where Henderson fits.
Defensively, the Saints have some patching up to do. The addition of Alex Brown at defensive end should couple well with Will Smith on the opposite side.
But a run stopper is needed to clog the middle with defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis.
That void, along with the hole that will open at linebacker when Scott Shanle is released, could be filled through free agency. Redskins linebacker Rocky McIntosh is one name to look out for at linebacker.
And of course, rookie signing will need to be a speedy process. Say hello to defensive end Cameron Jordan and running back Mark Ingram (oh how quickly we forgive and forget), who could become starters by season’s end.
So in your best Hank Williams Jr. impersonation, say with me, “Are you ready for some football?”
 
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Contact Mark Clements at [email protected]