First let me apologize to everyone who was waiting for this post on Friday. I had a doctors appointment and didn't feel well after.  Now that's out of the way let's get to what we all are here for. The 2008 New Orleans Saints defense and what impact they may have this season.

There is no doubt in anyones mind that the Saints defense last season was less than impressive. This season however the Saints have gone about trying to plug up any holes that were exposed by teams in '07. Lets start with the defensive line, which is where I believe games are truely one and lost.

The biggest question here is what impact will 1st round pick Sedrick Ellis have. This is a guy who was rated as the second best defensive lineman in the draft. Just a shade under LSU'S Glenn Dorsey. Ellis has a good combonation of speed and strength that he'll help put pressure on QB's and should have an imediate impact. QB pressure was a sore spot for this defense last season. Having Ellis will force offenses to pick their poison. Do you use an extra blocker to stop the very good DE'S of the Saints or the monster that's busting through the middle? No doubt he'll be a nightmare for every offensive coordinator trhis season.

With Charles Grant more than likely getting suspended for his involvement in a shooting death of a pregnant lady in Feb. the Saints will need to get a deal done quickly to sign it's best defensive player Will Smith. A pro-bowl DE in '06 he had a very frustrating '07 season. Teams were able to put an extra blocker on him because there was no pressure from anywhere else. That'll change this season. I see him getting back to pro-bowl form with no less than 10 sacks on the season.

Bobby McCray will need to step up and I think he can. in '06 while playing for Jacksonville he recorded 10 sacks. In the '07 season he was once again thrown back to second string and didn't see much playing time. He's similar to that of Will Smith. Not quite as strong but has tremendous speed around the end. I'm very excited to see he play this season. If he does well enough the Saints just may need to think about moving Grant.

When you think of the New Orleans LB's first name that'll come to any Saints fans mind is Scott Fujita. Since coming over the same year as coach Sean Payton he has been a favorite amongst us fans. However there is a new name on this roster who'll have a huge impact if his rehab continues to progress as well as it is. Jonathen Vilma is just what the Saints have been missing in the MLB spot for a long time now.

Former defensive rookie of the year struggled under mangini's 3-4 defense (which in my opinion is a overated scheme) and injuries didn't help either. However he's showed in his first season that he is well suited for the 4-3 defense and is a high impact player. Good days are instore for Vilma if he stays healthy all season long. With him and Fujita patroling the middle of the field RB'S and anyone else coming across best be prepaired.

Which leaves us with the weakest point of last years team the DB's who were totaly thrashed on a number of occasions. Part of that was due to lack of QB pressure. The Saints made quite a few moves to shore up the CB position in the off-season. Signing free-agent CB Randall #### was an upgrade from Jason David. Playing for the Patriots he knows what it takes to win. Mike Mckenzies injury at the end of the season makes this an even more of a noteable move for the Saints. Word is also that Rookie CB Tracy Porter has looked real good in OTA's and I'll be at the Sants practice this Saturday to see more of him first hand. CB Usama Young has also looked pretty good in OTA's, after having a year under his belt I think he's ready to come in on nickel and dime situations and contribute.

All in all this years New Orleans Saints defense will be much better than the last two. With a few additions in much needed spots I'm expecting some great things. With one of the leagues best offenses and one that is capable of putting up high scores the defense will not find itself having to win to many games for the team. No all they need to do is be consistant and play hard all season long. Many people are predicting the Seahawks and Dallas to be the top NFC teams. Though the Saints will be no surprise with the talent they have all over. I'm predicting this team will finaly bring the city of New Orleans a long awaited and much deserved championship. The Who Dat nation will be dancing and partying in the French Quarter until the start of the '09 season.