The Titans Are On the Clock

The beginning of the draft is becoming clearer daily

Wayne Gandy is now a Falcon. The second piece of the puzzle seems that much clearer. In a deal announced yesterday, Wayne Gandy (LT, Saints) has been traded to the Falcons for Bryan Scott (Safety) and a sixth round pick. Through free agency, the Saints' draft plan has become ultra-apparent.

With the signing of Drew Brees, the Saints stole all bargaining power from the Texans. Without a significant risk of Matt Leinart being selected at #2 to the Saints, there is no reason to trade up to the #1 spot if you are the New York Jets and looking for your polished, franchise arm. Since the signing of Brees, Reggie Bush has been on everyone's mock draft in pen to the Texans as the first overall pick. After an impressive pro day that included a 4.33 timing, Bush is a lock for the first overall pick. While Bush does not fill a legitimate need, he does present extraordinary value as he is the best available player by a substantial margin. He will offer the Texans incredible versatility in the running, passing, and return game.

After moving their need away from quarterback, speculation has ensued about the Saints pick. Three options appeared to be legitimate ones: Mario Williams, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and AJ Hawk. With the trading of Wayne Gandy, the Saints have let the free world know just who they are targeting in the first round: Virginia Left Tackle, D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

Mario Williams was hyped to be the #2 pick

Mario Williams was the most hyped, but made the least sense. The Saints already own one of the best DE combinations in the league. Charles Grant is a monster on the left side, and Will Smith is one of the fastest ends off the edge on the right. Both are young with no signs of slowing down. While Mario Williams would certainly ensure fresh legs on the field deep into the fourth quarter, the Saints don't have the luxury of making such a selection. After all, they are picking second overall for a reason. Mario is a great talent that will likely slip down the draft board and present good value to whomever is lucky enough to nab him. The Jets would make a solid fit at #4. While Mario projects to be much more dominant in the 4-3, he would certainly be a very good 3-4 end as well. With the loss of John Abraham, Super Mario would make the Jets fans not even miss their former Pro-Bowl End. The perfect fit would be #5 to the Packers. True, the Packers have both Aaron Kampman and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, but Mario Williams would be an upgrade over Kampman, who is only a small threat as a pass rusher. Williams would make an immediate impact. His pass rushing skills along side KGB would make the holes in the Packer secondary seem less gaping as opposing quarterbacks would be pressured into making quicker decisions.

D'Brickashaw Ferguson is a lock as the Saints pick

D'Brickashaw Ferguson is the best offensive tackle prospect since Orlando Pace. He makes recently hyped prospect, Raiders' Robert Gallery, look like an amateur. Ferguson has perfect footwork and agility enough to handle the toughest speed rushers in the league. His pass blocking skills are elite by NFL standards. He still needs to add size and strength to become the Pro Bowl caliber player that he can be, but he is not far off as it is. With some training, he will become equally proficient as a run blocker and simply dominate games. Consider having Ferguson as a tackle-mate to Jammal Brown, and you have to get excited as a Saints fan. Last years first-round pick, Brown has a nasty demeanor and dominates the run game. He finishes block that need finished, and even those that don't. He gets under the skin of even the most even-tempered veterans. With the addition of Ferguson, the Saints are letting their fans know that they are willing to rebuild the team from the trenches. This makes perfect sense as the team has a young base of talent to last them for years and years.

AJ Hawk fills a need, but presents bad value at #2

Linebacker is a legitimate need for the Saints. If the names Scott Fujita and Colby Bockwoldt mean nothing to you, don't feel bad. They are not household names, and they should not be starting outside linebackers in the NFL. In the meantime, they may be the best options that the Saints have to fill the positions, but a guy like AJ Hawk would really upgrade the linebacking corp. Needless to say, the defense for the Saints has seen better days; however, AJ Hawk simply is not the right pick for the Saints at #2. Hawk makes more sense to teams later on the board. The Packers would love to punch Hawk in as a starter at #5 almost as much as they would love to have Mario Williams. At #6, the 49ers would be pinching themselves if AJ Hawk fell to them. He is the #2 player on their draft board to Reggie Bush. He would satisfy a giant need and present incredible value. Depending on the texture of the draft, the 49ers could hit a home run in three weeks.

Ultimately, the signing of Wayne Gandy tells draft beatniks one thing: get out the pen for a second time. A month ago, with the signing of Drew Brees, the Saints let the Texans know that Reggie Bush was a lock at #1. This week, making LT an immediate need, the Saints have let everyone know that D'Brickashaw Ferguson is their guy. Write it down. The Titans are on the clock...