By Pat Yasinskas

We’re going to resume our series of NFC South position rankings with the defensive ends.

This is not exactly a position of strength entering the season, but I think that could change as time goes on. There are a lot of young defensive ends around the division and some of them are bound to rise up as the season goes on. For the moment, though, there aren’t a lot of sure things.

Once again, I’m basing my rankings on talks with coaches, scouts, front-office folks and players. Here we go.
Can you guess who # 1 is ??? Well click here now to find out.

Pat Yasinskas

The New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers are turning things over to the backups as we approach the end of the third quarter of Friday night’s preseason game in New Orleans. I’ll keep an eye on what happens the rest of the way, but since the important part’s over, I wanted to get my observations up here as quickly as possible.

Read his observations here.

By Pat Yasinskas

The linebackers are next in our series of NFC South position rankings and this one took a lot longer and was way more agonizing than our previous installments on safeties and cornerbacks.

It started right at the very top because this division has two linebackers I’d put up against anybody. Everyone knows Jonathan Vilma and Jon Beason are absolutely great. But how the heck do you pick between the two? I don’t want to overdramatize this, but my gut said this was like picking between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson or Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. You make a call, but there’s a part of you that feels like you’re slighting the other guy.

For all of these rankings, I rely on conversations with coaches, personnel guys and players to make my decision. When it came down to making the call between Beason and Vilma, I reached for the phone and made even more calls. The sources are anonymous, but I called some high-ranking people that I trust most on this one and they also were torn.

I took what they said, processed it and analyzed it and came to the decision that ultimately was mine. Here it is:

To the his picks click here now.

BY TONY GICAS

CLIFTON — They may be the nation’s gladiators capable of performing awe-inspiring feats and sustaining violent collisions but a group of thankful NFL players have teamed up with a Clifton priest to inspire people facing tall odds and sobering hardships.

The Insightful Player program employs current and former NFL athletes who have endured life’s tragedies such as drug addiction, alcoholism, gang involvement, reckless personal behavior, divorce, suicidal thoughts, poverty, life-threatening illness, physical limitations and low self-esteem.

Read about Billy Miller… HERE.

By SHELDON MICKLES

After entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2008, New Orleans Saints linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar was happy just to be a part of the team the past two seasons.

Known mostly for his crushing special-teams hits, it was a bonus when Dunbar was called on to start five games — three of them last season — when strongside linebacker Scott Fujita was sidelined by injuries.

But something happened in early March that dramatically changed Dunbar’s outlook on the future. When Fujita signed with the Cleveland Browns as an unrestricted free agent, Dunbar suddenly became a candidate to be a starter in Gregg Williams’ attacking, multifaceted defense.

While he’s got a long way to go before he can claim the job, Dunbar has to prove himself beginning with the team’s exhibition opener at 6:30 p.m. today against the New England Patriots in Gillette Stadium.

Read the rest of the story here.

FOXBOROUGH — Mention the New Orleans Saints and some may think about last season’s Super Bowl championship, the franchise’s first. Around the Patriots, the Saints spark a few unpleasant memories from last season.

The November meeting in New Orleans between the Patriots and Saints was supposed to be a measuring stick for the Saints, who were fighting to stretch their perfect season to 11 games. Drew Brees seamlessly threaded his way through the Patriots secondary with 371 passing yards and five touchdowns in the Saints’ 38-17 win.

By Pat Yasinskas

METAIRIE, La. – There has never been a more colorful or quotable coach than Jon Gruden in the history of the NFC South.

Although Gruden’s now an analyst for “Monday Night Football’’ nothing really has changed. Gruden held court with a few reporters on the side of the New Orleans’ Saints practice field Saturday morning and was more entertaining than New Orleans coach Sean Payton, who talked a few minutes later. I’ll even go out on a limb and guess that what Gruden had to say was more interesting than anything that came out of Tampa, Flowery Branch, Ga., or Spartanburg, S.C., on Saturday.

Read the rest of Pat’s story here

By Pat Yasinskas

METAIRIE, La. – Time for some observations from the New Orleans Saints’ first practice of camp.

• Rookie cornerback Patrick Robinson got his contract signed, passed his physical and got on the field for a good chunk of practice. I’m not going to anoint him after one practice, but he looked good out there. Extremely athletic, and I can see him immediately being the third corner behind Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter. By the way, Robinson doesn’t seem to have the same problem with hazing as Dallas rookie Dez Bryant. Robinson walked off the field carrying the shoulder pads and helmets of some veteran members of the secondary.
• Jon Gruden was out at practice, and I think this is a repeat of last year. That’s when Gruden spent a few days with his old buddy Sean Payton and sat in on the meetings with the quarterbacks. Coaches are often superstitious, and Payton might view Gruden as a good-luck charm.

Read the rest of the story here.

By Pat Yasinskas

METAIRIE, La. –- Just got settled into a hotel near the New Orleans Saints practice facility and wanted to catch you up on some events.

• As I previously reported from an airport runway in another NFC South city, Atlanta’s top pick, linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, has agreed to contract terms.
• Also, the Buccaneers announced they’ve signed seventh-round draft pick Cody Grimm, which probably bolts them right to the top of the list of Super Bowl favorites.

Read the rest of the story here.

By MARK CRAIG, Star Tribune

Will Saints party on in New Orleans?

Probably not. Of the past 11 Super Bowl winners, only the 2004 Patriots made it back to the Super Bowl. Five of those 11 champions didn’t even make it back to the playoffs the following season. There’s also never been a repeat champion in the NFC South. Yes, the Saints will contend with an offense led by Drew Brees and Sean Payton, and an aggressive defense that matches coordinator Gregg Williams’ personality. But can a defense led by 34-year-old safety Darren Sharper duplicate last year’s 47 takeaways (including postseason)? That’s an awful lot to count on.

Story located here.