I guess I just don’t see it being that big of a deal for us right now. We are in the first year of a major rebuilding plan that will more than likely take three years before we really start to show signs of significant improvement. I don’t think we were expecting to win those games against the Saints to begin with and this move does nothing to change that fact, it only enforces it. I think it impacts Carolina and TB more than us. Plus, we all know Shockey gets after about five games. I’m sure it won’t take long for him to explode on someone down there. So, as far as it concerns us, it really doesn’t, at least not for another year or so and you never know what is going to happen between now and then.

As for the Saints, well, they obviously just took a huge bite out of the “Win Now” pie. You mentioned that this trade does nothing to help their weak defense, and although that is true, the draft picks for next year would not have helped this year anyways, so to me, it’s a non issue. In fact, if anything, the Saints played the Giants well, forcing them to wait until after the draft to get picks for next year. That allowed them to keep all their picks this year and still get Shockey, that’s a smart move in my book if you are definitely playing to win now. Obviously though, that puts them in a difficult situation next year if they don’t win it this year; missing those two draft picks and getting a low pick because I think at this point, unless they completely implode, they are the clear shot at winning this division.

Now that I think about it though, it being the win now game, I think they might not have put themselves in the best possible position to actually win now. It’s clear their offense was up to par to compete in the playoffs, but it is also clear their defense is not. I think they scared themselves off the market by wanting to hold on to those picks in this years draft instead of using them to go after some of the top defensive talent that was available this off-season. It’s a difficult thing to walk the line between now and the future, but sometimes you have to make a tough decision and dive fully into one side or the other. By the time the draft was over, most if not all of the defensive talent had already been moved and signed and there wasn’t much left for them to go after that would help them now. Maybe they thought that getting Shockey and increasing their offensive production would help cover for a weak defense, much like some of the earlier Indy teams.

For the Saints, I think they have firmly planted their foot into the win now pool because after this year, they aren’t going to have many chances to improve unless they trade off some talent and look to the future or trade off their remaining picks for talent to try again next year. Which, I guess is always a possibility.

Ugh, it’s early and I think I’m rambling.

Quite simply, the acquisition of Shockley by the Saints puts them heads up on all NFC South teams. The Saints passing game already scary becomes unbelievably scary. The only was to stop it is to put a huge rush on Drew Brees (A QB that plays the rush exceptionally well). As Jesse28 mentioned, the Falcons are in the first year of a rebuilding stage and did not figure to compete with the Saints this year prior to this acquisition and definitely will not be able to compete now! Tampa Bay might be able to adjust but they still have a weak passing attack themselves and I do not see them being able to handle the Saints! Carolina has a lot of IFs to overcome (If Jake stays healthy and is close to his old self; if Peppers plays like his old self; if the new O-line can protect Jake and open holes for Stewart and Williams) and Shockley will create problems for their defensive backfield!

Shockley’s attitude is more of a fierce desire to win than a disruptive force. If players are not putting out 100% or better, then he will definitely get in their face so to speak. That is not disruptive behavior but leadership! It will not work in Atlanta because Atlanta teams have never been WINNERS and do not know how to work with this type of personality.

After giving myself a little more time to think, as well as to wake up (copious amounts of soda involved here), I remembered something that just happened recently. The Taylor trade. Miami just traded Taylor to the Skins for a 2nd and 6th rounder. With the Saints having a weak pass rush, was no one in charge down there thinking straight when they made this Shockey move, or was this something that was agreed to in advance and they had to hold up to it now?

Seriously though, they gave up more – a 5th versus a 6th so not much more – for not much improvement. Their passing game was already without question, so really how much better did it get by only increasing the quality of Brees’ safety read? Sure, I get that he demands attention and therefore will create more space for the actual WR’s, but you take that over significantly improving a weak defensive pass rush? Just so you know Saints fans, your franchise just passed on a career 117 sacks, 665 tackles, 40 FF, and a guy who has missed, and this is the best part, FOUR games over a ten year career. The two you got working that same position now (based on the current depth chart posted on Yahoo! Sports – for speed’s sake so get off me, haha) combined, don’t have those numbers. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that these two are bad, it’s just that Taylor would have been a much more significant improvement to your pass rush. You were willing to part with the draft picks for a chance at winning now so you might as well had spent them on something that would actually increase your chances at that, or at least one would assume.

But, I think I am digressing from how this affects our franchise. Currently, again I say it does not as we have no reasonable expectations to win those games against the Saints this year to begin with and that has not changed. If I had to say that there was something that would be affected this year, it would simply be our DB’s experiences with covering him and their offensive tactics using him. That would be how it would affect us next year undoubtedly. And of course, so as to not take anything away from his abilities and talents, it’s obviously that much more difficult in defending against a team touting such a high level of skill in the passing game. Let’s hope our young secondary is up to the task to learn from this year and lay down the law next year.

everytime the guy plays the falcons he dusts us, even when we were decent. so i dont see why he wont now. the only change is he gets to do it twice a year now for who knows how long.