Let me get this right . . .

[31hammer]

The Saints and Miami were discussing a trade so the Saints could get something instead of out right releasing TeBuckey Jones. The reason they were gonna release him was to not have to pay him a $400,000 roster bonus. No deal is done and Miami swoops him up almost immeadiately.

This tells me 2 things
1) The Saints are desperate for cap relief.

2) They have no clue as to what they are doing. I mean they were gonna get something. They dragged thier feet and got nothning. Not even a 4th or 5th, or 4th next year, nothning

I will not assume to know anything. But I am sure if they threw in tebucky with Howard, The Boys would have given them Dat with the 2nd round pick

Come on Saints get with it. Stop with the BS or you are gonna be stuck with 3 DE's that are making alot of money

[Saint James]

Well, let me see if I can help with a Saints opinion.

We aren't cap strapped...if we do manage to trade howard, we will over 10 million in free cap space. Also, Joe Horn will most likely be extended until the end of his career (3 or 4 years), which will lower the cap number. Tebucky Jones (who is the most horrendous cover free safety in the league) allowed for another 1 million in cap relief at worst.

The market for Tebucky was pretty much limited to Miami. Talks were for a 6th or 7th round pick at best...not much to write home about. After the signing of Dwight Smith, Jones was expendable...and he was expended.

If the Saints are stuck w/ 3 DEs (2 of which have very low cap numbers: Smith and Grant both under 2 million)...then we will play out the season w/ Howard and have to take the 7.8 million cap hit.

Personally, I'd love to trade him for a 2nd and Dat...I don't know exactly what the hold-up is. I believe it may have been due to Howards 16$ million bonus demand.

[[C]owboys[F]an]

ok ok ok in conclusion!....I DONT SEE THE ''NO'' SAINTS win a SB close. LOL!

[Outlaw Heroes]

Talks were for a 6th or 7th round pick at best...not much to write home about.

Tom Brady was a sixth round pick. One-in-a-million, to be sure, but Hammer's point still stands: why would you let the guy go for nothing when you could have had something (even if only a lottery ticket for a guy like Brady).

[Intrepid]

Can the same argument hold for Dexter C.?

[Outlaw Heroes]

Can the same argument hold for Dexter C.?

Don't see how, unless you're going to tell me that we were in serious trade talks with another team for Coakley's services but somehow couldn't agree on compensation, so simply released him instead. That would certainly be news to me. But barring such news, the two situations have little in common.

[31hammer]

Well, let me see if I can help with a Saints opinion.

We aren't cap strapped...if we do manage to trade howard, we will over 10 million in free cap space.

If the Saints are stuck w/ 3 DEs (2 of which have very low cap numbers: Smith and Grant both under 2 million)...then we will play out the season w/ Howard and have to take the 7.8 million cap hit.

You pretty much answered my question. If you trade him you will then be 10 million under. That's a big if. right now you are gonna be capped strapped.

Personally, I'd love to trade him for a 2nd and Dat...I don't know exactly what the hold-up is. I believe it may have been due to Howards 16$ million bonus demand.

The problem is not the money. The problem is the Saints are dragging thier feet asking for too much. The Cowboys are not offering both Dat and a 2nd. The Saints have to realize they already have 2 good young DE's that they don't need 3. The Cowboys are doing them a favor. The Saints need to trade him and spread that money out to other need positions. Unless they plan on having another situation similar to the Darius situation in Jacksonville.

[Dale]

Saint James, what are the chances the Saints simply eat that $7 million and keep Howard this season?

How would you classify their desire to unload Howard?

[Tobal]

Howard is a good player by all acounts, the only people that seem to think T Jones is more than a spare reside in south Florida.

[Mike 1967]

Well, let me see if I can help with a Saints opinion.

We aren't cap strapped...if we do manage to trade howard, we will over 10 million in free cap space. Also, Joe Horn will most likely be extended until the end of his career (3 or 4 years), which will lower the cap number. Tebucky Jones (who is the most horrendous cover free safety in the league) allowed for another 1 million in cap relief at worst.

The market for Tebucky was pretty much limited to Miami. Talks were for a 6th or 7th round pick at best...not much to write home about. After the signing of Dwight Smith, Jones was expendable...and he was expended.

If the Saints are stuck w/ 3 DEs (2 of which have very low cap numbers: Smith and Grant both under 2 million)...then we will play out the season w/ Howard and have to take the 7.8 million cap hit.

Personally, I'd love to trade him for a 2nd and Dat...I don't know exactly what the hold-up is. I believe it may have been due to Howards 16$ million bonus demand.

We are not trading DAT because we have no other veteran that we could put in his place. The MLB is the defensive play caller.....and Parcells is not big on putting rookie's in a play calling position...regardless of how talented they are.

In all the discussions regarding DAT I have not seen anyone mention his smarts. The guy is very sharp.

[Mike 1967]

Can the same argument hold for Dexter C.?

IMO Jones decided to let Coakley go early so that Coakley could have time to shop the best deal.

Coakley was a stand up guy who did right by this organization and vice versa.

Dallas probably could have played games and held on to Coakley in a effort to squeeze the best deal. But that would not have been a good thing for Coakley.

Reminds me of when Jones took a hit by letting Aikman go early because Aikman wanted to begin talking to teams before they signed other players. Aikman thought he could play for Norm in San Diego.

This is partly the reason, IMO, that Coakly seems so amicable now when he talks about Dallas.

[Mike 1967]

The person who gets hurt the most in this Deal is Howard IMO.

Next year he will be turning 30 during the season. IMO he will have a much harder time getting a 5-6 year deal next year than he would this year.

[ABQCOWBOY]

So, if we can't get a deal done with Howard, what are the chances we might be able to work something out for Smith? I mean, I know Howard is being moved to make room for Smith but it's not like Howard is a bad player. Smith I would consider trading a 1st for. Anybody in NO have any idea if the Saints might consider that?