March 9, 2017
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March Madness is here!! So let’s talk college baseball and NFL football. Enjoy the beginning of the madness this weekend, and we will focus on the Big Dance next week.
As for now, LSU lost two out of three last weekend in Houston and Tiger fans are nervous. Alex Lange didn’t make it out the second inning, the lineup failed to produce consistently, and LSU dropped in the polls. It must be time to panic. Mainieri doesn’t know what he is doing, Poche should pitch on Friday, and we miss Cannizaro. Whew! Panicking is exhausting.
Listen. The bad news from the weekend is obvious, but there is more good news than bad from this weekend.
Entering the year, we were hoping this would be the year LSU developed a third starter. So far I see and third and a fourth that will develop this year and help solidify the staff for next year. Eric Walker has lived up to the billing and is exactly what you want in a third starter. A competitor that will throw strikes.
Zack Hess is not quite ready to be a SEC starter, but is close. Fortunately, LSU doesn’t need him to start on the weekends. He is a very good midweek starter that will only get better. I feel comfortable predicting he will be ready to start on weekends or in the SEC Tournament by the end of the year.
Before we go too far, I don’t mean to imply that each won’t have a bad start or two along the way. It just means it is obvious that they have the ability and makeup to get the job done.
Caleb Gilbert continues to shine, which is fabulous news. He can be a second closer should Newman throw a 2 or 3 innings on a Friday night and not be available on Saturday. Gilbert can also be the classic setup man for Newman.
Watching Austin Bain pitch well against TCU was great news as well. An experienced pitcher who can eat up innings is huge. Starting pitchers are going to have bad outings. Eric Walker is going to get pulled in the third inning at some point this year on a Sunday. LSU will be in great shape if Bain can pitch from the third to seventh inning and keep LSU within striking distance in a game like that.
Overall, the LSU baseball has a long way to go, but the pieces that had everyone so optimistic a week ago are still there.
As for the NFL, the combine is over and a bunch of teams are about to throw around too much money for players that aren’t going to live up to their contracts. Meanwhile, the Patriots will steal some players that will perform above the contract they receive. Duh.
Where does that leave the Saints? Nobody knows because the Saints are super stealth when it comes to personnel moves. Personally, I have learned a few lessons observing the Saints and the NFL.
The first lesson is that nobody should expect a free agent signing to be a “savoir” at any position. The Drew Brees signings that turn into Hall of Famers are extremely rare. It can happen, but no team should expect to be so fortunate.
Most teams, including the Saints, pay too much hoping to catch lightning in a bottle (see Jairus Byrd). In most cases, the original team would have held on to that player if he was that valuable.
The second lesson is that the best a team can realistically hope for is a player who fits a huge need that could not play much for the other team because the other team is so good at that position. The other best case scenario is to sign a player who is effective, but their contract would cost too much toward the cap.
As a result, the Saints are not going to find a lock down cornerback or a pass rush specialist in free agency. That is what happens in the draft.
I am hoping the Saints can find an offensive lineman that can provide depth and be an occasional starter. Anyone on the defensive side that can bring athleticism and depth would be nice as well. Obviously, finding another Nick Fairley or Craig Robertson type would be perfect.
That brings me to the last lesson. The type of players the Saints need and can sign with their cap space will be signed after the initial wave of signing passes. So be patient Saints fans.
HEY REF
Dennis Dearie takes a well-deserved week off.
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