It took a while for the Saints to start locking down their own free agents, but they're picking up steam. Yesterday they announced two re-signings on the offensive line -- backup center Jonathan Goodwin and starting left guard Jamar Nesbit. Goodwin's signing could mean the end of a third lineman, free agent starting center Jeff Faine.Word on the street is that Faine is looking to be one of the highest-paid centers in the league, and the Saints apparently recognize that that's foolish, so he appears to be walking (potentially to division rival Tampa Bay). Faine is a very intelligent center who excels at calling out blocking assignments. But he's also undersized. At 290 pounds, he has a tough time blocking nose tackles 20-30 pounds heavier than he is (we already know he's a tad on the weak side). When Faine missed two games with injuries, the offense was much better under Goodwin. The fact that he was given a three-year, $8.5 million deal suggests as well that the Saints aren't paying him to be a backup.
As for Nesbit, there's been word that the team feels '07 draft pick Andy Alleman might be able to take over this year, so Nesbit could potentially lose his starting job. If he does, though, he's a very good backup who's played at all five positions. Either way, by what the Saints did and didn't do yesterday, I think their line got better.
