Saints' Secondary Better Via Subtraction

Amongst Saints fans, it was the essentially the equivalent of the "chicken or the egg" debate: Who has been more responsible for the team's terrible pass coverage the last two years, cornerback Jason David or free safety Josh Bullocks? Whether you think it was David's fault for making Bullocks work overtime to cover his mistakes, or Bullocks' inability to play deep zone that often left David on the losing end of public perception, we can all agree that the two combined to form quite possibly the worst double-coverage tandem the league has seen in some time.

After the release of David on Monday, the issue is moot. In one offseason the Saints have waved goodbye to the entire right side of their secondary. Bullocks, the free safety brought in under old boss Jim Haslett as a second-rounder out of Nebraska, is now fighting for a starting job in Chicago, after the Saints failed to re-sign him as a free agent this offseason.

While it's not the concern of Saints' fans anymore, we've gathered some video of the two. Fans of the Bears, or whichever team David eventually signs with, would do well to study and steel yourself to the cold reality that lies ahead.

First, Bullocks. Upon his signing in Chicago, a disgruntled fan (hopefully not our own Matt Snyder) put together a video "tribute" to Bullocks. Most of the highlights are from 2006, before David joined the squad, but you can get a feel for how reliable of a centerfielder Bullocks (No. 29) has been.



And now, David.



OK, OK -- in all fairness, that's obviously a video of a glitch in Madden. But that is David (from his Colts days), and, humorously, that is almost exactly what the real-life version of the player looks like. Note how he keeps his eyes on the quarterback while the receiver runs quite literally straight past him. Note the slow turning of the hips, leaving video game David in woeful pursuit. And note the inability to play catch-up while the ball is in the air, or in the receiver's hands.

The only unrealistic thing about the video is the inexplicable diving tackle that David makes; in real life, he'd have given up the effort at the 20, saving his hamstrings for a chase not so futile. Oh, the other thing the video lacks: Bullocks, 10 yards behind David, going for a "Jacked Up" tackle and bouncing off the receiver to the ground (if he managed to make contact at all).

It doesn't really even matter that much that the Saints have added talent to the secondary in Jabari Greer, Malcolm Jenkins, and Darren Sharper. The real improvement comes from not having those two responsible for half of the field. Yes, thankfully, they're somebody else's problems.