Cajun Cannon: Saints have the weapons to win this season

The “Cajun Cannon” Bobby Hebert found his way into the hearts of local sports fans during his tenure as starting quarterback for the New Orleans Saints from 1985-92.

A tough competitor with a strong Cajun accent, Hebert helped turn a dismal franchise into a respected contender.

He took the Saints to the playoffs in 1991 and 1992 before signing with the Atlanta Falcons in 1993.

After retiring in 1996, he did radio work for the Falcons before returning to New Orleans to take over the Saints pre-game and post-game duties on WWL 870 AM following the death of longtime radio personality Buddy Diliberto in 2005.

SportsNet caught up with the Saints Hall of Famer to talk football and look ahead at the upcoming season.

SportsNet: What went wrong for the Saints last season?

Bobby Hebert: The bottom line is the defense went backwards instead of improving on what they did in 2006. They finished the year with the 11th ranked defense but ended up finishing 26th last year. The offense kept pace and I think they are going to consistently stay. It’s a matter of the defense getting back to where they were. They don’t have to be the Dome Patrol-type defense, but at least somewhere in the middle of the pack. That will be a big key.

SN: What will be critical to the success of this year’s defense?

BH: It’s going to be the front seven, the pass rush and how they are going to put pressure on their quarterback. If that happens, the secondary will naturally look better. (Linebacker) Jonathan Vilma will be the quarterback of the defense and, if he stays healthy, I think very realistically they can get back to where they were a couple years ago.

SN: Do you feel the front office fully addressed the team’s needs in the offseason?

BH: They tried to meet their needs with the players that were available. I’m not saying Randall Gay is one of the top cornerbacks, but he has played with the Patriots and has a couple of Super Bowl rings. He was a starter at times and was primarily a nickel guy. It’s also going to be important to see how Deuce can come back. He looks like he did when he came back from the first knee injury, but it’s important for Pierre Thomas to take advantage. Reggie can’t be the featured back by himself. He’ll need everyone around him to step up.

SN: What grade do you give their offseason moves?

BH: As far as expectations, I definitely have to give it an A. On paper, the potential of these players is amazing. It’s all on paper (the expectations) but I think it’s something the Saints fans are pleased with; the fact that the organization was aggressive to try and make the team a whole lot better.

SN: Is there a player who can be a Marques Colston-type player and emerge in training camp to become a key contributor to this team?

BH: Robert Meacham is looking better than he did last year after his injury, but seventh-round draft pick Adrian Arrington is having a great offseason. He is going to have a great opportunity along with Skyler Green, who local fans are pretty familiar with. He (Green) catches the ball well and is a little more consistent than Devery Henderson. There is a lot of competition for those spots, so it’s up to those guys to step up their game.

SN: What do you feel is the team’s strongest point heading into the season?

BH: It all starts with the quarterback. I would have to say that Drew Brees is that X-factor as far as keeping the Saints together and giving them the best opportunity to win. I also feel the help of Jonathan Vilma will benefit the team this year. I think (Vilma) can get back and play at the high level in the league as he did when he first came in with the Jets. He’s perfect for the Saints because he is more of a 4-3 linebacker than a 3-4.

SN: On the opposite side, what is the team’s weakness this year?

BH: The secondary. Roman Harper and Josh Bullocks need to play better in pass coverage. We don’t know who is actually going to be back there because Kevin Kaesviharn is right there competing for a starting job. The secondary as a whole has to get better. I can imagine they naturally will get better with a better pass rush.

SN: How do you feel the Saints match up against the rest of the NFC?

BH: I’d have to say if you take the Cowboys and Giants out of the equation, the Saints are right up there with the Seahawks, Eagles, Vikings and Packers. It’s wide open in the NFC South. I really look at their main competition in the division being the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I really think it will come down to the Saints or Tampa Bay representing the NFC South in the playoffs.

SN: How do they match up against the rest of the league?

BH: They are still not in the elite with the Colts, Patriots and Chargers. If I had to say, out of 32 teams, they are ranked somewhere around number eight at the highest and maybe 14 at the lowest. I think the parity is that close. They are definitely in the top 16.

SN: As a quarterback yourself, how important is it to have these weapons that Drew Brees has this season?

BH: It’s all a matter of being 80 percent mental. You have to know where to go with the ball and the more weapons you have, you are going to have success. That’s one thing the fans have to get excited about. Drew Brees will spread the ball around; he will find the single coverage. Now with Shockey, Bush and Colston to go with the other receivers, if you are in that scenario where all of a sudden you bring in an extra defensive back to stop the pass, then you have to run Deuce, Pierre Thomas or Bush. The defense just can’t afford to put eight in the box against this team because if you look at it, there is a lot of pressure now with Shockey in there. The safeties and linebackers have to be more concerned with getting beat downfield and down the middle. They have to be in a position where they can keep the defenders off balance and average four yards a rush when they do run.

SN: What is your honest prediction of the season? With only four games against playoff teams, the season has to look promising?

BH: Looking at the schedule, I think it helps not having to play the AFC South like they did last season. The toughest game for us this year will be the Chargers in London. If they play their expectations, this could be easily an 11-5 or 10-6 type team.

SN: Any chances of a Black and Gold Super Bowl this year?

BH: That’s a matter of having the luck and breaks go their way as a matter of injuries and things like that. What they have to do is what the Giants did last year, get to the playoffs then worry about the Super Bowl. It helps the team playing in the Dome and having home field advantage for those games, but the bottom line is getting to the playoffs first. If that happens, anything is possible.

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert, aka the “Cajun Cannon” has found his niche on WWL-AM talking football. * File photo • Tri-Parish Times