Young’s broken foot could help Saints take next step

By Chris Cluff  |   Monday, July 23, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

New Orleans Saints
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The New Orleans Saints just suffered the first blow to their hopes of getting past the NFC title game, but Brian Young's foot injury might actually help the team take the next step.

Young broke his foot while training in Florida and could miss most or all of training camp after having surgery last week. The Saints wouldn't give a timetable for his return, but a broken foot typically takes anywhere from four to six weeks to heal. (Seattle running back Shaun Alexander missed six games last season with a crack in his foot.)

Even if he is not out for all of camp, the 30-year-old Young's absence surely will affect his ability to prepare for the season, but the positive side of this development is that the Saints' younger defensive tackles will get a lot of repetitions with the first defense.

Three players are expected to step in alongside the other tackle, Hollis Thomas. Rodney Leisle, Antwan Lake and new addition Kendrick Clancy will get the chance to prove they can start if Young is not ready for the season.

Leisle started with Young when Thomas was suspended by the league late last season. But that doesn't mean he is first in line again. The Saints quickly snatched up Clancy after the Arizona Cardinals cut him last month, signing him to a three-year, $5.2 million deal that seems to indicate they value his ability.

Young and Thomas are a very active duo, and the Saints are often able to get a pass rush with just their front four. Young had 5½ sacks in 2006 and Thomas added 3½, which helps explain why the Saints ranked third in the NFL against the pass.

But both guys are rather undersized for tackles - Young is 6-foot-2 and 298 pounds and Thomas is 6 feet and 306 pounds. Clancy is in the same mold (6-1 and 305), but Leisle (6-3 and 315) and Lake (6-4 and 308) are a bit bigger. And better play by the bigger guys could improve the Saints' No. 23 ranking against the run (129 yards per game) from last season.

Young's absence will give the three backups the chance to play with the No. 1 defense, and his broken foot might end up helping the Saints in the long run.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding,...
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