• Traded 2008 4th Round pick and a 2009 conditional pick to the Jets for MLB Jonathan Vilma. Vilma missed time last season due to knee surgery, but will be expected back at full strength for offseason training. He'll be a significant upgrade over last year's starter, Marc Simoneau. Adding Vilma to the Saints' 4-3 scheme (or, best attempt at what is called a "defense") should boost the run defense.

• Resigned free agents C Jonathan Goodwin and G Jamar Nesbit. The Saints let last year's starter, Jeff Faine, walk. However, he was quickly nabbed by the overpaying Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Faine was a valuable member of the offensive line in 2007, Drew Brees and Sean Payton felt Goodwin capable of handling the duties in 2008. Nesbit is a monster guard and he is more than welcome to return.

• Resigned WRs Devery Henderson and David Patten. Although Patten had a resurging year in 2007, I don't expect the same from him in 2008. Henderson has suspect hands and consistency, and although I would have liked to see them persue Ernest Wilford (formerly of Jacksonville), I'm glad that they kept Devery at $2M for one year. Hopefully, last year's #1 pick Robert Meachem can get healthy and push Devery.

• Signed DE Bobby McCray. McCray's addition, while not a directly impactful one, will be felt significantly along the defensive line enabling doughy DE Charles Grant to move to one of the inside spots while McCray takes over the end, giving the Saints one hell of an athletic pass rush. Something sorely missing last season.

• Signed CB Randall Gay (LSU alum!). Gay is another "scheme" corner, but he's tall and has good cover skills. Not an extraordinary player at LSU, he blossomed in New England because of injuries to incumbents ahead of him on the depth chart. He should push for the nickleback role and might even get some starts with the injury to Mike McKenzie at the end of last season.

• Signed WLB Dan Morgan (AKA the Mark Prior of the NFL). If he can stay healthy (the Saints have a thing for these kinds of projects), Morgan will be one of the most underrated free agent moves of 2008. Highly athletic, though even more so injury-prone, Morgan will push Scott Shanle to start next season and can really become a staple in the 4-3 for years. Again, IF HEALTHY!

The Draft should be interesting. The Saints pick 10th this year, and I think they'll take a corner. However, with DT Glen Dorsey's stock falling because of apparent leg injuries, he could fall to 10 where the Saints would gladly snatch him up in a heartbeat. However, if Dorsey is taken before 10, then the Saints would most likely use their pick on either South Florida CB Mike Jenkins or Kansas CB Aqib Talib.

It's been an interesting offseason so far, with the Saints making a bit of a splash in the free agent market. The defense will be improved, but by how much? The addition of Gay to the secondary is a good one, but with Mike McKenzie hurting and rehabbing and Jason David incompetent, there's still work to be done.