Part two of our draft preview series begins right……. now. We’ve decided to include ends in with the tackles. Why? Because there are only two defensive tackles really worth talking about, and there’s apparently a fringe element out there who think that the Saints are gonna draft an end and then immediately trade Will Smith for three picks and some other clean-cut, non-threatening, parent-friendly rapper. Like Dr. Dre.

Trading Smith right now is, of course, a mindbogglingly stupid idea. He’s under contract for 2008 and 2009, and you could easily franchise him for 2010 if need be, so it’s not like the Saints are "about to let him walk for nothing" any time soon. And if he eventually leaves in free agency, then so be it. Contrary to popular opinion, the Saints wouldn’t be losing him "for nothing" because retaining his services for those other two or three years is valuable in and of itself.

Look, it’s perfectly reasonable to have been disappointed in the overall performance of the ends last year, but it’s ridiculous to consider replacing either one, given the current circumstances, no matter how much (specious) foresight a move like that might seem to display.

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