Saints hoping Vilma, Morgan can reverse curse

Maybe playing in a city where voodoo is part of the culture is exactly what Jonathan Vilma and Dan Morgan need.

Maybe playing in New Orleans will help reverse the curse that's hung around Vilma the past two seasons and around Morgan for just about his entire career. If that happens, the Saints suddenly could have one of the most talented linebacker corps in the NFL.

But it's a giant leap to say that will ever happen, because the histories of Morgan and Vilma make them two of the biggest gambles this offseason. With these two, it's either boom or bust, and their pasts suggest the latter is more probable.

The Saints don't care, because they haven't had a truly great linebacker since Sam Mills in the mid-1990s, and their defense was a big reason they missed the playoffs last season. The moves come one offseason after the Saints thought they had patched up their defense by bringing in Jason David, Dhani Jones, Brian Simmons and Kevin Kaesviharn. Those moves didn't all work, and other problems were exposed as the Saints finished 7-9. Click here to continue reading...