Dattitude with Jim Derry

We are now just 4 weeks away from the start of the NFL Draft, and wheels certainly are already spinning in the war room of the New Orleans Saints. With so few offensive lineman on this roster, will this team do what most experts think is best – and draft a potential starting left tackle?

That is topic A and B for Jim Derry and guest Fletcher Mackel of WDSU-TV sports on Friday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 221), as they also talk about the resiliency of the New Orleans Pelicans and their bounce-back win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday and the Boston Celtics coming to town on Saturday. Is this the most important homestand in franchise history?

Also, we dive into the chances for the LSU women’s basketball team in the Sweet 16 against UCLA and possibly in the Elite 8 against potentially Caitlin Clark and Iowa. For the “Extra Point” Jim goes back 42 years to March 29, 1982 when he was 13-year-old boy in the terrace of the Louisiana Superdome watching the real GOAT become the GOAT … Michael Jordan’s shot that lifted North Carolina to a national championship.

Uh oh. Reading through the team leaves of New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen says to Who Dats the offensive line might be an even bigger concern than originally thought. And that ain't good.

Jim Derry dissects Allen's press conference from the NFL owners meetings on Dattitude (Ep. 220) live at 2:30 p.m. on these social media channels and later on demand, as we go through some of the key moments, which also include Derek Carr and Klint Kubiak, veteran leadership and free agency and the backup QB situation. Also, the Fantasy Roundup and Wednesday's Extra Point focuses on MLB's Opening Day.

Chapters

0:00 Introduction

6:50 New Orleans Pelicans

8:45 Derry’s Dime

13:10 Ryan Ramczyk update

22:15 Is Dennis Allen turning a corner?

24:05 Derek and David Carr talk Kubiaks

29:10 Saints backup QB

32:00 Fantasy Roundup

43:10 Extra Point

46:15 Final thoughts

It’s less than 5 weeks until the start of the NFL Draft, and it won’t be long before the New Orleans Saints are on the clock at pick No. 14. Is there a specific player they should be looking at or at least a specific position? Jim Derry certainly thinks so, and he has NOLA.com Saints editor Zach Ewing on to talk about it on Monday's Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 219).

Also, we hope your bracket looks better than ours … What should we be looking for with some potentially incredible matchups in the Sweet 16. While we’re talking March Madness, the LSU women gave their fans a scare through 2½ quarters on Sunday, but then they pulled away from Middle Tennessee State and will face the UCLA-Creighton winner Saturday in Albany.

Will they get to the dream Elite Eight game against Caitlin Clark and Iowa? Lastly in Jim’s Extra Point, he shares some incredible highlights from a wild and wacky local All-Star basketball game this past weekend that ended with a score of 119-105.

Here we go again. Just as it looked like the New Orleans Pelicans could be major contenders in the West, star guard Brandon Ingram injures a knee and is out at least 2 weeks. Is this team snakebit, or will this turn out to be not that big of a deal with just 1 month to go in NBA regular season?

Jim Derry will talk about it on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 218) with Times-Picayune Pels beat writer Christian Clark.

And Jim also welcomes in retiring Tulane women's basketball coach Lisa Stockton to talk about her 30 years leading the Green Wave. Lastly, in the 'Extra Point,' we remember Pete Rozelle, who announced his retirement as NFL commissioner 35 years ago today.

The New Orleans Saints made their biggest splash in free agency thus far by signing edge rusher Chase Young on Monday. Then on Tuesday, it came out that Young will need neck surgery and likely will not be ready for the start of training camp.

How much did the team know? Is he still worth $13 million for one season of service? If so, does it allow the Saints to focus on one particular position in next month's draft? All things to talk about with ESPN Radio's Matt Moscona, who joins host Jim Derry on Wednesday's Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 217).

Also, we'll give a quick update on the Pelicans and LSU spring football, and welcome in Spencer The Guru for the weekly 'Fantasy Roundup.' Bet.NOLA’s Gabe Henderson also is on to kick off a new segment. Jim will wrap up the show with a special 'Extra Point,' as he says Happy Birthday to one of the best players ever to suit up in Black and Gold.

March Madness is here, and the brackets are set. Can anyone unseat UConn on the men's side of things? What about South Carolina on the women's side? Did LSU get a raw deal?

Jim Derry has plenty to talk about on Monday's Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 216), and he'll do it with college betting expert Thomas Casale, who just so happens to be the Bet.NOLA.com sports betting director.

Also, Jim will discuss the social media scene and Saints fans wishing their team would have got in on the Justin Fields trade. And in the “Extra Point,” Jim asks whether Scottie Scheffler is on the same plane as Tiger Woods after winning a second straight Players Championship title?

While some of the biggest names in football seem to be flying around the league in deals to other teams, the New Orleans Saints have been as quiet as a mouse sneaking up on a piece of cheddar in the middle of the kitchen floor. How much more will the team do than Cedrick Wilson, Willie Gay and backup QB Nathan Peterman?

Also, the Pelicans are playing a key game Friday night at The Blender, as we talk about all of it here on the Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 215). Host Jim Derry welcomes in Times-Picayune sports columnist Rod Walker, and Jim finishes his show with an 'Extra Point' that goes back 155 years.

Super Bowl-winning linebacker Willie Gay is headed to the Saints after signing with the team Tuesday. What impact will this have, and are there more big name free agents to come for the Black and Gold?

Times-Picayune Saints beat writer Luke Johnson joins Dattitude (Ep. 214) on Wednesday to talk about it, as well as other possibilities the team might have now that they are under the salary cap. (How did that happen?) And what about Jameis Winston leaving, as well as Zack Baun?

Also, Uncle Big Nick is back to preview 'golf's fifth major' in The Players Championship, while Spencer 'The Guru' Urquhart has his weekly Fantasy Roundup – talking the big moves in NFL free agency this week that will affect fantasy owners and his top 12 baseball pitchers to be targeting.

It seems as if Michael Thomas has accepted he is no longer going to be a part of the New Orleans Saints, and it's now time for us to look at the team's situation at wide receiver on Monday's Dattitude (Ep. 213, March 11), as host Jim Derry welcomes in WWL-TV Sports Director Doug Mouton.

We'll also discuss the mess that went on at the SEC women's basketball tournament championship in Greenville, S.C., on Sunday, as LSU and South Carolina players got into it near the end of the game. Will the tussle have any repercussions? Will there be suspensions?

Jim and Doug will talk about the Pelicans, who went 3-0 on their mini-road trip, and Doug gets a chance to brag about his trip to Arizona for MLB Spring Training. Jim finishes the show with his "Extra Point," which celebrates a special event that occurred on March 11, 1924.

Maybe someone should just tell Michael Thomas he should stay off social media for a little bit. During the season he was going at quarterback Derek Carr and his coaches. On Thursday, he wasn’t happy Times-Picayune sports columnist Jeff Duncan was reporting Thomas would be released from the Saints sometime late next week.

What do you think? Well, we have our own thoughts on Friday’s Dattitude Podcast (Ep. 212), and host Jim Derry brings in Eric Asher, who hosts “Inside New Orleans” daily on 106.1-FM The Ticket and weekly on WLAE-TV, to discuss that and the state of the New Orleans Pelicans and LSU baseball team (12-1) and set for a weekend series against Xavier (Ohio).

In Jim’s “Extra Point,” he gives a shout out to his alma mater, the Archbishop Shaw High Eagles, who after going to the semifinals in football this past December and winning a state championship in wrestling last month, made it to the semis in the state basketball tournament for the third straight season.