$.01 -- Any argument as to the best team in the league was resoundingly answered by the New Orleans Saints in their frolic over the New York Giants. Everyone is going to see Drew Brees' gaudy passing numbers and give all the credit (or blame, if you're a Giants fan) to the Saints offense. And while they were pretty darn awesome, once again it was the New Orleans defense that impressed me even more than the offense. The Giants offense didn't abandon the run even when behind 14-0 very early, a marked departure from what most teams do when scrambling from a large early lead. But the Saints D held tough, consistently nailing Brandon Jacobs before he could get going downhill and reliably generating pressure on Eli Manning from various places on nearly every attempt. Most impressive is the play of the secondary in coverage. Long a major weak spot, the Saints have arguably one of the three best pass coverage secondaries in the league. Other than a blow assignment on the long Hakeem Nicks touchdown play, Eli often had very poor options as he surveyed the field. I'd be remiss if I didn't give a mention to the Saints offensive line, which once again dominated the line of scrimmage, this time against the defense widely regarded as the best front seven in the league. That they're not skipping a beat without their best player, left tackle Jammal Brown, is a testament to the work of line coach Aaron Kromer and the leadership of Brees, who treats every lineman like an All-Pro all the time. Who dat? $.02 -- The trade deadline is Tuesday, and this is one season where it might actually mean something. What makes this year so unusual? The upcoming labor agreement fight is sure to include some sort of rookie salary constraints, which means that the agents have an easy sell to convince any underclassman that might get drafted to declare early, to get in while the getting is still good. To that end, I've received emails from parents of some collegians in that situation demanding to know why I didn't include their sons in my initial first round mock draft when an agent (or an intermediary from an agent) has already assured them of first round status. What does that have to do with the normally dormant trade season in the NFL? That glut of young talent makes this a potentially very deep draft, and acquiring more second through fifth round picks is likely to pay more dividends than in other years. With the non-contending teams so bloody awful this year, there is even more powerful incentive for them to act like the MLB bottom feeders and dump veterans that don't fit into the long-term rebuild, stockpiling more valuable draft picks in return. In prior years, teams were willing to keep those players in order to try and salvage an extra win or two, and the contending teams didn't like the concept of "renting" a player and then eating the rest of his contract with all the negative salary cap ramifications. Those worries are mollified this season with the impending uncapped year. That makes players like Leonard Little, Josh Cribbs, Randy McMichael, Terrell Owens, Larry Johnson and Ronde Barber much more likely to change locales than in seasons past. $.03 -- One such trade already consummated on Friday, with the woebegone Buccaneers shipping disappointing defensive end Gaines Adams to the Bears for a second round pick. Adams was the fourth overall pick in the 2007 draft, but has not played anywhere close to that potential and is visibly getting less effective instead of improving. The new regime in Tampa had seen enough to know that Adams was not part of the future, and sent him packing for one of those delectable draft picks. Chicago's point of view is the intriguing part of this deal. The Bears already have a very effective defensive end rotation with Alex Brown, Wali Ogunleye, and Mark Anderson; it's inarguably the strength of their defense. They already dealt away their first rounder next year as part of the Jay Cutler trade, and now they have to sit out the second round too. Had they spent that pick to address a more pressing need (say, defensive tackle or safety or #2 running back or backup quarterback or veteran mentor wide receiver or linebacker), parting with the pick absolutely makes sense. But adding a fourth defensive end -- and a badly underachieving one at that -- is a superfluous move with little immediate reward at a potential high cost. I understand their thinking that their coaching staff can be the ones to get Adams to blossom, but that leads to another point. The delusional organizational mantra that their coaches or culture can turn around the fortunes of heretofore busts never ceases to amaze me. There's a very sound reason why a team desperate for young impact talent like Tampa Bay gives up such a potential player so quickly -- they have seen him practice, they see him in meetings and they don't see any hope of turning him around. This is not to single out the Bears, because many teams fall victim to this arrogance that they will be the great redeemers. That's why guys like Mike Williams (the fat tackle, not the fat wideout), Jerry Porter, and Byron Leftwich keep getting so many opportunities to keep failing. The cold hard truth is that teams are almost never wrong when they give up on the Gaines Adams's of the NFL world, and the new team tends to figure that out even quicker than the last. Bears fans might like this deal now, but when Adams nets 1.5 sacks and 17 tackles for the rest of his Bears career, and the pick they sacrificed to get him develops into an above-average starting right tackle in Tampa... $.04 -- One of the great taboos in the NFL is pulling the starting quarterback, no matter how awful the performance. Coaches almost never yank the starter, even when it's abundantly clear to even the neophyte fan that the quarterback is having a terrible day. A classic example cost the New York Jets a game, and perhaps a playoff shot, on Sunday. Rookie Mark Sanchez was flat-out terrible, and he'll be the first to acknowledge that he stunk up the joint. Yet rookie coach Rex Ryan stubbornly stuck to his greenhorn, who has never played in cold weather or high winds before. Sanchez was way over his head, and his body language and sideline demeanor reinforced that all those interceptions and bad decisions were not going to stop. It was clear that Sanchez was the reason the Jets offense wasn't working, so why not sit him down and let Kellen Clemens take a chance to salvage a victory? The old "it will shatter his confidence" mantra is a coaches cop-out, an old-school Coelacanth that places the quarterback over the team. Plus it's inherently wrong; if the backup comes in and stinks too, the starter can take confidence from the fact that maybe the defense was playing well and it wasn't entirely his fault. If the backup comes in and rallies for the victory, the youngster can watch and learn how it's done and grow from the experience. Leaving him out there to keep the death spiral continuing makes no sense at all, and I wish coaches would wake up and realize that. Of course Jim Zorn took my advice in Washington and the veteran backup took a horrible safety that cost the Redskins the game, so what do I know? $.05 -- The next time you are convinced that a game is a lead-pipe cinch and are about to lay down your next mortgage payment in support of that opinion, think back to the Raiders/Eagles game on Sunday. Philadelphia closed as a 14.5 point favorite at most books, and based on the way the Raiders had played the past few weeks that seemed about half as many as Oakland would need to cover. But a funny thing happened on the way to the ticket window: Oakland came out and whipped the Eagles with a new attacking defensive scheme that forced Donovan McNabb into looking like JaMarcus Russell, completing less than half his passes and often forcing balls into coverage or missing wildly off target. It's "Any Given Sunday" games like this one that keep me from being a professional gambler, because I can't imagine relying so much on such a thin margin between the good and the bad teams -- even in this season where that gulf is wider than ever before. Quick take on the Eagles: those offensive line problems that the Raiders exploited aren't going away anytime soon, certainly not with Jason Peters appearing to be out for at least a couple of weeks. Bettor beware! $.06 -- Highlight of the week also goes to the Raiders. Rookie wideout Louis Murphy threw two critical blocks about 40 yards apart on Zach Miller's plodding 95-yard touchdown reception, a play where Miller ran 75 or so yards after the catch in about three minutes (okay, it actually took just 16 seconds). Anytime you see a long run after the catch, there's inevitably a good block downfield by a wideout. But Murphy's relentless hustle and superior conditioning were the difference between Miller getting tackled at the 50, and again at the 10, and scoring what proved to be the only touchdown of the game. The former Gator has quietly played quite well for the Raiders, even though he has little statistically to show for it. At least now he has the unending respect of his teammates for helping snatch a shocking win. $.07 -- Five random quickies: 1. Coaches have rookie learning curves too, and it is becoming more apparent by the week that Rex Ryan's is pretty darn corkscrewed. Getting outcoached by Dick Jauron eliminates all grace period with New York fans. 2. My editor can back me up on this: When I sent in my picks column last week, I included in the email's subject line, "I'm feeling the Texans to beat the Bengals more all the time." Can I get a half-win for that? [Editor's note: I can vouch for that] 3. Cynics point out that the Vikings have two very lucky wins, but I would counter that having great luck is very much a team skill that persists over the course of a season. It happens even more in baseball, but it applies to football too. 4. Real bummer to see Antwan Odom go down with a torn Achilles. The Bengals defensive end was having an MVP-caliber season, including a blocked field goal on the drive before the injury. He's a genuinely good guy who has worked very hard, and here's hoping for a full recovery. 5. Has any player ever regressed as badly as Titans safety Michael Griffin has from one season to the next? I understand he had little help from his overmatched corners (Ryan Mouton had the mother of all bad days), but a huge part of playing safety is making quick reads and reacting to them. Griffin got caught standing and staring several times by Tom Brady, and that wasn't the first time this year. Not even the 21st time this year...and this guy was in the Pro Bowl last year. $.08 -- Non-football thought of the week: My four-year old son is progressing into the next level of television shows -- moving up from the Dora's and Sesame Streets of the world. In my inherent (futile?) desire to shelter him from violence and themes that I deem too mature, I directed him to Boomerang, the channel featuring cartoons of my youth. But guess what -- those shows were incredibly violent, cruel, and carried underlying themes that make me cringe. From the sexual tension on The Flintstones to the thinly-veiled drug culture of Scooby Doo to the improbably graphic violence on Wacky Races to the gangster scam lifestyle of Top Cat, it's amazing I'm not a wife-beating drug addict with Mommy issues and a gambling problem. Then again, maybe as parents we don't give our kids enough credit. I came out okay, as did most of my friends of youth. Kids have an inherent ability to separate cartoon violence from reality, and my Layne has no clue about the themes over his head. The kids will be alright. $.09 -- College quick hits: 1. Jim Tressel needs to seriously consider benching Terrelle Pryor at quarterback, because the young Buckeye clearly isn't mentally capable of executing his offense on a consistent basis. Pryor has not progressed one bit as a quarterback, and it often appears as if he's at least one step behind all his teammates in terms of figuring out what to do. 2. Get off Charlie Weis' back already. The overall talent level at Notre Dame from when he took over to where it is now is 200% improved, and the players are improving from the coaching. That just might be the last nice thing I ever say about Notre Dame! 3. Anyone else think this is the weakest college football season in recent years? Not even the top teams are as good as most years, there are significantly fewer of them, and the difference between third and eighth place in almost every conference is negligible. Put a tourney at the end of the year and there's some excitement, but who really wants a bowl between the fifth place Big Ten team (say, Michigan) and the sixth place SEC team (say, Auburn)? 4. My early Heisman ballot, and no I am not a voter despite what you read on certain other websites: 1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama 2. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati 3. Jacory Harris, QB, Miami FL 4. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida 5. Colt McCoy, Texas, who would have been my leader before the Oklahoma game $.10: Scouting Report -- Charles Brown, T, USC. 6'6", 293, 5.10 40. Positives: Converted tight end that has not lost much agility or quickness in his feet while tacking on the extra bulk. Very naturally athletic, keeps his balance and moves with great fluidity. Has greatly improved his leverage and pad level during his senior season, his second year as a starter. Gets a decent initial punch and follows it up with strong hands and good technique. Gets downfield and locates/engages targets in space very well. Excellent knee bend and stays over his feet well, not a leaner at all. Good arm extension. Decent kick out and slide on pass protect. Understands the game and football geometry well. Good motor and effort. Coaches praise his practice habits and drive to improve. Negatives: Still learning the finer points and intricacies of playing tackle. Lacks base strength; needs to improve his lower body strength beyond what most other guys (Joe Staley, Selvish Capers) who have made the move from tight end to tackle had to do. Doesn't block down well but has shown some improvement (see from Ohio State to Notre Dame games). Will never be a road grater or mauler, not in his nature and his frame just won't hold the beef. Needs to continue to improve his ability to hold his arm extension. Can be too passive when engaging outside blitzers, like he's thinking too much about the inside assignment -- a sign of inexperience that can be coached. NFL Forecast: His stock is steadily rising as his play continues to improve, but Brown is still regarded as more of a project than the top tier of tackles. Plays with a similar style to 2007 1st rounder Duane Brown, but lacks Brown's base strength and experience. The post-season workouts will be critical for Brown, as he must show he can sufficiently add strength and weight without losing his fantastic agility and athleticism. Could sneak into the bottom of the 1st but most likely projects (at this point, mid-Oct.) in the 40-60 overall range. --Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com Catch me every Monday at 5:05 ET, 2:05 PT with Papa Joe Chevalier at papajoetalk.com.