With just two weeks remaining before the season opener, it's looking more and more likely that second-year pro Malcolm Jenkins will begin the year as the New Orleans Saints' starting free safety. Veteran Darren Sharper still has not returned to the practice field since undergoing knee surgery in early March, and he's been wearing a brace on his left knee during the past week while out on the practice field. Both Sharper and Coach Sean Payton insist that there's still time to evaluate his progress and that no decision has been made on his roster status yet. But with each passing week, the possibility grows that he will start the season on the physically-unable-to-perform list, which would keep him out for at least six weeks. "Certainly we were hoping that we were closer to getting them on the field," Payton said of Sharper and veteran linebacker Clint Ingram, who also has not practiced yet after undergoing a similar knee surgery in the spring. "Yet you still have to pay attention to the injury. We're still going through the process ... evaluating the progress and the treatments." Source: The Times-Picayune
it's becoming apparent we re-signed him as more of a mentor to our young secondary. plus having him actually healthy for a playoff run will be great
that is a good point. But if he comes back and doesn't play well will he sour on the mentor role quick.