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Swimmer
Medsamust Saint Fan
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We as fans get stoked every offseason and beginning of every new season. We Homer's have our rosie colored glasses on and we make UDFAs into 1st ballot Hall of Famers. It's only natural.
It would have been awesome if this 2016 team could have snuck into the last wildcard spot this year. But if you look back at many of the posts in the off-season, our multi-year weaknesses were well discussed: bad drafts, terrible FA signings, dead cap space, toxic team chemistry and Brees contract situation.
Certain steps had to be taken to make another SB run:
- 1st, SP had to get a team that reflected his character and personality. So he gutted a bunch of players. I think there's little question this team has fire, is scrappy and plays hard
- Had to get an O-line to be able to Protect Brees in his aging years and be able to run the ball. Besides yesterday's fiasco, we are still the #1 offense in the league and Ingram averages over 5 YPC
- We had to instill new coaching and better players on defense to at least make the defense mediocre. With a MASH unit of CBs, very little talent depth and no real disruptive defensive players, DA has done a respectable job with this team and for the 1st time in years, this defense has exciting promise
- Fix draft problems and bring in a bedrock of difference makers on defense. Rankins and Von Bell are future super-stars and some of our previous year draft picks looked really good before injury
- Sign Brees through 2017 without destroying future cap space. That was done perfectly
- Free up cap space to secure key FAs before 2017 season. That's done also
- And we picked up a future pro bowl WR in Thomas as a bonus
Admittedly, I've been tough on the Saints since 2014. Unfortunately I've been right more often that not. In that same view, I am really stoked about 2017 and maybe 2018 if Brees can stay healthy. Yes it's hard to get excited after a beat-down in our own Dome. But I don't think too many of us really expected a SB run this year.
Before we judge and sentence SP and Loomis to extinction, let's give it one more year. If 2017 is not much much better than 2014 - 2016, then we can scream for heads and those of you who believe this regime is doomed will be correct. But let's give them one more year.
It would have been awesome if this 2016 team could have snuck into the last wildcard spot this year. But if you look back at many of the posts in the off-season, our multi-year weaknesses were well discussed: bad drafts, terrible FA signings, dead cap space, toxic team chemistry and Brees contract situation.
Certain steps had to be taken to make another SB run:
- 1st, SP had to get a team that reflected his character and personality. So he gutted a bunch of players. I think there's little question this team has fire, is scrappy and plays hard
- Had to get an O-line to be able to Protect Brees in his aging years and be able to run the ball. Besides yesterday's fiasco, we are still the #1 offense in the league and Ingram averages over 5 YPC
- We had to instill new coaching and better players on defense to at least make the defense mediocre. With a MASH unit of CBs, very little talent depth and no real disruptive defensive players, DA has done a respectable job with this team and for the 1st time in years, this defense has exciting promise
- Fix draft problems and bring in a bedrock of difference makers on defense. Rankins and Von Bell are future super-stars and some of our previous year draft picks looked really good before injury
- Sign Brees through 2017 without destroying future cap space. That was done perfectly
- Free up cap space to secure key FAs before 2017 season. That's done also
- And we picked up a future pro bowl WR in Thomas as a bonus
Admittedly, I've been tough on the Saints since 2014. Unfortunately I've been right more often that not. In that same view, I am really stoked about 2017 and maybe 2018 if Brees can stay healthy. Yes it's hard to get excited after a beat-down in our own Dome. But I don't think too many of us really expected a SB run this year.
Before we judge and sentence SP and Loomis to extinction, let's give it one more year. If 2017 is not much much better than 2014 - 2016, then we can scream for heads and those of you who believe this regime is doomed will be correct. But let's give them one more year.