Nick Underhill: Saints Might Not Move on from DA (1 Viewer)

[St. Widge]

Our cap issues make it hard to shore up weak areas. $80M over will make it hard to improve or change the trajectory of this team.

People think the team will change course by getting rid of DA, I am not so sure. Roster has glaring weaknessess and no way to address them due to Mickey's poor drafting and cap mismanagement. Dust off your paper bag, tough times are ahead.

We can be under the cap in three moves next year and we can be pretty much so back to a normal NFL team cap in like 2 years. It's not as dire as you think it is and it's not all doom and gloom for the future. DA needs to go but this organization is not falling apart. People are just mad about a bad season and are overreacting to it.

The cap isn't the issue although it should be fixed because there is no point going all in now and we will need the money later to sign the good players we do draft. The real problem is that the team has been mediocre at drafting since 2017. They haven't really been missing in the first round since Payton left (now that Penning is an okay RT and we stopped trading everything for DEs) but they haven't really hit on guys that are immediate stars. Maybe some of them will be, but they aren't there yet. The problem is compounded by not hitting on later round picks which is where you get your depth. The drafts haven't been awful but they have been mediocre so you have mediocre talent and a lack of depth.

But frankly, this team has enough talent and enough depth to be a 9 or 10 win team. What we are lacking is a coach to get them there.

 

[SuperSaint]

If they run this whole thing back next year and make no changes...

Good luck with season ticket sales.

 

[St. Geezy]

Our cap issues make it hard to shore up weak areas. $80M over will make it hard to improve or change the trajectory of this team.

People think the team will change course by getting rid of DA, I am not so sure. Roster has glaring weaknessess and no way to address them due to Mickey's poor drafting and cap mismanagement. Dust off your paper bag, tough times are ahead.

One day, people are going to grasp the concept. We are simply using next year’s dollars in advance constantly. Pointing to the cap as our main problem is just pointing to a boogeyman. We CHOSE not to do it as much this year just to reset things slightly.

It’s not the big deal it is made out to be; we totally could have spent more this off-season but opted not to.

 

[Hank]

Do we have any good news????

lose to the Panthers and he will be gone.

 

[No2DC]

One day, people are going to grasp the concept. We are simply using next year’s dollars in advance constantly. Pointing to the cap as our main problem is just pointing to a boogeyman. We CHOSE not to do it as much this year just to reset things slightly.

It’s not the big deal it is made out to be; we totally could have spent more this off-season but opted not to.

Same story, new year.

 

[St. Geezy]

Same story, new year.

Are we drafting well? Are we coaching well? Are we staying healthy?

If those three answers are no, your team likely has issues winning in this league.

Accounting ledgers and budgets don’t win games, especially considering the fact that we have never been big free agency spenders outside of once every blue moon.

 

[solarbear88]

One day, people are going to grasp the concept. We are simply using next year’s dollars in advance constantly. Pointing to the cap as our main problem is just pointing to a boogeyman. We CHOSE not to do it as much this year just to reset things slightly.

It’s not the big deal it is made out to be; we totally could have spent more this off-season but opted not to.

You seem to think that everyone who comments on the Cap doesn't understand how it works. I understand how it works and why they use it like they do.

But I also know that it limits our off season signings to the bottom of the barrel as we've seen for the past few seasons. And the current players taking the biggest chunk of our payroll are not producing much.

Loomis follows the exact opposite pattern Bill Walsh advocated. Bill told his All Pro centre he would trade him soon, while he was in his prime and his value was high, rather than hold onto him till he declines. The moves we made with Ram, Cam, Demario, AK, Lat, Thomas, all show Loomis acting the opposite of a winner. He is afraid he can't find anyone else to do the job, because he is actually so bad at drafting, so he handicaps the team with these ugly contracts.

 

[St. Geezy]

You seem to think that everyone who comments on the Cap doesn't understand how it works. I understand how it works and why they use it like they do.

But I also know that it limits our off season signings to the bottom of the barrel as we've seen for the past few seasons. And the current players taking the biggest chunk of our payroll are not producing much.

Loomis follows the exact opposite pattern Bill Walsh advocated. Bill told his All Pro centre he would trade him soon, while he was in his prime and his value was high, rather than hold onto him till he declines. The moves we made with Ram, Cam, Demario, AK, Lat, Thomas, all show Loomis acting the opposite of a winner. He is afraid he can't find anyone else to do the job, because he is actually so bad at drafting, so he handicaps the team with these ugly contracts.

We have always bargain shopped for free agents.

And certainly last year we weren’t limited to bottom of the barrel as we in fact signed the player at the very top of the barrel, dollar value wise.

How does this fact always get ignored? We are so cash strapped yet we somehow signed the highest paid FA available to a mega contract?

 

[solarbear88]

We have always bargain shopped for free agents.

And certainly last year we weren’t limited to bottom of the barrel as we in fact signed the player at the very top of the barrel, dollar value wise.

How does this fact always get ignored? We are so cash strapped yet we somehow signed the highest paid FA available to a mega contract?

I assume you are talking about Chase Young. There were a number of Guards in FA who signed for more money than Chase Young, twice as much in some cases. So for a Rusher who was the No.2 pick in the draft, $10m really was a bargain bin signing and showed what the rest of the league thought of him.

I feel like the Saints are one of those shows where guys hit a Junkyard for parts to build a vehicle from scratch.

eg
14 Mar 2024 — Signings. Guard Robert Hunt, 5-year, $100 million contract. Guard Damien Lewis, 4-year, $53 million contract.

 

[St. Geezy]

I assume you are talking about Chase Young. There were a number of Guards in FA who signed for more money than Chase Young, twice as much in some cases. So for a Rusher who was the No.2 pick in the draft, $10m really was a bargain bin signing and showed what the rest of the league thought of him.

I feel like the Saints are one of those shows where guys hit a Junkyard for parts to build a vehicle from scratch.

eg
14 Mar 2024 — Signings. Guard Robert Hunt, 5-year, $100 million contract. Guard Damien Lewis, 4-year, $53 million contract.

Was referring to Derek Carr, a year ago, I.E. “Last year.”

This year, we made a concerted effort not to spend as much, meaning we could have, but as ML indicated, we decided to dial it back for long term purposes.

It’s like people wanted the team to dial it back to get things reset, and now that they’re doing that very thing even when they could be spending, it’s “See we can’t spend because of how we operate. Loomis sucks!”

 

[solarbear88]

Was referring to Derek Carr, a year ago, I.E. “Last year.”

This year, we made a concerted effort not to spend as much, meaning we could have, but as ML indicated, we decided to dial it back for long term purposes.

It’s like people wanted the team to dial it back to get things reset, and now that they’re doing that very thing even when they could be spending, it’s “See we can’t spend because of how we operate. Loomis sucks!”

The DC contract is one of the reasons we couldn't sign anyone of note last year or the year before. So it carried consequences. He couldn't produce with the talent around him so the $150M was a waste... a terrible Catch 22.

Bigger mistakes would be Jordan, Ramchek, Lattimore, players signed to big money around 2020 and now are not producing.

This really is a team with no legitimate Star players and a lot of players on the decline.

 

[Nolan]

One day, people are going to grasp the concept. We are simply using next year’s dollars in advance constantly. Pointing to the cap as our main problem is just pointing to a boogeyman. We CHOSE not to do it as much this year just to reset things slightly.

It’s not the big deal it is made out to be; we totally could have spent more this off-season but opted not to.

I think most people grasp the concept. Conceptually it's fine when you have an elite roster and you know you're competing and you're happy to strap yourself to certain players long-term. Back in the day, restructuring Brees on a regular basis was never a big deal. Cutting him was never going to be a thought.

When we're in a flux of mediocrity, it sure feels bad not being able to move on from an average QB.

 

[Colstonbaby]

I'll be honest, if this milquetoast dweeb with all the charisma of a wet paper towel is back next season, I'll be done till he's gone. I tried giving him the benefit of the doubt that maybe Carmichael really was forced on him by Loomis, but I'm not seeing anything different from DA when the going gets tough. Just the same meaningless platitudes and nothing that makes me think anyone on Airline gives a damn.

They will give a damn, when they realize fan's don't give a damn about going to games!!

 

[DSnfla]

The difference between a winner and a loser.

DA doesnt have a killer instinct.

DA is timid, and that's why deep down his players do not respect him.

He is weak.

Absolutely not the same!! DA was apologizing for lining up in the VICTORY formation and running a play to score a TD. It was bush league and low class something most people would have a problem with, hence the reaction around the league. SP was just adding to the score SMH some people say ridiculous things