The good news is that we did not trade away any future picks. This is a serious comment.
As an organization, we have embraced for years a future-is-now approach because of Brees. The window has now officially closed--and not just because of a change at quarterback (which may work out), but largely because of our free-agency losses and salary-cap challenges.
This team from top to bottom will be less talented than any Saints team since 2016. We will be taking--and need to take--a step back before we can move forward. Our drafts in 2016 and 2017 were a booster shot that pushed the team to a different level that put us in the position to win a championship from 2017 through 2020. Our four drafts since 2018 have not had, and will not have, nearly the same impact because of low draft position and the Davenport trade.
We still have a talented team, but the 2020 draft will not materially increase our chances of winning in 2021, and I believe--and I suspect most outside our region believe--we are no longer on the league's top tier.
The 2021 off-season has been the beginning of a painful adjustment. I have faith that the organization can do what is necessary for the Saints to compete again for a championship. But 2021 may remind us of New England's 2020 season. Remaking this roster will take at least two years and may take two high-impact drafts like our 2016 draft.