That first round pick we gave the Eagles

Dave, you are absolutely right. Generally, as Jim Finks once said, owners should own, managers should manage, and coaches should coach. Smart general managers and head coaches do consult with and seek the blessing of the owner on major trades and player signings if the signing might be controversial. In my case, my philosophical differences with Loomis are such that were I the owner, he probably would not be my general manager.

However, I also need to acknowledge that In many ways with a head coach like Sean Payton, who has a tremendous ego and much talent in recognizing football talent, Loomis was almost an ideal general manager because Loomis seemed willing to defer to Payton with talent decisions, did not seek the limelight, and kept the trains running on time. (I also think there were times Loomis should have reined in Payton, but that's a discussion for another time.)