Derek Carr world tour thread (updated with combine visits)
Would you feel comfortable with Payton coaching the Saints this past season? I wouldn't. And if Payton was coaching last season, they likely wouldn't have drafted Olave so it might have been even worse. Payton even said either before or after the draft that he didn't see a need to draft a receiver high in the draft for the Saints. Could you imagine this past season without Olave, with any coach?
What about 2021? Were you comfortable then? Payton or no Payton, the Saints don't have a Superbowl roster, and trying to hold DA to that level without the horses to do that is unreasonable. The Saints have a .500 roster right now with or without Payton. DA may or may not be a good HC, but blaming DA for the Saints being mediocre with the current roster is absurd.
And, I fail to see how this is a lot different from early in Payton's tenure where he had a good offense and a bad defense. DA has the opposite. The defense is good. Just fix the offense. I don't see how that's a lot different except that they don't have a veteran future HOF QB. If Payton had missed out on Brees and drafted Leinart, he would be an OC somewhere. Carr answers a lot of questions, one way or the other.
I agree, people need to go back and look at our Super Bowl roster. We did not have the greatest roster, more like average.
https://www.nosaintshistory.com/new-orleans-saints-2009-nfl-season-team-roster/
My point is, that you don’t need the best roster in the game to win a Super Bowl.
On offense, What we did have in 2009, was an elite QB with average WRs and RBs. An above average line, but we didn’t require it to be the best because of Drew Bree’s quick release. Shockey was a good Te.
On defense, what made us great was the scheme. Talent-wise, we had an average D. If you recall, we blizted on every play because we couldn't get pressure with 4. On the back end, Darren Sharper was elite, as he was the sole benefactor of the errant balls forced out early. The LB‘s were average as was the line.
The bottom line in 2009, we had a great QB and a great scheme to fit his skill set. We were a chance taking overly aggressive D. This is all we needed to win a Superbowl.
So, punting for 3 years to overcome the dead cap is pure madness. Also telling a bunch of vets that the answers to their prayers lie wit a rookie college football QB that has never played a down of professional FB.
Currently, we have the scheme and most of the building blocks for an elite D. We have a legit shut down all-world CB in Latt and an up and comer in Alonte Taylor. (The best CB in Saints history by a long shot). We have good experienced safety’s in Mattieu and Maye. On the edge we have the best leader the Saints have ever had on D, with C Jordan. Solid DTs with Oya, Roach and Street, and Payton Turner in case we lose Dav. At LB, we have a great vet with Dd and up and coming youth in Ellis and Werner.
On offense we’re missing at least a Good /great QB. We have a young but great Wr in OLave and another young up-and-comer in Shaheed, and a couple average to decent vets. A promising TE In JJ. At RB, Hill and Kamara, but we’ll need depth. If Penning catches up we‘d potentially have a great Oline considering the emergence of Ruiz and pro bowlers McCoy and Ram. So if you look at the team closely, we’re only a good QB away. As it stands right now, without a QB, we have a better overall roster than 2009.