Fair enough...all good points. But my perspective is different obviously.
1. True, but it's not like the GM couldn't see this coming. We all saw DB9 deteriorating from his superhuman abilities, and compensating with experience; and CSP game planning and scheming to accommodate the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses. I feel like a GOOD GM woulda/coulda/shoulda saw this coming and made moves to alleviate/mitigate. The moves made were reactive in nature, rather than proactive, IMO.
2. Completely agree. Don't like it, and wish it weren't so, but dealing in reality, I believe you are correct.
3. Agree with you to an extent. Can't control injuries, so I don't blame ML for that, but that is what depth is for. ML decisions and strategies have gutted this team of DEPTH , which is needed to mitigate the injury fiasco. I feel like allowing the depth to be gutted was a voluntary and unnecessary exposure to the whims of the injury bug. For sure, every team goes through injury woes, but it's an EXPECTED part of the game. Admittedly, this the worst season of injury history I can remember. But another poster on this forum (can't remember name to give credit...sorry) indicated the team with the most "lost games to injury" for starters is.....DETROIT! The 14-2 Lions with an opportunity this weekend to lock up NFCN Division Title and homefield advantage throughout playoffs. That sounds like a team with DEPTH, and solid coaching of backups and/or scheming to accommodate the backups. I want that from the Saints GM, but can't have it due to our GMs philosophies.
I don't think ML forgot how to do his job. I think he's gotten too comfortable in his role, and is probably used to doing it a certain way and has failed to adapt quickly enough to the changing circumstances (see point #1 above). I'm not sure he can fix what he broke, or it wouldn't have broken in the first place. And something is definitely broken. That is MY OPINION, and that is how I arrived at that opinion.
You may be right, and time will tell if you are, because I absolutely think you are correct about #2. You just have WAY MORE faith in ML than I do. I have lost confidence in him, through his actions over the past 4-5 offseasons. Since I think a continued tenure of ML is inevitable, I sincerely hope you are correct and I am wrong. And again, I will gladly eat my crow however you want it served to me.