I've said since the moment CKM was hired that I'll be fine with whatever CKM decides. Loomis....not so much, as my confidence in him has been SEVERELY shaken. But CKM has enough skins on the wall for me to be okay with HIM pulling the levers and driving the machine. That's why you hired the dude....let him drive!
And as much as I like Rattler's POTENTIAL, and hope like hell that we have our future QB already in house, the reality is that he hasn't shown enough YET (IMO) to just hand him the keys. Carr is the better QB, as of right now, until someone shows different. And apparently that's how CKM sees it also. But with that said, I do think it's pretty apparent that DC4 is NOT the future; he is the present....and is likely a bridge, as you said.
And for that reason, I have questions. Having missed the opportunity to jettison Carr for the 2025 season (right, wrong or otherwise), he is here for another season. The cost to move on from him THIS season was well-documented. How does the restructure impact 2026, and/or future seasons? Were going to be revisiting this exact same scenario NEXT offseason....what will it cost to move on from DC4 NEXT season? How painful, and for how many "dead seasons"?
I am looking at CKMs staff and noting the THREE former NFL QBs on staff, which signals to me that the Saints are very serious about QB development. Rattler is going to get every opportunity to elevate his game, as will Haener, and probably future draft picks. While Carr will be tutored in CKMs system also, I view him as "fully formed", and likely to only be "tweaked" for the system. The other guys (Rattler, Haener, unknown draftees/FAs) will be fully molded in the CKM system. I'm honestly curious what CKMs preferences will be. He's worked with a 4th rounder in Dak; a 1st rounder in Herbert; and a 2nd rounder in Hurts. All 3 are very different style QBs, but he has had success with each. And he didn't pick ANY of them...they were someone else's picks that he inherited. What does a CKM pick look like? Curiousity is killing this cat, and I can't wait to find out. Will we find out THIS draft? Or next year? I think it's pretty obvious we're geared to take a QB in the first 3 rounds this year, or next year.
Of course, none of this means that CKMs pick at QB will unseat Carr. But with all those development resources on staff, coupled with Carr's age, and all he's put on tape....it's just a matter of time. What do the exit ramps from the DC4 era look like? I'm not asking for personnel projections....those are unforseen variables at this moment. I see the contract implications as the likely guiding force, waiting for personnel variables to "trip the triggers" at the right time. 2025 is most likely set. Can we get away from Carr in 2026 if we want to? Can some of you cap gurus paint the picture of what we're dealing with in 2026 now? possible beyond? TIA!