Nick Underhill: There should be brighter days ahead if the Saints stick together (1 Viewer)

[Swimmer]

I find the OP extremely helpful...and refreshing!

Watt is just like a bottle of champagne

 

[dutar76]

I felt like we were close enough this year that we could have stolen one or two and not had one or two stolen, we'd have been dangerous in the playoffs. Totally different feeling from the past couple seasons.

It should be easier to improve this offseason without so many holes to plug. The weaknesses are fewer and the needs are obvious. ONE more solid player on all the levels of the defense and a kick returner. I think we could live with our O-line more more year if there's not too much regression. But it would be nice to add a piece or two there as well. Just gotta hit. No more flops.

 

[FootballLady]

No negative retort from Blackadder here?

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

No negative retort from Blackadder here?

You mean like asking why we think the same folks that fixed our defense by signing Browner, Byrd, Champ Bailey, David Hawthorne (among others) and betting on Junior are really going to nail it when they go all in this time?

That kind of negative retort?

 

[Eman5805]

You mean like asking why we think the same folks that fixed our defense by signing Browner, Byrd, Champ Bailey, David Hawthorne (among others) and betting on Junior are really going to nail it when they go all in this time?

That kind of negative retort?

They then got Fairley, Robertson, Rankins, Bell, Onyemata, Webb, Moore, and re-signed Harper.

I mean, we have some work to do and need to be healthy, but you can't say our arrow isn't pointing up. Albeit at a very shallow...gradient? Is that the word?

 

[FootballLady]

You mean like asking why we think the same folks that fixed our defense by signing Browner, Byrd, Champ Bailey, David Hawthorne (among others) and betting on Junior are really going to nail it when they go all in this time?

That kind of negative retort?

Only it isn't all the same people, is it?

 

[efil4stnias]

You mean like asking why we think the same folks that fixed our defense by signing Browner, Byrd, Champ Bailey, David Hawthorne (among others) and betting on Junior are really going to nail it when they go all in this time?

That kind of negative retort?

Page one ....Underhill told you in his first paragraph in his reply.


Read man.

Sheeesh.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Only it isn't all the same people, is it?

Page one ....Underhill told you in his first paragraph in his reply.


Read man.

Sheeesh.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

We replaced a lot of college scouts. I believe our pro scouting group remains pretty much intact. The guys that scout the Free Agents.

New Orleans Saints: Terry Fontenot

New Orleans Saints: Ryan Powell

*edit*

--that group of course also includes Payton, who by some reports has final say on all football personnel, or close to it.

 

[StudioSaint]

yeah, we'll finally build an awesome defense right when Drew retires, so then we can be like those teams of the 80's & 90's with amazing defense & no QB who never won a playoff game. *sigh*

If Mora would have had a Payton quality OC, the Saints would have probably dominated the NFC West during the Dome Patrol years. Even without Brees, Payton with a top notch defense is probably a playoff caliber team.

 

[BlackandGoldXLIV]

The Saints' defense was 31st in the NFL, in points allowed, with 28.4 pts/game.

Nothing changes until this is corrected. It will be the same song and dance of trying to score 35+ points just to have a shot of winning.

(And just where does Tom Brady's Patriots rank? #1 in points allowed with 15.6)

 

[Bill]

And just where does Tom Brady's Patriots rank? #1 in points allowed with 15.6

So wait... are you trying to say that Tom Brady is NOT single-handedly winning all those championships for his team every year? Why that can't be correct. I mean, he's in the MVP discussion even in a year that he missed the first four games.

/sarcasmoff

Yes, a good and complete team does make a great player look even better. So in effect it makes what Drew Brees has done in New Orleans an even more impressive accomplishment... even during the recent losing seasons. But it's all about winning, and rightfully so. Yet it's hard not to imagine what could have been during Drew's tenure with a little help from the other phases of the game.

It's a rough feeling.

 

[insidejob]

So wait... are you trying to say that Tom Brady is NOT single-handedly winning all those championships for his team every year? Why that can't be correct. I mean, he's in the MVP discussion even in a year that he missed the first four games.

/sarcasmoff

Yes, a good and complete team does make a great player look even better. So in effect it makes what Drew Brees has done in New Orleans an even more impressive accomplishment... even during the recent losing seasons. But it's all about winning, and rightfully so. Yet it's hard not to imagine what could have been during Drew's tenure with a little help from the other phases of the game.

It's a rough feeling.

What I think a lot of people who aren't Saints fans are missing is that if Brees wasn't here for the past two years of this rebuild, we'd be a 2-14 team, not 7-9, for the past three seasons. Payton never had to come out and admit to even being in a rebuilding phase for this team because Drew and the offense could get us 5 wins on their own.

We've managed to stay middle of the pack while playing one of the league's tougher schedules (this year) while also playing with almost $40 million less cap space than the rest of the league. Next year we're currently looking at right around $10 million in dead money - that's by far the least we've had since this rebuild/blow up started.

I'd say that we've done pretty well considering the hole we'd dug for ourselves and applaud Loomis and Payton for staying the course and clearing out the bad characters with bad or big deals and going all in on football players with good attitudes who are looking to prove themselves on the field. Now we have the money to sign whatever free agents we want and leave ourselves in the best position possible to draft BPA straight through the draft.

ETA: On espn, they're showing Reggie Bush's USC/Texas National Championship game from January 2006 and there is no denying how awesome Reggie was. I'll forever be grateful for what he brought this team and this city when he signed here, even though he didn't want to initially. This has nothing to do with the topic at hand, but it's on in the background and I had to mention it.

 

[St.Dan]

Those following the big picture closely should already see they're close. It would've been nice to get some breaks this year (i.e. the Raiders and Broncos games) to balance out all the injuries. Beyond draft picks and free agency, it's obvious having better luck with injuries would be huge toward getting back to the playoffs in 2017. Healthy corners and a healthy Rankins to start the season might have been good enough THIS season.

 

[crosswatt]

Watt is just like a bottle of champagne

As a teetotaler, I can only assume this is a compliment...

 

[efil4stnias]

We replaced a lot of college scouts. I believe our pro scouting group remains pretty much intact. The guys that scout the Free Agents.

New Orleans Saints: Terry Fontenot

New Orleans Saints: Ryan Powell

*edit*

--that group of course also includes Payton, who by some reports has final say on all football personnel, or close to it.

No one person is responsible for signing FA Talent. A name is brought up and discussions are held by several staff, including HC.

And as someone else pointed out, for those you mentioned were "misses", we have several "hits" as well.

Especially in the last two years- save one in Brandon Browner who was a product of the system he came from and possibly what we tried to emulate thru Rob Ryan unsuccessfully.

But there is no doubt there has been a paradigm shift in the Front Office and talent evaluation from both a College and Pro level from just 4 short years ago.