Odd Man Out (1 Viewer)

[Optimus Prime]

Marshon Lattimore
Michael Thomas
Alvin Kamara

Three very young players

Three of the best in the league

Already three of the best players we’ve ever had

All three will get paid beaucoup bucks on their next contract

What if we can only afford to pay two of them beaucoup bucks?

Who is the odd man out?

I can make the very easy argument why each has been vital to our success the past couple years and how essential each is to our future

I can make the very easy argument why each would be devastating to lose and impossible to replace

If we absolutely definitely must let one go?

That’s very hard

Honestly I’ve been back and forth and back again and then forth again

At this exact moment my answer is Lattimore

As good as Thomas and Kamara are the emergence of a solid number 2 WR and TE makes them that much better

The name of the game in today’s NFL is offense and even post Brees any offense with those two is a force

I’d hate to lose Marshon, but we’ve been bad on defense before

I also think that our front seven is good and if Davenport continues to grow we can get steady pressure on the QB

Offense puts up points, forces other team to become more one dimensional which allows our pass rush to go hog wild means I believe we could overcome the loss of Marshon more easily than the other two

Not an easy decision by any means and I may come back tomorrow to say I’ve changed my mind

But right now I say keep Thomas and Kamara

 

[insidejob]

Honestly, with the ability Payton and Curtis Johnson have to make successful WR's out of low draft picks like Colston, Lance Moore, etc. I think we'd likely let Thomas go since he'd be demanding the most money and could be replaced by someone in FA or the draft easier than a #1 cornerback.

And without Drew there by this point, we'd need a defense to be pretty stout while the offense is transitioning. So, IMO, it comes down to which offensive player will be more expensive since they're both studs at their positions. If we have managed to develop or draft/sign another Lattimore type corner, than the obvious answer would be to ditch Lattimore.

It really is hard to project the situation that far into the future, especially since Brees might not be there anymore - although that would clear a lot of cap space and could make the question about which two to sign moot and we could sign all three with the cap savings from Drew's replacement's contract - especially if it's a rookie deal.

 

[Taker597]

It's Lattimore. You don't let elite players go. Lattimore wasn't elite last year.

If he get back on that mountain top next season... I'd say all 3 stay.

 

[insidejob]

It's Lattimore. You don't let elite players go. Lattimore wasn't elite last year.

If he get back on that mountain top next season... I'd say all 3 stay.

Lattimore must have been reading his press clippings and the DROY may have gone to his head because he was as much better player in the second half of the season, IMO. He certainly did start off slow, but seemed to be a lock down corner for the most part outside of all around blown zone coverage for the second half of the season and playoffs.

 

[AARPSaint]

Marshon Lattimore
Michael Thomas
Alvin Kamara

Three very young players

Three of the best in the league

Already three of the best players we’ve ever had

All three will get paid beaucoup bucks on their next contract

What if we can only afford to pay two of them beaucoup bucks?

Who is the odd man out?

I can make the very easy argument why each has been vital to our success the past couple years and how essential each is to our future

I can make the very easy argument why each would be devastating to lose and impossible to replace

If we absolutely definitely must let one go?

That’s very hard

Honestly I’ve been back and forth and back again and then forth again

At this exact moment my answer is Lattimore

As good as Thomas and Kamara are the emergence of a solid number 2 WR and TE makes them that much better

The name of the game in today’s NFL is offense and even post Brees any offense with those two is a force

I’d hate to lose Marshon, but we’ve been bad on defense before

I also think that our front seven is good and if Davenport continues to grow we can get steady pressure on the QB

Offense puts up points, forces other team to become more one dimensional which allows our pass rush to go hog wild means I believe we could overcome the loss of Marshon more easily than the other two

Not an easy decision by any means and I may come back tomorrow to say I’ve changed my mind

But right now I say keep Thomas and Kamara

You should be banned for posing this question. I would keep Lattimore and Thomas. Thomas is elite. Good cornerbacks are harder to find than good running backs. The possibility of this scenario arising is a very, very depressing thought.

 

[saints4eva]

You should be banned for posing this question. I would keep Lattimore and Thomas. Thomas is elite. Good cornerbacks are harder to find than good running backs. The possibility of this scenario arising is a very, very depressing thought.

Very depressing indeed.
I can't even vote ???

 

[MLU]

Marshon Lattimore is by an extremely wide margin the more difficult player to replace. The Saints have been successful with a RB-by-committee approach for a while now. Drew Brees became the NFLs passing leader without a single Pro Bowl WR until this past year or two. Look at the Pro Bowl roster every year for WR and RB. Lots of worthy candidates are left off every year. At CB, it's the same dudes every year almost.

While both Thomas and Kamara are special players, both are easier to replace than a true shutdown CB.

 

[Thunderchild]

Not enough info yet, but I'll play. I'd let Kamara go. Here's why.

Lattimore IS an elite level CB and finding a real lock down corner is almost as hard as finding lips on a chicken. That position is arguably the most important on defense and second or third on the entire team. If you have a CB who can lock down one side of the field, then that makes defensive schemes easier to implement. Position is critical and we have the player already in house. Remember how hard it has been to get decent CBs, let alone an elite one.

MT is simply the best WR in the entire NFL. You can easily replace WRs in Payton's system, but this guy truly is a generational talent. His work ethic, his drive is better than any I have ever seen. You just can't let this unreal level of talent go. Yes, you could probably replace his touches but you cannot replace the man.

Kamara. Damn. I love this kid and would hope Loomis can find a way to keep all 3. He is probably the most talented RB ever to play for the Saints. And his attitude/enthusiasm is infectious. But of these 3 his production can most easily be replaced. Payton would just move his touches around to his new latest toy and or existing players.

But this is a really tough choice. In other Saints eras any one of these 3 would be considered irreplaceable. It is remarkable that we have 3 such talented young players.

 

[Stalwart385]

I vote for who to let go right?

I went with Thomas. Man its hard to say that. But I trust in their ability to develop WRs more than RBs and CBs. Probably would be the priciest contract too.

 

[Taker597]

Lattimore must have been reading his press clippings and the DROY may have gone to his head because he was as much better player in the second half of the season, IMO. He certainly did start off slow, but seemed to be a lock down corner for the most part outside of all around blown zone coverage for the second half of the season and playoffs.

He actually was honest about that and eat the cheese. On top... He wasn't prepared for the film studies to exploit his game in year 2.

 

[dutar76]

I went with Kamara and it was hard.

Case for keeping Lattimore? Simple. How long did we just go without a legitimate "good" corner? Now we have a true #1 corner. Sorry, but I can't give that up.

Case for keeping Thomas? You don't let a young Jerry Rice, Julio Jones, etc... Elite WR go. You just don't. There are a ton of "great" WRs, but truly elite? Rare as rare can be. And Drew's wont be here for much longer. Next man up will need a Mike Thomas in the worst way.

Case for keeping Kamara? He's dynamic and tough. He proved this year that he's not just slippery, he's strong. And he has the hands and route awareness of a top-end slot WR. We've had great factor backs before... Pierre Thomas? Sproles? Bush? None were as good as Kamara, or at least none had his ceiling (which he hasn't even reached yet).

Case to cut Kamara (of the 3). It would be easier to replace much of AK's production than it would to find another all-star CB or elite WR. It would not be easy by any means, but it would be much easier. And even if you didn't, a true #1 corner and an elite WR are more valuable than even a RB of Kamara's caliber.

Hard question...

 

[St.Dan]

Illogical question, as their contracts are due at different times. Loomis will know what to do. Trust in Loomis.

 

[OutlawSaint]

Keep them all. We won't be paying Drew Brees later on and our new QB will not command as much money but will need all the help around him

 

[AARPSaint]

Keep them all. We won't be paying Drew Brees later on and our new QB will not command as much money but will need all the help around him

Absolutely try to keep all three. The question, however, was that if you had to let one go, which one? I hope this situation never, ever arises.

 

[Bartyboy]

You forgot Tacoes