By Adam Kilgore | Washington Post
The trade of Teddy Bridgewater from the New York Jets to the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday afternoon provided an ample batch of subplots. Just like that, the Jets revealed third overall draft pick Sam Darnold will open the season as their starting quarterback, and the Saints took a possible first step in finding Drew Brees’s successor. On the basis of that alone, it’s a fascinating little trade.
But it’s most interesting to consider what the deal says about how the Saints view themselves right now, this season, and what lessons they learned from last year. What 2017 showed them, apparently, is this: Their roster is good enough to win the Super Bowl, and they are at least one contending team intent on becoming year’s Philadelphia Eagles instead of this year’s Green Bay Packers.
The Saints had shown signs they are all-in for 2018, in Brees’s age-39 season, before Wednesday. During this year’s draft, they traded two first-round picks, including next year’s, to move up and take Marcus Davenport, a coveted pass rusher from Texas San Antonio. The Saints’ 2017 season ended with one of the most wrenching losses in league history — a last-play, whiffed-tackle-turned-touchdown in the divisional round against Minnesota. They might have been a fluke away from winning the Super Bowl, and they are willing to sacrifice the future to take another run this year. ...
Full Story - Washington Post
