The folly of keeping Marcus Davenport and letting Hendrickson go (1 Viewer)

[Saint Greg]

Most GMs would have been fired over something like this

I don’t know if I’d totally blame Loomis for it. In one of the NOF pods last offseason they were talking about how poor our drafting has been and Underhill said we wouldn’t have kept Hendrickson either way because the coaching staff didn’t believe in him.

 

[Saint KayBee]

I am one who wants Loomis out of the GM position tho. He can go be President or VP or something, but we need new blood in the GM position.

Makes me wonder what they’d even call such a position with the way the org chart and the will are written.

In football operations they’ve got:
• Mickey Loomis, Executive Vice President / General Manager
• Khai Harley, Assistant General Manager / Vice President of Football Operations
• Scott Kuhn, Director of Football Administration
• Derek Stamnos, Director of Team Operations

and in player personnel:
• Jeff Ireland, VP/Assistant General Manager - College Personnel
• Michael Parenton, Director of Pro Personnel
• Randy Mueller, Senior Personnel Advisor
• Dave Zeigler, Personnel Advisor
• Ziad Qubti, College Scouting Coordinator
• followed by a bunch of pro, national, and area scouts
(Curiously, neither Mueller nor Ziegler is listed on the staff masthead of the team’s official website.)

The best I could come up with is C-Suite Chairman, because all the rest of the Saints’ C-suite personnel have roles in Gayle Benson’s other operating interests like the Pelicans and/or GMB Farms. This would make folks like Ben Hales, Greg Bensel, etc. his direct reports.

After that, I think the team would keep Khai Harley around as GM/VP of Football Operations since he understands the numbers. Let him pick his own assistant GMs and make whatever changes to scouting he deems necessary.

 

[Saintman2884]

You know the nearer your destination, the more you end up slip-sliding away big time sadly.

 

[los226]

Going into Hendrickson's walk year, 2020, Davenport was already the starter.
If Hendrickson had done anything in his previous 3 seasons he likely would have been part of the long term plan, maybe even restructured by that point.
Perhaps we don't even draft Davenport if Hendrickson had shown serious flashes in 2017.

But as it was going into 2020, Davenport was more established with a combined 10.5 sacks and 43 Pressures in 2018 and 2019 with three years left on his contract while Hendrickson was in the final year of his contract and had a combined 4.5 Sacks and 27 Pressures in 2018 and 2019.
It is not that hard to figure out what the FO was thinking heading into 2020.

If Hendrickson had put together another solid year that season, I'm sure the team would've tried to sign him to a PJ Williams-esque contract.
He simply outplayed their expectations and the amount of money the Saints could pay him that off-season.

This is the correct answer. It’s not that they couldn’t afford Hendrickson; it’s that they felt he wasn’t worth what he was about to be paid. He really only had one year where he excelled, which was his contract year. They didn’t think he was worth kicking the can down the road as they had Davenport as the starter and the Marcus Williams contract coming soon as well.

 

[RaginCajun83]

Has Marcus Williams even done anything with the Ravens?

 

[Clintonrebel]

I don’t have time to scroll through to see who bumped this, but shame!!!!

 

[3ParStillDriver]

Has Marcus Williams even done anything with the Ravens?

He was extremely good his first year there. It was pretty much known you don't try to pick on the safeties due to him and Hamilton. Last year you didn't hear his name much because QB's didn't throw at him. This year he has been so bad they benched him halfway through the season. He's currently 2nd string.

 

[T.Sneden84]

this argument is interesting, how do any of you know that they didnt try to keep Trey? What if Trey flat out wanted to leave NOLA?

 

[BayouSAINTJoe]

There was never a Davenport over Hendrickson descision...Davenport was coming off his rookie season when Hendrickson was a free agent. Davenport was going to be a Saint regardless of what we did with Trey.

If anything he was a casualty of our kick the can cap strategy more than anything. I blame Junior Galette - where this BS started more than Davenport.

 

[SweetT]

Hindsight is awesome, right?

Hindsight is 50/50 if you’re Cam Newton

 

[BreesusSaves]

He was extremely good his first year there. It was pretty much known you don't try to pick on the safeties due to him and Hamilton. Last year you didn't hear his name much because QB's didn't throw at him. This year he has been so bad they benched him halfway through the season. He's currently 2nd string.

Williams is simply a scapegoat for their new DB coach Doug Mallory. They're the 32nd ranked pass defense in the NFL. No one hits rock bottom because of a single player, it is a group effort from coaches to players.

 

[Jesse Custer]

I don’t know if I’d totally blame Loomis for it. In one of the NOF pods last offseason they were talking about how poor our drafting has been and Underhill said we wouldn’t have kept Hendrickson either way because the coaching staff didn’t believe in him.

To be fair, most of the league thought the contract offer the Bengals extended to him was a massive overpay for a guy who only had one good season up to that point. They bet on his potential and it paid off big. Pity that basically the entire Bengals defense now relies on him...and the worst part is he saw it coming and wanted out.

 

[Saint Greg]

To be fair, most of the league thought the contract offer the Bengals extended to him was a massive overpay for a guy who only had one good season up to that point. They bet on his potential and it paid off big. Pity that basically the entire Bengals defense now relies on him...and the worst part is he saw it coming and wanted out.

How can you say "most of the league" thought that? You got a link? It was a great deal for a young double-digit sack pass rusher. Teams don't let those guys walk. And even though he's gotten raises since then, it's still a great deal.

 

[Saintster1966]

There was never a Davenport over Hendrickson descision...Davenport was coming off his rookie season when Hendrickson was a free agent. Davenport was going to be a Saint regardless of what we did with Trey.

If anything he was a casualty of our kick the can cap strategy more than anything. I blame Junior Galette - where this BS started more than Davenport.

I always thought it was a Dav or Hendrickson, but I agree with you it was more of we Davenport who will make up for the loss of Hendrickson. It turned out that just didn't work out and yes, the kick the can strategy was at play.

It's weird that the Saints will pay some drafted talent but let others that are clearly ascending leave because they don't want to pay a fair market value and then sign 2 free agents with the money you would pay one and we are lucky if those signings ever work out.

On that note I hope they find a way to keep MVS at least for another 3 years.