AsylumGuido

Here one from bucsnation.com from the outside looking in with minimal effort. Once again, basing expectation on last season's defensive roster and coaching instead of what is currently in place.

The Saints just can’t get over the hump

And now Drew Brees is in the final year of his contract.

by Sander Philipse Jun 29, 2017, 5:17pm EDT



The New Orleans Saints have been trying to lean on Drew Brees for about a decade. The result has been a Super Bowl—and a whole lot of nothing the past three seasons—mostly because they can’t put together even a remotely decent defense.

That’s leading to a few problems, as Drew Brees’ contract is set to expire after this season. The Saints are unlikely to let Brees walk, given how well he is still playing and how hard it is to find really good quarterbacks, but it’s making the need to find short-term solutions—to push for another Super Bowl while Brees is still playing—ever more urgent.

That push has resulted in a lot of free agent signings over the past five years or so. Every season, the Saints sign a few free agents that they hope will get them to the promised land. And every year that not only fails, but causes them to rack up massive future salary cap debts, and at some point they’re going to have to pay off those debts.

And yet, the Saints can’t get over the hump. At all. Because their defense is a clown show. Or, as SB Nation’s Jon Benne puts it:

Which means that the Saints are once again looking at what they’ve produced the past three seasons: a good offense, a bad defense, and a 7-9 season.

Here’s my question: why is Sean Payton’s continued employment never questioned?

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill

AsylumGuido

That quote in the middle refers to a Saints "salary cap situation". There is no salary cap situation for the Saints. They still have $10.5 million in cap space for 2017 and another $10.5 million in roster bonuses that can be converted to signing bonuses which can free up an additional $7 - $8 million.

foreverfan

From another team's prospective it makes since. In fact... I've had many of those same thoughts.

The Dude

Yea I don't completely disagree with him

AsylumGuido

In a vacuum it makes sense. If we had the exact same defensive roster and coaching it would make sense. But, the fact is that we have new outstanding coaches in three main area of failure in the recent past, DL, LB and special teams. We also have added true talent in the DL, LB corp and secondary. There is more depth top to bottom.

Anyone that is having those thoughts are clearly not taking those facts into consideration.

Seer1

Zzzzzzz. Got a pretty good idea as to what happened last year. From what most writers are writing, it seems like they do too -more or less. Other than the CURRENT health of our team, there really ain't much else to say. So why do they keep writing? Wake me when the preseason starts I guess. Reruns are getting' real old. Zzzzzzzzz

K Major

There is no reason we shouldn't have been in the playoffs while Mr. Brees is still under center over the last few years. Amazing how far a few bad years of front office decisions and draft picks (pre Jeff Ireland) can set a team back.

AsylumGuido

Yup. But we are definitely back on the right track. I think the next several years will be looking very rosy.

Euphoria

Clown show to say the least!!!

I haven't like the way they sign players but last off season and this one I see things have changed they way they draft. I like unloading Cooks... the value was up there and we need talent on other areas that you can keep the team younger and get those draft picks.

So I am excited about the team again but I learned not to drink the cool aide. I wait until they actually start playing football.

I wish we were another year into this already though. I think that is when the real improvement will show.

E U P H O R I A

AsylumGuido

I agree that we should be better in 2018, but I believe we have enough to make a big splash this year. I have no doubt in the offense and with even a fairly more efficient defense we should be able to make the playoffs. After that ... who knows?