The 12 Days of New Orleans Saints Christmas
By Bob Rose
Apr 26, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis looks on during a media availability about the NFL draft at the team’s training facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
BETTER OFF-SEASON MOVES BY THE SAINTS FRONT OFFICE
Byrd, Browner, Champ Bailey, and even this past off season’s signings of Paul Kruger, James Laurinaitis, and perhaps tight end Coby Fleener.
The list of failures could go on and on.
And it has been decisions such as those that have crippled the Saints salary cap situation, and has most certainly affected the team on the field.
The addition of Jeff Ireland to the Saints front office has caused a noticeable change in philosophy.
Refocusing on high character players, lower budget free agent signings, and undrafted college free agents have made significant contributions to the 2016 Saints.
Linebackers Craig Robertson and Nate Stupar, cornerbacks Sterling Moore and BW Webb along with defensive tackle Nick Fairley were all under publicized signings that have added both a force on the field as well as a strong positive influence on the many younger players.
This off season may very well be the most important one EVER in franchise history, or at the very least since 2006 — the year that brought Brees, Payton and Reggie Bush to New Orleans.
The NFL’s salary cap is projected to increase, just as New Orleans begins to rid itself of some of the “dead money” that has handcuffed front office decisions.
The moves that Payton, Ireland and Micky Loomis make this off-season will be one of the League’s most intriguing storylines.
New Orleans hopes to build for one more Super Bowl run from their future Hall of Fame QB (Brees), who continues to defy “Father Time” at the age of 37 (he turns 38 in just 3 more weeks from now); which brings us to the next present in our gift bag….