FanPost

Offseason Path to Success

Ok, with all the talk about losing our Director of Player Personnel, I wanted to try my hand at a GM job. I have drawn out a path for the Saints to return to glory. And quickly...

I start off with our current depth chart:

OFFENSE

WR Marques Colston Nick Toon Brandon Coleman Willie Snead

WR Kenny Stills Brandin Cooks Jaelen Saunders

TE Jimmy Graham Ben Watson Josh Hill Orson Charles

OT Terron Armstead Bryce Harris

OG Ben Grubbs Senio Kelemete

C Tim Lelito Mike Brewster Andrew Miller

OG Jahri Evans

OT Zach Strief Nick Becton

FB Erik Lorig Austin Johnson Toben Opurum Edwin Baker (RB)

RB Pierre Thomas Khiry Robinson Travaris Cadet Tim Hightower

QB Drew Brees Ryan Griffin

DEFENSE

DE Akiem Hicks Tyrunn Walker

NT Broderick Bunkley John Jenkins Lawrence Virgil

DE Cam Jordan. Glenn Foster

OLB Junior Galette Kasim Edebali

ILB David Hawthorne. Kyle Knox

ILB Curtis Lofton Jerry Franklin

OLB Ronald Powell

CB Keenan Lewis Brian Dixon AJ Davis

CB Corey White Terrance Frederick. Stanley Jean-Baptiste

SS Kenny Vaccaro Vinnie Sunseri Marcus Ball Ty Zimmerman

FS Jairus Byrd Rafael Bush Pierre Warren. Kenny Phillips

So we begin the offseason an Estimated $21mil OVER the Cap.

Resign

Ramon Humber

Brandon Deaderick

Restructure

Drew Brees – 2 year extension, lower cap hit from 26mil to 14mil. He does it because we just went 7-9. We can't compete with the roster as is, and he knows it. He also won't get another contract after this one, so extension is in his best interest.

Marques Colston – Restructure, lower cap hit from 9.7mil to 3.7mil. Think, Vilma and Will Smith. It's a similar situation. The restructure should follow similar lines of Vilma. Colston risks being cut or play for less money.

Jahri Evans – Extension, lower cap hit from 11mil to 6mil. This is a bit trickier. It really could be he or Grubbs, whoever you want longer term. Regardless of what we want, they cost too much to cut, this year... next year is fair game as we save a ton of money by cutting them, but this year we just have to hope they play up to the size of their contract.

We are now an estimated $2mil UNDER the Cap.

Release

David Hawthorne – Saves 3mil

Brodrick Bunkley – Saves 3mil

We are now an estimated $8mil UNDER the cap.

Free Agency

Brandon Flowers – 4 yr/$25mil. 3.5mil cap hit in 2015

Larry Foote – 1 yr/$1mil

Kenrick Ellis – 1 yr/$1mil

Our CB woes can't be answered through the draft. We need this. Flowers is the key, and I think we could make it happen for slightly more than we signed Keenan Lewis. Foote steps in as a stopgap until our new guy takes over (keep reading). Ellis provides depth at NT.

We are now an estimated $2.5mil UNDER the Cap.

Draft

1st – Vic Beasley

2nd – Denzel Perryman

3rd – Reese Dismukes

4th – Senquez Golson

5th – Jeremy Langford

6th – BPA

7th – BPA

We end up with a top notch pass rush to immediately upgrade the defense. We get a future starter with great instincts and plays with passion at ILB. We get our starting C for years. We get depth/slot cover guy at CB. Depth pickup at RB.

Our depth chart now looks like this...

OFFENSE

WR Marques Colston Nick Toon Brandon Coleman

WR Kenny Stills Brandin Cooks. Jaelen Saunders

TE Jimmy Graham Ben Watson Josh Hill

OT Terron Armstead. Bryce Harris

OG Ben Grubbs Senio Kelemete

C Reese Dismukes. Tim Lelito

OG Jahri Evans

OT Zach Strief

FB Erik Lorig Austin Johnson

RB Khiry Robinson Pierre Thomas Travaris Cadet Jeremy Langford

QB Drew Brees Ryan Griffin

DEFENSE

DE Akiem Hicks Tyrunn Walker Brandon Deaderick

NT John Jenkins Kenrick Ellis

DE Cam Jordan Glenn Foster

OLB Junior Galette Kasim Edebali

ILB Denzel Perryman Larry Foote Kyle Knox

ILB Curtis Lofton Ramon Humber

OLB Vic Beasley Ronald Powell

CB Keenan Lewis Senquez Golson Brian Dixon

CB Brandon Flowers. Corey White Stanley Jean-Baptiste

SS Kenny Vaccaro Vinnie Sunseri Marcus Ball

FS Jairus Byrd Rafael Bush Pierre Warren

Now this won't impress everyone, but I love this roster. Solid veteran talent mixed with a jolt of youth and athleticism. I think these moves also set us up to have a good team in the future when Brees decides to hang em up. I feel like all these moves are realistic and within reach. I just hope we make a few of them. What do yall think of these moves and potential roster?

This FanPost was written by a reader and member of Canal Street Chronicles. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CSC and its staff or editors.

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