If you've been a long time reader of Canal Street Chronicles then you'd probably expect to see considerably more NFL Draft coverage gracing the front page this time of year and a heckuva lot more reader speculation coming in the form of FanPosts and comments.
There's been none of that this off-season, however, mostly because the scandal that rocked Who Dat Nation, also known as Bountygate, has taken center stage and occupied the forefront the Saints fans' collective conscience the past month. It's also because said scandal resulted in the loss of the Saints second round draft pick this year which, in conjunction with trading away this years first round pick to grab Mark Ingram during last year's draft, means the Saints won't be on the clock in the 2012 NFL Draft until the third round (barring any trades).
It should be noted that had the Saints not traded away their 2012 first round pick last year, Roger Goodell most likely would have taken it away from the team instead of two years worth of second round picks, as is currently the case. Or at least not this year's second round pick. So while the Saints would probably not have had a first round pick this year even if they hadn't made the move for Mark Ingram, they most likely would have at least retained this year's second rounder.
All of this leads me to today's million dollar question: knowing what you now know about Bountygate and it's sanctions, would you rather the Saints not have traded up to draft Mark Ingram last year, and kept their first round pick in this year's draft? One year later, was it all worth it?