New Orleans Saints free agent signings in the Sean Payton Era

Let’s be honest for a quick second. The New Orleans Saints have had some really bad free agent classes over the years. During their three-year stretch of 7-9 mediocrity, you can point to at least one or two players that the team completely whiffed on, subsequently eating the pile of dead money to go along with it. The brain trust of Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis have not always swung out and missed, as last year’s free agent classed proved to be one of their best in years.

With NFL Free Agency spend-a-thon right around the corner, we take a comprehensive look back at the players brought in during the Payton-Loomis Era.

• 2006: Drew Brees, Scott Fujita, Mark Campbell, Omar Stoutmire, Terrance Copper, Curtis Deloatch, Danny Clark, Billy Miller, Anthony Simmons, Rob Petitti, Chris Horn, Tommy Polley, Jay Foreman
• 2007: Jason David, Troy Evans, David Patten, Dhani Jones, Kendrick Clancy, Eric Johnson, Kevin Kaesviharn, Brian Simmons
• 2008: Randall Gay, Aaron Glenn, Mark Brunell, Dan Morgan, Bobby McCray
• 2009: Darren Sharper, Jabari Greer, Heath Evans, Dan Campbell, Anthony Hargrove, Paul Spicer, Pierson Prioleau, Darnell Dinkins
• 2010: Clint Ingram, Alex Brown, Jimmy Wilkerson
• 2011: Darren Sproles, Shaun Rogers, Aubrayo Franklin, Will Herring, Olin Kreutz, John Kasay, Korey Hall, John Gilmore, Turk McBride
• 2012: Curtis Lofton, Ben Grubbs, Chris Chamberlain, David Hawthorne, Brodrick Bunkley, Rafael Bush, Elbert Mack
• 2013: Keenan Lewis, Benjamin Watson, Victor Butler, Jim Leonhard
• 2014: Marcus Ball, Jairus Byrd, Jonathan Goodwin, Champ Bailey, Erik Lorig
• 2015: C.J. Spiller, Brandon Browner, Kyle Wilson, Anthony Spencer, Joe Morgan
• 2016: James Laurinaitis, Nick Fairley, Craig Robertson, Nathan Stupar, Erik Harris, Josh Scobee, Coby Fleener
• 2017: A.J. Klein, Larry Warford, Manti Te’o, Ted Ginn Jr., Adrian Peterson, Chase Daniel

You could add in players brought in during the later stages like Tony McDaniel and others, because honestly free agency is a season-wide thing. However, these moves were the meat and potatoes at the height of the free agency frenzy.

The Saints are already off to a strong start in free agency for 2018, being paired to big names like Jimmy Graham, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, and Malcolm Butler. They’ve already signed Kurt Coleman, and it shouldn’t be their last by any means.

What was your favorite free agent class or favorite free agent add besides Drew Brees? Who was your biggest bust and why?