What would you prefer this year?
 

Would you rather go 8-8, or 9-7, or go 5-11, or 6-10?

We have an extremely tough schedule this year as everyone knows.

While I abhor the idea of advocating losing, looking at the big picture, I don't see this team as being a viable playoff contending team (mainly because of our schedule and because we're just not where we need to be defensively) and our roster still needs a lot of work.

I wasn't one on here that was overly thrilled by our draft, especially taking a guy from Bloomingdale's in the 4th, but I've been pleasantly surprised/impressed with some of our draft picks (Ninkovich, Evans, kinda sorta Harper, and Halston of course).

What I know now after two weeks is that we have some guys who are really good talent evaluators. With a .500 record or slightly above looks nice, our picking would be somehwere in the middle.

I feel dirty for saying this, but like I've posted in previous threads, give me a hard working, competitive team that at the end of the year winds up with a 1st rd pick in the top 10. I now feel like I can fully trust that our staff will put together another strong draft, and coupled with free agency, I feel pretty good about what our team will look like in '07.

I know I'm getting ahead of myself looking to 2007, but we are rebuilding/building for the future.

If you like the guys that these guys brought in, why should it matter where we pick? If they are indeed good evaluaters of talent, then you shouldnt worry about how we finish because they know what they are doing. I think its also easier to sell your program to the players if you win...and i think it does wonders for their confidence...and i think the fans are generally more excited about the team and more willing to buy tickets, hence, keeping the Saints in New Orleans...all that being said...i believe this team will win 5 games this year.

I know it's realistic to think 7-9 or 8-8, and it is because of our tough schedule. To make it to 9-7 I think we have to either a)sweep the Panthers or Bucs, 2)find a way to beat Pittsburgh, or 3) win all the tough games that will be close (SF, Dallas and Philly).

Personally, as a 20 year Saints fan, I don't look to the future anymore. I am just thrilled to watch every Sunday, and long-term for me is only January. If we have a shot to erase the miserable 0-3 finish of 2002 that kept us out, that's all I want.

Should have clarified one thing.

If we go 5-11 or 6-10, we're likely to end up with a top ten pick, which currently, I'd think it be very favorable. The best DB's and DT's usually go in the top 10, and being that those are two glaring weaknesses, I'd like to see us be able to pick from the cream of the crop from those two positions if possible.

Why do people keep saying that they have a tough schedule, when the season isn't over with yet. At the end of the season they can say if the schedule was tough or not. I notice some teams are already not as good as people thought. Panthers, Bucs, Steelers, Eagles, Cowboys, Washington are not doing any better than the Saints. So they may do better than people think.

good point!! buc/panthers will be 0-3 this week and NOBODY quessed that

We all beat this to death before the draft and most agreed we are not as bad as our record last year. The same club was 8-8 the year before.

6 of our loses were by 14 points or more.
i count 2 games as blow outs
6 were by 7 points or less.
these I count as tough losses

So even with all the new faces and the addition of learning how to play together as a team, we are a better team now than we were then. Reason ATTITUDE. That alone would have gotten 4 additional wins last years. So a 7- 9 record is a resonable results based on last year alone. We will know more by Tuesday Morning.

Right now the Falcons and the Eagles look to be the 2 big ones. Carolina has OL problems, that should be a slug fest on the road. TB has QB issues, wish we did not have to play them after their bye week. At least it is at Home. That will nutrilize that issue a bit. But these 2 seem to be the games we can win within reason.

I think 4-2 going into the bye week is very reasonable possibility. Any thing better and back to REHAB I go. Detox for the bye week would not be so bad. Give me time to mend my Cinderella outfit for the rest of the season. Moth damage and such.

As for the draft were we pick is not that big of a deal. We are not handcuffed in 2007.
1, 2, 3, 3/4 (Stallworth), 4, 4 (Bennett), 5, 6 and pick yet determined (Gandy/Scott swap)
can you say flex? freedom baby

The cherry on the top is all the one yeat deal and a few expiring cotracts going into the 2007 free agency market. Now that is sweet. Add to that dumping overpaid under-achievers for over-achievers at a reasonable price an I have more hope this year than any time that I can remember for the future.

I prefer having watchable, entertaining competitive games no matter what the final outcome is, and I'd be THRILLED with 8-8. I'm tired of watching games like I watch horror movies, with my hands in front of my face because I know somebody's going to make a dumb penalty on third down or drop a ball or Brooks will throw right into the hands of the opponent. Those things happen from time to time on every team, but too many times in the past with the Saints it was a sure thing. The first quarter against GB was hard to watch; but all in all, I don't feel like I have to peek through my fingers anymore. So, here's hoping for a season where things improve a little bit every week instead of getting worse every week and we'll win more than we're expected to and it will be FUN to watch games!!