Halo

Just one out of every four defending Super Bowl champs in that span has gone past the divisional round of the playoffs. In addition to the two repeat winners, Green Bay lost in the Super Bowl after the 1997 season and the Dallas Cowboys fell in the 1994 NFC Championship Game.

Five teams have missed the playoffs entirely, although one comes with an asterisk. John Elway retired after the Broncos’ second Super Bowl triumph, so Denver’s descent to 6-10 in 1999 was predictable.

Almost no one predicted the dramatic drop-off by New England in 2002 (9-7), the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2003 (7-9) and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006 (8-8) and 2009 (9-7).

With Brees cementing his status as one of the NFL’s truly transcendent quarterbacks in Super Bowl XLIV, the Saints will be on every short list of 2010 contenders.

To prevent those high expectations from turning into expectorations, their No. 1 priority should be re-signing Darren Sharper.

New Orleans does not need another running back. Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Lynell Hamilton will make up for the loss of Mike Bell and his 3.8-yard average per carry. New Orleans does not need a linebacker to replace Scott Fujita. Although his departure for the Cleveland Browns will hurt on and off the field, it is not a killer blow.

The Saints need Sharper.

All has been quiet on that front since Sharper said the Saints weren’t showing him enough love in this Times-Picayune story on March 10, but the plot will heat up the second he visits his first prospective suitor as an unrestricted free agent.

Sure, Sharper benefited from playing behind Jabari Greer and Tracy Porter, the most underrated cornerback tandem in the NFL. No doubt, he was exposed a bit when that duo missed time with injuries, showing his age (34) while chasing receivers who had broken free from the corners. And his questionable angles in run support contributed to the inordinate number of breakaway gains the Saints allowed.

But he tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with nine, returned an NFL-high three of those picks for touchdowns and set an NFL single-season record with 376 interception-return yards. His ball-hawking style was perfect for defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ aggressive system.

You don’t give up a player like that without a fight.

In 2008, the Saints’ safeties gave up catch after catch even when they were in good position to make a play. Does coach Sean Payton really want to risk a return to those dark days by letting Sharper get away?

Sharper, 34, is not worth the $6.445 million price tag the Saints avoided when they refused to designate him a franchise player. He is worth much more than the $1.7 million he signed for last year, though. General manager Mickey Loomis needs to find a happy medium that keeps Sharper from signing anywhere else.

Any other move New Orleans makes in the offseason – and picking up durable Bears defensive end Alex Brown was a plus– pales in comparison.

The step down from Sharper to anyone who would replace him would be as steep as the gap between "Treme" and "K-Ville."

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