HASLETT, LOOMIS ON THE LINE IN LOOZIANA
 

HASLETT, LOOMIS ON THE LINE IN LOOZIANA



A league source tells us that owner Tom Benson could be dumping head coach Jim Haslett and G.M. Mickey Loomis unless the Saints go deep into the playoffs this season.



In other words, Haslett and Loomis must guide the Saints to the best season in the entire freaking history of the franchise in order to get paychecks bearing Tom Benson's John Hancock in 2005.



Haslett did just that in his first season as head coach, taking the team to its first postseason win. Since then, however, the Saints have underachieved under Haslett and Loomis, a non-football guy who inherited the G.M. job after Randy Mueller was dumped unexpectedly in May 2003.



If true, expect Haslett to keep starting quarterback Aaron Brooks on a short leash this year. After breaking onto the scene in 2000 following a season-ending injury to then-starter Jeff Blake, Brooks won the job from Blake in 2001, held out in 2002 for a new contract . . . and sputtered ever since. Backup Todd Bouman, on the other hand, temporarily bounced Daunte Culpepper to the bench in 2002 when both quarterbacks were with Minnesota. Don't be surprised, then, to see a change early in the year -- especially if Haslett and Loomis recognize that it's gonna take a career year in order to enable their careers to continue for another.

HASLETT, LOOMIS ON THE LINE IN LOOZIANA
 

Is it too early to start talking about who we\'re gonna get for a new GM?

HASLETT, LOOMIS ON THE LINE IN LOOZIANA
 

10-6, win 1 playoff game and he is in for another year. I don\'t think that will be a problem this year. The players really like Haz and they also know the urgency to win this year if they want to keep him around.