Just who has the cheese?
 

The salary cap is the greatest equalizer in any sport. For the NFL, as long as a team has two brain cells to rub together, good management can regularly produce competitive squads with decent frequency. Yet, the cap causes hard choices. We have a lot of those this year.

If Loomis is trying to balance 2014 against future seasons, who are we bidding against for some of the players we want to keep? What players are in the pool?

If we are bidding for Graham, are we bidding against ourselves?

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

The elite QB salary is the difference here ... and a handful of other teams with elite QBs. Those teams sans elite QBs can sign other players to fatter contracts than the Saints can afford to compete with. Here the Saints are attempting to copy the NE playbook in terms of bringing in talent and replacing overpriced talent. We shall see if they are as successful.

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

Thought we were talking about Green Bay when I saw the thread title.
The New England program is a proven consistent machine. Take the Coach and Brady out and it will probably go down. But NE is always playing at some level in the playoffs.

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

I'd make Graham a decent offer, if he bites great, if not see ya later.

We were a damn good offense when Jimmy was still shootin hoops in South Florida.

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

You don't put the groceries in the cart if you cant afford to pay for them when you get to the register..... Jimmy Graham belongs here.
Loomis is no slouch, for as much as we are talking about how much dire cap straits we are in he always makes it work..... I've been saying 7 years 60 million dollars I believe that is what Jimmy will command..... and what we can afford.

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

I hope he gives the Saints a discount and settles for something like that. I'm pretty confident, based on what other receivers make, he'll get 10million a year or more on the open market.

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

Grambeaux still has room for improvement to command elite $. Skills such as getting off of the line when playing better defenses, and blocking, and not dropping as many balls would be good starts. Still, teams may be willing to overlook those shortcomings. Not sure, but methinks Grambeaux has the very same agent as Brees. That could pose problematic for a reasonable deal, even if he yearns to remain a Saint.

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

First, shouldn't this be called who's getting the cheese... IJS

In my pool, I have

Bush.... I think we found something in Bush. He can either relieve our safeties or start along side Vaccaro.... I don't think we are bidding with anybody but you never know who's looking.

De La Puente - I see a Armstead situation occurring with De La Puente where by we bring up the new Center under him and maybe mid season make the switch....

Strief - Same situation as De La Puente....

Graham - do I really need to say why...

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

Another example of the League killing it's own product. By shorting their player payroll they make it almost impossible to build/keep a great team. The number one thing a team needs to have long term success is a top rated QB. The going rate for top tier veteran QB is such a large percent of the salary that you can't keep a championship quality team around him. What you wind up with is an inferior product.

Re: Just who has the cheese?
 

Look at seattle - they are the perfect example

They struck gold by finding their franchise QB in wilson in the 5th round!

So they have a very good QB that they are paying league minimum, which let them this offseason bulk up their D line with Cliff Avril and michael bennett (who both wanted top money)

However it will backfire in a couple years, I personally don't think that Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman will accept team friendly contracts

They will want to be paid like the best players in the game because of their overhyped ego's, that will be seattles downfall