frankeefrank

You’ve heard the saying…

It’s not the about the x’s and o’s, it’s about the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s.
Roster
“Every year we're pushing all of our chips to the table and reloading," – Sean Payton

When you take a real good look at the Saints roster, it’s not pretty. New Orleans Saints get early start in signing youngsters for 2015 | NOLA.com

Most of the Saints’ problems with depth and production can be traced to misses in the draft. Sean Payton, Mickey Loomis, Ryan Pace and Rick Reiprish have missed on a lot of draft picks. Too many misses to sustain a title-contender in the NFL.
For every Colston, Pierre Thomas or Jimmy Graham the Saints have found, there have been a fair share of Martez Wilson, Charles Brown and Sedrick Ellis. Sure, the 2013 and 2014 haul still looks very promising, but from 2006 to 2012, I count only six players that are real difference makers. And one of them is a punter!

National Football League: NFL Draft History - by Team

Full Disclosure, I counted Evans, Strief, Colston, Morstead, Graham and Jordan. And not players who won’t be under contract at time of writing. Or players that aren’t very good.
Some of this is the fault of the Mark Ingram trade.
(Yes, he may have had a “break out 2014” but the Heisman winner was underwhelming every year prior. Most of the reason for this low production level, is that Ingram was never a good fit for the Saints offense and Sean Payton should have known this.)

But the blame doesn’t just lie with Ingram. Most of the fault lies with Bountygate.
Being stripped of two second-round picks coupled with the loss of a first-rounder in the Ingram trade, New Orleans was severely limited in acquiring top-tier young talent for two seasons. The first two round of the draft are supposed to be where you bank some solid players. When you take a look back at the past four drafts, the Saints have only drafted 5 (out of a possible 8) players in the first two rounds. That’s including the pick of Mark Ingram in 2011, which we just admitted was a mistake.

The five picks include:
2014
Brandin Cooks – Good, could be special
Stanley Jean-Baptiste – BUST

2013
Kenny Vaccaro – A safety that can’t tackle. No I am not talking about Malcolm Jenkins.
2012

2011
Cameron Jordan – Pro-Bowler who we might not be able to afford
Mark Ingram – Will be running for Atlanta or Carolina next year.

Let’s look at conference foe Carolina and see what the two-time defending NFC South Champs have done in the first two rounds of the past four drafts.
2014
Kelvin Benjamin
Kony Ealy
2013
Star Lotulelei
Kawann Short
2012
Luke Kuechly
Amini Silatolu
2011
Cam Newton

Big difference.

Changes that need to be made
We need to nail the draft. IMO, that means acquiring 2 to 3 top tier interior defensive or offensive lineman.

So what does "nailing the draft" mean to you?

The weather is always 72 degrees and perfect, in the Dome

brees84

No trading up. No WRs and RBs in first 3 rounds. First 3 rounds: LB, OL, DE (BPA). 4-5 round CB. 6-7 round O-line and D-line

Tobias-Reiper

Is the draft one of those with a great personality, or is she hot?

Jack Vegas

There is some ridiculous negativity going on with this post.

exile

You really need to give Vaccaro and SJB some time. Besides, Vaccaro takled very well early this year. Missed a bit later in the season. Not sure what changed but he has the potential and Payton seems to really like him.

Mr.Riaton

For the right price,she can be both

captainshawn

Um, you counted Cam Newton as a good pick...

blackangold

Vaccaro tackled very poorly all season.

In week 1 alone he missed more tackles then he missed in all of 2013.