New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com

Since Jim Haslett arrived in New Orleans the Saints have lost some significant talent, but overall they have been able to sign just as much or more. Deuce, Dante, Joe Horn, Aaron, Charles Grant, etc etc etc.

However, there is one major area of this organization that has been hemorrhaging talent. The front office. Randy Mueller, Ron Zook, and now Mike Riley. These types of people tend to be overlooked and simply a footnote compared to the big name player signings and draftees. Unfortunately, it's guys like Mueller, Riley, and Zook that impact a team's ability to succeed more than any player - especially in the long run.

The league is finally starting to wise up and realize that coordinators are more important to players on most teams than head coaches. Likewise, the talent scouts and men behind the scenes who handle the business side are very important in keeping players happy and in uniform.

Over the last two years, the Saints have lost three of the men who I consider to be three the top five or six most important people to the organization's ability to succeed. They have replaced these men with no one. Mueller was replaced by Loomis and the front office restructured. They did not sign anyone new. Zook was replaced by Venturi - an obvious mistake that looks like they won't even try to repair this year - and no one else was hired. Now Riley is going and again, no talk of a new hire.

The Saints could hover around .500 again next year and if so, I can tell you exactly why right now. It's not players. It's not talent on the field. Parity runs rampant in the NFL. Every man on our defense could start and play well somewhere else. It is coaching, the system, etc. It is the front office. That is why the Saints can't make the next step. And since they appear to be letting another good coach go (and probably just promoting someone already on staff who isn't qualified to fill his role), I, for one, am very worried about their ability to be successful next year.