You are making the assumption, diz, that Allen was/is making the personnel decisions. I don't believe that's the case. Sean Payton earned that right after years of success. I believe that all personnel moves post Payton have come exclusively through the front office and continue to come from that source.

It's fine you don't believe that's the case, that's your assumption.

Given the fact that it is extremely rare for any head coach to be the personnel man, as well, I feel fairly confident my assumption is accurate in the case of a new head coach with zero experience in that decision making process. Besides Payton and Belichick, Mike Holmgren is possibly the only other that may make those decisions. Believe what you wish, however.

Dennis isn't some "new head coach". He's worked in this organization 16 years so I doubt the front office was going against DA's advice.

Dennis isn't some "new head coach". He's worked in this organization 16 years so I doubt the front office was going against DA's advice. Especially when it came to defensive personnel.

This is what some either are missing or simply ignore for whatever reason.

Just because Allen wasn't a "new head coach" doesn't mean that Loomis and company would be willing to hand over the same level of autonomy in decision making that Sean Payton earned over his 15 year tenure. I'm not saying he wouldn't have input, but deciding whether or not to give into player contract demands are likely far out of his current level of authority.

Who's assuming now?

And regardless, the point still stands. The team needs cap space to keep the players that made this team competitive. Because this type of season happens when they don't. Allen is not a good enough coach to hide the teams deficiencies like Payton did.

I agree that Allen isn't anywhere near as good a coach as was Payton. As for cap space, the team had/has plenty of cap space available to retain those players, but decided to let them go, or in the case of Ceedy Duce, outright got rid of him. Coming into next season the Saints have over $100 million in convertible cap space available for Loomis and Company to hopefully make some good moves after covering the planned deficit.

So my problem with that is then, who's making these decisions, if not Allen?

For the price we paid Mathieu and Maye, we could have just kept Marcus Williams, because neither of those players are anywhere near Marcus.

The team also let Trey Hendrickson go, and whilst he isn't a physical specimen like Davenport is, he was consistent.

Seeing this team not being able to sack even the most static QB's is painful.