Saints would have taken Hawk at #2?!!!!!
 

MARIO WOULD HAVE FALLEN TO FOURTH

Another intriguing nugget on which we recently stumbled was that defensive end Mario Williams expected in the days prior to the draft to be taken not by the Saints at No. 2, but by the Jets at No. 4.

This expectation gave Williams an even greater incentive to ink a deal with the Texans to become the first overall pick.

Most assumed that Williams would be drafted by the Saints at No. 2, if the Texans took Bush at No. 1. But we're now told that in the days prior to the draft, the Saints opted to focus on Hawk instead of Williams.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

Damn I wanted Hawk. Gotta be happy with Reggie, but Hawk filled an immediate need.

RE: Saints would have taken Hawk at #2?!!!!!
 

Hawk was who I really wanted until Bush was available. Hawk's gonna be a great player, but I would've had to watch Bush's highlights on ESPN for the next 10yrs thinking, "We could've taken that guy..."

I tried to told ya'll Hawk was our guy. Can't be mad at having Bush though, unless we can't sign him.

I'm glad to hear that our front office has some sense. :)

Just think....we coulda had the biggest safety in the league.... :cry:

Once Bush became available at #2, he was the only guy that could be picked in the slot. We'd be the Texans in the media and a laughingstock around the league if we didn't pick Bush. The Saints were backed into a corner. Probably a good corner, but one nevertheless.

Signing Bush is going to be painful. Bush, and more importantly his agent, will push for better money than Williams got. It's going to take some time and some pain to get them to understand that draft picks are slotted, and that no matter how much they whine and cry, that Bush is going to get #2 money. It's a King's ransom of course, but it's going to be painful.

The discussion will probably either start with Eli Manning's #1 numbers from two years ago (6 years, $45 million, $20 million guaranteed), or Ronnie Browns #2 contract from last year (5 years, $34 million, $20 million guaranteed).

I figure that the contract will come in somewhere around 20 percent increase over those numbers. That means that if it's 6 years it'll match Alex Smiths' #1 contract from last year ($50 million, $24.4 guaranteed, 6 years)

The other hand of it is getting the Saints to understand that's the price for #2. It's going to be a tough pill the swallow with the realization that this is a situational player that's going to only get 15-20 touches a game. But Bush has the ability to make take one of those touches to the house in electrifying fashion. That will put a national face on the Saints organization. And that's how the money will be wisely invested.

But it's going to take a minute unless both sides understand how the slotting structure works and come to a deal quickly.

But considering the players, I think it's unfortunately going to end up being a mini-tragedy. Like a couple of week holdout mini-tragedy.

SFIAH

i dont think that would be that bad a deal.... i was expecting around 50 mill anyway...

Cleveland ruined the slotting system when they gave Braylon Edwards a bigger contract than Ronnie Brown. So just from last year's draft, you have precedent for a player picked lower to make more. Just another thing to consider.

Good. I think this shows that our new regime is competent and can realize who the best player on the board really is. That being said, Reggie was the right pick.

I think if Mario had not been taken we'd have been more receptive in hearing out trade offers. Less demanding in compensation and moved down to take Hawk. But it still shows the FO was looking at the best Defensive players on the board as well as the best Offensive player(s).