SaintFanInATLHELL

The only way that happens is if the Saints have significant injuries next year. Those are unpredicitable, and starting offseason training a couple of weeks late isn't going to have an impact.

One of the significant accomplishments the organization has pulled off this offseason is to keep the team pretty much intact. The labor discord helped by making a ton of would be free agents restricted. But restricted free agents like Hargrove, David Thomas, Strief, and Remy Ayodele could have flown away if the opportunity came along. Each signed their tender and will be on the team next year.

The next uplooking fact is that we have two defensive rookies that never saw the field last year. A full year under Gregg Williams tutelage will make Vaughn and Arnoux valuable contributors next year.

Finally Darren Sharper has yet to be signed by anyone. The Saints know what they have with him and simply have to wait for him to be healthy. Other teams have to deal with the fit, the money, and the health. So We may be able to get him back for another year.

I look at it very simply: The Saints offense is an 8-8 NFL team with virtually no defense. With Gregg Williams, the defense will get off the field and cause some havoc.

While I'll be the first to say that it's tough to repeat, simply because you cannot have the same hunger the second time as the first, the Saints are not going to fall flat on their face this upcoming season. Our division is still weak, and we play the NFC West next season. It's unlikely that Seattle nor St. Louis is going to be play championship caliber football.

Now the AFC North may be a challenge. Baltimore looks formidable while Cincinnati has been moving forward. But Cleveland is in extreme makeover mode and Pittsburg is a mess.

And of course we have a #1 schedule, which means tough matchups against both Dallas and Minnesota.

As an early prediction, 12-4 or 11-5, winning the division, and getting a 1st round bye isn't out of reach. All presuming that the team stays relatively healthy.

But you need to chill Poydras. Dude, your head is going to explode. We've reached the Promised Land. We are there. I smile every morning walking out of the house with my Saints SB championship hat on. Or the weekends with my Saints champions tee or that loud orange SB tee my mother brought me from South Florida.

I still need to get some NFC Championship gear.

SFIAH

Super Bowl Championships: New Orleans Saints:1, Carolina:0, Atlanta Chokers: STILL ZERO

Only Atlanta choked in an unchokable situation... Life is definitely good.

poydras

That's not why I took it down. Everyone knows what I look like by now and I was starting to feel a little narcissistic. It's still on my profile.