Saints sign DT Brodrick Bunkley (5 years, $25M; $9M guaranteed): B Grade
The timing of this signing is pretty weird, isn't it? I guess Brodrick Bunkley doesn't care about not having a head coach for the first season of his contract.

This seems like a lot of money for a run-stuffing specialist who can't get to the quarterback, but I completely understand the move. The Saints lost their second-round pick because of Bountygate, so they wouldn't be able to fill their dire need for a defensive tackle until Round 3.

Saints' Bountygate Penalties
I didn't know where else to put this, but here is what Roger Goodell slapped the Saints and other involved parties with for Bountygate:

- Gregg Williams has been suspended indefinitely.

- Sean Payton has been suspended for the 2012 season.

- General manager Mickey Loomis has been suspended for eight games and fined $500,000 (I tried to promote Loomis to owner. Whoops.)

- Saints have been fined an additional $500,000.

- Assistant coach Joe Vitt has been suspended six games.

- Player penalties (Jonathan Vilma) are forthcoming.

- Saints lose second-round picks in 2012 and 2013.

I thought Payton would get eight games, and I don't know how suspending the general manager accomplishes anything, but nothing else surprises me. The Saints had to be penalized harshly. It's one thing to hit players hard; it's another to attempt to give them concussions intentionally. There's no place for that in any sport, especially now that we realize how troubling concussions can be long-term. I don't think Williams should ever be allowed to coach again. He was warned about this, yet he didn't listen. How do we know that he won't pull something like this again? He can't be trusted.

The Saints aren't totally screwed because Drew Brees is one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, and he'll be able to pull out some victories, even without Payton on the sidelines. However, it still decreases New Orleans' chances of qualifying for the playoffs, especially with the Falcons and improving Panthers threatening to win the division.