At pivotal time for Saints, here’s a position-by-position look at how their offseason might unfold

papz · 03-01-2015, 10:40 AM

Disappointing seasons often lead to sweeping change — especially when said season began with championship aspirations.

We’ve already seen some of the pieces fall for the New Orleans Saints.

Major changes have been made to the coaching staff, and coach Sean Payton has spoken out about the lack of leadership in his locker room.

What we haven’t seen is how the changes will affect the roster. With just a little bit more than a week remaining to trim more than $20 million to get in compliance with the salary cap, things have been silent at Saints headquarters.

But what we do know is that change is coming. This roster needs upgrades at several key spots on defense, and hard salary decisions will need to be made at others where players with bloated contracts exist.

How shrewd the team is in trimming the fat from its roster will determine what this team can do in the offseason. With $109 million in cap space tied up in the top 10 players on the roster, it could be difficult to find much room to play with. But several of those hits will be decreased in the coming days when the team converts several roster bonuses to signing bonuses, which can be spread out over a number of years.

And, besides, General Manager Mickey Loomis always seems to find a way to fit players under the cap. It will be interesting to see what he comes up.

In the meantime, here’s a look at how things stand heading into the free agency period:

Quarterbacks

Even though his numbers appear stellar on paper, Drew Brees left something to be desired in his execution. There were too many interceptions and missed opportunities which, at the end, might have been the difference between winning the weak NFC South and heading home with the sour taste of disappointment.

Read more: At pivotal time for Saints, here’s a position-by-position look at how their offseason might unfold | Saints | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

03-01-2015, 10:40 AM	#1
papz Problem? Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: New Orleans Posts: 11,768	At pivotal time for Saints, here’s a position-by-position look at how their offseason might unfold Disappointing seasons often lead to sweeping change — especially when said season began with championship aspirations. We’ve already seen some of the pieces fall for the New Orleans Saints. Major changes have been made to the coaching staff, and coach Sean Payton has spoken out about the lack of leadership in his locker room. What we haven’t seen is how the changes will affect the roster. With just a little bit more than a week remaining to trim more than $20 million to get in compliance with the salary cap, things have been silent at Saints headquarters. But what we do know is that change is coming. This roster needs upgrades at several key spots on defense, and hard salary decisions will need to be made at others where players with bloated contracts exist. How shrewd the team is in trimming the fat from its roster will determine what this team can do in the offseason. With $109 million in cap space tied up in the top 10 players on the roster, it could be difficult to find much room to play with. But several of those hits will be decreased in the coming days when the team converts several roster bonuses to signing bonuses, which can be spread out over a number of years. And, besides, General Manager Mickey Loomis always seems to find a way to fit players under the cap. It will be interesting to see what he comes up. In the meantime, here’s a look at how things stand heading into the free agency period: Quarterbacks Even though his numbers appear stellar on paper, Drew Brees left something to be desired in his execution. There were too many interceptions and missed opportunities which, at the end, might have been the difference between winning the weak NFC South and heading home with the sour taste of disappointment. Read more: At pivotal time for Saints, here’s a position-by-position look at how their offseason might unfold \| Saints \| The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana Attached Thumbnails hagan714 and jeanpierre like this.
	Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse the privilege. All little common sense goes a long way.

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