Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Especially given our cap and dead money woes? A coach and General Manager who basically have nobody to hold their feet to the fire and have blank checks to do what they please? A once great team that has settled into losing seasons 2 years in a row and possibly a third? A team that can't sign a decent free agent to save their lives and pretty bad draft classes?
There is a lot of national news about us and most ain't positive.

I would love to hear some opinions from fans of other teams.

OR
Is The Dude the laughing stock of the board?

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

No,i wouldn't say it is.
I've been vocal enough the past few weeks on things but even with the way things are the team is .500 over the past 4 seasons and while that might not be good enough i my eyes there are far more teams that could be labeled a laughing stock.Look at the Browns(A franchise i quiet like) none of their first round selections between 2011 and 2014 6 selections are still with the team. With 6 selections and some of the players on the board even a 50% success rate could have turned that franchise around.

The Saints are not a laughing stock but if they dont sort out the issues soon are at risks of slipping back to a mid-lower tier franchise. It wouldn't takemuch to turn this around. I still think if they had Rankins and Breaux a CB to play opposite Breaux and a roational pass rushing DE they could contnend for the division

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Throw in Hau'oli Kikaha, Damian Swann and Dannell Ellerbe and this might've been an above average defense.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Not sure of Kikaha persoally. I liked him when in a 3-4 but i dont think he has the size to play anything more than a part time pass rusher in 4-3. I just think he gets run over there and with his knee issues you would worry having additional bulk on them. I hope im wrong as i like him just withe the scheme change i think like a few others are in limb a bit

Swan and Ellerbe would be huge additions but you cant relly on players that are always in the tub

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Wow, is this really a serious question?

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

No. The Cleveland Browns still exist. And I am not just making a joke there. Look at what the Browns QB situation. The Saints were faced with too big of a cap hit for their future HOF Quarterback. The Browns are bringing in other guys cast offs.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

The only joke I see is the amount of key injuries we have compared to other teams every year... Still don't understand why that is.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

We're not even the laughing stock of our division.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Dude, apply for a press pass, then 30 minutes before kickoff, ask each defense we'll face if the Saints are a laughing stock...

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Drafting players hoping they are over injuries doesnt help. They've drafted a fair few players of late in the hope there injuries were sorted

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Guess we need more Bama players... our gray haired safety can't do it all.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

The same could probably be said on the other side of the coin though.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

It is the second choice. I belong to team boards all across the league and for the most part the only fans that comment about a supposed cap and dead money issue for the Saints are uneducated Saints fans. Those few that do bring up the subject are only repeating what they have read by those same uneducated Saints fans.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I was wrong in my OP. Apparently because of your holier than though know it all attitude you are the laughing stock.

Injuries have killed us but I think its problems in the front office that separates us from the Browns.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Not holy. Simply not ignorant as to facts. Nor too stubborn to admit them.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Oh, and it is "holier than thou", not "holier than though".

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Im going with option B :broccoli:

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

This has to be a decent candidate for worst thread of the year.
But to answer the actual question, no. The Saints are not the laughingstock of the league. Not even close.

http://blackandgold.com/attachment.p...1&d=1474023361

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

given our offense despite the games the FO plays with the OL since the super bowl I am sure the NFL is amazed at the saints

Now given the the FO picks of DC since the super bowl and the moves those coaches have made the NFL is sighing and thank god we have screwed up.

As for those FA contracts, for those FA players. FOs around the league are chuckling and shaking their heads at the stupidity of those moves.

I know I have been

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I agree with Hagan. We are in danger of slipping in mediocrity. I don't see any miracle turn around. The organization cannot be held accountable by anyone unless Benson himself steps in and shakes this up I feel as Loomis is overextended and after a litany of errors probably not all his fault someone has to consider holding this management team responsible.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Since this is a poll, why not add....
"who do ya'll think will win the south the season?"

http://blackandgold.com/u/5-albums95-picture556.jpg

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

defensively,cap wise and drafting skill its plauseable but offensively nobody is laughing

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Not at all. But it definitely doesn't help, we are dead last in a lot of categories. Dead last in defense for the past couple years, can't get a defense right under Sean Payton and now leading the lead in dead money.
So no, I would sat we are the laughing stock. We are just a average nfl team that won't get it right for years to come.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I think we have slipped into mediocrity. If back to back seasons of 7-9 aren't mediocrity I don't know what is. Actually 8-8 is mediocre so what's that make us?
I'm not talking about wins and losses anyway. I'm talking about our dead money and a front office that LOOKS like its incompetent.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I'm curious about this myself, because I wonder how much longer the organization will go before they might start to consider maybe, just maybe the issue(s) are some of the coaches. Players come and go but some coaches remain there and yet the results are the same or similar. Often (especially in the past 3+ years) I've wondered if the organization is just too loyal to some of these coaches.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

at least the Saints aren't the Browns, things could be much worse right now

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

The best thing that happen to this organization wasn't Sean or Mickey, it was actually Greg Williams.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I think we miss Kromer too although until this season our offense has continued to be bad ass. As soon as Kromer left though Drew started throwing a lot more interceptions based on pressure.

How Vitt has kept his job baffles me.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I dunno. Losing to the Raiders in your home opener on a two point conversion for the win in the final minute kinda does make you at least a punchline if not the laughing stock.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I think Loomis is spread out too thinly. He doesn't have time to run two franchises. He needs to focus on the Saints again.:broccoli:

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

Kromer was with the Saints 2008-2012.

Brees interceptions:

2008 17
2009 11
2010 22
2012 14
2013 12
2014 17
1015 11

With Kromer averaged 16 picks per season.

Without Kromer averaged 13.3 picks per season.

Brees averaged 2.7 more picks per season with Kromer as coach including the two worst years of his career (2010 and 2012).

Don't let facts stand in the way of a good argument.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

facts, no one got time for facts

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I'd say we are starting to be...

Look if you have a problem and have the problem year after year after year... you start to become a joke.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

totally agree started going downhill when he became head of operations of the pelicans have said this for a couple of years now.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

While things have been less than ideal... with Payton and Brees - the Saints won't ever be the laughing stock of the league.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I agree LOYALTY has been a fault in so many cases. Overpaying players for winning the super bowl and then over paying FA to return.

To manage a cap one must use the draft. NE may strike out a bunch but they do hit their mark with so many picks also. Keeps the cap in flux and allows them to case FA as needed. They arrange to cap in such a way that they have the ability to case high price Free agents every 3 or 4 years.

When they do sign FA they do not over pay in the lean years. Nor do they sign them to long contracts. The vets they chase are really nothing special either. Just solid players in the back 9 of their careers.

To make a trade they really need to be sold on a player and the trade must have a safety blanket built into it. They love raiding teams like Cleveland who go through house cleaning with a new coaching staff.

OG Jonathan Cooper and a second-round draft pick for Chandler Jones Here is a great example of trading from strength to improve weakness and fore sght in cap control.

Cooper may yet be able to rescue his career if he gets past the leg issues. Even if he ends up as a OG/OC back up in the future he will be cheap to keep. If not They pocketed a 2nd and free up cap space to sign their key FA in 2017. So just to be safe they traded for

Barkevious Mingo for a fifth-round pick? :mad: to fill the void in already deep young position.

So worse case the Pats get Mingo and a second for Jones and a 5th. Mingo will be cheaper to keep.

Pats do not over pay. They do not keep trouble and no one is safe. BUT they always cover their butts in more way than one. Cap management is always involved in the picture with a player moved and a pick to replace a risk that did not work out. Kicking the Cap can down the road is not in their nature. Dead cap is not acceptable,

Granted they have the best coaching staff in the NFL. But they are the master of making runs for the title.

These are gambling moves I can at the very least understand and accept the cost as a fair risk.

Saints? grrrrr

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

The year you won the Super Bowl, New Orleans forever shed the brown paper bags, the "Aint's" nickname and any eligibility to be in laughing-stock-club, IMO. Nah, you guys are just in a rut. As long as there's a team in Cleveland, nobody should feel bad about their team ... this from a fan of the team in Detroit, which can also make you feel better about your team now & again/historically, :neutral:.

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

They beat the Giants by 17 this week with a couple sacks and picks and the conversation flips. WHO DAT!

Re: Are the Saints the laughing stock of the NFL?
 

I wouldn't quite say laughing stock, but I did hear some national TV commentators joking about Jalen Richard's embarrassing 74-yard TD run, saying "aww, but highlights don't really count against the Saints defense, you know it's the Saints" and again in another segment on another show someone used a play from the Saints/Steelers preseason game to draw on the screen and demonstrate in detail how Big Ben was carving up our inept secondary. On one sports show I watched, even the clip of the 98-yard Cooks TD was introduced with a chuckle, as in "how do you make this amazing play and then go on to lose the game?"

And we have fewer prime time games this year than any recent Drew Brees era year. So on a national profile, maybe not Browns-level laughing stock; but the Saints have sorta been reduced to being only shown on TV or mentioned when it's the other team's highlights. They are almost never mentioned by commentators as being in the mix for playoff spots. It's kind of reminiscent of the old days again.