So you'd have added a drop of water to the Saints' squirt gun against Cleveland's water cannon? Look at the contracts. Quick summary:

Zeitler: 3 years, $31 million guaranteed, $42 million total outlay
Warford: 2 years, $17 million guaranteed, $21 million total outlay

In short, it's no contest as Zeitler's contract is essentially double of Warford's. So AP's $3 million or so is essentially a drop in the bucket.


It's pretty clear the Saints didn't have the money to make a valid offer fo Zeitler.

It's just not possible to have All Pro starters at every position and All pro backups too. Last season the O-line was very effective. This season, at least on paper, the O-line is upgraded.

BTW Unger isn't out indefinitely. Depending on reports, he's unavailable for 3-5 months. The outside edge of that is the 1st quarter of the season plus the bye. If that's what it takes to get his foot healthy enough to play the rest of the season, then it's time well spent.

Every season folks worry about something on offense. Yet every season the offense seems to do fine as long as #9 is back there taking snaps. Last I checked, that hasn't changed.

If you want fact based worrying, then filling in for injuries should be the target. This seems to happen all over the organization.

SFIAH

What if Klein and Okafor don't work out? Then what?

Then we have 9 other linebackers and 4 other defensive linemen to plug into the spot.

I'm pretty sure I'll never get this concept through to you, but I'm going to try anyway. NFL Football isn't like basketball or baseball where the addition of a single superstar can completely turn around a franchise. Football is a system game where the best overall collection of scheme, coaching and talent carries the day. It's not possible to draft, trade, or sign a single player, even a QB, that can turn a franchise into a dynasty.

Do I think that this defense will be the 85 Bears or the 2000 Ravens? No. But with the other phases of the game the Saints have, they don't need to be for the team to have success in 2017.

SFIAH

If we didn't sign Klein and Okafor, we would have the money for Zeitler. I think its rediculous we abandoned the thought of getting a big FA when the reason Byrd flopped was because we didn't have the players on defense to support him. He was also signed because of Payton's jealousy of Seattle and not him really being a need whatsoever. Browner we knew drew penalties, everyone said well at least he's aggressive. Don't believe me? Pull up the old thread where he was signed. Zeitler would have been money well spent. Payton just doesn't understand these intangibles.