SaintsBro

I have been all about Payton using this kind of thinking in the draft, for a long time now.

Obviously the physical component is an important part of being a beast on the field, but that's just one part. But, intelligence is important. Being able to learn, is important. Maturity is important. Being grounded is important. Not being caught out driving around drunk in your car at 6:30 in the morning, after a full night of partying, is important.

We've had a few players in recent times who were "bad eggs" and who got into trouble, hanging out late at the Republic, DUI's, brawling fights with girlfriends, flunking drug tests, etc etc. And to me, too many of those guys also kind of correspond to the slump, the recent spate of 7-9 years and flat performances.

I admit that I have a real beef about this stuff -- I rag on players all the time about off field behavior. That's because I grew up in the Chuck Muncie/George Rogers cocaine years, when the Saints were a trainwreck in the locker room and off the field, rife with drugs, attitudes, and prima donna bad behavior. And not coincidentally, that translated into a 1-15 team, a 4-12 team, and absolutely miserable games. To play well and succeed in the NFL, you have to have a certain level of intelligence, maturity, responsibility, and self-discipline. 99 times out of 100, you simply won't last for very long if you don't.