Underhill: Saints look to be gearing up for a run, but moves also make sense for future

10-24-2018, 06:16 PM

jeanpierre · 10-24-2018, 06:17 PM

BY NICK UNDERHILL | nunderhill@theadvocate.com Oct 24, 2018 - 12:04 pm

The Saints are always focused on the next game, the next opponent, the next play.

But their moves tell you what they think, even if they won’t say it with their mouths. They aren’t just thinking about Sunday night in Minnesota. They’re thinking about February in Atlanta.

That’s what the trade for Eli Apple tells you. Same with the deal for Teddy Bridgewater, and the one to draft Marcus Davenport before that. New Orleans isn’t a team that is looking to wait around for its turn, hoping things work out. It is looking to add the pieces it needs to raise another banner sooner than later, which, really, isn’t all that different than any other year.

But here's the issue: The phrase “all-in” it is being thrown around since the Saints made this deal, and that doesn’t feel entirely accurate.

All-in suggests the approach is shortsighted and done at the expense of the future. That isn’t what is happening here, even if the team is without picks in the first, third and fourth rounds of the 2019 draft right now. The approach the Saints are making are aggressively measured.

These moves are also about being good in 2019, 2020 and beyond. Well, at least two of them. The third, for Bridgewater, could just be about this season, or it could be about more. We don’t know yet. But the hope is Davenport will serve as the team’s edge rusher for the next 10 years, and Apple, if he proves good on the Saints’ investment, could contribute for the next three years, if not longer.

Most of these guys are young, ascending players. They can grow with the young core New Orleans has built the last few years, while also helping a quarterback who only has a few years left on his window get through to the other side.

The Saints have used a few chips, for sure, but they’ve banked some assets along the way. They can also create a few more if they want.

“We’ll find a way to get a draft pick or two back,” coach Sean Payton said. “That’s easy to do, so I’m not concerned with that right now. Obviously, we value the draft picks, and we feel like it was an opportunity to make our team better.”

New Orleans has been able to create more picks in recent years by trading players who are nearing the end of their contracts but are either unlikely to re-sign or are no longer part of the team’s long-term plans. Maybe other players fit the bill that can be used to acquire more picks at some point in the future.

But most of the trades involving picks make sense through both prisms, near and far. New Orleans, should it remain competitive, was never going to land the pass rusher it needs by hanging around in the bottom half of the first round. So, it either needed to trade for one or hope a pass rusher makes it through to free agency.

In the second scenario, the team would need to bid against other teams and would likely have ended up grossly overpaying. That would probably be more of an “all-in” move than trading up in the draft. At least Davenport is cost controlled and can grow with the young defense around him.

As for Apple, what did the Saints actually give up by sending their fourth-round pick to New York? A chance at offensive tackle Rick Leonard, who is no longer on the team? If that’s an unfair example, the last fourth-round pick made by the Saints before Leonard was David Onyemata. The defensive tackle is a nice piece, but he’s probably not more valuable than a solid No. 2 cornerback.

The only trade that might have been made with just 2018 in mind is the one for Bridgewater. It’s an expensive insurance policy if he only stays for one year, but no one likes paying for protection until something goes wrong.

The Saints, however, seem to be thinking bigger.

"There's going to be a time when Drew (Brees) doesn't want to play anymore, so we've got to prepare for that," general manager Mickey Loomis said during a Sirius XM appearance. "Teddy could certainly be that guy. He's going to be a free agent after this season, so we'll see what opportunities come about for him.

"We wanted to have firsthand experience with him, have a capable backup, and at the same time have him get to know our organization, our program, our coaches. And we'll just see what happens."

The fact is, the Saints are making moves that both give them a shot to win this year, but will also bolster the strong core that should keep this team competitive for many years to come.

ChrisXVI · 10-24-2018, 06:28 PM

I find it interesting that Payton said this:

Sounds like they have a plan for more wheeling and dealing in the coming months. Wonder what they have in mind.

Beastmode likes this.

10-24-2018, 06:16 PM	#1
Threaded by jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39 Rating: (0 votes - average) Twitter
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10-24-2018, 06:17 PM	#2
jeanpierre Site Donor 2018 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Thibodaux Posts: 43,543 Blog Entries: 39	Re: Underhill: Saints look to be gearing up for a run, but moves also make sense for future BY NICK UNDERHILL \| nunderhill@theadvocate.com Oct 24, 2018 - 12:04 pm The Saints are always focused on the next game, the next opponent, the next play. But their moves tell you what they think, even if they won’t say it with their mouths. They aren’t just thinking about Sunday night in Minnesota. They’re thinking about February in Atlanta. That’s what the trade for Eli Apple tells you. Same with the deal for Teddy Bridgewater, and the one to draft Marcus Davenport before that. New Orleans isn’t a team that is looking to wait around for its turn, hoping things work out. It is looking to add the pieces it needs to raise another banner sooner than later, which, really, isn’t all that different than any other year. But here's the issue: The phrase “all-in” it is being thrown around since the Saints made this deal, and that doesn’t feel entirely accurate. All-in suggests the approach is shortsighted and done at the expense of the future. That isn’t what is happening here, even if the team is without picks in the first, third and fourth rounds of the 2019 draft right now. The approach the Saints are making are aggressively measured. These moves are also about being good in 2019, 2020 and beyond. Well, at least two of them. The third, for Bridgewater, could just be about this season, or it could be about more. We don’t know yet. But the hope is Davenport will serve as the team’s edge rusher for the next 10 years, and Apple, if he proves good on the Saints’ investment, could contribute for the next three years, if not longer. Most of these guys are young, ascending players. They can grow with the young core New Orleans has built the last few years, while also helping a quarterback who only has a few years left on his window get through to the other side. The Saints have used a few chips, for sure, but they’ve banked some assets along the way. They can also create a few more if they want. “We’ll find a way to get a draft pick or two back,” coach Sean Payton said. “That’s easy to do, so I’m not concerned with that right now. Obviously, we value the draft picks, and we feel like it was an opportunity to make our team better.” New Orleans has been able to create more picks in recent years by trading players who are nearing the end of their contracts but are either unlikely to re-sign or are no longer part of the team’s long-term plans. Maybe other players fit the bill that can be used to acquire more picks at some point in the future. But most of the trades involving picks make sense through both prisms, near and far. New Orleans, should it remain competitive, was never going to land the pass rusher it needs by hanging around in the bottom half of the first round. So, it either needed to trade for one or hope a pass rusher makes it through to free agency. In the second scenario, the team would need to bid against other teams and would likely have ended up grossly overpaying. That would probably be more of an “all-in” move than trading up in the draft. At least Davenport is cost controlled and can grow with the young defense around him. As for Apple, what did the Saints actually give up by sending their fourth-round pick to New York? A chance at offensive tackle Rick Leonard, who is no longer on the team? If that’s an unfair example, the last fourth-round pick made by the Saints before Leonard was David Onyemata. The defensive tackle is a nice piece, but he’s probably not more valuable than a solid No. 2 cornerback. The only trade that might have been made with just 2018 in mind is the one for Bridgewater. It’s an expensive insurance policy if he only stays for one year, but no one likes paying for protection until something goes wrong. The Saints, however, seem to be thinking bigger. "There's going to be a time when Drew (Brees) doesn't want to play anymore, so we've got to prepare for that," general manager Mickey Loomis said during a Sirius XM appearance. "Teddy could certainly be that guy. He's going to be a free agent after this season, so we'll see what opportunities come about for him. "We wanted to have firsthand experience with him, have a capable backup, and at the same time have him get to know our organization, our program, our coaches. And we'll just see what happens." The fact is, the Saints are making moves that both give them a shot to win this year, but will also bolster the strong core that should keep this team competitive for many years to come.
	It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

10-24-2018, 06:28 PM	#3
ChrisXVI 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 11,482	Re: Underhill: Saints look to be gearing up for a run, but moves also make sense for future I find it interesting that Payton said this: Twitter Sounds like they have a plan for more wheeling and dealing in the coming months. Wonder what they have in mind. Beastmode likes this.

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