Are the Saints in some type of rebuild mode based on how free agency has played out?
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 I do want to tackle this question because I've seen this a lot on social media.
00:03 But Deuce asked, do you think we're heading to a rebuild?
00:07 Because I've seen this is suggested the way they've approached the free agency.
00:11 And also we can use this as well from Randy's that we think we're done.
00:15 And free agency short answers now.
00:16 But does this suggest that this is a soft rebuild?
00:20 Does this suggest that maybe the Saints aren't just doing this
00:24 because or what do you think?
00:26 Yeah, yeah. No, I'm into this conversation because I wonder.
00:29 I wonder if we agree or disagree on this.
00:32 I think it's a soft rebuild for them.
00:35 And I don't think that's a bad thing.
00:36 I think it's a soft rebuild for the middle of their roster is the big thing.
00:39 I think they're very happy with what they're going to feel in terms of their 22.
00:43 Right. 11 and 11.
00:44 They're happy in terms of like what their starters can be.
00:46 Maybe one signing or draft pick or something like that ends up kind of,
00:51 you know, intruding into that and maybe upsetting something in a good way.
00:55 Right. Challenging and then winning a spot.
00:57 But I think that this right here, this offseason has been a little bit
01:01 of an opportunity for them to, A, get their salary cap
01:04 situation in a different space.
01:07 Right. Allowing Andrews Peet to hit the market, taking on that dead cap
01:11 hit, not having so far restructured or touch the contracts of guys
01:15 like Alvin Kamara or Taysom Hill.
01:18 I don't and and and Jawan Johnson's another one that hasn't been touched.
01:21 He's got like a five and a half million dollar base salary.
01:23 You could do some stuff with.
01:25 But they haven't like rushed to do all that.
01:27 And so I look at that, I look at the the whether
01:31 the the attrition is on purpose or whether the attrition is just simply.
01:35 And I have my theories around the losses.
01:37 We'll get to that in a second.
01:38 But you look at the fact that like a lot of the middle,
01:40 the people that are leaving are guys that were depth pieces,
01:43 middle of the roster types.
01:44 Here's an opportunity for you to rebuild that.
01:46 Now you have to be able to do that effectively.
01:48 But I do think that there is something to that.
01:51 And then using the draft to continue to build, but build towards your future.
01:55 Right. And then be able to bring in an influx of young talent
01:58 and all that kind of stuff.
01:59 So I do think that there is a little bit of a soft rebuild that's happening.
02:04 But I don't think that it's a rebuild in terms of, you know,
02:07 tearing everything down to the studs and trying to rebuild it back up
02:11 Carolina Panthers style or anything like that.
02:13 It's just working with what you've lost, working with what you need to add
02:18 and then figuring out the right ways to maybe bring in some new, fresh
02:21 perspectives and things like that, just like they did entirely on the offensive side.
02:25 When it comes to the coaching staff, which is another reason
02:27 why I mentioned the soft rebuild, by the way,
02:29 is when you have a new coaching staff come in, they want a different type of player
02:33 than your previous coaching staff.
02:34 So it gives you an opportunity to kind of rebuild in that way, too.
02:37 Yeah, I mean, the the truth of it all is
02:41 if they were to play a game right now, you could put 22 starters out there.
02:46 Even with the offensive line, I am just saying in theory,
02:48 because I know Ramchak is dealing with his thing.
02:50 He's he's going to be ready for training camp and stuff.
02:53 But the fact is, you have a starting offensive line.
02:55 You have a starting quarterback.
02:56 You have your running back committee.
02:58 You have your wide receivers. You have your tight ends.
03:01 I mean, I think there's an area where they can get better at, obviously.
03:04 But if you look defensively, they've got their front four.
03:07 They've got their linebackers.
03:08 They've got their corners. They've got their their safeties.
03:10 I mean, there's nowhere on the roster that you could say
03:13 they really don't have a starter there, I guess you could is what I would tell you.
03:17 Now, whether that's a guy that you agree with, like if you say,
03:21 well, Trevor Penney shouldn't be the left tack or James
03:23 Hirst shouldn't be left guard, for instance, you know, those are ways.
03:27 Great starters, for sure.
03:28 Yeah, you definitely can. You've got a pleasure.
03:30 Yeah, absolutely. So you have that.
03:32 And so that middle part of the roster, I think, is where they look in.
03:35 Look, you know, they wanted to try to get something done with Lonnie Johnson Jr.
03:39 But money got more money from Houston.
03:41 I mean, that's that's one of those things.
03:42 It's like we've kind of got a vision here
03:45 and maybe we don't take so many of those types of deals.
03:48 And so, I mean, I look at what they signed Colin Saunders
03:52 and Nathan Shepard last offseason.
03:54 Those are really pretty good, solid deals for interior guys
03:58 who've been around the league for a while.
03:59 And I know that they're not trying to spend top dollar
04:02 and they're not trying to play in that top tier.
04:04 They were never.
04:05 And of course, if you've been following us, you've been here
04:07 and you've been seeing all of us, right?
04:09 We've been knowing that.
04:10 And so I think that you look at some of these other free agents,
04:13 they're not going to set the world on fire.
04:16 Now, it needs to pay off, right?
04:19 If you're if that's the vision that you're not going to try to build
04:22 through free agency, you better hit on these draft picks
04:24 and you better not sit here and say, well, we're just going to come away.
04:27 We have nine picks, but now we're going to only use like three or four of them.
04:30 And then some of these are throwaways on like a quarterback
04:33 you don't need or a position you just don't need.
04:36 I think we've kind of touched on it, but tight end, their market for a tight end
04:40 is not good right now for free agents.
04:42 Besides maybe Logan Thomas, maybe is if you look at his way.
04:46 But I mean, we talked about it.
04:48 They could draft a tight end.
04:49 Oh, yeah.
04:50 There are things that they could do.
04:52 They haven't found like that top tier receiver.
04:55 We feel like Hunter Renfro might be an option, right?
04:58 We threw out Odell Beckham Jr.
04:59 last week, you know, Mike Williams came available.
05:02 I mean, there are options that could fit down the line, but the Saints
05:06 are just in this space right now where, you know, they're kind of quiet.
05:10 They haven't set the world on fire.
05:12 But again, like we've urged you before, be a little bit patient.