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Ed Daniels

Saints rebuild is underway

Would you rather see the Saints, with eight wins and nine losses, sneak into the playoffs? Or would you rather see the Saints win six or seven, miss the playoffs and get higher draft choices?

Either answer works.

One, make the playoffs now, is the short answer.

But, in the long term, the Saints may be better served with their first playoff “miss” since 2016.

That season the Saints won seven, lost nine.

But, a higher draft position paid dividends the next spring.

The Saints were more than mildly surprised when cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the best at his position in the history of the franchise, slid to pick No. 11.

Thirty-two picks later, the Saints drafted safety Marcus Williams, who the club franchise tagged before the 2021 season.

In 2006, coming off a three-win season, the Saints drafted running back Reggie Bush with the second pick (touching off a wild celebration), and 41 picks later drafted safety Roman Harper.

Both were key contributors on the 2009 Super Bowl champions.

A higher draft pick this season would also allow the Saints to perhaps grab a quarterback in the middle of the first round.

New England did just that this spring, and Mac Jones was not only a good pick, he looks like the Patriots quarterback for at least the next decade.

The Saints have locked up Taysom Hill for the long term, but Jameis Winston, coming off a major knee injury, is again a free agent.

At the biggest position on the field, it might be time to hit the reset button.

The 2022 quarterback draft class isn’t the strongest, but there’s some potential there. Leave it to assistant general manager Jeff Ireland and his scouts to find it.

In the meantime, the Saints, according to the website spotrac.com, are over the cap by $60 million next spring, the highest total in the NFL by far.

So, with little cap space again, the Saints will again count on younger players to fill the void.

The Saints can’t hope for assistance in the draft; it is a must.

As the Saints chased another championship with Drew Brees, they kicked the can down the road.

That’s just a fact, and understandable. They sold out for another Super Bowl. They went for it.

But, now the bill has come due and it is being paid.

So, if the Saints don’t make the playoffs, don’t shed any tears.

The rebuild is underway.

And, better draft picks will give the Saints a chance to accelerate their return.

Think two steps forward, after a big step back. BC

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