Saints Need to be Smart

By Jim Gazzolo

The Saints head into next week’s NFL draft with far more holes to fill than picks to fill them with.

Another was added last week when the team announced that quarterback Derek Carr will likely miss next season due to a shoulder injury.

It was adding insult to injury when you consider how much the Saints spent to acquire Carr and how little they have gotten out of him.

Now, there is another hole the team must fill to remain competitive. As things stand, they are not expected to be very good next year.

The draft likely won’t save them.

With Kellen Moore as their new head coach, the Saints must navigate a maze of problems and issues. The least of which is that this team needs a major influx of talent all over the field.

This is a rebuilding club for sure, so maybe it’s fine that Carr is out. They can see what they have on the roster for the future or go out and draft a young gunslinger to develop.

Either way, the Saints’ biggest question mark will be at the quarterback position, the most important position in football. 

Spencer Rattler may get a good, long look, which would be fine. However, if the Saints don’t think there is a top quarterback out there, they should not push that envelope. 

They need to stay on course, not panic, and understand that this is not a team that is one player away from the playoffs.

Don’t reach for a quarterback with the No. 9 pick if that’s not your guy. Don’t add one mistake to another. That is precisely the way teams turn a three-year rebuild into a five-year one. 

The Saints have numerous spots that need upgrading, so they should select the best player available each time their pick comes up this year. It is the only way they will eventually dig out of some of these holes. 

The Saints have not used a first-round pick on a quarterback in 53 years, so it might be a bigger surprise to all if they do this season. There doesn’t seem to be an excellent fit for them this time.

Rattler was a third-round pick last year and is one of two quarterbacks currently on the roster.

The Saints should even consider trading down and acquiring more picks, given their numerous issues. That could help speed up the rebuild.

It should also be noted that a significantly better quarterback class is expected to emerge next season. That would also give the club time to figure out what they got in Rattler and whether they found their diamond in the rough.

Providing Rattler with some weapons would also be helpful. This team needs a playmaker on the outside. 

So while the fans look for a quarterback savior in a year when there may not be one, it might be best for the Saints to keep their options open.

Otherwise, they may get stuck with a bust they can’t afford to have.

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers sports in Southwest Louisiana. He is also the host of Poke Nation, which can be seen on CBS-Lake Charles weekly.