I saw a tweet out there about how a lot of big names are retiring right now. Just to mention a few; Manning (not officially, but.. you know), Megatron, Lynch and some more. Me and Brian are going to name 3 Saints (or former Saints) that could possibly retire this year or at most within the next 2 years.
First name will be a guy that we expect to retire, Something that people can see coming. The second will be a more surprising one. The third will be an ex-saint who will come back for a one day deal to retire a Saint, just as Scott Fujita did after his stint with the Browns.
Marijn Pessers (@Monedula_)
I will start this off. The Saints have a really young team so naming a guy to retire early can be easy if I name someone like Strief or Williams, but I have an other guy in mind. The guy I think that will retire soon is Lewis. He has had a lot of injury trouble. The Saints might cut him but I think they will keep him. I do not know how long his contract lasts but if he has a good year and tags one one more that one will certainly be his last. He just needs one more season with injuries to make him worthless on the open market and I believe the chances of him making it healthy through 2 more seasons is close to 0%. Anyone you think is a likely candidate?
Brian Bauer (@SaintBrian9)
Lewis would be just about the worst non-Brees, non-Payton off season news we could possibly hope to get, so honestly, I’m hoping you’re very wrong on this one!
MP
I am not saying he will retire this off season. But I honestly do not see much future for him. His ostrich legs are not made for this sport.
BB
If there’s a guy you told me was going to retire, I’d wonder about Ben Watson. Now, keep in mind, I saw the tweet the other day that stirred up a lot of people that looked a little ‘farewell-ish’ and I also saw his response, in which he basically said he wasn’t planning on leaving. But he’s also a free agent, and a 36-year old free agent at that. I’ve detailed in this segment before that I could see the Saints walking away from Watson in the off season (who pays a 36 year old TE big bucks?) and while money talks, he’s got a great career in the wings and has to know at least a little bit that his break out performance was Brees driven. Starting all over with another team with a more limited passer and moving his family in the process might not be where he wants things in his life right now. Again, we’re not predicting these retirements, we’re guessing if they HAD to happen that these could be the guys, and Watson fits.
MP
On to the next category. Guys that are gong to retire but you would not expect them too; and I am thinking, fearing, Swann. The guy has skills and in the few games he has played he has shown nice stuff. But he has had 3 concussions. After the first he came back twice before going to IR. If my memory serves me right he got a concussion in the first game back in both cases. They were not the Cam Newton concussions either. No Mauti, taking your smiling arrogant ass out of bounds, before you finish the drive and then go into concussion protocol, right before you come back (still makes me angry). No, Swann was out a couple of games for each concussion. I fear he will get a concussion again and then after he comes back he will get one more and he is done. I do not wish it upon him to have to retire this early, but with 5 heavy concussions in 2 years the healthier option is to retire.
BB
To me, both your guys (Lewis and Swann) are total surprises and both would actually be pretty staggering, especially if they happened later down the line, when the draft was over and camp had already begun. Replacing them would be impossible at that stage from a talent standpoint. I hate that you’ve got a real point on Swann. Mounting concussions are no joke in the modern NFL and believe me, the league (and the team) is watching. If I had to guess at a surprise retirement my thought would be Jairus Byrd. Not to keep picking on the secondary, but the guy definitely seems to be having a lot of trouble keeping himself healthy, and he strikes me as the kind of guy who hates playing at anything less than 100 percent. From an ego standpoint, walking away also kind of gives him an excuse to shun a bit of the ‘bust’ tag … he can look back on things and blame injury and his eventual retirement as the reason why things didn’t work out in NOLA.
MP
I would indeed not expect Byrd to retire, but indeed you make a good case for it. His heart might just not be in it after many disappointing seasons.
The last guy, the one who comes back to retire a Saint, for me, is a no-brainer. Evans. He has been with the team for 10 years and is a special Saint. No explanation needed I think. He will play 2 more years and retire a Saint.
BB
Last guy on my list is a guy I’ve mentioned in this space before. He already is no longer (or is about to be no longer) a current Saint … and that’s Marques Colston. That makes him eligible for this category. Let me just say that while this is effectively the second time I’ve predicted his retirement in this blogcast, I’m a monster Colston fan and it pains me to watch him go. That said, I’ve always been a big believer that his skills translate best to the offense he called home for a decade. Moreover, his erosion the last two years has been obvious, and I just can’t see him gutting it out for a discount contract on some other team that has no idea how to use him. I think he signs the one day deal and the Saints retire his jersey vs Atlanta next season.
MP
I like that last choice. Maybe though, instead of being cut, he will retire. But otherwise, yeah, he might collect his bonuses that he is owed after being cut and then when the last check is in his hands he will re-sign to retire. I have no idea how that works.
Anybody who can tell me how bonuses work when retiring? Anyone you think we missed?
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
