I have to admit, the anticipation of this stressful offseason coupled with the recent bounty gate news soured me on Mickey Loomis. My confidence in his ability to do his job effectively was compromised, even though it’s usually not in my nature to jump to conclusions. Over the years Loomis has gained not only city wide but league wide respect for being one of the best general managers in the business, and I began to question if he was going to be able to live up to that consistently. Well, lesson learned, don’t ever doubt Mickey Loomis.
The day Drew Brees got tagged I was admittedly fuming over what I viewed was a horrible mismanagement of the situation. Not only did that situation prove the Brees contract negotiations were not progressing at the pace they should have, it all be assured Carl Nicks was about to leave and maybe Marques Colston too. Make no mistake, I’m still not happy with how that played out, and I’m annoyed that Brees is in this limbo status where we’re not exactly sure when he’ll be extended. That said, what’s transpired since has quickly put Loomis back in my good graces.
Consider what the Saints have been able to do since I wrote that post blasting Loomis:
1. One the eve of free agency they moved to get Colston’s deal done to keep him with the team.
2. They lost Nicks to the richest guard contract in NFL history, but immediately rebounded by replacing him with the next best available guard out there, Ben Grubbs.
At that point I was satisfied that they retained Colston while finding a suitable replacement for Nicks. I was content even though, to me, it was clear they picked offense over defense. It’s almost as if Mickey Loomis reads what some of us say about him and then says “oh yeah? WATCH THIS”.
So BAM, he then:
1. Signs Brodrick Bunkley, the best DT on the market.
2. Signs Chris Chamberlain to upgrade to linebacking core.
3. Signs Curtis Lofton, the best LB on the market.
At this point I can’t really complain about anything. Sure, I’d love the Brees deal to get done as soon as possible, but now my faith is restored that Mickey will eventually make that happen when the time is right. Losing him for 8 games is going to be a real challenge, and losing Sean Payton for the entire season is REALLY going to suck – but Loomis has made it clear he’s still gunning for the Super Bowl with these moves regardless of the sanctions they face.
What’s most impressive about all this is how Loomis has found a way to fit this all within the cap without cutting anyone. Lance Moore and Patrick Robinson, for example, re-structured their deals to save the Saints substantial cap room. They didn’t lose any money, but Loomis massaged their deals and changed technicalities to manipulate the system and relieve the Saints of cap woes. He also managed to re-do the contracts of Will Smith and Jahri Evans to free up some additional space. The fact that Vilma is still on the team with his cap figure and looming suspension also makes it clear the Saints have no intentions of blowing this thing up. Their window at winning titles is NOW and they are going to do everything in their power to optimize their chances of getting to that place again. Loomis deserves credit for finding creative ways to make this all work. He’s definitely earning his keep as one of the best cap managers and financial experts the NFL has ever seen.
I’m sorry I ever doubted you Mickey. Carry on…
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