From the title one might easily assume that I am about to try to convince you all to believe in the Saints roster as currently constructed, the magic of Dennis Allen, and the power of positivity to make the team make the playoffs. Well, you can all relax because that isn’t what I want to write about at all. Whether they win their final four games or not this Saints team is still not a good team and certainly not worthy of a playoff spot. However, they also are not a horrible team, just one with a few fatal flaws that realistically probably doomed their season from the start. With that in mind it is easy to throw in the towel as a fan, hope the team loses their final games, and that the resulting high draft pick is the next Reggie White or Lawrence Taylor. That’s simply not realistic though, and it’s what I would like to caution against.
There is virtually no evidence at all that bad teams become good with a high draft pick in the NFL, in fact there is a great deal of evidence to show that teams that pick at the top of the draft tend to do so again…frequently. Certainly you can get some of the better talents in the first ten spots, and the first five for sure. But it’s actually kind of rare to find a true game changer anywhere in the draft, and the top 5 is no exception to this. There is a reason that a number of the best teams consistently pick towards the bottom of the draft, and a number of the worst consistently pick at the top. It’s because the organizations that go in with a plan, with a vision, for what they want to be tend to be far more successful. The team’s that fall in love with ‘the shiny new toy’ rarely are. Atlanta trading away half a draft to get Julio is a great example of this. They tried to change their entire identity with one player, albeit a really good one, but sacrificed depth and filling key holes. Look where they are now (no really…look..you’ll feel better) and tell me if a single elite talent changes an entire team.
J.J. Watt in Houston is another perfect example, as was Fitzgerald in Arizona for years. The point I am trying to make is that one player is not going to turn this team around, and it certainly won’t give Brees that last shot at a ring he wants (and deserves). The fight, the will to win, and the drive to improve themselves are the most important things the Saints can worry about through these last few weeks. The way they played against Tampa Bay and Carolina should leave fans with a much better feeling than if they threw in the towel and ‘tanked’. Any professional athlete that ‘sends it in’ and quits like that…doesn’t deserve to be one.
The Saints clearly felt that way as they got rid of a lot of ‘quiters’ this last off-season. This team may be young, they may have some major holes that can’t be fixed this year, but they also clearly care. Young players like Breaux, like Cooks, Peat, Richardson, and others all need to continue giving that maximum effort these last three weeks. They need to do so because they are professionals, but also more importantly because its important for their growth. What happens in these last few weeks can absolutely pay dividends going into next season, and the forging of a new identity and the creating of a greater level of trust and camaraderie this year, could very well lead to success next year. The Saints of this season seem to understand that. They haven’t given up, they continue to fight, and they take enough pride in their work to do so. As a fan, while I WANT them to win so very badly, I can be proud of a team that simply refuses to quit. Whether they lose 3 or win 3 I will determine my satisfaction of the team’s performance over these final 3 games based upon their effort.
If our players dont quit, then neither will I. As Saints fans many of you have been through FAR greater trials than this, and while this season is disappointing, the only way its truly ‘lost’ is if they quit. Don’t ask them to, and don’t root for it either. A team that drafts smart, and drafts to BUILD instead of to replace, that is the kind of team that finds success in this league. The Saints have 3 more weeks to find out who they are, and who they want to be, and so long as they are giving their all to that end, we as fans can be proud to be cheering for them…..we can all rage and denounce another ‘lost season’ after week 17 is over.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
