quote:
Best case for this season is Derek Carr comes out playing really well and we can trade him off. Signing him to a 4 year deal was a disaster, IMO.

They can't trade him. No one is going to want him with that contract.

Best case realistic scenario is that the defense continues to play relatively well, the offense with a different approach for the first time in 18 years shows improvement from last season, which allows the Saints to have a season similar to Tampa last year in an NFC South that while it might be better, still doesn't appear to have a dominant team. And the Saints do this ALL while being smart with the finances/assists. They don't restructure productive, but aging vets, just to compete now. If it is more cost effective to let them go than keep them, they do so. They don't buy high priced FA's they can't afford on the credit card. They don't trade a ton of future draft picks just to move up a few spots in the first or second round. They keep slowly getting younger and less expensive. If they can compete while doing so and remain somewhat interesting, fine. If not, that's ok too. But continue the path regardless of the results (at least for a few years)

Like others have said, they can't really afford to tear things down anyway. Continue to smartly build the roster so that maybe in a few years you have an opportunity to find a young QB to join an otherwise good roster. That worked for KC with Mahomes. It's worked for teams like Philly and San Francisco. It's not a 100% certainty that will work. But neither is drafting a QB at the top of the draft and sticking him on a team with little talent.

I think this season cemented the reality for the FO (and many fans) that the Brees/Payton run is completely over. The Saints aren't just a few players away from getting back to the Super Bowl, so spending money they don't have on a few high priced FAs or trading future draft picks for one more guy in the first or second round isn't going to get them there.