Saints coach Sean Payton made it clear last week — during an impromptu media ethics lecture — that he had no intention of ever including quarterback Drew Brees in his team’s extreme makeover.
But that doesn’t mean some more significant changes aren’t coming.
According to Peter King of Sports Illustrated, the Saints are expected to remain active on several fronts leading up to the draft.
Two deals he mentions are possible trades of guard Jahri Evans and defensive end Cameron Jordan.
They’re talking to Jordan about an extension, but apparently could be talked into letting someone else do the honors if they can’t agree on his value. And Payton admitted last week at the owners meetings that they’re still talking to Evans about what the appropriate numbers would look like (i.e. how much of a pay cut he’ll swallow, from his scheduled $7.5 million in salary and bonuses) on a restructured deal.
After trading Jimmy Graham to Seattle and Kenny Stills to Miami, the Saints have five of the first 78 picks in the 2015 NFL Draft (13, 31, 44, 75 and 78), which gives them plenty of ammunition to make a move.
So even if they’re committed to Brees for now (and there’s no reason to think they aren’t), they also have the kind of currency to make a play for a younger quarterback if they were so inclined, especially if they peddle two productive veterans for more picks.
And if they’re not looking for a long-term solution at quarterback, they at least have a chance to restock the pantry for the current one.