Welcome into the New Orleans Saints Podcast. You'll hear from players, coaches, broadcasters, and writers that cover the NFL on a daily basis. The New Orleans Saints Podcast starts right now. Here's your host, Aaron Summers.
Welcome into the New Orleans Saints Podcast. I'm Aaron Summers alongside John Deschaser. Mickey Loomis spoke yesterday to the media. It is year end availability, so we're going to kind of break down what he said and where things stand with the team right now.
They are in the.
Middle of their head coaching search, so we're going to go over a couple of names that we know have interviewed already. We know a couple people who are still on the docket, i e. Darren Rizzy, because that was said to be somebody that they're going to interview and that has not happened yet. On the tales of what Loomis said, he did say that he feels like, yes, the team was five and twelve this season, they did not perform the way that they wanted to do. Loomis said, a lot of it how to do with the injuries, and he feels like the team can go in another direction. Really quickly.
Yeah, I mean, it's happened before in the NFL. I mean, he's not wrong there. I mean, but and there was indeed an abnormal amount of injuries. I've never seen a team as injured as the Saints were last season, where I think an injury hit just about every position, quarterback, running back, tight end with Taysom Hill, offensive line they had, you know, some guys nicked up on the defensive line but not really missing any games. But you know, linebacker, even the Mario Davis missed the game, had some injuries in the secondary. So I've just not seen a team have as many injuries as the Saints had. You know, that said, can you lay five and twelve at the feet of injuries? You know, to me, that's you know, and he will say and everybody on the team will say, that's that's kind of making excuses. You know, you got to win what you have. But you know, the flip side of that is it was an abnormal amount. I mean, if you're talking about frontline guys that you expected to play and start, and you know that when you remove those guys, when you remove Derek Carr for seven games and you remove Alvin Kamara, for the last three games, and you remove Taysom Hill for I think maybe you know, six seven games, and you know, you take Eric McCoy out, I think he only played seven games, and you take out your you know, left guard and your right guard for a few games, and you know, it's just a lot to try to overcome for any team.
So yeah, a lot of that has to do with it.
But you know, in the NFL, if you're just banking on good health, that's kind of a you know, I don't know how sound that philosophy is because the NFL folks get hurt.
You get hurt all the time. You have hurt.
You know, have guys hurt at key positions, and unfortunately the Saints had them hurt at key positions for long stretches this season. But you just can't say, well, Chris A. Lobby is gonna come back and play sim games next year. You can't say Rachie's He's going to come back and play seventeen games next year. You know, those are things that you hope for, but to write it in stone would be would be folly. So yeah, he's got a great point saying, you know five and twelve, you know, injuries had a lot to do with it, but you know, to think it might you know, turn the other way very quickly because you don't have injuries. That's putting a lot of faith and staying healthy.
Well, when the team was healthy, and I know people don't want to hear about it, but they were two and zero when everybody was healthy. They put up ninety one points in the first two games of the season, and Loumas said that the injuries did prevent them from winning games. And I think that you can say that that is true. He said that that's what they need to get a handle on more than anything else. Do you think that is the biggest issue thing that they need to tackle with this team?
Yeah, I mean, staying healthy is critical for any NFL team. You know, you see some teams are able to kind of withstand it overcoming. You know, Detroit's having a lot of injuries and they're in the playoffs and you know on defense, but the Troye's offense is pretty much intact. But the Saints had injuries across the board all over the place. And when you lose you know that many key people, it's hard to be able to keep up. As you mentioned, you know, when they were fully healthy, you know, the ninety one points, you know in the first two games, or ninety two points in the first two games. But you know after that, when Ericton coy got injured in the third game against Philadelphia, the offense really shut down.
And Eric McCoy is the key to that offensive line.
It doesn't matter how good everybody else plays, he's pretty much the key to that offensive line. And he doesn't play a whole lot, you know, last season, And so when you think about it from that standpoint, it really just went downhill from there. Every time you turned around, someone was getting injured for the Saints. I mean, it's amazing that the only the only two guys I can think of who started every game, where the two offensive tackles, Tali Vouaga and Trevor Penny. Everybody else kind of rotated in and out, and you know, you just had guys nicked up and missing time and missing games.
And you know.
I think Chase Young probably played every game too. But you know, for the most part, I mean it seems like everybody when to Mario when the Mario Davis misses a game, and everybody misses a game, so so yeah, I see where he's saying.
I see what he's saying.
But yet again to just hope or or you know, and it's you know, hopefully you can change some things in the offseason and maybe prevent some of these things.
And maybe it was just one of those things.
Where the football guys say, you know what, we're going to take it out in the Saints this season and it's just going to be an injured team and maybe next year is going to be totally different. But again, in the NFL, you know, folks get hurt, and they get hurt, you know, all the time, and a lot of guys get hurt at the same time, and a lot of guys end up on injured reserves. So hopefully the Saints can avoid that next year. And if they can't avoid that, obviously they'll they'll be a better team. But that's a lot of hope to depend on that, and you know, there's some things on the roster, as Mickey said yesterday, that you know, there's some holes that have to be patched on.
The roster right now. They said that they haven't really gone into a full player evaluation because they're focused on the coaching search right now, which is understandable. They want to get the head coach in there, the new head coach, and allow him to have some say in the players that he's working with, probably namely the quarterback. That's definitely something that's been a hot topic since the season's been over. But with the coaching search, you're going to have a few more people involved this time around than the last time when they hired Dennis Allen, because you still have Mickey Loomis, Michael Parenton, Kay Harley, Jeff Ireland, but Dave Siegler and Randy Mueller are going to be additional advisors for the coaching search, and Loomas said that they learned some things from the last one. Didn't go to details about what that was, but he did say there's some things that they're really going to hone in on a little bit differently this time around. I know culture is going to be a big issue that they hammer in because that was then they came up a lot of this past season. What else do you think that they really need to focus in on with the coaching search, Well, I.
Mean I think that you know, culture is such a I don't know if it's a cliche word or if it's just you know, kind of the word djure right now. But you gotta have a guy who can command the room, and he's got to be able to command the room and totality, you know all the time, and you know NFL players, you know, seventeen games doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a grind when you're talking about the physical nature of the game and the way these guys have to get their bodies ready, you know, each and every week, and when you have those, you know inevitable, you know, three games and eleven day stretches where every team in the NFL has one, and when you get into one of those, that's the real dog days because you know, now you're trying to just maintain and keep guys healthy and get through. So you need a coach who can you know he can, he who's able to motivate, who's able to command the room and really really delegate because you know, in the NFL, I think unless you have a specific guy who's head coach.
And a play caller, it's difficult to do.
You've got to maintain the entire building. You've got to you know, hopefully you know, legislate everything and you know all the small things, all the small details come down to your desk, you know, travel and you know what you know what we're wearing, and you know, you know what what they're eating, and just all kinds of things that you never thought about if your position coach lands on the head coach's desk. And so it's difficult to do all of that and be a play caller for a specific unit and be in control over the entire team because if you're just an offensive play caller or just a defensive play caller, well you're probably not spending as much time looking over the offense or the defense as you need to.
And so it's a delicate balance.
And really that's where you know, your offensive and defensive coordinators really come into play. So it'll be interesting to see who the head coach, who the new head coach names as is as its coordinators, because that's going to be a lot of responsibility for those coordinators, because again, the head coach has to do all the overall thing, you know, the whole you know, monitoring the entirety of the program.
And so that's that's going to be interesting to see.
I really don't know which way, you know, you lean in the NFL nowadays because it's kind of a you know, for for a while, it seemed like, you know, defensive coordinators were getting the jobs, and then it seemed like offensive coordinators were getting the jobs. We've seen special teams coaches step in and be outstanding in that. We're talking about John Harbaugh in Baltimore has done a great job of that, and a lot of things can be said for special teams couch because they're the guys who see the most guys on a team during the season, so they kind of they understand how to command the room. But you know again that you know, you've got guys who you know when you're in the interview process, and guys who have been defensive coordinators and offensive coordinators. They have philosophies that they want to implement when they've become head coaches, and obviously, you know, they've thought about it for a while and they've been pretty good at what they do, other they wouldn't be candidates. So you know, you hope that they can implement them pretty quickly. Because the Saints, you know, are a team that you know, five and twelve, they're in a in a division that's not outstanding. You know, you don't have two thirteen game winners in the division, so you can make a quick turn. You can get to you know, hopefully nine to ten wins and that be enough to either win a division or maybe get into the playoffs. I know that's asking a lot, say double the win total. But you know, if you if you're healthy, if you're the Saint, you know, you totally you're talking about you know, five or you know, four or five one score games that maybe go your way if you are healthy and a little better.
Yeah, you hit on a couple of things there, Rizzy special team coordinator. Obviously prior to being elevated to the interim head coach, Luma said that he did a really good job under tough circumstances, obviously the injuries being a lot of those tough circumstances, and then taking a team over in the middle of the season. He also said, though, that the new coach that comes in and will be able to make staff changes. Right now, everybody has their job, but it's kind of a placeholder until the new coach comes in and decides to retain you or bring in somebody else. Got to be a weird position to be in if you're on a coaching staff right now. So Woma said that they are allowing people to interview other places. They're understanding that they may not have a job when the new head coach comes in. And then the new head coach will have input on the quarterback as I mentioned, and the draft, So there's a lot of things that are unknowns until the new head coach comes in.
Yeah, And if you're a coach who's on the staff, I mean, on one hand, it stinks because you know you're in limbo. But on the other hand, it's the life of an NFL coach, the life of a coach period.
You're going to be in limbo from time to time.
And unfortunately, you know, I understand these guys have families and those kinds of things with that this is the business they've chosen, and so you know, this goes along with it. Sometimes you're just kind of hanging until you know things solidify. And if you're doing a coaching search, you know, are you and are is the new coach going to be impressed enough with your work to retain you? And even if he is impressed enough with your work, does he have another guy that he has in mind? Anyway because he because he feels like, you know, he knows that guy a little bit. And obviously new coach coming in deserves to hire his own staff. He needs to have people on the staff that he believes in, that he trusts, and hopefully that can happen. And you know sometimes these days, will you know, it can happen where if the coaching search drags out for a while, you know, the candidate's pool dries up a little bit, and so you know, but you know, I mean, you know, the Saints have some some assistant coaches who you know, for my money, did a really nice job, have done a really nice job for the Saints. Will that be able to get keep him retained by the Saints?
I don't know.
And you know again that that will be the new coaches call. But you know, he deserves to have his own staff, have his own hand picked guys, because you know, it's your job and ultimately, you know, the buck stops with you, Everything stops at your front door, and when the team, if the team doesn't win, then you're going to be the first guy on the fire line more.
So than the assistant. So yeah, hopefully they can pick the.
Right guy and you know, again, a lot of good assistant coaching candidates.
But you know, as you mentioned, the Saints have.
Allowed some of those guys to interview with some other places because there is limbo you don't know, and you don't want to hold guys up, and you know, you don't want the music to stop and a guy not have a seat when he was when he would have been able to go to another place and get another job.
Yeah, a couple of the names that have come up that the Saints have already acknowledged interviewing our Aaron Glenn, who obviously has ties to the Saints. He's currently the defensive coordinator with the Lions. Mike Kafka. He's with the New York Giants as the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach right now. He was a quarterback coach and the passing game coordinator with Kansas City from twenty seventy into twenty twenty one, So, I mean they had a really good stretch over that time and he was a big part of that. Anthony Weaver, he is currently the DC at Miami, but he spent time with the Ravens the Texans as a defensive coordinator there as well. So those are three names that we know have been interviewed virtually already mentioned. Darren Rizzy is going to be on that list as well. Mike McCarthy just got let go or his contract ran out, or however they handled that situation with the Cowboys. I know he was somebody that came up yesterday. Loomis was asked about whether they were going to interview him or not. He didn't say one way or the other, but he did say there's going to be more interviews coming this week.
Yeah, you cast as wide in it as you can if you're the same some I mean, obviously you know there's some guys who you probably have as favorites and who you who are on the wish list. But you cast the white in it because you never know. You interview guys and you never know who's going to come in and knock your socks off and really turn out to be the guy that you feel like can run an organization. I don't know if anybody in New Orleans in two thousand and six thought that Sean Payton was the guy when you went into it, and it turns out to be that Sean Payton was perfect for the franchise. So you just don't know until you talk to guys and see what their vision is and how they plan to implement that vision and how they feel like they can they can either change the culture or pick it up where it needs to be or you know, plug in the holes, and you know all kinds of things that you find out during the interview process, and so you know, you cast a wide net. So that's why you talk to Mike Cafka, and that's why you talk to Anthony Weaver and.
Aaron Clenn obviously is one of the hot names out there.
You mentioned Mike McCarthy, who you know once he's you know, he's no longer you know, the head coach in Dallas, So he's free, he's a free agent. He's the guy who can be spoken to. So you just want to talk to guys and see what what what their thoughts are, what their thoughts are on the organization, and you know, again how they feel like they can be the best fit and get the most out of the players on the roster and hopefully get get the franchise back in the right direction.
Going from the coaching staff the front office, Micky Lomas said he's not retiring everybody in the front office is good. Jeff Ireland, Michael Parrenton Loomas said that he's been pleased with the way that the draft has been over the last however many years. I know that there are fans out there that would and have voice opinions otherwise, but I think there are a lot of players that have hit over the last several and shoot, Talisa Fluaga being one of the big ones. Spencer Rattler or somebody there high on Loomis spoke highly of him and his ability kind of got thrown into the fire earlier than you probably wanted him to this year. But there are definitely players if you can hang your hat on over the past several seasons.
Yeah, I mean, you're not gonna bat a thousand in the draft, and fans, you know, nitpick, and you know they think you should bad a thousand, and if you if you if you don't hit on the guy, or or if you you draft a guy and you know, for whatever reason, he doesn't work out for you, but he works out for another organization, and then it's like, you know, oh my god, they don't know how to pick play as well. Actually they picked a player he just didn't fit them for whatever reason. You know, Zack Bond comes to mind. Zach Bong was not going to be a starting linebacker for the Saints. Not with the Mario Davis and Pete warning. That just wasn't going to happen. He wanted an opportunity to play. He got that opportunity to play in Philadelphia and he has shined with it. So you know, hats off to him, but that's just the way it goes. Kayden Ellis was not going to be a starting linebacker for the Saints, but he was able to go to the Falcons and he's been able to play well for the Falcons. You know, Trey Hendrickson probably was not going to be a starting defensive end for the Saints. You know, he was with the Saints for three years and he showed some flashes, but he wasn't going to be that guy. He goes to Cincinnati and now he's, you know, just about the best pass rush in the league.
But you know, you can hit.
On a guy and not necessarily hit on him unfortunately for your organization.
But you know, he wasn't a bad pick.
He just wasn't a great pick for you organization because you had some guys in front of him.
So it happens.
And like you mentioned, you know, when you get Fuaga, who is a hit, when you get you know, and Eric McCoy, who's a hit. You know, Trevor Penning looks a lot less like a guy.
Who can't play in the NFL.
Now he looks a lot like a guy who can and looks like he might be able to sustain it for a good period of time. Well, Trevor Penning very well can turn out to be a hit, or at least he was a hit last season after he wasn't hit the first two seasons. But he certainly looks like a guy who can play in the NFL, So you know it Sometimes it takes a little time. Sometimes it takes a little time, and sometimes it takes some good fortune. If Trevor Penning's playing left tackle for the Saints, he might be on another team right now because he wouldn't have been able to play left tackle for the Saints. But moving him the right tackle may may turn out to save his career. So, you know, sometimes it just you know, sometimes it's just a circumstance that happened, and it's hard to call, and it takes a little time to figure out where a guy can be, where he can fit.
In, and those kinds of things.
And I understand you draft a guy in fans think you ought to play immediately and you ought to hit on all of them, and it just doesn't happen that way. Sometimes it takes time to figure out where a guy can fit in and how he can help.
Yeah, I mean, you can go back to Chris Alave. He's been huge for this team. He just had injuries this year and another wide receiver above means looks like he was going to be great, but he had injuries this year, So there's things that play into it as well. Peyton Turner's definitely dealt with injuries, and I know people get frustrated with that, but when they're healthy, they have definitely shown that they can be effective and hopefully they'll just be able to be on the field more next season. The cap situation is always a topic that comes up because the Saints are always over it. Louis said though, that we have the most players under contract among all of the NFL teams. Is that a good thing? I don't I don't know.
Well, is it a good thing when you're five and twelve and youve got the most guys under contract. I don't know either, I mean, because you're five and twelve. So is it a good Is that a good thing?
I don't know.
The good thing for the Saints is they've always been able to figure out how to get it done financially. They've always been able to figure out how to get compliant. They've always been able to figure out not only how to get compliant, but how to add a free agent or two or three. And that might not be the high end guy that you know, the splash guy that you know everybody thinks is gonna gonna flip the franchise, but they've been able to get you know, the Chase Youngs and the Willigate juniors. They've been able to pick up some guys who you know, on fairly bargain prices who have been able to help out. So, you know, if you're if you're a good team, and the Saints that we're a good team for a long time, which is why they're in this cap situation that they're in, then you're not gonna be picking high anyway, and you're not gonna be able to probably land big money free agents because you're not going to have that kind of capital, and you might not necessarily have a guy for have a space for the guy to play.
So you know, those scenes kind of work hand in hand when you're successful.
Now things haven't been to the playoffs in four straight seasons, so you know, and you're over the cap. But again, they managed to get under the cap, and you know, a lot of things have to go right for the Saints to be a contender, you know, for first and foremost among them is health. You know, you got to be healthy, and so you know, it doesn't matter where you are with the cap and guys are hurt. You know, if guys are hurt, you know, well, then it looks like a bad cap investment. If guys are playing and they're playing well, then it looks like a great investment. And nobody cares that you're over the cap, you know, at the end of the season, because you're contending for the playoffs, and nobody's saying, well, you know what, here the Saints go and they need to trim it, and everybody's saying, okay, let's get ready for the playoffs. So we we've seen that part of it, and now we're seeing the other side of it, where you know you're not successful and you got a lot of money out hated and how do you get compliant? How do you get under the cap? And in addition, how do you add to the roster to make it better? But it's a good thing that you know. Lewis did say, you know, hey, I'm I don't know if he didn't say consciously optimist.
Optimisticy, comfortably uncomfortable.
Comfortably uncomfortable that, which is a great word. I'm comfortably uncomfortable.
So you know, that tells you that they've have ideas, they know how they're going to get under the cap, and they know.
The players that they're going to approach. They've done this more times than you know.
Most of us have fingers and toes, so they understand how to do this and how to work it. And he said, look, the teams that aren't doing it this way, we'll be doing it this way pretty soon because it happens to everybody, because especially successful teams, it happens to him. So you know, if they're if he's comfortably uncomfortable, then I'm going to be uncomfortable, comfortable, comfortably uncomfortable with him because I've seen him do it before.
Yeah, he said, he feels like they've made progress for where they were at the last couple of years. So they've proven it year in and year out they can figure it out. So yeah, by all means this is something that will be good for the fans.
Uh.
Not so good for Graft because he did obviously reach out about this. Training camp will likely be in Metay, and that means that the fans will be able to see the team practice. He's it's a likely new head coach does have a little bit of a say in it. But for the fans, I know that was a sticking point last season, not being able to be around the team and come to the practices like they have in the past.
Look, nobody asked me for my two cents, but I'm gonna give it anyway. I like training camp at home. I like training camp and Metay And I don't know necessarily that you know, yeah, of course you want you want it in front of the fans because they give you.
They give the players.
They are adrenaline on those days where they're just dragging around, they're exhausted, and you know.
You're in Mitia, Louisiana. It's gonna be hot.
It's gonna be hot, it's gonna be sticky, it's gonna be muggy. We're all gonna really not smell nice after training. But I like being home. I think it does toughening those guys up some to work out that in those kinds of conditions, and they're always is the indoor facility obviously, but I think there's just something to be said for being at home. I just I just think there's something to be said for that. And again, you know, going to California last year was fantastic weatherwise, it was great, it was picturesque, it was you know, it was chamber of commerce all the time days and the team with five and twelve and a lot of folks got hindered. So so you know, you can be at home and and hopefully hopefully avoid some.
Of those injuries.
And being at home for training camp really for everybody, fans, players, media, every it's about hydration and getting ready for the heat, and.
That really is a lot to do with it.
I understand the things had a lot of soft tissue injuries and that kind of thing, and so you know, there are some prevented things that hopefully can be done to get around that.
But it's really.
About kind of survival on some of those days and just getting through them. But I think I think, maybe I'm a little old fashioned. I think that that I think that hardens the team. I think it gives them callous. I think it works for a team and toughs them up. And look, they got to feel like it toughs them up. You know, it's a psychological thing to be able to get through if you're a player, if you're exhausted and you know, thank god, it's not two a days anymore and gods are losing you know, twelve to thirty pounds in the first practice and then you got to go back for another practice.
It's not that situation anymore.
But I think it does help them psychologically to be able to get through and fight through to the end of a practice when your dog tired and you're hot and you're exhausted, because there are gonna be games where you're gonna be on the field and you're not gonna be feeling fresh, fresh, fresh in the fourth quarter, and you need to push through. And I think those circumstances help you push through those situations.
Well, does he get ready for me to complain JD. Because I definitely do that when I'm standing out there and I have to be on camera afterwards, and I'm melting and I look like a swamp rat. So there's that.
Well, I mean, hey, and I get it.
Hey, I'm I usually don't complain about the weather, even when it's hot, because you know, I sweat regardless, so I got to wear the long sleeves and all that kind of stuff. So you know, people, folks, when you see me, I'm not I'm not an idiot. I wear long sleeves because I sweat tremendously and I just don't want sweat dripping off me, like on the ground where you can visibly see it.
But that's it. It is miserable. It's miserable, and I and I get it.
I mean for TV folks, and you know, I don't have to deal with that element a whole lot, but I mean, it is. It is not the most picturesque thing to do to go out there and stand around for you know, a hour and a half, two hours, and then try to go and stand in front of a TV camera and all of it's outside and you've been out there sweating like nobody's business for the whole time. I mean, you can hydrate all you want to, you can feel okay, but you don't look good. So I get that part of it, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with that part of it a whole lot because and even if I didn't, you know, Aaron knows me. I don't care how I looked for I really don't, but I get it. I get it because that's their thing, you know, the TV, So you know she wants to look right, and I can appreciate that. I myself, I don't care how I look, and I don't care how anybody else looks.
I just want to get through it and be done with it.
Yeah, it's gonna be bucket hot season for JD for sure.
Absolutely well.
Kim Jordan and JT. Gray had some awards last week. Kim Jordan won the Bart Star Award and JT. Gray was named a second team All Pro. I know Rizzy would take offense to that because he was on his soapbox about how JT. Gray should have made first team and if you look at the numbers, I don't know how you pick anybody else.
Well, he should have been And then see now that goes It's like, Okay, now he's All Pro, second team All Pro, although he should be first team. But he's not even a Pro Bowl. How do these things happen in the NFL? I understand the Pro Bowl is a popularity contest, but JT. Gray has been around long enough to where he should be popular enough and people have enough rent name recognition for him to be in the Pro Bowl. But you know, hats off to him. He's a great, great special teams player. He's gonna be There's no doubt he's gonna be in the Saints Hall of Fame at the end of his career because he has been probably probably the best special teams player in franchise history, I would imagine, and that includes all the returners you know, kicking well, I shouldn't say that I got it.
I got to give a shout out to more thing.
So I'm sorry I just insulted you because you clearly are the best special teams player in franchise history.
But JT's gonna be number two.
JT really has put together a great NFL career and has shown a lot of young players, Look, you can carve out an NFL career as a great special teams player, that's a place for you in the NFL. You know, as a great special teams players, you can't get into the rotation defensively, you can certainly get on the field on special teams and make an impact. And with cam Man, it's just you know, what can you say? I mean, he's he is something. He really is something, you know, the bar Star Award, and he deserves I think, you know, I'm biased, he deserves to be the Walter Payton Man of the Year for the NFL. If not for a year of service, he's had fourteen years of service, and he has been committed to it. He's been dogged about it, he's been faithful to it. He's been you know, I know, you know, the people who work with him on his community projects are like, you know, there are tuesdays when you don't feel like he's going to show up, and Cam's calling, like, Okay, where we're going, We're going here, so and so on and so this is what we're doing. He has just been relentless about it. And on top of that, you talk about the funding he's provided, you know, in times of tragedy, and you know, the sneaker giveaways he's had, and the shoppings breeze and you know all those things. You know, all those things add up to a guy who who is he is New Orleans. I know he's born in Arizona, and I know he's you know, his dad played in Minnesota, and so he knows a lot about Minnesota. But he's a New Orleans guy and he's the New Orleans guy through and through, and the community loves him as well they should because he has done as much as any player that I can think of has ever done for New Orleans.
He's done a lot. And the bart Star Award is actually voted on by players for outstanding character and leadership on and off the field and in the community. That says a lot to Mario Davis was a previous winner. Drew Brees previous winner ties with the Saints, and you know the caliber of both of those players and what they've done in the communities as well. So great honor for Kim Jordan, and we do hope that it's just one step closer to him getting that Walter Payton Man of the Year Award two because that'd be cool for him to do it here in New Orleans. The city that he has really helped since day one, and where the super Bowl will be coming up shortly. But jad, I think that wraps it up, don't. Is there anything else that stood out to you? No?
Not really.
I mean, you know, I was, I was, I don't. I don't want to say. I don't think Mickey was defiant. I just think he was, you know, pretty resolute, which which was good to see. You know, he's resolute and saying, look, we've done this before. And I get I get what fans are saying. They're saying, your fansas saying, you know, you've had four straight losing season, you have fourth straight non playoff season, right, and so you know there should be a change. There ought to be a change. But he's saying, look, we've done this before. We've done it right. And you look at the track record from two thousand and six to twenty one. Put that together against you know, twenty twenty two to twenty four. Well that's a pretty big chunk compared to a small chunk. And so you know, you say, well, okay, he has done it right before. You know, now this last time, you know, I don't think anyone would would argue that that it's been right, because obviously the record says it hadn't been right. You are what your record says you are, but you know to have done it right that time. Mickey Loomis, in the history of this franchise is the most successful general manager.
You know, He's won two hundred and eight games.
You know, he's you know, the only playoff wins in franchise history have happened under Mickey Loomis. The only Super Bowl when that has happened in franchise history happened under Mickey Loomis.
He picked those people. So I get what folks are saying, you know, you know, but also get what he's saying.
He said, Look, I didn't all of a sudden, you know, fall off the turnip truck and forget how to do this. I still know how to do this. I still believe I know how to do this. And look, I want a GM around who says, look I can I can get us out of this and and so that's pretty much.
What he's saying.
Yeah, you gotta like the content, and there is a track record of success, albeit it hasn't been in the last couple of seasons, but yeah, you can get back there. Just got to find the right head coach and a couple pieces and then figure out the injury situation. I think that is key as well. Bud JD, thank you so much. Next week we're going to be doing a season recap with Tomorrio Davis, so that will be really fun to get his thoughts on this season and talk to him a little bit about what's coming up for him over the off season. But thank you JD. And thanks for listening to the New Orleans Saints Podcast.
Thank you, and make sure you asked to Mario about another night out of New Orld and see if you're going to do.
Now Okay, yes we got to get a follow up.
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