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Saints turning over all the rocks to make 1 more Super Bowl run

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Three straight years of 7-9 records are more than the New Orleans Saints are comfortable with.

With Drew Brees' expiry date slowly approaching, the Saints are making another push to win some Super Bowl gold while "Breesus" can still carry an offense on his back. The 38-year-old quarterback recently said he feels the team is "very close" to becoming a Super Bowl contender.

With a 27th-ranked defense to fix and a top-rated offense ready to go, the Saints have been looking under every rock and exercising every option possible to take a shot at their second Super Bowl title.

Kicking the tires on Peterson

Signing Adrian Peterson doesn't really make a ton of sense for New Orleans, but the future Hall of Famer is worth a look.

Related - Report: Saints to host Adrian Peterson next week

While Mark Ingram already fills Peterson's role, the 27-year-old doesn't have the natural abilities of the former Viking. If Peterson can show the Saints during their visit that he can still get it done, adding the 32-year-old on an affordable deal to be an upgrade over Ingram would bring New Orleans a little bit closer to a Lombardi Trophy.

Swapping Cooks for ammo

Despite back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons, the Saints decided they could live without 23-year-old receiver Brandin Cooks if it meant improving in other areas.

The Saints sent Cooks and a fourth-rounder to New England for a first- and third-round pick, giving the team a pair of top-32 selections to fill multiple needs. The team also reportedly tried to acquire Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, who played on the Saints' Super Bowl XLIV team, to upgrade the secondary with a strong, versatile leader.

With Brees at quarterback, New Orleans was confident it could find another pass-catcher to take Cooks' place, and may have already done so with veteran speedster Ted Ginn Jr.

Butler's restricted visit

It's become a rarity to see restricted free agents visit with other teams, though it remains completely within their rights to do so.

After failing to swap him for Cooks, the Saints brought in Patriots corner Malcolm Butler on a restricted free-agent visit in mid-March to try working out a contract, and potentially a trade with New England. While nothing major has come of it yet, both teams still have until April 21 to work out a deal.

Butler, a 2015 Pro Bowler and 2016 All-Pro, would significantly upgrade New Orleans' secondary, which hasn't been a team strength since its 2009 Super Bowl run.

Whether a deal gets done before the deadline or not, don't be surprised if the Saints emerge as one of the teams in the market for Richard Sherman.

Patience with Brees' deal

Last offseason, getting Brees signed to a new contract before the start of the campaign was a major priority.

This year - with Brees on another expiring deal - the tone is completely different. The 10-time Pro Bowler recently admitted he and the team don't intend to sign a new deal until after the season.

It would be a shock to see Brees play for another team at this point in his career, so he and the team are comfortable working out his next deal in 2018. As he carries a modest $19-million cap hit in 2017, a new deal would likely raise that number and make it more difficult to sign free agents.

Key additions

New Orleans was able to avoid any cap-crippling signings this offseason, but still managed to add several pieces that can contribute to a chapmionship run.

Former Lions guard Larry Warford was the Saints' biggest acquisition in free agency, providing a massive upgrade over Tim Lelito. For the first time since 2011, the Saints have a quality starter at all five offensive line positions.

Still searching for that Jon Vilma-esque presence at linebacker, New Orleans added two defenders who have gone on championship runs only to fall short. A.J. Klein played an increasingly productive role with the Panthers the past two seasons, going to Super Bowl 50 in the process, while Manti Te'o was a heavy contributor to Notre Dame's 2012 national championship appearance in college.

Former backup quarterback Chase Daniel returned to the Saints in a familiar role. Daniel's first stint with the team saw a Super Bowl win in his first year and two more playoff appearances to follow as the 2007 Heisman finalist was a dutiful backup who provided Brees with ideal support.

Possibilities to come

With Peterson's visit coming next week and a little under $13 million in cap space thanks to Terron Armstead's reconstructed deal and Jairus Byrd's release, there are still options on the table.

The Saints own five picks in the top 103. They've shown a willingness to overlook certain red flags if it means improving the roster and their chances of winning a Super Bowl, as they were one of the first four teams to meet with controversial running back Joe Mixon.

As the front office can't help but start to imagine what life will be like without Brees, they appear to have made a committed decision to go all in on a Lombardi Trophy run to give fans a great memory before potentially returning to "Aints" status.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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