The New Orleans Saints are going to miss the postseason for the second year in a row. The team can't seem to find any answers on defense, its once vaunted home-field advantage is a thing of the past, and the franchise is mired in salary-cap woes. The team is nearing a crossroads, leading to the always difficult question: Rebuild or reload?
Should the Saints part ways with Drew Brees and Sean Payton?
Dan Wilkins: Absolutely. A mass rebuild is necessary before the Saints can once again become a perennial Super Bowl contender. Moving on from a quarterback and head coach that led the last turnaround may be a tough sell, but it's time.
Gino Bottero: Getting rid of Brees and Payton is more than a tough sell. The two men transformed the franchise, dragging it out from its days as a laughing stock. What they did for the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is even more invaluable. They can write their own tickets in New Orleans.
Wilkins: Keeping your quarterback and head coach around for longer than necessary is no way to run a franchise. Payton is still one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds, but he needs a fresh start after the way the last two seasons have gone. Brees turns 37 next month and the Saints can save $20 million of his ridiculous $30-million salary cap hit by partying ways. Why not trade both and get pieces to build around in return?
Bottero: The team has a lot of good pieces already in place. There's definitely value in knowing when it's the right time to cut ties, but what Payton needs is a defensive coordinator. Brees will renegotiate his deal to give the team some cap relief. Keeping him around for another run while he also grooms his replacement is a worthwhile investment.
Wilkins: Payton may not call the defensive plays, but that doesn't mean he should be absolved of blame for the unit's struggles. He makes the hires and certainly has a hand in what the Saints do on that side of the ball. And unless Brees is taking an actual paycut, which players never do, renegotiating should be out of the question. Deferring payments for short-term cap relief is exactly what got this team into the financial mess it's in right now.
Bottero: Payton is the rare head coach willing to take risks and be aggressive at a time when most coaches prefer to play it safe and avoid media scrutiny. He coaches to win, and along with Brees, keeps the offense moving. He's already guided the team to five playoff appearances and a Super Bowl before his 52nd birthday. To kick that winning mindset to the curb would be a terrible message to send a fan base that's stayed loyal through some very lean years.
Wilkins: At a certain point, accomplishments of the past become irrelevant. The Saints have been a disappointment for two years running, and there are no signs that things are getting any better. In the interest of building for the future, the smart move would be to trade both Payton and Brees while they still have value, and before each has the opportunity to walk away for nothing in return.
