Across the NFL the New Orleans Saints have carried a reputation as one of the most successful franchises in the league since 2017. A 9-8 record in 2021 muddies that in some minds. But for a team that set an NFL record for most starters in a season (58), including four different quarterbacks, finishing with a winning record and one 49ers loss away from the playoffs is outstanding. To achieve that, the decision-makers at the top must be amongst the NFL’s best. According to Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com, that is exactly the case for general manager Mickey Loomis and the Saints.
“No one finds change in the cushions of the salary cap couch quite like Loomis. In his greatest trick yet, Loomis turned the most money over the cap entering the offseason I’ve ever seen (except for the 2021 Saints) into an unnecessary surplus after the Saints’ failed bid for Deshaun Watson. Saints Twitter grumbles, but this has been one of the most talented rosters for years, especially on defense and the offensive line. How else could you go 17-4 over the last three seasons in games started by Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill and Teddy Bridgewater?”
Rosenthall ranks the 20-year Saints general manager as one of the top ten at his post in the NFL. Listed along with him are bright minds like the Buffalo Bills’ Brandon Beane, Les Sneed of the Los Angeles Rams, and Kevin Colbert who will retire with the Pittsburgh Steelers after this year’s NFL draft.
What Loomis has been able to achieve in New Orleans will also be highlighted by the team’s salary cap gymnastics. Two seasons in a row, Loomis and vice president of football administration Khai Harley worked to shave over $100 million from the team’s cap. This year, they did so without cutting a single player until quarterback Blake Bortles asked to be released when the team signed Andy Dalton as their backup signal caller. On top of that, the Saints have put together solid drafts since 2017 including landing both offensive and defensive rookies of the year in cornerback Marshon Lattimore and running back Alvin Kamara to start.
Sometimes, leaders are only as good as the team they put around them. While Loomis and his successes stand alone, the team he’s helped to put together and their symbiotic nature deserve recognition as well. From the aforementioned Harley to vice president and assistant general manager – college personnel Jeff Ireland to director of pro personnel Michael Parenton, every piece is key in the Saints’ operation. All led by owner Gayle Benson.
Loomis and the Saints continued to put together a perennial contender with Drew Brees and Sean Payton at the helm. Now, things look a little different with Brees and Payton having departed. But with moves like securing a second first-round pick in the 2022 draft, it goes to show that New Orleans is in good hands with Loomis and his team.
