Drew Brees remembers what he thought when he found out the New Orleans Saints were going to get running back Reggie Bush in last spring’s draft.
“I was shocked,” he said. “I thought, `That’s another weapon for the offense.'”
Indeed, the Saints’ ability to draft Bush was one of several fortuitous developments that have put them within one victory of a very unlikely Super Bowl berth.
The Saints have long represented a symbol of frustration, and last weekend’s victory over Philadelphia was only their second postseason win in their 40 years.
They play in a city recovering from a human catastrophe, though there was a time they didn’t know if they’d play there at all this season, and they don’t know if they’ll be there in a few years.
Indeed, many believe that if owner Tom Benson had his way, the franchise would already be the San Antonio Saints. They spent last season training in Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
It seems that in one season, the fates have tried to make up for decades of misfortune and a year of tragedy.
“We had some very fortunate things happen–every team does,” general manager Mickey Loomis said. “We had some unfortunate things happen last year.”
The Saints are the first team to win as few as three games the year before getting to a conference title game, much less a Super Bowl. Their reversal is a result of the ability of Loomis and first-year coach Sean Payton to take advantage of some situations.
Acquiring Brees
In dire need of a quarterback, the Saints took a chance on Brees, who suffered major damage to the labrum and rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder in a meaningless season finale while with San Diego last season. Miami also needed a quarterback, but then-Dolphins coach Nick Saban took what appeared to be a lesser gamble on Daunte Culpepper’s knee, only to have the ex-Viking finish the season on injured reserve.
“Really, the Saints were the only team that felt 100 percent confident that I was going to come back,” Brees said. “They had as much confidence in me as I had in myself. That meant a lot, and it’s the reason I’m here.”
Brees turned down an incentive-laden offer from the Chargers, who were ready to go with Philip Rivers anyway, and got $10 million in guarantees from the Saints.
Drafting Bush
Until the day before the draft, it appeared Houston would use the first overall pick on the Heisman Trophy-winning running back from Southern California. But when the Texans instead chose defensive end Mario Williams, the Saints grabbed Bush with the second pick.
“What was important was finding a quarterback prior to the draft and the flexibility that gave us when Reggie became available,” Payton said.
Without Brees, the Saints might have had to use the second pick on a quarterback, either a rookie or a veteran who probably wouldn’t have done what Brees did–lead the league with 4,418 passing yards and rank No. 3 in passer rating. “If we hadn’t been able to sign Drew, then we would have had to address that in the draft,” Loomis said.
Dealing with Katrina
Payton, the Cowboys’ assistant head coach and passing game coordinator, was probably the first to accept the challenge posed by the hurricane’s aftermath and decide the Saints could win. He took the job.
Then there was the matter of hiring assistant coaches and attracting free agents. Loomis said they decided to confront the issue “warts and all,” though he acknowledged using “scenic routes” to take visitors to the city’s famed restaurants.
“Our feeling was what they saw on the news was a little more sensationalized than what was actually going on,” Loomis said. “I don’t mean to say we don’t have serious problems–we do. But there are areas in the city that are still pretty good. So we wanted to highlight those and explain what the issues were and what the problems were and how they were going to improve.”
Other than Brees, the most significant free-agent signing was linebacker Scott Fujita, from Dallas. The Saints sold him on playing for linebacker coach Joe Vitt, which he’d done before in Kansas City. Fujita also knew Payton from their days with the Cowboys.
“Sometimes in free agency you need to go after the guys you can get, not just go after anyone and everyone, particularly in our circumstance,” Loomis said.
What’s next
Bush bought a house downtown, and Brees purchased a home in New Orleans’ old Uptown district and is rehabbing it. But how long will they live in their new digs?
The Saints’ lease at the Superdome expires after the 2010 season, though Benson has an out clause after this season, which there’s no chance he’ll use. He’s trying to negotiate to use it a year or two from now.
As long as the Los Angeles market sits empty, to say nothing of San Antonio, Saints fans have concerns. The NFL contributed $20 million to help rebuild the Superdome, but that same amount was subtracted from the fee the Saints would have to pay to Louisiana to leave early.
For now, the Saints aren’t thinking about that. They’re thinking about beating the Bears on Sunday and getting to the Super Bowl for the first time. They’ll find out Sunday if they’ve used up all their good fortune for one year.
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tabannon@tribune.com
