Not much went as scripted in 2024 for the New Orleans Saints, and it's led to more and more questions on tap for 2025.
The people answering those questions will be the same at the front office level, but could be completely different at the head coaching level. That was the gist of what we heard from Saints GM Mickey Loomis when he spoke to the media for the better part of an hour this week, fielding questions ranging from the coaching search to trades to retirement and a lot more.
With all that in mind, here are my top five takeaways from everything Mickey Loomis said this week to officially cap off the Saints' 2024 season.
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1. The next coach decides ... pretty much everything
This is its own take, but it's also going to loom over several others down the page. The New Orleans Saints have a massive decision to make on their next head coach, and until that happens we won't have the answer to a lot of other things.
Loomis used the words "to be determined" multiple times when it came to questions about the roster and coaching staff and forward philosophy, because the coaching search is being prioritized. To this point, here are the names connected to the Saints whether through completed interviews, requests or expected interviews.
- Aaron Glenn, Lions DC (virtual interview)
- Mike Kafka, Giants OC (virtual interview)
- Anthony Weaver, Dolphins DC (virtual interview)
- Darren Rizzi, Saints interim HC (interview upcoming)
- Joe Brady, Bills OC (interview request)
- Kellen Moore, Eagles OC (interview request)
- Kliff Kinsgbury, Commanders OC (interview request)
- Mike McCarthy, former Packers HC (interview reportedly expected)
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It's an extensive list that could continue to get longer. There are names on the offensive side and defensive side, including three OCs for teams still in the postseason. What Loomis made clear is he doesn't have a type other than "best coach possible."
"All of these candidates, all of them, they have strengths and weaknesses," Loomis said, "and so I don’t want to put anything into a box and say it’s got to be this.”
What they will have in common is the ability to choose their own staff and direction, something that didn't always seem to be the case when Dennis Allen took over for Sean Payton. Loomis seemed to allude to that when he said he would've done things differently if he had the '22 scenario to do over again, but wouldn't go into specifics.
"If anything maybe I underestimated a couple of different items, I don’t want to get into the detail of that," Loomis said. "I think I could’ve probably done a better job supporting Dennis in a few areas."
The new coach's autonomy is signaled in the Saints' willingness to allow coaches, such as Klint Kubiak, to interview for other jobs rather than block them as lateral moves.
"I liked a lot of the things that Klint did with us," Loomis said. "But again, I don’t want to block someone when I can’t guarantee that they’ll have an opportunity.”
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2. Fence-sitting on Derek Carr
The Saints GM only answered one question directly about Derek Carr, and what he said was almost as telling as what he didn't say.
The first is a note for anyone who has stock in Freudian slips, because while answering a question about his confidence level in the veteran QB, Loomis started in the past tense.
"I have a high level of confidence in Derek," Loomis said. "You know, listen, he did some really good things here."
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He immediately corrected to "has done some really good things here," but it sure sounded for a moment like a statement about a former player. It was the same template Loomis used for an answer about Marshon Lattimore later in his press conference.
Does it mean anything? Probably not. But I do think it hints at a simple idea that will loom over the next several months: Derek Carr's future in black & gold isn't set in stone. It'll depend on several factors, including -- as we talked about above -- the next head coach's wants at the position.
Loomis went on to point out something that's true even if a lot of fans don't want to admit it: Carr played well this season when healthy, and he's the Saints' best chance to win at this point. An 0-7 record when starting backups is really all the evidence you need to point to.
"If he had qualified, which I’m not sure if he did, I mean his quarterback rating would be in the top 10. His interception rate would be in the top 10. His yards per attempt would be in the top 10 under some really tough circumstances," Loomis said. "When you don’t have your top two receivers and you don’t have that special weapon in Taysom Hill, when you don’t have the middle portion of our offensive line and we have a rookie left tackle. Those are some tough circumstances for a quarterback to deal with, so I think he’s done a lot of really good things.”
What Loomis didn't do was say anything that could be construed as committing to Carr as the starter beyond this season. He sidestepped a question about the QB's statement that he wouldn't take a pay cut, and the upcoming cap hit vs restructure debate will rage for a while. Loomis did say dead cap money hasn't forced the team's hands on any moves yet, and I think they'll continue to approach things that way. But tough decisions could still be made. We'll have to wait and see.
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3. New faces could make an impact
The Saints won't be making any significant front office changes, at least based on what Loomis said this week. They will, however, be reassessing a lot of what they're doing down the line and across the board. It might not satisfy fans calling for the head of basically every personnel director, but it is at least an acknowledgement of missteps. One step at a time.
There will also be two new faces in the room for the coaching search this time around, and both have extensive backgrounds in this type of work.
The Saints brought in Randy Mueller and Dave Zeigler this past offseason as personnel advisors, and they'll both be in the room for head coaching interviews. Zeigler has an extensive history with the Broncos and Patriots and more recently served as GM of the Raiders. Mueller's front office career dates back to 1983 and he's been GM for both the Saints (2000-'01) and the Dolphins (2005-'07).
"We’ve got some ideas about how we can do our processes a little differently," Loomis said. "It’s one of the advantages of having Dave and Randy, who are kind of outside looking in, come in and say hey, what about this, what about that, why are you doing it this way. There’s been some good dialogue and some good ideas that come out of that."
The others in the room alongside Loomis will be assistant GMs Jeff Ireland and Khai Harley, as well as pro personnel director Mike Parenton. Ireland is another former Dolphins GM (2008-'13).
Exactly how much will be different? It's tough to say, but having four people in the room with GM experience shouldn't hurt.
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4. Don't expect a long-term salary cap strategy shift
The Saints are working back to the middle from a salary cap perspective, but don't get too excited -- it's a process that's been ongoing.
The Saints are currently about $50 million over the 2024 salary cap and possess more than enough restructure maneuvers to clear that space pretty easily. They will, it's just a question of how.
"I feel OK about where we’re at," Loomis said. "I think we’re making progress from where we’ve been the last few years, and so I’m feeling better about it.”
It's not just lip service. A major QB contract for Derek Carr added a bit of a bump, but otherwise the last two seasons have been the image of a Saints team making sensible contract decisions and not over-leveraging for anyone in free agency. Just look at the significant signings of this past offseason and note the common theme:
- DE Chase Young: 1 year, $13M
- LB Willie Gay: 1 year, $3M
- S Will Harris: 1 year, $1.3M
- LG Lucas Patrick: 1 year, $1.3M
The lone FA contract with a second year belongs to WR Cedrick Wilson, but even that only includes $1M guaranteed beyond this season. The Saints could've gotten into a bidding war for veteran safety Justin Simmons. They didn't, and by the end were relying on street free agents, UDFAs and practice squad elevations. That's what happens when you combine salary cap sensibility and bad injury luck.
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It's a process and it's slow going. That's why the Saints hoped to stave it off for as long as they could. The team is now probably a year or two away from getting back to clean footing in that regard. One thing Loomis will point to as a factor is that the Saints lead the NFL in players under contract (61). They don't have to shell out much new money to field a roster next season. Is that a good thing in terms of wins? Probably not, but it will allow for continued progress toward cleaning things up.
"I’m comfortably uncomfortable, so it’s something we have to manage," Loomis said, "but there’s a lot of teams that have to manage their cap that way, and some of the ones that don’t are going to have to at some point."
The second part of that quote is what I'll draw your attention to, because it signals what Saints fans should be prepared for. The cap drawdown is happening now because it makes the most sense. It doesn't signal a philosophical shift, simply a reset. The title window is gone, and so is the spending spree.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Saints don't view restructures as a get out of jail free card, they view it as their method of cap management. As long as you're competitive, you can get away with it. That philosophy will come back to the forefront when this team is competitive again.
"There’s a bunch of teams in that position and there’s gonna be a bunch more," Loomis said. "You’re either in it or you’re gonna be in it at some point, or you’re just never spending any money.”
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5. Don't start planning a retirement party
If you were wondering whether Year 68 might be the one where the longtime Saints GM decides to call it a career, don't hold your breath.
Loomis was asked directly whether he's considering or has considered retirement. His answer: No.
"Look, I’ve got a passion for the sport. I’ve got a passion for the Saints. I’ve got a passion for all of it," Loomis continued. "I feel like, look, I’ve got all my faculties here. ... Nobody would ask me that question if I wasn’t 68."
It might not be the answer some Saints fans would like to hear, but for better or worse Loomis is committed to seeing a return to winning ways.
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Some might call it stubborn, others admirable. He's not planning to walk out the door while there's a mess to clean up. Like it or not, he's earned that privilege.
But what he's also earned is another head coaching hire that could be career-defining one way or the other. There's no taking away the brilliance of the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era, but some of the shine has certainly been taken off it over the past few years.
Get the next head coach right and return to prominence, the Dennis Allen era will be viewed as a hiccup in an otherwise Hall of Fame-caliber front office run. Get it wrong and bring about another long winter, and the prevailing take will be that a fortunate GM happened upon lightning in a bottle and rode it for as long as he could.
When asked why Saints fans should trust him to get this one right, it was another simple answer: "Because we've gotten it right before."
Sure. Here's to hoping the Saints can get it right again.