Former Saints QB critical of GM Mickey Loomis

New Orleans has struggled the past two seasons to find a replacement for former QB Drew Brees. According to another former Saints QB, Jim Everett, it's a problem general manager Mickey Loomis created.

Everett spoke with Compare.bet's Kyle Odegard and was critical of Loomis for failing to have the team ready for the post-Brees era.

Everett described the Saints without their Super Bowl-winning QB as "a ship without a rudder" while also lamenting a crucial draft blunder in 2018. "You've got to have a plan... When they moved up and drafted [Marcus] Davenport, I thought they were taking Lamar [Jackson]... You didn't have a plan after Drew, and these are the consequences."

The Saints whiffed on a chance to draft 2019 league MVP Jackson and aren't in a position to draft an elite QB prospect this offseason, either.

New Orleans traded its own 2023 first-round pick to Philadelphia last year as part of a deal that gave the Saints two first-round picks in the 2022 draft. The front office received the 29th overall pick in this year's draft from Denver in the Sean Payton trade, but the top QBs will be long gone by that point. 

With a deep class at QB, the Saints could unearth a gem later in the draft. Jalen Hurts — drafted in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft — and Brock Purdy — the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft — are the most recent examples that quarterbacks don't need to be highly evaluated out of college to make a difference in the NFL.

However, the pursuit of Derek Carr likely means Loomis isn't looking to turn the keys over to a rookie QB, even as the 49ers and Eagles proved over the past few seasons the value of using draft picks on quarterbacks.

Per Everett, the answer to the Saints QB conundrum is obvious, even if it runs counter to how Loomis likes to operate. "They must find a rookie quarterback to rebuild that salary cap. It's paramount," Everett said.

The Saints consistently need to restructure contracts to get under the cap during the offseason, a process that was justified when New Orleans won four consecutive division titles but is looked at less fondly after the team went 7-10 in 2022 and hasn't made the playoffs in consecutive seasons.

Everett started three years in New Orleans, from 1994-1996. In 47 games with the Saints, he threw for 10,622 yards. He's joined by Bobby Hebert (14,630 yards), Aaron Brooks (19,156 yards), Archie Manning (21,734 yards) and Brees (68,010 yards) as the only five QBs in franchise history to throw for 10,000 yards or more.

If Loomis doesn't begin planning for the future, it could be a while until the group adds a new member.