Jackson Free Press

Both New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton and general manager Mickey Loomis said there would be major changes after last season's 7-9 finish. The moves the Saints made in the first couple of days at the start of free agency showed that Payton and Loomis weren't kidding.

New Orleans has released running back Pierre Thomas, linebacker Curtis Lofton and cornerback Corey White. Then, the Saints traded tight end Jimmy Graham, guard Ben Grubbs and wide receiver Kenny Stills. Linebacker David Hawthorne, wide receiver Marques Colston and nose tackle Brodrick Bunkley took pay cuts to stay with the team. New Orleans signed running back C.J. Spiller and traded for center Max Unger and linebacker Dannell Ellerbe.

In the process, the Saints have picked up an extra first-round pick in the trade for Graham from the Seahawks and added a second-round pick and third-round pick through trades.

In all, the Saints have five picks in the first 80 picks of the draft.

This is the most picks New Orleans has had in the Payton-Loomis era. If the Saints can hit on those five early picks, the team may bounce back quickly.

But a couple of puzzling things remain. New Orleans traded Graham and didn't try to restructure his or quarterback Drew Brees' contract. In fact, no media outlet has reported that Brees even offered to take a pay cut to help 
the team.

Ellerbe added another massive salary for a cap-strapped team. He may be shipped later with his $20-million salary going with him.

One thing won't happen, I believe, is the Saints trading Brees to Tampa Bay for the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. They would use that pick for Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston. That trade would also eat up all those draft picks the Saints just acquired.

It would take both first-round picks, a third and sixth or seventh this year and adding another first with a second round and a fourth in the 2016 draft just to swing this deal. Of course, Tampa would have to throw in picks as well.

Finally, with the checkered—to say the least—past that Winston has, it would be crazy to put him in a city like New Orleans. That would be asking for trouble for a guy like Winston, who is something special on the field but a knucklehead off the field.