The Franchise 9: New Orleans Saints

 

It took a long time for the Saints to find their footing in the NFL. For the first decades of their existence, they struggled to field competitive teams. In fact, it wasn't until 1987--their 21st year of play--that they posted their first winning record and made the playoffs for the first time. Even now, since their Super Bowl win in 2009, they have won 6 of the past 13 NFC South titles--yet they still have an overall sub .500 all-time record. But their recent history has been on a better trajectory. This is due in great part to the contributions of a certain quarterback whom I loved in college, started his pro career in a different city, then signed with the Saints after that team let him walk, and took his career to a different level. You know who I mean.

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Taysom Hill, of course!

I kid, I kid. Everything I said was true about Taysom, but also about Drew Brees. I've loved watching him play since his days at Purdue. The Franchise 9 for the Saints reflects the periods of most team success. There is only one player from the early days, a few from the first few divisional title contender teams, and the most-represented era is the Sean Payton, perennial Super Bowl contender Saints.

1. Drew Brees, QB (2013 Topps Archives)

This is just a no-brainer. There is no better or more important player to ever wear a Saints uniform. Though he started as a Charger, he spent the final 15 years of his superlative career in New Orleans. How important was he to the team? Well, Pro Football Reference has his Approximate Value at almost double the next guy on the team's list. His career weighted AV ranks third in the NFL (behind Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, just ahead of Jerry Rice). As a Saint, he led the league in passing yardage seven times, completion percentage six times, passing touchdowns four times, and passer rating twice. It's a shame that he didn't get as much recognition as contemporaries Brady, Manning, and Aaron Rodgers. For a career that placed him in the top two in many passing categories, Brees never won MVP, wasn't named to an All-Decade Team, and was only an All-Pro once. Nevertheless, he is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play. He'll be enshrined in Canton as soon as he is eligible.

2. Archie Manning, QB (1982 Topps)

Archie Manning held most of the team passing records that Drew Brees broke. Taken with the second overall pick in the 1971 draft, he was the first real star for the franchise. He played well enough to earn a pair of Pro Bowl berths in his career, but he didn't have much talent surrounding him. To wit, the team was so bad that his winning percentage as a starter was a paltry .271. But he does get credit for being The Man in New Orleans for 11 years. 

3. Marques Colston, WR (2007 Donruss Classics)

Marques Colston holds all the Saints' receiving records by a large margin. His total of 9,759 receiving yards is better than the next person by almost 2,000 yards; 711 catches by almost 200; and his 71 touchdowns by about 20. Being Drew Brees's favorite target for ten years will help your climb in the record books.

4. Jahri Evans, G (2010 Topps Gold)

Of all of Brees's bodyguards, Evans was the most solid. He ranks 3rd on the team's all-time AV list. A four-time first-team All-Pro, Evans was the gold standard interior lineman from 2009-2014. He won't be eligible for the Hall of Fame until next year, but I would expect him to make it in someday.

5. William Roaf, T (1993 Upper Deck)

Willie Roaf was a top-10 draft pick in 1993 and made an immediate impact with the Saints. In 1994, he was named 1st-team All-Pro, then again in 1995. From 1994 to 2000, he made seven consecutive Pro Bowls and added three 2nd-team All-Pros to his resume. He was selected to two All-Decade teams, though the 2000s team was because of his work with the Chiefs. He finished his career in Kansas City, but he entered the Hall of Fame as a Saint in 2012.

6. Cameron Jordan, DE (2016 Score)

Cameron Jordan is a player who I feel has flown a little bit under the radar throughout his career. He did receive honors as a member of the 2010s All-Decade Team and he is second on the Saints' career sack list, but he has only been named to one All-Pro team. Jordan has been a consistent Pro Bowler, however, receiving seven nominations in his career, including in each of the past five seasons. He's still on the roster and almost certain to keep making big contributions for the franchise.

7. Pat Swilling, LB (1992 Fleer)

The last three selections for this team are all linebackers for the famed Saints' Dome Patrol of the late 80s and early 90s. Combining with Vaughan Johnson, these guys made up one of the greatest linebacking corps in NFL history. Pat Swilling was an edge-rushing outside linebacker who picked up 76.5 sacks (3rd on team) and forced 24 fumbles (2nd on team) in his career. He made five Pro Bowls, two 1st-team All-Pros, and two 2nd-Teams. In 1991, he took home NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading the league with 17 sacks.

8. Rickey Jackson, LB (1991 Fleer)

Rickey Jackson was the edge-rusher opposite Swilling. Put simply, Jackson was a disruptive force for the Saints. His 123 sacks, 1,104 tackles, and 38 forced fumbles lead all Saints defenders. In fact, he led the league in forced fumbles four times. It's not often that a player finds himself atop both the sacks and tackles categories. He was never named to the All-Pro 1st-team, but he took a spot on the 2nd-team five times. In 2010, he became the first player to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a New Orleans Saint.

9. Sam Mills, LB (1991 Upper Deck)

Sam Mills was the soul of the Dome Patrol crew. Anchoring the middle, the diminutive Mills finished his Saints career second on the team with 894 tackles. While with the Saints, Mills made four Pro Bowls and two 2nd-team All-Pro teams. Just last week, he was part of the most recent Hall of Fame class. Interestingly, the Dome Patrol seemed to break up all at once. Swilling left in 1993, followed by Jackson and Johnson in 1994, and Mills joined the expansion Panthers in 1995.

I have to admit: this was a difficult team for me. There were few slam-dunk picks here and a bevy of above-average players who were right on the bubble. Players like Deuce McAllister, Mark Ingram, and Danny Abramowicz received consideration. Wayne Martin, who played defensive end in front of the Dome Patrol linebackers, was on the shortlist. The toughest exclusion was kicker Morten Andersen, however. I still am feeling a strong urge to replace Manning with Morten, but it's hard to leave the first face of the franchise off the list. As I write this, however, I'm strongly considering changing the cards out on the page. What do you all think?

 

Also, we are down to just one more franchise in this series!

 

Some notes on this series:

1. This includes Super Bowl Era players only.
2. The "nine" in Franchise 9 is to fill a page in a binder. There is no intent to fill a roster or even a starting lineup.
3. A player can represent multiple teams.
4. I tried to find a balance between steady producers with longevity and explosive players with shorter careers. Time with the team does count for something, as does impact with the team.
5. For a link to Franchise 9 lists that I have already posted, click here.
6. This is all subjective, so I'd love to hear whom you would choose!