re: Why was Coach Payton on the phone with Foster before we picked?

quote:

---

Nothing Foster, Payton, nor Loomis said makes real sense.

---

Two of these gentleman are intelligent enough to fabricate a cover story, the other has the story fabrication capacity of a pit bull

quote:

---

They never wanted Foster and created a perceived want possibly knowing SF would have taken him extremely high. Seattle is a threat to take the tackle they had rated top 15. Forcing a trade into that spot by acting like they want Foster just before they get on the clock ensures Seattle doesn't snipe their real pick.

---

This is a big reach. For one, the phones aren't bugged. It's not like everyone got an email notifying them that the saints had phoned Foster. Secondly, it's understood at that point who the top player on everyone's board is, there's no need for a "perceived want." Seattle didn't need the top player on the board because they're stacked at the position. This is something that the saints should've recognized, that Seattle would be shopping the pick. They were able to trade back a few spots knowing that they would still have a highly rated player available and they could acquire more picks, something they needed. It wasn't a secret that the niners wanted Foster, they tried to trade in front of Cincinnati and then again in front of Baltimore to no avail. The saints jumped the gun, simple as that.