re: Given the ownership situation .. Payton/Loomis need to stay.

I think the Saints right now are dealing with a multitude of issues, some connected, some not:

1) The ship is rudderless. Mr. Benson has always been one of the more involved owners. With him getting older and dealing with the family crap, I'm not so sure who is calling the shots.

2) Loomis' role seems less and less certain. What exactly is he doing these days? Given he has a role with the Saints and a role with the Pelicans, is he spread too thin?

3) The amount of dead money we have is absurd.

4) The amount of money we have tied up in people who are not producing to the extent of their earnings (Brees, Byrd) is absurd. I love me some Brees, but no way is he worth what his cap number is.

5) Years of bad drafting - I think Ireland can fix this, but it will take time.

6) Coach. He brought us an NFC champ visit and a Super Bowl. I will forever love him for that. But, it's clear that something isn't right. Maybe he's bored, maybe he needs a new challenge, maybe his motivational tricks are no longer effective on this group, etc. I don't think he forgot how to coach, but the intangibles aren't there. Maybe a change of scenery would do good for him.