wolfwood

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The decision to trade Jimmy Graham just one season after signing him to an extension seems like the sort of over-correction that good franchises make when things go bad. The Saints went 7-9 last season in an awful division one season after going 11-5. In response, they appear to have tossed away one of their most gifted offensive weapons for a center and a late first-round pick.

But let's give the Saints the benefit of the doubt. They have earned that much by being one of the NFL's best team of the last 10 years. On the surface, the team is trying to put itself in a neater position next to the salary cap for the next several years. The deal is heavy with subtext, however, and it may be the biggest sign that the franchise is in the midst of a longterm transition.

Namely, the Saints are trying to figure out what they are going to do without Drew Brees.

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The trade for Unger and the deal for Ingram suggest that the Saints are readying to scale back their passing attack. Though known as a pass-heavy offense, the Saints have ranked among the best rushing offenses in the NFL in the recent past. In 2009 and 2011, the team finished sixth in the NFL in total rushing offense with more than 2,100 yards on the ground. Those two seasons were also the only two 13-win seasons in franchise history, with 2009 ending in a Super Bowl victory.

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The team's problem with Brees is not that he struggles, it's that he can't struggle, not if the team is to have any success. At 35 years old, Brees accounted for more than 75 percent of the team's total offense. He has accounted for at least 73 percent of the Saints offense in every season since 2007, except for 2009, when the Saints running game was one of the league's best. The Saints' trade Tuesday may be their way off taking pressure off their quarterback.

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