Saints GM Says ESPN Writer 'Unqualified' To Rank Team's Future, But Is Mickey Loomis Qualified?

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis bristled at the question this week at training camp for the troubled franchise.

"This team is pretty widely dismissed," former ESPN Saints' writer Mike Triplett, now with NewOrleans.Football, said on the eve of training camp in Irvine, California, on Tuesday. "There was a publication (ESPN by John Sigler) today that had you ranked as having the 31st brightest future in the NFL. What do you think people are missing about why they should be optimistic?"

The piece's ranking of the Saints is not a reach by any means. It had Las Vegas at No. 32, so you could probably get some great odds on a Vegas-New Orleans Super Bowl in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 2025.

New Orleans was 9-8 last season under second-year head coach Dennis Allen after a 7-10 mark in 2022 and a 9-8 finish in coach Sean Payton's last season in 2021. They have not reached the playoffs since 2020, which was Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback to-be Drew Brees' last season.

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis in happier times - during the 2010 season after winning the Super Bowl the previous season. (Getty Images)

"I don't care," said Loomis, who has been the team's GM since 2002. "I don't care about what the other media people say, because most of them are unqualified. They have the right to their opinion, but they're not qualified to be critical."

Wow, not qualified to be critical. I know New Orleans has been called the United States' most European city, and that usually means in a good way, but this is America, Mickey. 

"I don't ask them for advice, so why would I pay attention to a critique from them?," he asked.

Well, because your team has sucked for the last three years, particularly the last two under Allen, whom you hired. Payton gets a pass for 2021 because that was his first without Brees, and starting QB Jameis Winston was lost for the year to an injury at mid-season. And Payton had to go with journeyman Trevor Siemian and novelty quarterback Taysom Hill.

Actually, maybe Loomis should've asked someone for advice, particularly before promoting Allen from defensive coordinator to replace Payton. OutKick offered good advice before the Allen move, had you listened.

OPINION: Saints Should Not Promote Dennis Allen

Allen's defense has gotten worse and largely too old since he became head coach. And the offense was particularly awful last year as Allen and Loomis retained offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, who had been OC since 2009 and quarterbacks coach since 2006. Payton became coach in 2006. He was the true OC and quarterbacks coach. And Carmichael is back under Payton now at Denver without a position tag. He is "senior offensive assistant," whatever that is. Carmichael barely even tried motion last season as the Saints finished an average 14th in the league in total offense after routinely finishing first or close to it under Payton and Brees from 2006-20.

Allen made the same mistake in retaining Carmichael that Loomis did in retaining Allen. They each made safe moves from within, thinking familiarity would keep what had been one of the most successful NFL franchises since the Super Bowl title in 2009 - eight playoff appearances and six NFC South titles from 2009-20 - going. They were both wrong, and will continue to pay for those mistakes this season again.

Allen finally released Carmichael and made a good hire with the addition of rising Klint Kubiak, 37, as offensive coordinator. But it may be too late.

The jury remains out on Saints' general manager Mickey Loomis' decision to sign Raiders' quarterback Derek Carr after the 2022 season. (Getty Images)

Loomis also made the call to sign free agent quarterback Derek Carr from the Raiders for $150 million over four years before the 2023 season. Carr, 33, was average last season, finishing 17th in Quarterback Rating at 56.5 and 13th in passing yards at 3,878. OutKick's Armando Salguero advised me at the time that it was not a good move.

OPINION: Should The Saints Have Gone For Baker Mayfield Instead?

Perhaps Loomis should have opted for quarterback Baker Mayfield, 29, instead. Tampa Bay got him for a mere $4 million for the 2023 season. Mayfield finished ninth in passing yards with 4,044 and led the Buccaneers to the NFC South title at 9-8 last season and to a 32-9 playoff victory over Philadelphia, completing 22-of-33 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. Only Mayfield and Dallas' Dak Prescott in the NFL last season threw 28 or more TDs with 10 or fewer interceptions. Only Mayfield and Tom Brady in Tampa Bay history have had seasons of more than 4,000 passing yards, 25 or more TDs and 10 or fewer interceptions. Mayfield still makes less than Carr at $100 million over the next three years.

This all brings up the question of just how "qualified" is Loomis to keep making decisions as he is now nearing 70 and about to enter his 23rd year as the Saints' GM? That's a long time at the same job in the NFL. Does he have Supreme Court judge tenure or something?

He's not exactly President Joe Biden, but he sure sounded a little off after the Saints' woeful 2023 season in an infamous press conference. After carrying in a list of notes to defend Allen, he listed the early years before major turnarounds by NFL head coaches Chuck Noll with Pittsburgh (1-13, 5-9, 6-8 from 1969-71), Bill Belichick with Cleveland (6-10, 7-9, 7-9 from 1991-93), Tom Landry with Dallas (0-11-1, 4-9-1, 5-8-1, 4-10, 5-8-1 from 1960-64) and Bill Walsh with San Francisco (2-14, 6-10 in 1979 and '80).

"Hall of Fame coaches - all of them. The easy thing to do is look at the results and say, ‘Oh no, we’ve got to have a change,' an oddly animated Loomis said with arms flailing. "You've got to look beyond that. It's collective. It's the players. It's the coaches. It's me. It's our personnel staff. Sometimes, the hard thing to do is to be patient and recognize your other shortcomings and get them fixed."

It's good to check facts, too.

Noll inherited a Steelers team that went 2-11-1 in 1968 the year before his arrival for its fifth straight losing season. The Browns were 3-13 in 1990 before Belichick. The Cowboys were an expansion team when Landry entered in 1960. And the 49ers were 2-14 the year before Walsh's arrival and had losing seasons in five of the previous six seasons.

Allen inherited a 9-8 team before 2022 that had won four straight NFC South titles from 2017-20 and averaged 12 wins a year over that span.

Patience with Allen makes sense to a degree. He is only just entering his third season. And it makes sense to wait a bit on the players and personnel staff Loomis mentioned. Many just got to the club, too. But Loomis has been GM since 2002. Why does he get a pass?

Mickey Loomis Basically Worked For Sean Payton

And if you really look closely, all of Loomis' supposed success is tied to Payton. Yes, Loomis hired Payton, but Payton operated as the quasi-GM while head coach. He made the personnel decisions. Loomis didn't have the last word, unless it was salary capologist duties for the most part. It often appeared that Loomis worked for Payton.

Former Saints coach Sean Payton took New Orleans to heights never seen before or since. (Getty Images)

With Loomis as Saints' GM before Payton, New Orleans went 9-7, 8-8, 8-8 and 3-13 from 2002-05. Katrina was in 2005, so we'll give him a pass, but his teams were still average under coach Jim Haslett. Payton then had nine double-digit winning seasons from 2006 through 2021 with nine playoff appearances, seven playoff advances, seven division titles, three NFC championship games and one Super Bowl crown.

ANALYSIS: The Anatomy Of Denver's Hiring Of Sean Payton

With Loomis as Saints' GM since Payton left, the team is 16-18 with no playoffs. Loomis' total record without Payton is 44-54 with zero playoffs.

Now, who's qualified?

Funny, when Allen explained his firing of Carmichael and hiring of new OC Kubiak, he said, "You do the same thing for 17 straight years, I think sometimes you just need a change. Not change for change sake, but change to shake things up, reinvigorate the offense."

If the Saints do not suddenly win double-digit games and reach the playoffs this season, a change at GM is needed to reinvigorate this franchise.

Saints owner Gayle Benson, who replaced her husband Tom Benson after his death in 2018, needs to get to the top of her organization chart as far as changes. Since Brees retired after the 2020 season and Payton retired from the Saints after the 2021 season, she too has played it too close to the parking lot.

She started the mistaken safe hire chain of events by retaining Loomis, who promoted Allen, who retained Carmichael. Of everyone involved with the Saints' slipping franchise, Loomis has been around the longest - too long. God knows he has had his chances. And that's no longer fair to younger, future GMs out there.

The Saints need a new, more "qualified" GM before they need a new anything else.