The Saints were always getting worked over in trades and free agency. Teams could unload "talent" on the Saints, only to leave the franchise to find out that they had a dud. Steve Walsh and Jason David come to mind. The club was also a sucker for bringing in veterans past their prime. Think Earl Campbell, Jim Everett, and Mike Ditka (ugh).
But something happened that most of us missed in the Spring of 2009.
First, the Saints signed Darren Sharper from the Vikings. He was 12 years into the league, a quickly-aging veteran, who only had one interception in the previous season and who - the Vikings believed - had lost a step. The Vikings let him go.
Then Josh Bullocks, a second round pick who didn't pan out after four seasons, was signed away by the Chicago Bears. Saints fans couldn't believe that the Bears wanted a guy that fans fully supported discarding. It was strange.
This totally upset the balance of the Saints universe (What? Hyperboles are fun.). Brees had been in New Orleans for three seasons by this point, as had Sean Payton and Micky Loomis. They had an excellent first season in 2006, but they only went 10-6, and by the spring of 2009, the Saints were a mediocre team coming off two years of 15-17 ball. But the cataclysmic changeover at free safety signified that things had finally rebalanced.
So what happened? Darren Sharper came in and started at free safety. He had nine interceptions, an NFL record 376 return yards, and scored three touchdowns. The Saints won the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, poor Mr. Bullocks made 34 tackles and had no interceptions. In two seasons. Last week, he signed with the Oakland Raiders. Ouch.
So if you ever see Josh Bullocks, don't think of the missed tackles. Don't think of the lack of speed. Think of Super Bowl XIV, and buy him a drink. Given that he's playing in Oakland, he probably needs one.
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