New Orleans is just a couple years removed from its first Super Bowl championship and despite a disappointing loss to San Francisco in the 2011 playoffs, the Saints and their fans enjoyed a record-setting season.

But there are many questions going forward. The team has been unable to sign Drew Brees to a long-term extension, which meant using its franchise tag to retain him. That leaves Carl Nicks, Marques Colston and several other players eligible to leave as free agents.

Couple that with penalties the Saints are expected to receive due to the bounty system uncovered recently and this proud organization is facing some uncertainty. So where do they go from here? Travis Dauro, a writer for the Canal Street Chronicles, says the door is still open for New Orleans to be a strong threat in 2012. He joined Zoneblitz to share some thoughts and here is what he had to say:

Zoneblitz: What is your sense of Bountygate and how it will affect the Saints heading into 2012?

Travis Dauro: The “Bountygate” seems to be getting out of hand extremely quickly. The media is taking this situation, running with it, and using it against the Saints to make them look like the worst enemy. Yes, what they did was wrong and they should be punished, but assuming Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis will be fired like Pat Yasinskas did is completely idiotic.

As for all of these opposing player interviews about how the Saints “targeted” them, honestly, their opinions mean nothing because anybody could throw the Saints under the bus if they wanted to. It is looking like the Saints will definitely get heavily fined and also face suspensions on the defensive side of the ball, going all the way to Payton and Loomis. Draft picks are also expected to taken away. I am expecting the worst but hoping for the best as far as the punishments.

If Payton is in fact suspended, I will still have a lot of confidence because Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. will likely take the helm until he returns, and he has already shown himself to be a proven play caller. As far as beyond, I just hope this doesn’t affect the aura the Saints had around them that attracted players to the team.

Zoneblitz: Drew Brees is unhappy about being franchise tagged, but it seems likely a long-term deal gets signed. Can you describe what he has meant to the Saints, both overall and during the record-setting 2011?

Dauro: Drew Brees has meant more to the Saints than any other player in franchise history. If he hadn’t arrived, I feel that the team would be close to where it was before the Brees era. He leads the team not only from his position, but as a leader and sort of general of the team. 2011 was just pure greatness. You can’t ask a Quarterback to play better than how he did throughout the season.

Zoneblitz: Mark Ingram had an injury-plagued 2011. Did you see enough of him to get a sense of whether he was worth the price of the big trade? And was he worth it considering the depth the Saints already have at that spot?

Dauro: As Ingram was injured for a good part of the season, I still feel that in the long run this will be a great decision. As the season progressed he showed improvements in finding holes and seemed to run like a true NFL back. I definitely think he was worth it. When Ivory came off the physically unable to perform list, the Saints had a mean 4 back rotation. Their depth was slowly decimated and it went from four to three when Ingram hit the injured reserve list, then from three to two on the first drive of the dreadful 49ers playoff game when Thomas was concussed.

Zoneblitz: Colston, Meachem, Porter, Nicks – the Saints have a lot of key free agents to make decisions on. Who are the priority signings?

Dauro: After locking in Brees, I would rank bringing Nicks back as the number one priority. Colston is definitely another player I would work hard to bring back, but only if it is at the right price. If Colston is lost, Meachem would then become a higher priority to bring back. But the bank shouldn’t be broken on him either. Any other players should only return if their deal isn’t too steep. None of the other free-agents are too vital other than the ones I mentioned.

Zoneblitz: This offense was amazing to watch in 2011, but also remarkably more effective at home than on the road. Why and how can the team balance that out going forward?

Dauro: I honestly don’t have a narrowed down reason why the offense was so much better at home than on the road this year. The only two things I could maybe see being the reason is that they got more hyped for the home games, or that their fast style of offense was better for the turf. An example that supports the turf theory was the game at the Metrodome where the Saints slaughtered the Vikings. As far as balance, it wasn’t awful throughout the season. Averaging 334 passing yards per game and 133 running yards per game isn’t too shabby.

Zoneblitz: How important has Carl Nicks been to what appears to be a pretty solid offensive line and how would the Saints handle losing him in free agency?

Dauro: Carl Nicks has been extremely important to the offensive line’s play. Making the Pro Bowl twice, being an All-Pro team member twice, and being on the team when they won the Madden Protectors Award both years says it all. His importance to the team is even greater due to Drew’s size. His height brings the Guards into a bigger role. If the Saints lost him in free agency, they would really have to scramble to get a good replacement, whether that means moving up in the draft or picking one up through free agency.

Zoneblitz: Gregg Williams got a lot of good press, but the team did give up more than 360 yards per game in 2011. How big of a loss is he and how will the switch to Steve Spagnuolo affect the team?

Dauro: Williams was a great addition to the team when he first arrived in 2009, but his “bend but don’t break” and “play hard when it counts” defense got old quickly. He was also consistently blitzing five or six guys, which is uncalled for, especially when it isn’t very effective. The switch to Spags will not be hard to enforce at all. I love his style of defense and I think he has a lot to bring to this team.

Zoneblitz: What about the defense on the field? What has to happen for that unit to step it up a notch?

Dauro: Clearly it was the defense that kept the Saints from reaching the Promised Land once again. If they want to taste that greatness again, the front four has to be improved dramatically. I’m talking about bringing in a high-motor defensive end such as Mario Williams or Osi Umenyiora has to be brought in to give this team pressure from the line. The interior play isn’t bad, as two behemoths in Aubrayo Franklin and Sean Rogers are there along with Sedrick Ellis. It wouldn’t hurt to shape up the linebacking corps either.

Zoneblitz: What stopped this team from taking the last step in 2011?

Dauro: As I said in my previous answer, it was definitely the defense that kept the Saints out of the Super Bowl last season.

Zoneblitz: With the free agents and coaching changes, is the door still open for the Saints to compete for a championship in 2012? And what do they have to do to get to that next step?

Dauro: Of course! As long as Drew Brees is at the helm the Saints will always be championship contenders. To take the next step the Saints need to try and keep the core players together this offseason, and if a few are lost, they need to be replaced quickly and with good players. Like I have preached the past couple answers the defense also needs to be revamped as well!

Zoneblitz: What would you like to see the Saints do in free agency and the draft?

Dauro: Through free agency, I would like to see the Saints add depth at the tight end and defensive end positions. Jimmy Graham can’t do it all by himself and we sure can’t risk him getting an injury. As I said earlier, I would love to see Mario Williams wearing black and gold next year. Just thinking about him on the line gives me goose bumps. Through the draft I would like to see the Saints draft a couple speedy, versatile linebackers and a deep threat wide receiver suck as Stephen Hill. He would be a great addition to the Saints already astounding offense.

Zoneblitz: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Dauro: I really look forward to next season as I feel it will be a special year. There might be a lot of questions going into the free agency period but don’t worry because Loomis is a cap figure god; he will find a way to work it all out. If you need some good Saints material to read, head over to moosedenied.com, Saints Nation, or my home blog canalstreetchronicles.com. Who Dat?!

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