Not sure what they did to this man, but for whatever reason, Nick Wright from First Things First absolutely dislikes the New Orleans Saints. Anytime the Saints are a topic of discussion, the guy has very little, if anything positive, to say about this team. Now, that’s all fine and well, but personally I find it funny how this specifically gets him so riled up to the point where he almost starts to grow gray hairs.
Nick Wright gave his thoughts to Derek Carr signing a 4-year, $150 million deal ($100 million guaranteed) with the Saints. Will leave a clip of his take embedded down below. To summarize his point, Nick Wright argued that the way the Saints restructure contracts and add void years to push cap hits into later years is an unsustainable way to run a franchise.
Saints have been operating their franchise this way for over a decade. This is not unfamiliar territory for Mickey Loomis, Khai Harley, and the Saints organization. Since 2010, the Saints have put together a 128-82 win/loss record. That’s one of the best in the league, and THE best in the NFC South over that span. That accounts for 8 seasons with a winning record.
Their 2018 season likely would’ve ended in a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, if not for that infamous no-call that happened in the 4th quarter. If not a win, at the very least a Super Bowl berth.
The Saints have lost David Onyemata to the Falcons, and Shy Tuttle to the Panthers. With those two, and likely Marcus Davenport, being lost to New Orleans, Nick Wright decided to take it upon himself to quote retweet the update originally tweeted by Adam Schefter.
“This is the cost of having 20%+ of your cap in dead money every year. It’s simply not a sustainable way to run a team. Gotta take your medicine at some point, but the Saints are just going to keep kicking the can down the road & stymie any real chance at contention.”
Onyemata, Davenport, and Tuttle combined for a total of….7.5 sacks in 2022. This sparked Saints Twitter, sending them into a frenzy over Wright’s lack of understanding of the Saints. Wright didn’t stop there, he had to take it a step further by calling out local reporters that cover the New Orleans Saints.
“Saints fans being annoyed with my sober analysis of their mismanagement, I understand. Alleged media covering the team just shamelessly misleading their audience about the shape they’re in—short and long term—is just baffling.”
This guy is beyond weird. Makes me wonder what the Saints did to hurt him?
This is the cost of having 20%+ of your cap in dead money every year. It’s simply not a sustainable way to run a team. Gotta take your medicine at some point, but the Saints are just going to keep kicking the can down the road & stymie any real chance at contention. https://t.co/rER1E09FWy
— nick wright (@getnickwright) March 13, 2023
Saints fans being annoyed with my sober analysis of their mismanagement, I understand.
Alleged media covering the team just shamelessly misleading their audience about the shape they’re in—short and long term—is just baffling.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) March 13, 2023
