Suspensions of this magnitude are unprecedented, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell clearly wants to make it known that illegal behavior endangering the players of his league will not be tolerated.
 
Barring a miracle, nothing will change Goodell’s mind about the suspensions. Consequently, the Saints (team and fans alike) have to get past the anger and grief and move forward. And truthfully, once you take a look at the situation, it’s not as bad as it appears. In fact, the Saints are still in a very good position to be the first ever team to play the Super Bowl in their hometown.
 
The plain and simple truth is that the Saints still have quarterback Drew Brees, the undisputed field-general of the team. Since his arrival in 2006, the Saints have become one of the preeminent teams in the NFL. Though he and his team have yet to agree on a long-term deal, you can be sure it will not be long before he has a contract that will make even Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning envious. And as long as Brees is the quarterback of the team, the Saints have a puncher’s chance of securing 11-12 wins and making a strong statement in the post-season.
 
Now, in terms of coaching, since Payton will be out for a year, the team has to find someone to take his place. Lately, there have been talks of future Hall of Famer and former head coach Bill Parcells joining the Saints team, which would be the best possible option.
 
Parcells has a great football mind and his value is immeasurable, especially with Loomis out for half of the season. He is familiar with talent evaluation and is very effective at maximizing player potential. However, while Parcells would be a great addition, he will be 71 this year and may not need or want the added stress of coaching a team.
 
At the same time, the Saints are still in very good shape if a deal with Parcells is not reached. Instead, new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo would be the next logical choice for interim head coach. Not only does Spagnuolo have head coaching experience (he’s the former head coach for the St. Louis Rams), he was also the defensive coordinator for the 2008 New York Giants team that defeated the seemingly unstopped undefeated New England Patriots team in Super Bowl XLII.
 
Outside of dealing with the fallout from the bounty situation, the Saints have been very active in the free agent market. Having to replace arguably the best guard in football Carl Nicks, the Saints signed veteran guard and former Baltimore Raven Ben Grubbs. However, even with the loss of Nicks and wide receiver Robert Meacham, the Saints offense is still very much intact. After Sean Payton’s fluke knee injury last season sent him to the coach’s booth, offensive coordinator Pete Charmichael gained more experience as he became the main play caller. So you can be sure that the Saints will still be very capable of scoring lots of points as in the seasons past.
 
On the other hand, Jonathan Vilma’s future is still uncertain with the team and it is possible that he could miss well over half of the season. With Vilma’s availability in question, the Saints found a more than capable replacement in veteran middle linebacker Curtis Lofton. Lofton will be a good addition and is very compatible with the 4-3 defense that Spagnuolo will be implementing this season. Outside linebacker Chris Chamberlain, who played three seasons under Spagnuolo in St. Louis, was also added to help sure up the linebacker positions.
 
Unfortunately, cornerback Tracey Porter’s decision to follow Peyton Manning to the Denver Broncos was an unexpected loss, but the Saints have been very diligent in grooming young cornerbacks with Johnny Patrick and Patrick Robinson more than happy to assume Porter’s starting position.
 
Though it is unknown how the loss of Sean Payton for the entire season will affect the team, the Saints are still in a very good position to maintain their pace for another championship. Most of the players on the offense have been retained and some key additions to the defense have been made. After suffering arguably the most severe punishment in NFL history, the team has remained optimistic about its chances, and with good reason. The Saints have become one of the dominant teams in the league and though they have suffered a major blow, all the pieces are in place to continue on with their expected success.

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