Saints general manager Mickey Loomis insisted last month that Drew Brees won't be traded, but don't rule out New Orleans drafting another signal-caller.
"You're always looking to get a young quarterback in the program," Loomis told reporters Wednesday during the team's pre-draft press conference, per Kristian Garic of WWL Radio. "If the opportunity presents (itself), we might take another one."
Loomis emphasized that the club likes backup Ryan Griffin and sees no end in sight for 36-year-old Brees. Still, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport was told by several sources in November that the Saints"will draft a quarterback highly this year," adding that "they wish they had done this in previous years."
We can't help but wonder if Sean Payton wanted to draft Jimmy Garoppolo, New England's young passer who shined at Eastern Illinois, the coach's alma matter.
While the Saints are one of two teams armed with a pair of first-rounders -- the type of ammunition required to make a move for Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota -- we don't expect New Orleans to attempt such antics. More realistically, Baylor's Bryce Petty, UCLA's Brett Hundley or Oregon State's Sean Mannion sit out there as tangible options starting in Round 2.
Griffin, meanwhile, has shown flashes of potential in preseason action, but clearly not enough to convince the Saints that he's ready to take over when Brees finally exits stage left -- making New Orleans a rock-solid candidate to add competition from the college ranks.
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