How is it that we never have enough cap space?

[AceBoogie]

You think the Saints wanted to trade Graham? There's repercussions to this sort of thinking.

I mean, the alternative here is actually believing we're not trying, which is absurd.

Again, every year there will be teams who moves don't work. We released  Steve Smith last year, and you're fooling yourself if you don't think we would have been better with him. Not every move is going to work. The Seahawks trade away their first round pick every year and continue to go to the Super Bowl. Most people here would flip out if we traded a first round pick. The teams that win take risks. The saints took one last year. Can't fault them for trying. All you have to do is ask yourself why the same teams go to playoffs every year, and it has nothing to do with cap space. Thats part of the job, stop making excuses.

[Zaximus]

Because Hurney put us in a bad position and also we don't have smart enough cap guys to get us around it year to year like other teams do.   It's looking up though.

[jdpanther5]

Again, every year there will be teams who moves don't work. We released Steve Smith last year, and you're fooling yourself if you don't think we would have been better with him. Not every move is going to work. The Seahawks trade away their first round pick every year and continue to go to the Super Bowl. Most people here would flip out if we traded a first round pick. The teams that win take risks. The saints took one last year. Can't fault them for trying. All you have to do is ask yourself why the same teams go to playoffs every year, and it has nothing to do with cap space. Thats part of the job, stop making excuses.

Whether or not Smith would've made us better or not is a completely different matter.

Is your argument that the Saints made the wrong decision by locking down Graham? The guy is a bonafide top 2 TE, HoF-level talent. You don't just let that go, and you sure as hell don't trade him unless you have to. But alas, the cap does exist and if you abuse it sooner or later it'll come back to bite you.

And who is using the cap as an excuse? Last I checked we were the two-time defending champs of the division despite our biggest signing in recent years - Hardy - offering nothing to the cause. Hell we were pretty terrible when we were spending a ton to keep our guys.

Meanwhile the Bucs and Saints are jettison in their big name, big money guys.