They can't really be that dumb

I have a hard time believing the Saints were really going to try and jump up to the number one pick. The Saints in recent years have mostly squandered draft picks either by botching them altogether or trading them away.  Many fans and observers point to the team's lack of draft discipline as the first cause of its mediocre performance as of late.  As the "glory years" veterans have retired of moved on in free agency, there hasn't been a steady resupply of young talent to fill the roster. 

Trading up for anyone, even for a shot potential franchise quarterback to replace the 79 year old Drew Brees is not the ideal strategy right now.  Here's Ralph Malbrough.

The 2016 Saints, just like the 1999 Saints, are not one player away from being a contender. Repeat after me, “There is no player in the 2016 NFL Draft the Saints should trade up for.” Not Joey Bosa, not Shaq Lawson, or a clone of 23-year-old Ricky Jackson some scientist may have created in a lab.

Some of you are probably thinking, “But player X is the next JJ Watt and he will transform the Saints.” Here is my question to you, “What if the Saints trade up for a player and he's a flop? What then?” The Saints only have 6 draft choices and if they move up into the top 10, they will have to give up at least one and more likely two draft choices. The Saints need more draft picks in 2016, not less.

The Saints don't need one potential superstar fix things up.  They need fresh blood and lots of it.  Ralph, there, is just pooh poohing the notion of trading up one or two spots. There is no way trading all the way up to the top makes sense. 

What I'd most like to think is this story plus the rumor that they're interested in Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch as well is just the Saints trying to bait some other quarterback team into trading up ahead of them.  If Lynch ends up going before 12 that just pushes someone else down into the Saints' range. I hope that's what they're thinking.  I also kind of hope that means they'll trade out of the 12th pick anyway but we'll see.