New Orleans Saints Hall of Shame: Worst breakup and more
After celebrating the Saints by highlighting their players who someday could be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we flip the script to give you New Orleans' Hall of Shame.
Worst breakup: Darren Sproles
Breakups don't get much uglier than one party putting a "curse" on the other, but that's exactly what happened after the Saints dealt Sproles to the Eagles in 2014. His wife blasted the team on Instagram for trading her husband after initially informing him he would be cut, which would have allowed Sproles to choose his next NFL home.
"WhoDat Nation get ready for a ride because the seeds y'all front office is planting its not [going to] be a good look for y'all," Michel Sproles wrote.
And with that, a curse was born. New Orleans had three consecutive 7-9 seasons after her social media rant.
Earlier this year, Sproles revealed he intended to sign with Saints rival Atlanta, but the team traded him when it caught wind of his decision.
Worst draft pick: RB Ricky Williams
New Orleans produced the most shocking trade in NFL Draft history when Mike Ditka sent all of the team's 1999 draft picks, plus first- and third-round picks in 2000, for Washington's No. 5 pick, which the Saints used on Williams.
Williams had a good pro career (10,009 rushing yards), but the problem for New Orleans was most of his success came in Miami. He only played three seasons for the Saints. Ditka was fired the year after the infamous trade.
Worst free-agent signing: Safety Jairus Byrd
In his five seasons in Buffalo, he averaged 14.6 games, 52 tackles, 4.4 interceptions and 6.6 pass deflections per season and scored two touchdowns. In three seasons in New Orleans, Byrd averaged 11 games and 36.7 tackles, one interception and 2.7 deflections per year and had no defensive scores. His decreased production only tells part of the story of why Byrd's six-year, $54 million contract is the worst free-agent signing in Saints history.
Facing an impossible salary cap situation, GM Mickey Loomis managed to carve out enough money to sign Byrd, considered one of the biggest prizes in free agency during the 2014 offseason.
Instead of Byrd and New Orleans building on a promising 2013 season, both took massive steps back. Byrd's first season with the Saints ended after only four games when he suffered a torn meniscus during practice. In 13 games in 2013, he only managed one interception. The defense, meanwhile, ranked 31st against the pass as New Orleans finished 7-9.
Worst loss: 2011 divisional round at 49ers
The 2011 Saints went 13-3 and were perhaps the most talented team in franchise history, with offensive weapons including Sproles, tight end Jimmy Graham, wide receiver Marques Colston and QB Drew Brees, who set a then-NFL record with 5,476 passing yards.
The Saints and 49ers combined for 28 points in the final 4:02 of their epic 2011 divisional round game. New Orleans seemingly pulled off the victory on a 66-yard touchdown from Brees to Graham with 1:37 left. But Alex Smith quickly led the 49ers down the field, with Vernon Davis hauling in two receptions for 61 yards, including the 14-yard winning touchdown with nine seconds remaining. Final score: 36-32.
Postseason losses to the Vikings and Rams years later would arguably be more devastating, but those Saints teams weren't as explosive as the 2011 team.
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