Jan 30, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees speaks on the game of financial football at the New Orleans convention center. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the quietest point of the NFL offseason now that rookie minicamp has concluded, so there’s no better time to pick out a New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore!

Picking a Mount Rushmore is a recent trend started by the folks over at ProFootballTalk. We thought it would be a great idea to attempt our own Mount Rushmore for the Saints.

It’s not as easy as you might think at first glance. You can only pick four names for a Saints Mount Rushmore, and you have to find a delicate balance between statistics, lasting legacy and more when picking those names. Also, should it include coaches and decision makers?

For the purposes of this Saints Mount Rushmore, we’ll include all types of personnel spanning franchise history  Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments section below and give us your very own  Saints Mount Rushmore!

Drew Brees 

December 30, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) prior to kickoff of a game against the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Come on, did you think we would start anywhere else?  Where do you even start with Brees? He’s the most recognizable face in franchise history and brought home the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XLVI.

Brees has broke numerous passing records over the course of his journey, and the scary part is he’s not quite done yet. Perhaps Brees’ most impressive record is the face he’s the NFL’s All-time single season passing yard leader with 5,476 yards.

There’s no question Brees’ should be the first mug on the wall of a Saints Mount Rushmore. We could dedicate an entire post to Brees alone, but that just wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the guys on the wall.

Sean Payton 

March 20, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton answers questions from reporters during the annual NFL meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

Sean Payton is another name that is an easy pick if you had to pick a Saints Mount Rushmore. Sure, there’s been some issues over the horribly-named Bountygate, but it’s safe to say the good outweighs the bad.

Payton joined the Saints in 2006, and after just three years led the team to a Super Bowl victory. Overall as a head coach he has compiled a 62-34 record.

Like his quarterback, Payton appears to be far from done with the Saints. There’s no question Payton is one of the most important figures in franchise history, and for that, he lands right next to his quarterback on the wall.

Rickey Jackson 

January 1, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints former linebacker Rickey Jackson before the Saints played the Carolina Panthers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

From 1981 to 1993 there was no bigger name in the world of the New Orleans Saints than linebacker Rickey Jackson, who broke numerous franchise records while on his path to the Hall of Fame.

Over the course of his career, Jackson racked up 1,173 tackles and a Saints franchise record with 128 sacks. He was also a six Time Pro-Bowler and a four-Time All-Pro.

Jackson is now enshrined in the Hall of Fame and easily belongs on any Saints Mount Rushmore. His contributions to the franchise may be forgotten as current generations take over, but he deserves to live on in the realms of Saints history with the biggest names of them all.

Deuce McAllister

Jan 30, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; NFL former running back Deuce McAllister carries the Vince Lombardi trophy into the Super Bowl XLVII Experience at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Deuce McAllister is a case where legacy has more of a lasting impact on a Mount Rushmore nomination rather than statistics. McAllister is one of the most recognizable names in franchise history thanks to his key role in some of the best moments the franchise has to offer.

Despite joining the Saints in 2001 and only playing for seven seasons, McAllister rushed for over 6,000 yards and 49 touchdowns while playing an integral role in the team’s Super Bowl victory.

McAllister is another modern player who makes the wall over some of the legends in team history, but it’s well deserved given his role in what is easily the best years the Saints have had since being created.

Love our Mount Rushmore? Hate it?  Let us know on Twitter @whodatdish or  on Facebook. Make sure to leave your own Saints Mount Rushmore in the comments section below! 

For starters, it’s never too early to think about position battles for a team, especially after a strong Free Agency Frenzy coupled with a most interesting draft. For this first of a multiple mini-series, you may be thinking to yourself, ‘why even bother with this one? It’s a moot point. Drew Brees is our Quarterback, and nothing will ever change that.’ While I completely agree, I still can brag on Brees a little (and who couldn’t), and then dish out some perspective on the backup positions, which is extremely interesting to see who will emerge as the ‘Jedi Apprentices’ to ‘Jedi Master’ Brees.

Drew Brees, what can you really say? He is 34, still playing like he is 20-something. After his record-breaking season in 2011, Drew appropriately followed it up by going 422-670 (62.7% Completion), 4,781 Yards, 39 Touchdowns, 18 Picks, 94.9 QB Rating, and tallied a Rushing TD in the 2012 campaign. Not to mention, he added to his Pro Bowl count, which made 7 appearances total in his career (1 with San Diego in 2004, and each season with the Saints except for 2007, which I’m sure we all would love to forget that year). I’m sure everyone remembers the fact that we weren’t sure if he was going to be with our team when the season started, but Loomis always makes it happen.

Since joining the Saints in 2006, Brees has always been a consistent 4,000 yard passer, a feat that he never reached in San Diego. It was disappointing to see that Drew only made #79 on the Top 101 from Pro Football Focus. In a lot of eyes, Drew easily ranks in the Top 5 among the Elite Passers, and given all of the defensive woes from last season, it put Drew in a spot where he was the focal point of the offense. The one game he would love to have back from last year is arguably the Atlanta game, where he threw 5 interceptions, and more importantly ended his consecutive TD streak. For the 2013 season, Drew will have a plethora of weapons, as he always does, including new additions of Kenny Stills, Nick Toon (doesn’t count last year because of injury), and Ben Watson. Not to mention, a healthy Jimmy Graham. With Coach Payton back in the mix, expect a Drew Brees we are always prone to seeing, and through that partnership, we should all see the limitless potential of his talents unleashed.

Everyone is aware that Chase Daniel departed during Free Agency, and landed with a closer gig to his Mizzou Alma Mater in Kansas City. Fans loved Chase Daniel, and were extremely sad that he had to go, but can you blame him? If memory serves everyone correct, we had a similar situation with Jake Delhomme, and he got his shot in Carolina. Personally, I only wish the best for Daniel, but Alex Smith is likely to get that starting gig. So enter the new blood, well sort of.

Luke McCown, 32, was on the Saints roster during the 2012 preseason, released on August 27th, and landed with Atlanta as their backup. He is currently listed as 3rd on the depth chart currently, depending on what website you look up. He’s bounced around from a few different clubs since entering the league in 2004 (Cleveland, Tampa Jacksonville, & Atlanta).

Seneca Wallace, who will turn 33 by the beginning of the 2013 season, is currently listed as the backup to Brees on the depth chart, but will find that he will compete with McCown as for the backup gig (or clipboard holder). Wallace entered the league in 2005, and spent his first five seasons with the Seahawks, and last couple with the Browns. His best year was 2008, where he played in 10 games, went 141-242 (58% completion), 1,532 yards, 11 TDs, & 3 INTs.

Ryan Griffin, a hometown favorite from Tulane, worked out for the Saints prior to the draft. He went undrafted, but the Saints gladly snatched him up. He is one of those developmental players to watch at this point, as he fits the Saints cadence on offense, and is heralded as a strong pocket passer. There’s a lot to like about this kid, especially being 6’5”. While he may not emerge on this year’s team (because the norm for Coach Payton is to only carry 2 QBs), you may see him signed to the practice squad for the season.

What can be said about the backup situation for any of these QBs is the fact that they get to study under Drew Brees, and I’m not sure about you, but I’ll gladly take that position if I’m any of them. It will not be a question of who the starter is for the Saints, and we won’t have to worry about that question for a while. The Quarterback race is all about the backups, and who will emerge in the preseason to contend for the position(s).

Dec 23, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Every year the great folks over at Pro Football Focus release a Top 101 players list. The list is the cumulative scores for the top players in the NFL after the gurus who work for PFF evaluate and grade every single snap of each player in the NFL.

This year only one member of the New Orleans Saints makes the list.

Of course, that man would be quarterback Drew Brees. The professionals themselves had this to say about Brees’ 2012 campaign:

79. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (3rd)

Given that Brees led the league in yardage and touchdowns thrown, this plummet down the rankings must be viewed as something of a disappointment. We all know he’s capable, and there were games where he flashed the kind of talent that saw him finish third last year. But too many costly picks meant he was nowhere near that spot this year, as the Saints and their quarterback struggled to deal with the consequences of “BountyGate”.

Best Performance: Week 15 versus Tampa Bay, +6.2

Key Stat: His 1,234 yards on deep passes led the league during the regular season.

This is where some fans will be angered by the ranking. As PFF points out, Brees did lead the NFL in yards and touchdown passes, but the analysis is based on much more than just simple statistics.

Brees may be getting a bad rap here considering the Saints were horrific all around last season, so it’s hard to knock him for being one of the only positives on the roster. We know what Brees is capable of, now the revamped coaching staff needs to help him out.

Expect Brees to be much higher on this list next season. Sean Payton is back and the defense will presumably be better under Rob Ryan. As the Saints improve, Brees play and ranking should as well.

Do you agree with Brees’ rating? Feel like some Saints players were left off unfairly? Let us know on Twitter @whodatdish or  on Facebook.