New Orleans Saints Sign Chase Daniel, Might Still Draft QB

The New Orleans Saints brought back a familiar face in Chase Daniel. He’s a solid backup.

But that doesn’t mean they won’t look to draft a quarterback if the grade lines up.

Chase Daniel’s one-year deal with the Saints suggests that in 2018 he will again gauge his market interest. Daniel requested a release from the Eagles because he wanted to start. So long as Drew Brees is in town, Daniel shouldn’t get so much as a whiff of the starting lineup.

There is always the chance that, after a year under Payton’s watchful eye, the Saints decide Daniel is a viable candidate to step in when Brees retires. Daniel, age 30, is no young buck. But he’s eight years younger than Drew Brees. Brees says he wants to play for 2-4 more years, but there’s no guarantee that works out as planned. If he starts to break down soon, Daniel could be in line to replace him.

But that situation is not likely.

First of all, I don’t think it’s just talk when Brees says 2-4 more years. I see that as a very real possibility. More real, at least, than Brady playing six or seven more. But hey, these guys are on ground-breaking diets and receiving state-of-the-art medical attention. Science and nutrition are pushing the envelope further than ever, and the simple fact is that we don’t know how far it’s already come. It’s very much possible that the attention these guys pay to their body, along with the knowledge of an ever-progressing scientific world, could allow a quarterback to play at a high level at 45. I’d be surprised, but it’s possible.

But more importantly for Chase Daniel, the Saints would probably like to get a younger, cheaper, and more talented prospect than him in the draft.

The simple fact is that, so long as the Saints are in the quarterback market, they won’t pass on a player that they like. Whether that means a player like Deshaun Watson in the first round or another mid to late-round pick like Garrett Grayson, the Saints won’t shy away from their board.

Honestly, I’m not crazy about the idea of drafting a quarterback in the early rounds.

It’s not that the Saints have a huge range of needs, but they do badly need some impact players at DE and in their secondary. If an early round pick goes to QB, that’s one less dart to throw at the board.

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But on the other hand, the Saints do have five picks in the first three rounds. And if the Saints can end up with a Green Bay-like situation, I’m sure not going to complain. I’m not sure that Watson or Mahomes or any of these QBs is the next Aaron Rodgers, but if the Saints feel differently then hell, I’m all for it.

It’s important to remember: yes, we all want to take another shot while Brees’s window is open.

But this is a franchise. The Saints will still be a team when Brees is gone.

It’s important that the Saints don’t throw away their future for one last ride on the Brees-train. Drafting BPA is the way to build an elite roster. And that’s what the Saints will do, whether that means a quarterback or a defensive end in the first round.

The Daniel signing does give them more leeway, though. If they like a project QB in the late rounds, they have more flexibility to get it done now. It’s not that Luke McCown isn’t a good backup. But McCown is 35 years old, and has back problems. That’s not a good sign for his future.

In fact, Daniel’s signing is not a good sign for McCown at all.

If the Saints were confident in McCown’s ability or his willingness to backup Brees in 2017, they wouldn’t have signed Daniel. Neither, I suspect, would Daniel have agreed to come on with a one-year contract if he hadn’t been guaranteed a roster spot.

There may well be a competition in training camp between McCown and Daniel. But there may just as well be no competition. We may have seen the last of McCown in the NFL. He’s had a long career, but back injuries are no easy thing. He could retire.

If he does, he’ll be missed. But Daniel is younger and has more potential as a backup than McCown.

And then there’s Garrett Grayson. But let’s be honest: that ship has likely sailed. He’ll have a shot at the roster, no doubt. And if he makes it, that’s a great sign for the future of this team. But if the Saints do end up spending a draft pick on a project quarterback, that might mean the end of Nightwing.