Best-Case Scenario for the New Orleans Saints' 2012 Season

The best-case scenario for the New Orleans Saints’ 2012 season might be for everyone to wake up from the bad dream that was “BountyGate”  and have a full squad of players and coaches back.

Sean Payton would still be allowed in the building, Jonathan Vilma wouldn’t have to be so angry on twitter, and Sean Pamphilon wouldn’t be a dirty word down on the bayou.

But since we can’t go back in time and fix that mess, what can the Saints expect from the 2012 season?

Most of the team, staff and front office still believe that the Saints are a Super Bowl team. Winning the Vince Lomardi Trophy this year is the Saints' best-case scenario, and it’s realistic too.

New Orleans finished 13-3 last year and didn’t take any devastating losses in free agency. Sure, Carl Nicks bolted to Tampa Bay, but the Saints quickly brought in a very good guard in Ben Grubbs from Baltimore.

Robert Meachem left for San Diego, but not only was Meachem down a bit on the Saints' wide receiver depth chart, rookie Nick Toon is looking all the part of a viable replacement.

Corner Tracy Porter is now in Denver, and that could hurt, but since ‘best-case scenario’ is the topic du jour, let’s imagine that Patrick Robinson steps in and doesn’t miss a beat and Johnny Patrick becomes a great nickel back.

The two biggest areas of concern, and these scenarios have to go over swimmingly for the Saints to make it to the Super Bowl, are Drew Brees’ contract and the coaching situation with interim head coach Joe Vitt.

Brees was hit with the franchise tag but wants a long-term deal. The Saints are agreeable to negotiating, but aren’t anywhere close to Brees’ neighborhood when it comes to money and terms. Understandably, Brees is sitting out of all optional workouts in protest.

In this perfect world of best-case scenarios, the Saints will open up their purse strings, pay Brees every penny he asks for, apologize for not realizing the dumbest move on the planet was not paying him in the first place, and let him pilot the plane back to New Orleans to start workouts with the team, because first class just isn’t good enough for Brees.

Over the top? Yes, a little. But not only does Brees have to get back with his team—and he needs to do it quickly—he has to not be disgruntled when he shows up.

If Brees is playing out the season under the franchise tag, or not the highest-paid quarterback in the known galaxy, he’s going to be a little miffed. And miffed is just fine for valley girls, but not good for Saints quarterbacks that need to lead their teams through what might be one of the rockiest seasons in team history because of the off-field distractions.

Speaking of distractions, as Vitt prepares to coach the Saints on a temporary basis, he must channel his inner Sean Payton and run this offense with all the aptitude and panache of the head coach that won’t be allowed to breathe in the direction of the Saints in 2012.

Not only must Vitt not skip a beat as head coach in 2012, he has to get Aaron Kromer just as prepared as himself, because Vitt will miss the first six weeks due to a “BountyGate” suspension of his own.

Not having Payton around will hurt, and Vitt missing until Week 7 isn’t a great thing either, but games are played on the field, and this team has a number of veterans on it to overcome this adversity.

In a best-case scenario 2012 season, Brees will lead this team—remember, he’s happy because he just got paid—to the Super Bowl, which, by the way, is in New Orleans this year.

Anything less will be unacceptable for the Saints.