Mahomes in a Saints Uni....it almost happened

[KC Warpaint 3,234]

In late March 2017, Saints coach Sean Payton sent Patrick Mahomes an installation of plays, something of a study guide for the following day.

The next morning in Lubbock, Texas, Payton tested Mahomes, a meeting to measure how quickly Mahomes had processed the information. They progressed to an on-field workout before finishing with a conversation over Mexican food.

With Drew Brees already on the roster, the Saints weren’t much in need of a quarterback, not one projected to go in the first round anyway.

And then they met Mahomes.

“I remember getting on our owner’s plane thinking, ‘Man, that was as good of a quarterback evaluation as I’ve had in my time in the NFL,’” Payton said.

Mahomes has since literally concluded a Super Bowl parade in downtown Kansas City and figuratively led the march for one. He’s the youngest player in NFL history to match the regular season most valuable player honor with its Super Bowl version.

But he was thisclose to wearing a Saints uniform instead. You see, when the Chiefs make the trip to New Orleans on Sunday, a slight alteration in history would have made this Mahomes’ first game ever against the Chiefs.

If you were to stop reading after that last sentence, well, who could blame you?

This is fantasy.

But it’s fantasy that was almost reality.

‘Andy decided for us’

The Mahomes workout commenced a unique week for Payton. His next stop was in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he worked out running back Alvin Kamara. Payton continued on to Columbus, Ohio, where he met with cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

“Man,” Payton said, “I’m a roll here.”

The Saints had the 11th overall pick, and they graded Mahomes and Lattimore among the top players in the draft class. As the opening round of the 2017 NFL Draft progressed, they removed names of selected players from their board.

Nine players gone.

Only two remained in the Saints’ top bubble: Lattimore and Mahomes.

“Then that discussion takes place,” Payton said. “There’s two parts to it. When you have a quarterback, there’s the part of (who) you will help the team right now, which is Lattimore. Or there’s the future. And back and forth. And when it got to (number) nine, and nine was selected, we knew we were getting one of the two.

“And then Andy decided for us.”

With the Saints waiting at No. 11, the Chiefs pounced at 10.

Not by coincidence. While not mentioning specific teams, then-Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said he had a feeling which other teams might be interested in Mahomes. And five days earlier, he began the blueprint for a potential trade with the Bills for No. 10.

The Chiefs relinquished two first-round picks and a third-rounder.

“Once that trade happened,” Payton said, “I said, ‘There goes Mahomes.’”
‘Crazy how stuff works out’

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach had first spotted Mahomes on film, and he nagged Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid about him daily.

Dorsey drove to Iowa State to watch Mahomes in person, and he saw one of the worst games of Mahomes’ career. The infatuation, though, grew. He liked the competitiveness. He admired Mahomes playing through an injury.

Mahomes had not been projected in the top 10 of many mock drafts. The Chiefs, however, thought they had found their future, even with Alex Smith still on the roster.

But they weren’t the only ones.

Then-Cardinals coach Bruce Arians later said they were ready to draft Mahomes at No. 13. And a few weeks before the draft, Payton conducted a workout that changed it all. He thought.

The interests were unknown to one another.

Unknown to Mahomes, even.

“With the Saints, I didn’t sense (their interest) as much,” Mahomes said. “I know I definitely had a good workout. But I didn’t sense that they were going to pick me, obviously with Drew still being there and the success that he still had to this day.”

The two teams had identified the same traits. Mahomes’ ability to make off-schedule throws popped on the tape. And his ability to retain information popped in meetings.

They walked away with similar reactions. Veach has called Mahomes the best player he has ever scouted — said it before he’d ever started a game.

Payton? Same thing.

“I felt like it was the best quarterback I had ever seen on tape in a workout,” Payton said. “I had done a lot of them to that point. You name it. I just thought he had that rare ability, and there was going to be a ton of upside. Man, he was real good in the meeting room. He processed the information extremely (well) — all those things you can’t see on video. That was just my instincts. I didn’t know for sure.

“But when the draft comes, you begin to think, ‘Well, there’s gotta be someone else that sees what I see.’”

And he had a slight inkling who else it might be. In fact, when the Chiefs made the trade for the 10th pick, even as Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson remained on the board, Payton just knew.

“When they made that move, my gut told me,” Payton said. “Look, I’ve always respected Andy. It was one of those where I don’t know how many people had the grade on Patrick that we had. But I thought Andy clearly would have with his background at the quarterback position. He would’ve seen, I think, the same things.”

The conversation in the Saints’ war room became easy. They selected Lattimore, a pick they’ve been plenty content with. And Brees, though currently injured, has led the Saints to a 28-7 record over the past three seasons.

They never had to make the difficult decision.

But what if?

“It’s just crazy how stuff works out,” Mahomes said.

[sith13 1,746]

Well screw those "what if"s. We got Mahomes and the rest are all jealous  

[mex 65,581]

off-schedule throws

ability to quickly process information

built for the game

fucking football robot

[sith13 1,746]

14 minutes ago, mex said:

off-schedule throws

ability to quickly process information

built for the game

fucking football robot

I don't remember who said it but definitely a perfect description, something in the vicinity of "Madden cheat in real life"

[West 6,713]

Just makes the long term fans think about all the bullshit "misses" we had over the years....

Thankfully, Andy Reid was our coach and Veach was on his game.

w

[reesebobby 5,662]

There would have been no end to the Saint Patrick shit. 

[xen 1,010,220]

1 hour ago, West said:

Just makes the long term fans think about all the bullshit "misses" we had over the years....

Thankfully, Andy Reid was our coach and Veach was on his game.

w

Some credit to Dorsey as well for figuring out exactly how high he needed to go to get Mahomes.  

[West 6,713]

agree.....Dorsey got the team back on track....as it was a disaster before he and Andy got it together....

That said, Dorsey seemed to give up the ghost after he left KC.

 

w

[oldtimer 8,686]

5 minutes ago, West said:

agree.....Dorsey got the team back on track....as it was a disaster before he and Andy got it together....

That said, Dorsey seemed to give up the ghost after he left KC.

 

w

I hear Dorsey is being interviewed for the Lions job

[reesebobby 5,662]

24 minutes ago, oldtimer said:

I hear Dorsey is being interviewed for the Lions job

Further evidence of his tragic demise. 

[Thegoatee 1,780]

The most amazing thing to me in the NFL is how talent evaluators can be so wrong. When you combine the God-given raw talent and the work ethic to make it special, you find the generational talent. The other most amazing thing for KC is how long we waited to take a QB round 1 and how it thankfully exceeded anyone’s imagination. Most of us would have been thrilled with a Rivers/Ryan type of QB a decade ago. Now we get to see history being made. The long suffering nature of QB play has finally been rewarded. Please stay healthy and keep your head on your shoulders, Mr. Mahomes. You can become the greatest ever.

[Chiefmanzada 466]

1 hour ago, Thegoatee said:

The most amazing thing to me in the NFL is how talent evaluators can be so wrong. When you combine the God-given raw talent and the work ethic to make it special, you find the generational talent. The other most amazing thing for KC is how long we waited to take a QB round 1 and how it thankfully exceeded anyone’s imagination. Most of us would have been thrilled with a Rivers/Ryan type of QB a decade ago. Now we get to see history being made. The long suffering nature of QB play has finally been rewarded. Please stay healthy and keep your head on your shoulders, Mr. Mahomes. You can become the greatest ever.

Also comes down to a having the balls to draft a QB like Mahomes. 
 

Look at the Bears. They went with the safe pick in Trib as many deemed him “NFL ready”. Afraid to coach up Mahomes? Andy wasn’t. 

[Lamardirts 2,114]

I don't know how much of this I believe.   It's easy to have 20/20 vision after the fact.    Oh yeah Patrick, best interview ever......we knew he was going to be a goat blah blah blah, yet we stood pat and weren't willing to give up peanuts to move up one or two spots for him.   Had Patrick stunk it would have been just another qb interview.  

As for Dorsey, he knows how to gather talent in a hurry.   Keeping that talent and signing that talent is another story but I would totally sign him if I were the Lions.  I would do it knowing he was getting 2 years (regardless of the contract) to add talent and flip the talent then I would bring in someone who could manage it.    He did a great job here of adding talent and did the same for the Browns.   Not everyone can have a good talent evaluator and good cap specialist like we have in Veach.   

[Spfdchiefsfan 621]

1 hour ago, Lamardirts said:

I don't know how much of this I believe.   It's easy to have 20/20 vision after the fact.    Oh yeah Patrick, best interview ever......we knew he was going to be a goat blah blah blah, yet we stood pat and weren't willing to give up peanuts to move up one or two spots for him.   Had Patrick stunk it would have been just another qb interview.  

As for Dorsey, he knows how to gather talent in a hurry.   Keeping that talent and signing that talent is another story but I would totally sign him if I were the Lions.  I would do it knowing he was getting 2 years (regardless of the contract) to add talent and flip the talent then I would bring in someone who could manage it.    He did a great job here of adding talent and did the same for the Browns.   Not everyone can have a good talent evaluator and good cap specialist like we have in Veach.   

Well, when you have a Brees already, you look at it as if he drops to us, we'll take him, but not going to give up capital to get him.  When you are the Chiefs, and you have Alex Smith, you exchange a first and give up next years and a 3rd to get that talent.

[mex 65,581]

1 hour ago, Spfdchiefsfan said:

Well, when you have a Brees already, you look at it as if he drops to us, we'll take him, but not going to give up capital to get him.  When you are the Chiefs, and you have Alex Smith, you exchange a first and give up next years and a 3rd to get that talent.

and it has clearly helped buffalo

[kkuenn 3,597]

1 hour ago, mex said:

and it has clearly helped buffalo

Who did they pick with the 2 first and 3rd round picks? Never did look at it because we got the best of it no matter what.

[mex 65,581]

2 minutes ago, kkuenn said:

Who did they pick with the 2 first and 3rd round picks? Never did look at it because we got the best of it no matter what.

pretty sure they traded a few of those picks they got from KC, but its safe to say they got at least Tre White and Josh Allen

[kkuenn 3,597]

23 minutes ago, mex said:

pretty sure they traded a few of those picks they got from KC, but its safe to say they got at least Tre White and Josh Allen

Patrick Mahomes draft pick trade details

• Kansas City Chiefs received: No. 10 pick in 2017 NFL Draft (Patrick Mahomes)
• Buffalo Bills received: No. 27 pick in 2017 NFL Draft (Tre'Davious White); third-round 2017 pick (this pick was packaged in a trade that led to Buffalo taking both tackle Dion Dawkins and receiver Zay Jones); first-round 2018 pick (used to trade up and take linebacker Tremaine Edmunds; Buffalo also drafted defensive back Siran Neal with a final pick acquired along with Edmunds)

[mex 65,581]

3 minutes ago, kkuenn said:

Patrick Mahomes draft pick trade details

• Kansas City Chiefs received: No. 10 pick in 2017 NFL Draft (Patrick Mahomes)
• Buffalo Bills received: No. 27 pick in 2017 NFL Draft (Tre'Davious White); third-round 2017 pick (this pick was packaged in a trade that led to Buffalo taking both tackle Dion Dawkins and receiver Zay Jones); first-round 2018 pick (used to trade up and take linebacker Tremaine Edmunds; Buffalo also drafted defensive back Siran Neal with a final pick acquired along with Edmunds)

hell that was pretty close for off the top of my head...

[Balto 723]

Bears lololololol

[xen 1,010,220]

2 hours ago, Balto said:

Bears lololololol

Could be worse.  The Lions are interviewing Scott Pioli.  I thought at first they must have an opening in sanitation, but no it's for the gm job.

[sith13 1,746]

5 hours ago, xen said:

Could be worse.  The Lions are interviewing Scott Pioli.  I thought at first they must have an opening in sanitation, but no it's for the gm job.

Pioli is great at contracts, might be the best I've seen in quite a while. However he has no business being the man in charge. Just pay him GM money to handle contracts like an assistant and that's it. 

That being said Lions getting Pioli would wouldn't surprise me. They love consistency more than anything else, even if it means sucking. 

[robgar 1,046]

actually if you could get pioili to run the business side, and dorsey the scouting side.. if they could put up with each other... would be a pretty decent combination..

 

just dont let pioli have any voice in the draft.