And with that, the pipe dream that was Patrick Peterson returning to Louisiana to make a parade down Poydras Street even more of a possibility has died. It was both short-lived, and - considering the presumed price - never really all that close to fruition, but bringing Eli Apple to a team that's chocked full of his former peers should put a period on the Saints' deadline deals. To be honest, a 4th rounder+ seems like a slight overpayment for a player who never really lived up to his 1st round draft status while also being accused of bringing both Mommy issues and immaturity to a locker room that became a cess pool of stupidity under the "supervision" of Ben McAdoo. When you consider that his surroundings were that of a tire fire while playing for the type of dysfunctional team that (even with the coaching change) can sabotage careers, it doesn't become too hard to see Eli Apple - more so than most - benefiting from what's basically a polar opposite change of both scenery and organizational culture. However, if you're judging him off the headlines he's made and the game tape he put out, specifically last season, then you'd have to consider it a risk. In my opinion it's a reasonable risk, as a secondary with a heavy Ohio State influence is more likely to get him to cut the bullshit and tap into his potential than one that grew to hate his guts, but a risk nonetheless. That said, it shouldn't be discounted that the Saints are an organization whose scouting department should be tested for steroids given the muscles it somewhat magically started flexing upon the addition of Jeff Ireland. Having already been without a 1st (Marcus Davenport) and 3rd (Teddy Bridgewater) round pick in this upcoming draft, they didn't just give away a 4th and change on a wing and prayer. Add to that the fact that they had no shortage of reliable in-house references to help give them a read on who Eli Apple is as a player and/or person, and there's plenty of reason to believe this was a highly calculated decision as opposed to a blind roll of the dice in reinforcing their defensive backfield.
Now, it's of course impossible to know whether a temperamental first round disappointment is going to find his game and transform into a capable starting cornerback for a contender. Still, at the very least, this particular one gives the Saints another young, cheap, and skilled option opposite Marshon Lattimore as Ken Crawley decides whether he's the player we saw last year or the player we've seen to start this year. A little insurance never hurt anybody, and - though the extent of its coverage may currently be of question - Eli Apple provides just that to a group of cornerbacks with multiple expiring contracts. Having an open Super Bowl window may have forced their hand a bit, but if Sean Payton and Co. are optimistic that all a once promising prospect needs to turn around his career is to get hell out of a self-cannibalistic sports city like New York and get a little southern comfort then who am I to disagree?
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