The Saints are close.
They were seconds away from entering the NFC title game. It's easy to look at this team and think that they're a few pieces away from being back in the same position next season, if not a couple of games further along.
The natural temptation would be to dive in and go for it. Drew Brees is getting older. The window can only stay open for so long. But going at it in that manner would be a mistake — the same kind of mistake that left this team trapped in a maze of mediocrity that seemingly had no exit for so many years.