Offseason
On January 17, the Saints made their first step in the 2006 offseason by hiring Sean Payton, the former assistant head coach for the Dallas Cowboys, as their new head coach.
On March 14, 2006, the Saints acquired former-Chargers QB Drew Brees through free agency, where he signed a six-year deal with them.
In the 2006 NFL Draft, the Saints used their first pick on the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner (since vacated in 2010) from USC, Reggie Bush, who was passed over by the Houston Texans, who instead selected North Carolina St. defensive end Mario Williams with the first overall pick. They then used their picks on Alabama Safety Roman Harper, Bloomsburg OT Jahri Evans, Purdue DE Rob Ninkovich, Oregon St. WR Mike Hass, Pittsburgh CB Josh "Bernard" Lay, Northwestern OT Zach Strief, and Hofstra WR Marques Colston.
Read more about this topic: 2006 New Orleans Saints Season