Reggie Bush would be good trade bait for the Saints in 2010. Al Tielemans/SI Michael Lombardi's Mailbag Submit a comment or question to Michael. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

My pro personnel department would be instructed to evaluate every team in the league -- not only evaluating the pending free agents, but also the entire team, including the practice squad. We are looking for young players -- especially offensive and defensive lineman -- who fit our profile. We will do a comprehensive study of the 2005 and 2006 draft, because in an uncapped year, their free-agent qualifications would move from four years to six. So identifying any young player who may be available from these two drafts that meet our specific position criteria would be a huge bonus. Each day, the personnel department would evaluate the waiver wire looking for ways to improve our roster, from our 45th player to our 53rd player until the right combination of young players were collected. By 2010 our goal would be to have 30 players with three years of service or less on the team.

We will target the personnel of Atlanta, Washington, Baltimore and Miami. These teams will release players because they don't fit their new coaching staff's scheme, but might fit ours. There is always a large player turnover from new coaching staffs and our attention will be on their every move.

Offensive and defensive linemen will be a huge part of the core. The practice squad and final 10 spots of the roster would be devoted to developing these two positions. (When teams in a capped era place restricted tags on backup offensive lineman -- as Cincinnati did with Stacy Andrews and Pittsburgh with Max Starks -- then you know there is a premium for the position.) Our team would have an extra offensive and defensive line coach working in conjunction with the other line coaches to devote countless hours to player development on both lines. Think of this as our farm system of linemen. If we can develop players here, it would give us great flexibility on and off the field.

3. Prepare for a draft-free year

Because the owners opted out of the CBA last week, the college draft is now set to expire in 2011. So in preparation, the dynamics of how college scouting is implemented will have to be modified. We will have six college scouts assigned to the top 60 colleges that produce the most professional players. Each scout would be responsible for 10 schools, making sure he was on their campus at least three times a month. At these schools, the scout will evaluate every player on the roster, detailing his background, his character, his football acumen. Because of the threat of no draft, we have to know every player inside and out. We cannot control how the new system will operate, but we can control how we prepare.

Our two remaining scouts will be in charge of evaluating the top juniors and seniors of the non-60 schools. Again, they will know each player's background, character and football talent.

The thought of not having a draft is not appealing to me whatsoever, but there has to be an emergency plan in the works. Change is a part of life and the people that respond quickly and efficiently to it will dominate in an ever-evolving world. Changing how we scout colleges would greatly enhance our ability to operate in any new system.

4. Instigate trade talks

Any player who may become a free agent because of the new system in 2010 would be considered a valuable trading asset -- say the Saints' Reggie Bush and Will Smith. From my replaceable player list, I would try to trade players for draft picks in 2009 and 2010. Our goal would be to acquire as many extra picks before the draft expired in 2011. Drafts picks will be like gold in allowing us to collect young players that best serve our ability to compete for a Super Bowl in an uncapped year.

Where our team finished in the draft order in 2009 and 2010, and the quality of the draft, would determine if I wanted to move up or down in the draft. Having one great player is always better then three average players, so before I made any decisions on what direction I would trade, it would be vital to know the landscape of talent in the current draft.

5. Develop players

This is the one area we have to outshine the competitors. Our offseason program would have 100 percent attendance. Having an individual program of development for each player will be our first objective. Our coaches must be willing to work with young players and the front office must be realistic with their evaluation of the young talent. The key to our success will be in our ability to procure and develop players.

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By stocking our team's war chest full of good, young talent, and having a solid plan in place for procurement, we would be ready for whatever self-imposed cap number our owner decided. And with the potential of not having a draft in 2011, we would be in position to compete with any team for the rights to the best and brightest college players. Owners will be able to put a solid product on the field and their internal cap will allow them to handle all the debt service of their stadiums and operate with a better profit than this current deal allows.

Starting today, the plan is in place.

Mike Lombardi has 22 years of NFL experience, working in player personnel with the Broncos, Raiders, Browns, Eagles and 49ers.