From the outside, it all seems to add up: a looming head coaching job, a non-traditional salary cap and plenty of older, accomplished players. Are the Saints headed for a rebuild?

However, that’s not the plan at all.

New Orleans is not planning an overhaul. There will be changes, and probably an effort to rejuvenate. But they don’t plan to take their franchise to stud, just as they didn’t plan a fire sale before last Tuesday’s trade deadline. With a team they believe is far better than their record, besieged by constant injuries, the Saints believe in moving forward rather than backward.

There will be decisions, starting with quarterback Derek Carr. And nothing is firm and definitive. But that’s the current plan.

The Saints play the Falcons today with interim coach Darren Rizzi replacing Dennis Allen, who was fired this week after a seven-game losing streak and a 2-7 record. A season that started with so much promise – with offensive fireworks and a 2-0 start – has reached its lowest ebb.

Still, it’s worth noting that, in Mickey Loomis’ statement on Allen’s firing, the Saints general manager noted the “avalanche of injuries” that “took a toll.” He praised Allen for never making excuses.