1999 record: 3-13, last place in NFC West.

Last five years: 25-55.

Coach: Jim Haslett is in his first year as an NFL head coach.

Playoff past: New Orleans is 0-4 in postseason play since the merger and winless in the playoffs for all-time. Only the Baltimore Ravens have zero postseason wins -- but we all know the Ravens are really the old Cleveland Browns. New Orleans is one of only a handful of teams never to have advanced to the Super Bowl. No reason to think either streak will be snapped in 2000. Not until Jim Mora became coach in 1986 had the Saints even qualified for postseason play. And they haven't been back since Mora departed 10 years later.

Outlook

This much is obvious: the New Orleans Saints will be better in 2000 than they were in 1999, when the team finished with only three victories and the pathetic performance necessitated the ouster of coach Mike Ditka and general manager Billy Kuharich.

How much better? Well, no one in The Big Easy is suggesting the city's once-rabid fans begin ordering Super Bowl XXXV tickets. And, truth be told, the Saints might not even be ready to contend for a playoff berth by 2001, when Super Bowl XXXVI will be staged in the Superdome. But the club, assuming the spate of injuries that has hampered the Saints in training camp eventually stops, will be competitive again.

For a team that averaged only five victories during Ditka's bombastic three-year tenure, and which lost six games last season by 15 points or more, that at least represents a start.

Defensive end Alfred Williams should help the Saints defense improve this season.(AP)

"There's no pretending involved," said general manager Randy Mueller, who' along with coach Jim Haslett comprises the new football brain trust. "This wasn't a good football team in 1999. We had to make changes."

Make changes they did. Backed by an $18 million balance in the salary cap and with a mandate from owner Tom Benson to reshape the roster and the mentality of the Saints, the front office jumped aggressively into the free-agent market. Mueller and Haslett didn't always make big waves -- and it can be argued the only veterans of real note they acquired were quarterback Jeff Blake and defensive tackle Norman Hand -- but they made a lot of ripples. By the time they finished, there were 47 new players on the roster.

Said offensive right tackle Kyle Turley: "You looked around the locker room and thought to yourself, 'Man, this really is a different team.' I think the changes were for the best."

The question the Saints must answer on the field, and not in the locker room, is whether the facelift was merely cosmetic or will result in a dramatically upgraded product. Through the first few weeks of the preseason, that remains the overriding question. Clearly the team will be much more disciplined under Haslett and the players will be held accountable for their actions on and off the field. With the respected Mueller in control, the franchise will be professionally run and likely won't make as many errors in judgment.

But what is needed to resurrect a franchise that has never been terribly successful, but still had the support of a loyal fan base, is solid play on both sides of the ball that allows the Saints to stay in most games. There is no more damaging an occurrence than to make a lot of promises to the city and to the team about improvement, and then go and get blown out several times in September. And the key to remaining competitive, keeping most games close into the fourth quarter and then perhaps stealing a victory or two, is tailback Ricky Williams.

He remains an enigmatic personality, a guy who conducts interviews from behind the security of his clear plastic helmet visor, but Williams is also a player capable of leading the NFL in rushing in his sophomore campaign. One reason is that Williams, a gifted back with workhorse abilities, will be used more between the tackles. Under the stubborn Ditka, he too often played hurt and was forced to run too many sweeps.

The other two elements that should enhance the performance of Williams are the presence of a viable quarterback in Blake and the potential of an offensive line that could be one of the premier power blocking groups in the league. Even without a quality receiving corps, Blake is going to challenge secondaries with the deep ball and he will drive front-seven units crazy with his upfield scrambling. With three former first-round picks on the offensive line, and a simplified scheme in which the players' collective mauler psyche will be utilized, Williams should find some holes.

Unfortunately, there are too many holes to be spackled in one offseason. The good news is that Mueller and Haslett won't have to be as aggressive next spring and, unlike this year, will have a first-round pick in the 2001 draft. Doubling the win total, to six, would be viewed by most in the league as a good step back toward respectability.

Schedule preview: Somewhat amazingly, the Saints do not face a division opponent until they have already played five games, finally drawing NFC West rival Carolina on Oct. 15. They begin the season with two interconference and intraconference games each, including the opener against Detroit in the Superdome on Sept. 3, then have a bye week before facing the Panthers. There are no road stretches longer than two games, but there is a period in the middle of the schedule when the Saints are away from The Big Easy five times in eight weeks. New Orleans concludes its season with three consecutive games against NFC West opponents. The finale, a Christmas Eve date with St. Louis, is hardly a present from Santa Claus.

1999 offensive ranking: No. 19 overall, No. 18 rushing, No. 19 passing.

1999 defensive ranking: No. 20 overall, No. 20 vs. rush, No. 21 vs. pass.

Key players lost from 1999: CB Ashley Ambrose (to Atlanta), WR Eddie Kennison (to Chicago), DT Wayne Martin (retired), DE Brady Smith (to Atlanta), CB Tyronne Drakeford (released), WR Andre Hastings (released), QB Billy Joe Hobert (to Indianapolis), LB Chris Bordano (to Dallas), FS Je'Rod Cherry (to Oakland), FS Willie Clay (unsigned), RB Lamar Smith (to Miami), LB Kevin Mitchell (to Washington), DE Darren Mickell (to San Diego), P Tommy Barnhardt (to Washington).

Key additions for 2000: QB Jeff Blake (Bengals), DT Norman Hand (Chargers), WR Joe Horn (Chiefs), WR Jake Reed (Vikings), DE Alfred Williams (Broncos), LB Charlie Clemons (Rams), TE Andrew Glover (Vikings), CB Steve Israel (Patriots), FS Darren Perry (from retirement), CB Fred Thomas (Seahawks), FS Chris Oldham (Steelers), CB Kevin Mathis (Cowboys), P Toby Gowin (Cowboys), WR Willie Jackson (Bengals).

Rookies to watch: The new front office regime suffered through not having a first- or third-round draft choice because of its predecessor's trade for Ricky Williams in 2000. Still, the Saints came away with a solid second-round pick in Darren Howard, who probably will be the starter at defensive left end. New Orleans tried to trade up into the first round to get Howard, failed, and had him fall right into its lap. A solid anchor against the run, Howard should add toughness and depth to the defensive front. Fullback Terrelle Smith, a fourth-round choice, could develop into the pulverizing lead-blocker Williams needs in front of him. The guy to watch, though, is No. 5 choice Chad Morton, a former Southern California tailback who should be the change-of-pace guy in the New Orleans backfield.

Offensive line: After two consecutive subpar seasons, left tackle Willie Roaf returned to form in 1999 and regained his status as one of the league's best blindside pass protectors. In frustration, the veteran made some comments during the offseason about wanting to be traded, but he backed quickly away from those and remains the cornerstone of the unit. His status will be challenged, though, by right tackle Kyle Turley. In his third season, Turley could well develop into a Pro Bowl performer. He is super strong, surprisingly athletic and works as hard as anyone on the team. Turley is a guy who goes for the jugular on every play and isn't happy unless he has buried the defender across the line from him. Right guard Chris Naeole, another former No. 1 pick, is a tough-minded interior blocker. But every time it appears he is making progress, Naeole goes down with an injury. There is still some question as to who will line up at center and left guard. The players there are Tom Ackerman and Wally Williams, the latter of whom missed time in '99 with a back ailment. The staff seems to prefer having Williams move to center, but there remain some concerns about his back. Former starting center Jerry Fontenot offers exceptional depth.

Wide receivers/tight ends: One mistake the new regime might have made was dealing wideout Eddie Kennison to Chicago for a middle-round draft pick. For all his moodiness, Kennison was a viable deep threat, a guy who never came close to his rookie performance in St. Louis but who made secondaries back off the line of scrimmage. Young veteran Joe Horn, formerly of Kansas City, was a nice pickup, but has never been a full-time starter. By two weeks into camp, the staff seemed to realize what everyone else knew: that former Vikings standout Jake Reed has lost much of his speed and aggressiveness and is probably no better than a No. 3 wideout. Holdover Keith Poole can get deep but has fallen out of favor with the new staff. The big loss in preseason was that of tight end Cam Cleeland to a season-ending Achilles injury. The third-year pro often had his toughness questioned, even in his own locker room, but was a quality receiver. Veteran Andrew Glover, who likely won't hold up physically, will be asked to log more playing time. The Saints dealt for Lamont Hall of Green Bay to bolster the tight end spot, but he is largely an unknown commodity. Lawrence Hart, another acquisition from the Packers, was traded Thursday to the Cowboys for a draft choice, the Saints instead opting to re-sign Scott Slutzker.

Running backs: If the coaches keep their promise, and Williams is used more like he was when he won the Heisman Trophy two years ago, the former University of Texas star could post really big numbers in his second season. Yeah, he is a weird guy, one who seems more concerned with himself than the results on the scoreboard. But quirks aside, Williams is a talented back, one who gets better the more he touches the ball. Williams has superior instincts and, when he's running "downhill," he is a load. He can bludgeon a defense into submission and, while the Saints won't overwork him and want to spread the ball more in coordinator Mike McCarthy's design, he is going to have the ball in his hands a lot. New Orleans is still trying to decide on a lead-blocker for Williams. In time, it figures to be rookie Terrelle Smith taking over for undersized Aaron Craver. Fifth-round pick Chad Morton, an undersized back with sub-4.4 speed, probably will be the change-of-pace complement to Williams. He had an impressive camp and the coaches were looking for ways to get the ball to him.

Quarterbacks: Free agent Jeff Blake can be scattershot for long stretches, and there are times he will abandon the pocket too soon. But he represents a huge upgrade over the revolving door set of starters the Saints used the past three seasons, and he clearly is a leader around whom the other players will rally. Having departed Cincinnati, where he was going to lose the starting spot to youngster Akili Smith anyway, Blake is viewing his relocation as a nice second chance for his career. As already noted, he has an incredibly strong arm for a passer of such modest physical stature and he'll use his feet to get him out of trouble at times. The backup spots are wide open, with journeyman Billy Joe Tolliver the most experienced of the contenders. But there have been hints the coaches want to go younger at the backup spots, and that might bode well for Jake Delhomme and Aaron Brooks, the latter acquired from Green Bay in a trade last week.

Defensive line: It will be interesting to see how a group that played two-gap technique under the old staff adapts to a new, one-gap style that places a premium on getting penetration into the foes' backfield and being as disruptive as possible. Tackle Norman Hand, a solid run-stuffer during his career in San Diego, already has experienced some problems making the switch. Conversely, the change should play right into the strengths of tackle La'Roi Glover, an undersized but incredibly active interior defender with the ability to compress the pocket from the inside. The most crucial player, though, is end Joe Johnson, who missed the entire 1999 season with a knee injury. One of the best two-way players at his position, Johnson is a steadying force and a front player who forces the opposition to account for him all the time. He isn't the flashiest guy around, but he is a playmaker. The left end probably will be second-round draft pick Darren Howard, a good anchor in the running game. The Saints last week signed veteran pass rusher Alfred Williams. Once he knocks off the rust, he should be able to provide 6-8 sacks.

Linebackers: The unit survived a scare last weekend when tests showed an Achilles injury to new middle linebacker Charlie Clemons will not be season-ending. Clemons has never started a regular-season game in three NFL seasons, but the staff is convinced he is the active kind of pursuit player it needs at the position. Outside 'backers Mark Fields and Keith Mitchell are solid and, given their talents, this probably rates as the best and deepest position on the defense. While he won't be the reckless blitzer he was under the old staff, Fields will be turned loose at times because he is a player capable of causing havoc. The pickup of Darrin Smith early in camp might turn out to be one of the best moves made by Mueller and Haslett. The veteran is a tremendous cover player and might step into the starting spot in the middle until Clemons is healthy. Or he might simply beat out Mitchell for the strong-side position, since he is so accomplished at clamping down on the tight end.

Secondary: The defensive backfield underwent a major facelift, but that doesn't mean the results will be much better than in 1999. At least from the first two preseason games, it appears the Saints still can't cover on the corner. The season-ending injury to Steve Israel certainly will not help the already dire situation. The starters figure to be former first-rounder Alex Molden, who has never lived up to that status, and Fred Weary. The latter is a gambler who rolls as many snake-eyes as sevens. Until free safety Rob Kelly returns from a broken leg, old-timer Darren Perry will have to be the starter. Perry, who didn't even play in the league in '99, has lost more than a step and has to get by on smarts now. Strong safety Sammy Knight, a good, sure tackler with a nose for the ball, is perhaps the best player in the secondary. He struggled through much of '99 and is more like an undersized linebacker, but Knight has a big motor and good instinct.

Special teams: The standout remains kicker Doug Brien, who converted 24 of 29 field-goal attempts and who has a strong leg. The punting chores go to former Dallas standout Toby Gowin, but he slumped noticeably last season. There's a good chance Chad Morton will be used on returns.