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The Saints have finished 7-9 three years in a row, but quarterback Drew Brees doesn’t think that means they’re mired in mediocrity.

Brees said on PFT Live that his goal is to get another ring, and he thinks the Saints can be Super Bowl contenders this year.

“I think that we’re very close,” he said. I’m excited about the offseason acquisitions we’ve made, we’ve got five picks in the first three rounds, five picks in the first [103] picks in this year’s draft, so the ability to go out and acquire some young talent as well, some guys who can come in and make an instant impact. Now more than ever you’re seeing young people come in and playing key roles on teams and maybe that’s just, from high school to college to the NFL, the development of these guys is at an all-time high so they’re coming in more and more ready to take on significant roles. So when you add all those things up, plus the veteran presence on our team and the leadership, and certainly the motivation from what’s transpired the last three years, I feel very good about where we’re at.”

Brees acknowledged that the departure of wide receiver Brandin Cooks hurts, but he said he believes the offense, which added wide receiver Ted Ginn, is well suited to succeed this year.

“That was tough because I love Brandin. Not only is he a great teammate, he’s a great friend,” Brees said. “I think it was just one of those unfortunate things that maybe took on a life of its own, too, as the season progressed and then in the offseason, there was so much speculation about his intentions and that kind of thing in regards to whether he wanted to be here or not wanted to be here. I think a lot of that was fostered by the media, but at the end of the day I hope he got what he wanted or got into a good situation, which I think he did, and we got some draft picks out of it.”

Those draft picks should bolster a roster that hasn’t been good enough in recent years. Another 7-9 season wouldn’t be acceptable to Brees, and he sounds confident in saying they’re closer to the Super Bowl than to another losing season.