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The Saints visited with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh before he signed with the Rams and coach Sean Payton was asked on Tuesday if the cachet of playing in Los Angeles was what kept the team from landing the free agent.

Payton said he thinks “we have cachet, but I think it’s cash” that made up Suh’s mind about where to play following his release by the Dolphins. Suh was a player the Saints wanted, but Payton said that adding a defensive tackle wasn’t a “must” for the team before the 2018 season.

Tight end is a position he defined that way and the Saints’ bid for Jimmy Graham fell short because he got a richer deal from the Packers. That leaves the Saints in acute need of help at that position and Payton said wide receiver and edge rusher are in the same category.

“Those ‘musts’ don’t have any flexibility,” Payton said, via the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “We have to accomplish that. Now there’s still a lot of time and opportunities if you will prior to the draft. But certainly we’ve got to look closely at that.”

The Saints have met with tight end Benjamin Watson and wide receiver Cameron Meredith recently and the draft will offer more possibilities as they try to fill the holes Payton sees on their roster.