While Houston is officially on the clock, the Saints are waiting in the wings.

New Orleans is picking 27th today in the draft unless it makes a trade, which means it must be ready for just about anything.

Picking down there doesn’t mean there isn’t an impact player going to be left on the board, it just means the team must be ready to make adjustments.

“It is more difficult than if you are picking 5 or 6,” said Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis during his predraft news conference Wednesday.

“We have a pretty good idea of the first half, not the order but who is likely to be taken. There will be a surprise or two, so we do have to be prepared for any and all scenarios.”

After a season of “remodeling” the Saints are looking to put some final touches to a team that seems to be converting from a high-flying offense to one of power running and defense despite still having Drew Brees at quarterback.

Loomis said the team has its eyes on one particular position but he would not reveal it for obvious reasons. He also said the club has done its work both with possible draft picks and free agents.

“We have had an opportunity to talk to every player on our board,” Loomis said. “It is a pretty extensive process.”

As for the undrafted free agents, Loomis said the Saints are ready for that as well.

“We have had a history of success with those people,” he said. “That’s because of good communication between our coaching staff and the front office. We are on the same page.

“We pay a lot of attention to the undrafted talent pool. We have a board with a lot of names on it. We watch it and talk about it after every day.”

Most believe the Saints needed help on offense, whether it be on the line or at receiver.

Since 2007 they have used one first-round pick on the offense, trying to build a defense out of needed. While it seems like a change may be starting after last year, and several of the key releases of an aging offense this year, don’t bet on it.

“I’m not concerned about the age of our offense, I’m concerned about the performance of our offense,” Loomis said. “And it has been pretty darn good.

“Am I going to trade out our offense for a younger one? No, I am not.”

While the Saints say they have a target on one position and a few players, Loomis also said selecting the best available player on the board who fits into what they are trying to do is critical.

A trade is a possibility, but that may depended one when players start to fall and who is willing to make a deal with the Saints.

“It is more about, Do we really want this player as a fit for us?” Loomis said. “If so then let’s go get him. We have a good sense of what each move and each spot costs. Trades are about targeting a player we feel can help us either short term or long term that is a great fit.”

Then there is the question at quarterback.

Brees may still be one of the game’s best, and he talks of playing for five more years or so, but he is still 35 heading into training camp and not everyone believes the Saints have his long-term replacement on the roster.

While Loomis says the club likes backup Luke McCown and second-year pro Ryan Griffin out of Tulane, neither one blows you away.

“We pay attention to that,” Loomis said of the quarterback situation. “You want to have somebody in the wings who can play for you. It is not at the forefront of our minds but we are aware of (Brees’) age.”

Loomis also talked about topics like the release of running back Mark Ingram for “financial reasons” and working against a tight salary cap.

“It is a good thing because it means you have a good team and good players,” Loomis said. “We have been tight against the cap for a while here. We are used to it. It won’t impact what we do in the draft.”

While giving away no secrets, Loomis did say what he feels it will take for the Saints to beat the NFC elite and make it back to the Super Bowl.

“Best way is to get home-field advantage and have them play in our dome,” he said.

The Saints hope to find a few pieces to that puzzle starting today.New Orleans Saints coach