Doug Marrone was in his mid-20s, trying to make his mark, and maybe even find a longer-term home as a journeyman offensive lineman. So it came that he hit Plan B Free Agency in the late 1980s and got an offer from the Vikings that he brought back to then Saints general manager Jim Finks.
Marrone wanted to stay in New Orleans and only asked Finks to match the offer he had. Finks, instead, gave his young tackle an education in the cold world of the NFL. He matched the signing bonus and salary Minnesota was offering. He declined to match the incentives.