[SmootSmack]

He was only necessary in the sense that Gibbs wanted a more hands on role with the entire operation (on and off the field), and do that he needed someone like Saunders to run the offense on a day to day basis. As much as Gibbs has praised Saunders, he's not a significant upgrade over Gibbs as an offensive mastermind. They come from the same tree, and Gibbs knows to run Super Bowl winning offenses. Maybe they're not always flashy, but they win.

So no he probably wasn't necessary if we're talking about did they need him to be more productive. But for what Gibbs wanted (and that's what's important), yes he was and is very necessary. It's early still