The New Orleans Saints, led by an aging group of stars, attack a make-or-break year with one goal: win the division.
As the heavy favorites to win the NFC South last season, the Saints plummeted to a 5-7 record in early December, before winning four of their last five and ending the season with a somewhat disappointing 9-8 record.
Finishing second in the division, the Saints missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
With no clear direction, the Saints entered the offseason with numerous holes to fill, and negative cap space to fill them.
However, the most important of these holes came outside of the 53-man roster.
Following the disappointing season, the Saints decided to fire Offensive Coordinator Pete Carmichael after 18 seasons with the team and replace him with Klint Kubiak.
Kubiak was the passing game specialist for the San Francisco 49ers last season. In only one year, he helped coach the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance while elevating the game of young quarterback Brock Purdy tremendously. Previously, he was also the Offensive Coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, where he notably helped revive Kirk Cousins’s career.
The Saints hope that Kubiak’s notable track record with quarterbacks will help Derek Carr succeed and bring the offense back to an elite level.
To get there, the Saints will rely on more creativity from Kubiak’s playbook, which should emphasize more presnap motion and play action to confuse defenses. Last season, the Saints simply refused to do either, ranking 31st in pre-snap motion and 30th in play action rate.
Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak is ready to get to work at Saints minicamp. John Sigler/Saints Wire
Outside of Kubiak, the Saints also made a few roster additions in free agency.
After freeing up nearly $83 million to get below the cap, the Saints signed wide receiver Cedrick Wilson from the Dolphins, linebacker Willie Gay from the Chiefs, and defensive end Chase Young from the 49ers.
While Wilson and Gay are both depth pieces who are expected to split reps as starters throughout the season, Chase Young has an opportunity to reinvent himself as the dominant pass rusher he was expected to be.
After entering the NFL as the second pick in the 2020 draft, Young has battled injury trouble, notching only 32 games played. A torn ACL shortened his 2023 season. However, when he plays, Young is one of the most productive pass rushers in the league, charting 16.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss.
Chase Young jogging onto the field for pregame warmups. Andrew Harnik/AP Photo
With an aging Cameron Jordan charting career lows since his rookie season in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hits, the Saints are hoping Young can fill the void on a defensive line that finished bottom five in sacks last season.
Following these signings, the Saints remained desperate to fill multiple holes on their roster as they approached the NFL draft with only two picks in the first four rounds.
With three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Andrus Peat leaving the Saints for the Raiders in free agency, and three-time AP All-Pro Ryan Ramczyk remaining out for the entire 2024 season with a knee injury, the Saints attacked the offensive line early in the draft by selecting Taliese Fuaga from Oregon State in the first round.
In four seasons with the Beavers and 734 career pass blocking snaps, Fuaga never allowed a sack and gave up only 23 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. Fuaga also notably was awarded first-team All-Pac-12 and first-team All-American after his star-studded junior year.
With a weakened offensive line entering the 2024 season, the Saints are hoping Fuaga will be a plug-and-play starter at left tackle and emerge as a star for the foreseeable future.
Outside of Fuaga and center Erik McCoy, the Saints offensive line has plenty of question marks, and the unit is expected to be among the weakest in the league from a talent standpoint. The team will rely upon Kubiak’s unique zone-blocking scheme to cover up the deficiencies in the unit.
Despite limited draft capital, the Saints traded up two spots to secure Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry to bolster the defense.
With question marks surrounding star cornerback Marshon Lattimore’s future with the team and Paulson Adebo entering a contract year, the Saints felt the need to be aggressive in adding another stud defensive back to their locker room.
Although McKinstry only notched two interceptions in three seasons at Alabama, his significant length allowed him to be among the FBS leaders in pass breakups with 22 in the past two seasons.
The 6 ‘1, 180 lb. corner was projected by many to be a first round pick, and he is the perfect fit for the Saints, as his build will allow him to play both in the slot and on the outside.
Several rounds later, the Saints made another splash in the draft with the 150th pick, where they selected quarterback Spencer Rattler.
Formerly the number one high school quarterback recruit in the nation in 2019, Rattler had an uphill battle in college where he spent five years playing for Oklahoma and South Carolina. Combined, he threw for over 10,000 yards, 77 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions.
Rattler is certainly an upside pick who will likely have at least one year to develop behind Carr, but he has already flashed on the field. In three preseason games, Rattler split reps with second-year quarterback Jake Haener. Tossing for 202 yards and two scores (one rushing and one passing), Rattler seemed calm and collected, while showcasing NFL arm strength and touch on several passes.
Reports indicate that the Saints are incredibly excited about Rattler showing significant promise to develop throughout the season. In fact, many Saints fans would not be surprised to see Rattler start a few games late this season if Carr got hurt or struggled.
In the final three rounds, the Saints used their last four picks to take wide receiver Bub Means from Pittsburgh, linebacker Jaylan Ford from Texas, defensive tackle Khristian Boyd from Northern Iowa, and offensive tackle Josiah Ezirim from Eastern Kentucky.
After the final cuts were complete, Fuaga, McKinstry, Rattler, Means, Ford, and Boyd all made the 53 man roster, while Ezirim was selected to be a member of the practice squad.
The Saints will need the spark of these younger guys to start off strong, but it is no secret that they will rely heavily on veterans up and down the roster to get the job done.
Leading the charge for the offense will be running back Alvin Kamara, who is hoping for a bounce-back season in a contract year. The 29-year-old recently made flutters about contract negotiations but has pushed it to the side to focus on the season ahead.
In a recent interview with senior beat writer John DeShazier, Kamara echoed the sense of urgency about this upcoming season. “I don’t want to sit here and say, I’ve got time, I’ve got time. Ain’t no time, so I’m trying to run it up.”
After coming back from a three-game suspension to start last season, Kamara posted a career low in rushing yards and has still yet to hit the evasive 1,000-yard rushing season entering his eighth year. However, there is some speculation that in the new Kubiak offense, Kamara could have a team MVP-caliber season. He should be used as a focal point in the passing game, similar to Christian McCaffrey, and catching 80 or more passes is in the range of outcomes.
However, shouldering the offense will be the man next to Kamara in the backfield, Derek Carr.
Although his 3,800 yards and 25 touchdowns a season ago would not prove it, Carr was disappointing for the Saints last season.
Most of the Saints offensive struggles can be attributed to Carr’s constant injury struggles and red zone woes.
However, in the final five-game stretch, Carr seemed to have turned a corner, throwing for over 1,100 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
Derek Carr escapes the pressure of defender Harold Landry. Gerald Herbert/AP Photo
The expectation is that Carr will carry the momentum of last season’s strong finish into the 2024 season, which will not be easy.
The Saints will face four playoff teams in their first six games, with the remaining two matchups being against division rivals: the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. If Carr and the rest of the offense start the season slow, playoff hopes may have vanished by Halloween.
Leading the receiving room will be third-year budding star Chris Olave, who is hoping to build upon back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career.
With the receiving room being one of the most significant weaknesses of the Saints roster this season, Olave should have no trouble emerging at the top of his position this upcoming season.
Olave is looking to take the next step and become a game-changer this year. Even though we only saw him for a limited time in the preseason, Olave looked quicker, stronger, and more confident in this new and improved Saints offense.
If Carr and Olave can build a strong connection throughout the season, they may become a top-ten duo in the NFL. Many Saints fans felt the two lacked chemistry early on last season, so them clicking is vital for offensive success. After Olave, the pass-catching depth is thin, especially outside of speedster Rashid Shaheed, though the team is expected to use versatile chess piece Taysom Hill more as a wide receiver-tight end hybrid this season.
Across the ball, the Saints continue relying on veteran talent to lead a potential top-ten defensive unit this season.
The defensive line could be upgraded significantly by the addition of Chase Young, and alongside Saints 2023 sack leader Carl Granderson, this duo could easily reach 10 sacks a piece this season. In addition, 2023 first round pick, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, is entering his second season with higher expectations.
Cameron Jordan could also make significant improvements late into his career with a diminished role that should preserve him. After being an every-down edge rusher for the past 11 years, being on the field in a more situational role should improve his efficiency, giving him more legs to make it through the season healthy.
In a recent interview on the Pat McAfee Show, Jordan was asked about his goals and aspirations for his future and the future of the team. “I’m just trying to win a Super Bowl. Whatever it takes. I know there is a Super Bowl in New Orleans and I’m trying to be a part of that.”
However, Jordan will not be the only veteran member looking to make his first Super Bowl appearance this season.
Demario Davis will once again be the captain and vocal leader of this Saints defense, who has continued to be a top-three linebacker in the league since joining the team back in 2018.
In the past two seasons alone, Davis has charted an impressive 230 tackles, 13 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, and 10 pass breakups.
Along with his talent on the field, the Saints hope Davis can continue to mentor players off the field.
Exactly a month before week one, the Saints gave linebacker Pete Werner a three-year extension as he continues to improve as the one-two punch with Davis.
The Saints also brought in Willie Gay in free agency, an electric, high-motor guy who will certainly compete with Werner for reps alongside Davis all season long.
In the secondary, the Saints have two more veterans in Marshon Lattimore and Tyrann Mathieu.
In the past two seasons, Lattimore has been riddled with injuries, causing him to miss 17 of the 34 games played. In addition, he has failed to notch more than one interception and more than 10 pass breakups since the 2021 season.
With his recent injury history and significant cap hit, he was a prime topic for trade entering the offseason, but a meeting with Head Coach Dennis Allen seemed to quiet the rumors for the time being. However, if the Saints start the season slow, look out for a Lattimore trade at the trade deadline.
Alongside Lattimore is Louisiana native and 11-year NFL veteran Tyrann Mathieu, who quietly had one of his most impressive seasons yet last year with the Saints.
Notching 125 tackles, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups, Mathieu continued to show why age is just a number to the three-time AP All-Pro first-teamer. Even more impressive was that in the two seasons with the Saints, Mathieu has played in all 34 games, a stat that demonstrates his dedication to helping the team win no matter the cost.
If Lattimore and Mathieu can remain healthy, the Saints can field one of the NFL’s best secondaries this season.
Tyrann Mathieu flexes his Louisiana heritage by hoisting the Saint Augustine High School and LSU helmets. @mathieu_era on Instagram
Finally, the Saints will be led into this season by head coach Dennis Allen, who many view to be on the hot seat. With a poor career 24-46 record as head coach, another failed season would likely result in his termination, among others in the Saints organization.
General Manager Mickey Loomis has also turned many heads for the wrong reasons over the past couple of years due to his management of the league’s salary cap. For seasons now, Loomis has had the “push it back” mentality, which has ultimately come back to bite him. After this season, the Saints have a projected -$93 million in cap space they would have to clear, which could result in Loomis himself being cleared if this season is a disaster.
In a more competitive NFC South, most oddsmakers list the Saints at +490 to win the division. This is approximately a 16% chance, according to NOLA.com.
Ultimately, time will tell if the Saints can recapture the division or not, but there is certainly a sense of urgency surrounding the franchise entering the 2024 season.
@New Orleans Saints on Instagram
Featured Image Photo Credit: John Hendrix/Hendrix Media
Published By: vinceiomontalbano2025
Back to Wolf Pack Press