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By John Sigler | Saints Wire

The New Orleans Saints aren’t worrying about the offseason just yet, but their list of 2020 free agents is going to be tough to tackle. And it’s not a problem that will be going away any time soon.

Sure, they did a lot to get in front of this problem by re-signing cornerstone players like wide receiver Michael Thomas, defensive end Cameron Jordan, and kicker Wil Lutz this past summer. Those ahead-of-schedule moves helped give Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and his team an edge on the upcoming negotiations, which they’ll have to hammer out with multiple starters in each phase of the game — offense, defense, and special teams.

Besides the players whose contracts are up after the 2019 season, other big names will become eligible for new deals. Don’t be shocked if mainstays such as running back Alvin Kamara, safety Marcus Williams, linebacker Demario Davis, or right guard Larry Warford ink new deals despite the extra time left on their current contracts. The more problems Loomis and company can solve sooner, the better.

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By John Sigler | Saints Wire

Injuries forced the New Orleans Saints to make four roster moves on Wednesday, with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (ankle) and defensive end Marcus Davenport (foot) both landing on injured reserve. In their place, the Saints signed veteran free agents Noah Spence, a pass rusher, and T.Y. McGill, an interior lineman.

Spence’s addition isn’t very surprising given the interest the Saints have maintained in him, going back to the months before the 2016 NFL Draft. He met with the team several times and was put through a private workout, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sniped the Saints by picking Spence before they had the chance. A history of shoulder injuries and inconsistent play — plus coaching staff turnover — resulted in Spence getting released by Tampa Bay earlier this year.

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By John Sigler | Saints Wire

A huge part of the New Orleans Saints’ recent success was the wave of changes to the coaching staff back in February 2017, when Saints coach Sean Payton made the tough but necessary decision to part ways with longtime assistants like linebackers coach Joe Vitt and defensive line coach Bill Johnson. Other developments followed as Payton scoured his staff looking for areas that needed improvement, even though many of the coaches he had to fire had been with him since he first came to New Orleans.

In their place, he went looking for teachers. And he found a great one in defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen, who had held that post with the North Carolina State Wolfpack since 2014. He was twice nominated for the Broyles Award, which recognizes the nation’s top assistant coach; former Saints coach Joe Brady won it this year for his impact on the LSU Tigers offense.

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By Paul Kasabian | Bleacher Report

NFL officiating and review processes have come under intense scrutiny during the 2019 season, with the newly instituted replay and challenge system for pass interference chief among the issues.

The question now is whether that system will carry into the 2020 season. On that note, Atlanta Falcons president Rich McKay, who is also the chairman of the NFL competition committee, told reporters (h/t Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic) at the league owners meeting in Irving, Texas that "it will be a point of discussion."https://theathletic.com/1452869/2019/12/11/everythings-on-the-table-big-changes-could-be-coming-to-nfl-officiating/

The NFL instituted reviews for pass interference following a game-changing missed call in the 2018 NFC Championship Game.

The New Orleans Saints faced a third down deep in Los Angeles Rams territory in the closing minutes of the game with the score tied at 20.

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By Evan Massey | Clutch Points

The Indianapolis Colts and Jacoby Brissett are set to take on Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football this week. While the Colts are almost surely going to miss the playoffs after a heartbreaking loss in Week 14 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brissett still has a lot to prove for his future as the starting quarterback for the Colts.

In a quote ahead of his matchup against Brees, Brissett opened up about the example that Brees has set for NFL quarterbacks.

"He just sets a great example for us. A guy, obviously that I grew up watching and then being in the league now and being able to see him on a more personal level,” Brissett said. “It’s awesome to see him play. What he does for the league, what he does for the position is unmatched. Just hopefully not this week.”

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