New Orleans can absolutely make a run at a title in a season with a loaded roster
by Will Brinson
Even when they won their only Super Bowl with Drew Brees and Sean Payton, the Saints were a one-dimensional team. Gregg Williams ran an -- ahem -- aggressive defense, but it wasn't necessarily a good defense, just an opportunistic one.
Last year things magically changed in New Orleans, thanks in large part to a historically good draft class that featured Marshon Lattimore and Marcus Williams, first- and second-round picks respectively, step up in a big way and improve the defensive side of the ball. The Saints went from a defense that is perennially the worst in the NFL to a top-10 team by DVOA, a highly improbable jump up from 31st in a single season.
Ryan Rymcyzk and Alvin Kamara, offensive picks in those same rounds, helped too. The Saints became a running-focused team, but in a modern way, with Kamara fitting in perfectly as a modern air back who can also run between the tackles. He and Mark Ingram were an incredible complement to each other, and a four-game suspension for Ingram shouldn't derail that. Ramcyzk allows them to watch Zach Strief walk away without skipping a beat. The offensive line is loaded, just like every other position group on this team.
Full Article -- CBS
