Saints A look ahead to our 2021 and 2022 rosters (1 Viewer)

[sammymvpknight]

Here’s a look ahead to the 2020 and 2021 Saints’ rosters. I always like looking two years ahead because it typically takes a few years for players to develop. For that reason, I like to try to fill out the roster with that in mind. I'll be updating this as the offseason moves forward. I'm getting started a little bit late this year (I usually like to get this out before the draft and free agency because it is really useful in determining needs).

Here is last year's thread:

A look ahead to our 2020 and 2021 rosters [draft update pg 3]

I was going to wait a while before posting this...but I figured to post it now because I think that we all could use a little bit of optimism. And believe it or not...there is some optimism looking at the next few seasons. I do this on a yearly basis, and there are typically a ton of holes to...

saintsreport.com

Overall, 2021 has a ton of question marks. The 2020 team was the most well rounded Saints team that I've ever seen. Lots of uncertainty surrounding QB, WR, TE, DT, and CB for 2021, and most of the position groups for 2022. This can still be a good team, but there will need to be a lot of pieces of the puzzle that come together. Fortunately, the Saints don't have a bunch of BAD contract, but there is so much dead money that it leaves them little flexibility to cut people. There is also very little room in 2022 to improve the roster because of the amount of dead money, unless the can is again kicked down the road. The only way out of this is by drafting well. We need high achieving, low price players on rookie deals, and unfortunately there have not been as many of those types of players since the legendary 2017 draft.

I only included players that I felt pretty confident about. Regarding the numbers, (cost if kept, cost if cut, difference between those two numbers).

2021 season

QB #1-Jameis Winston ($2.5m, $5m, -$2.5m) - through 2021
QB #2-Taysom Hill ($7.2m, $16.2m, -$9m) - through 2021
QB #3- Ian Book* (details pending) - through 2024
WR #1- Michael Thomas ($18.8m, $23m, -$4.2m) – through 2024
WR #2- [open]
WR #3- Marquez Callaway ($783k, $6k,+775k) - through 2022
WR #4- Tre’Quan Smith ($2.4m, $200k, +$2.2m) - through 2021
WR #5- Deonte Harris ($853k, $3k, +$850k) – through 2021
RB #1- Alvin Kamara ($5m, $29.5m, -$29m) - through 2025
RB #2- Latavius Murray ($4.2m, $1.7m, +$2.5m) – through 2022
RB #3- [open]
FB- [open]
TE #1- Adam Trautman ($1m, $624k, +$376k) - through 2023
TE #2- Nick Vannett ($1.3m, $3.8m, -$2m) - through 2023
TE #3- [open]
LT- Terron Armstead ($8.2m, $20.1m, -$11.9m) - through 2021
LG- Andrus Peat ($5.6m, $19.4m, -$13.8m) - through 2024
C- Erik McCoy ($1.6m, $1.2m, +$400k) – up 2022
RG- Cesar Ruiz ($2.8m, $10.3m, -$7.5m) - through 2024
RT- Ryan Ramczyk ($11m, 0, +$11m) – through 2021
OT #3- [open]
OC/OG- [open]

DE #1- Cameron Jordan ($9.3m, $29.6m, -$20.3m) – through 2024
DE #2- Marcus Davenport ($4.3m, $4.3m, 0) – through 2022
DE #3- Payton Turner* (details pending) - through 2024 (2025 if 1st year option picked up)
DE #4- Carl Granderson ($680k, $5k, +$675k) – through 2021
DT #1- David Onyemata ($10m, $7.5m, +$2.5m) - through 2022
DT #2- Shy Tuttle ($851k, $1k, +$850k) – through 2021
DT #3- [open]
DE/DT- Tanoh Kpassagnon ($1.1m, $1.5m, -$400k) - through 2022
LB #1- Demario Davis ($6.9m, $17.4m, -$10.5m) - through 2023
LB #2- Pete Werner* (details pending) - through 2024
LB #3- Zack Baun ($1m, $800k, +$200k) - through 2023
LB #4- [open]
LB #5- [open]
CB #1- Marshon Lattimore ($10.2m, 0, +$10.2m) – through 2021
CB #2- [open]
CB #3- Chauncey Gardner-Johnson ($855k, $5k, +$850k) – through 2022
CB #4- Patrick Robinson ($3.8m, $1.25m, +$1.1m) - through 2021
CB #5- Paulson Adebo* (details pending) - through 2024
FS- Marcus Williams ($10.6m, $10.6m, 0) - through 2021
SS- Malcolm Jenkins ($5m, $12.9m, -$7.9m) - through 2023
S #3- PJ Williams ($1m, $2.3m, -$1.3m) - through 2021

K- Wil Lutz ($2.9m, $5.7m, -$2.6m) – through 2023
P- Blake Gillikin ($660k, $1k, +$659k) - through 2022


2022 season

QB #1- [open]
QB #2- [open]
QB #3- Ian Book (details pending) - through 2024
WR #1- Michael Thomas ($10.1m, $32.6m, -$22.5m) – through 2024
WR #2- [open]
WR #3- Marquez Callaway ($898k, $3k, +$895k) - through 2022
WR #4-
WR #5-
RB #1- Alvin Kamara ($14.5m, $20.5m, -$6m) - through 2025
RB #2- Latavius Murray ($4.3m, $850k, +$3.4m) – through 2022
RB #3- [open]
FB- [open]
TE #1- Adam Trautman ($1.3m, $416k, +$900k)- through 2023
TE #2- Nick Vannett ($3.3m, $2.5m, +$800k) - through 2023
TE #3- [open]
LT- [open]
LG- Andrus Peat ($15.4m, $13.8m, +$1.6m) - through 2024
C- Erik McCoy ($1.9m, $612k, +$380k) – up 2022
RG- Cesar Ruiz ($3.4m, $7.4m, -$4m) - through 2024
RT- [open]
OT #3- [open]
OC/OG- [open]
DE #1- Cameron Jordan ($22.8m, $21.4m, +$400k) – through 2024
DE #2- Marcus Davenport ($9.5m, $9.5m, 0) – through 2022
DE #3- Payton Turner* (details pending) - through 2024 (2025 if 1st year option picked up)
DE #4- Carl Granderson ($680k, $5k, +$675k) – through 2021
DT #1- David Onyemata ($10m, $7.5m, +$2.5m) - through 2022
DT #2- [open]
DT #3- [open]
DE/DT- Tanoh Kpassagnon ($3.1m, $400k, +$2.7m) - through 2022
LB #1- Demario Davis ($11m, $10.5m, +$500k) - through 2023
LB #2- Pete Werner* (details pending) - through 2024
LB #3- Zack Baun ($1.3m, $530k, +$770k) - through 2023
LB #4- [open]
LB #5- [open]
CB #1- [open]
CB #2- [open]
CB #3- [open] *CGJ is RFA
CB #4- [open]
CB #5- Paulson Adebo* (details pending) - through 2024
FS- [open]
SS- Malcolm Jenkins ($11.7m, $7.9k, +$3.8) - through 2023
S #3- [open]

K- Wil Lutz ($5.6m, $3.8m, +$1.8m) – through 2023
P- Blake Gillikin ($895k, $1k, $894k) - through 2022


Offense commentary:
Definitely changes this season, of course, starting at the time with the loss of Drew Brees. Winston and Hill are only under contract for this season. The rate of success with drafting a QB beyond the second year is incredibly low. One way or another, the Saints will need to address this position by next year, either by resigning one of their current guys, finding a way to acquire a starter from another team, or bringing in a rookie to compete with Book.

I do think that it's about time to start thinking about RB options outside of Kamara. Murray has been serviceable, and even pretty good at times. But he will be 32 years old next year, and that's a geriatric RB in the NFL. He he doesn't end up getting hurt, statistics say that his production is going to drop.

WR is a question mark for 2021, but an enormous one for 2022. Even if Callaway pans out, they will need to bring in at least a few more guys in 2022 (assuming that one of their development guys don't pan out or TQS steps up his game). I think that they could definitely use an upgrade to flanker.

I think that Trautman has lots of potential, but there is a ton riding on him both this year and for the future. If he pans out, the Saints could afford to cut corners on backup TEs, but if he doesn't show something this year, they almost have to bring someone else in to contribute/compete.

We still look to field a top 5 OL this year, but things will get challenging next year with the potential loss of both Ramczyk and Armstead. I think that Ramczyk has an argument for being the best long-term investment on the entire team. He has to be a priority. I'm willing to give Ruiz another year before determine if we need another interior lineman. Yes, we are stuck with Peat indefinitely. I apologize to his critics.

Defense commentary:
The defensive line has question marks. There are so many variables that it's difficult to know what to expect. On on side, Jordan was hurt and had a down season. Though he is aging, you'd just expect that the bar is set so low compared to his baseline that there's a good chance he backs up. Also, Davenport is a year older and hopefully can stay healthy and learn better pass rushing technique. He, like Jordan, is playing off a pretty low floor from last year that he almost has to improve to some degree. Turner could be contributor but it's really difficult to expect a ton from a rookie. Add Granderson and Kpassagnon to the mix and it's a deep unit that has the potential to outplay their production from last year. My biggest concern is the interior DL. Onyemata is a stud, but there are only developmental guys behind him. Malcom Brown was just a huge part of the Saints being a top run defensing DL the past few years that it leaves big shoes to fill. Maybe Tuttle can be serviceable, but there's probably a drop off there. We really have next to nothing at DT heading into 2022.

The LB corp is probably one of the better units that they have had in a while. Davis is as steady as they come, and I expect Werner will be an immediate contributor. Baun also has potential at SLB now that he's had a year in the system. The Saints could probably afford to get a veteran LB to help out if required, but this is actually one of the positions of optimism on defense, for both 2021 and 2022.

The secondary has HUGE concerns. We are relying heavily on inconsistent Lattimore (now with legal issues), an aging Malcolm Jenkins, and an inconsistent Marcus Williams. We have VERY little outside of Lattimore at the CB positions, with low ceiling guys like Patrick Robinson and PJ Williams, and a high ceiling but incredibly low floor player like Adebo. I do think that Adebo has some potential, but he hasn't played the game of football in forever. Unless he is a perennial pro bowl type of special talent, I highly doubt that he's going to come in year 1 and be ready. The secondary will need to be address before 2022.

 

[Bloop]

With 9 picks in the 2022 draft and potentially 5 picks in the first 3 rounds they can start a much needed rebuild. Get under the cap, draft well,, and let aging free agents go.

 

[guillermo]

Great analysis Sammy, thank you!

As we know for a previous thread, we have only 600K to spend on 2022 but with around 40 players signed.

Even when the cap is going up, next season will continue the process of reducing the payroll by cutting, re-structuring deals and hopefully, trading assets.

I am a little surprised that before the draft we didn't trade one of Armstead, Ramczyk or Lattimore. Not that I want to get rid of them, but those are the players we would have been able to get a decent return and that it is hard for us to keep.

I know right now we are hoping that we bring another cornerback or defensive tackle to start the season. I am hoping we get right now on the roster players that will be capable to do a decent job on a very low salary.

 

[sammymvpknight]

Great analysis Sammy, thank you!

As we know for a previous thread, we have only 600K to spend on 2022 but with around 40 players signed.

Even when the cap is going up, next season will continue the process of reducing the payroll by cutting, re-structuring deals and hopefully, trading assets.

I am a little surprised that before the draft we didn't trade one of Armstead, Ramczyk or Lattimore. Not that I want to get rid of them, but those are the players we would have been able to get a decent return and that it is hard for us to keep.

I know right now we are hoping that we bring another cornerback or defensive tackle to start the season. I am hoping we get right now on the roster players that will be capable to do a decent job on a very low salary.

I think that they are hoping to stay competitive for this year. Only time will tell if it was worth it. As it stands, we haven't been successful over the past few years...so lots of hindsight that says that kicking the can down the road hasn't been the best strategy. I think that this season will be eye opening...if the Saints aren't competitive without Brees, they diuresis.