Online
Gained:
Starters /possible starters (7)
New players (4):
S Justin Reid
CB Isaac Yiadom
NT Davon Godchaux (via trade)
WR Brandin Cooks
Re-signed (4):
DE/OLB Chase Young (re-sign)
DT/DE Nate Shepherd (extension)
TE Juwan Johnson (re-sign)
Depth players (6):
re signed (4)
WR Dante Pettis
LB Nephi Sewell
T Landon Young
CB Ugo Amadi
New depth/backups/STs (5):
DT/DE Jonah Williams
TE Jack Stoll
WR/KR/ RB Velus Jones Jr.
T/G Will Clapp
G Dillon Radunz
Lost:
Former starters (3):
CB Paulson Adebo
S Will Harris
LG Lucas Patrick
Depth players (4):
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
DE Payton Turner
CB Shemar Jean-Charles
LB Willie Gay Jr.
Remain unsigned (3):
Key depth (1)
DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
Underperfomers (2):
RB Jamaal Williams (released)
G Shane Lemieux
Analysis:
For compensatory pick purposes, the Saints are projected to land a 4th rounder for the loss of Adebo.
The team brought in 3 defensive players that are certain to be key contributors (Reid, Godchaux, Yiadom), and lost 3 of them (Adebo, Harris, Gay) also on D.
On offense, they lost MVS and replaced him with Brandin Cooks, who will effectively play as WR 3 if everyone stays healthy. Dillon Radunz will push Saldiveri for the starting LG spot and whichever OL they draft.
The team's core on offense is littered with question marks. Can Olave, McCoy and Ruiz stay healthy? Will Carr pickup his form with everyone back to health? Will age start to show for Kamara? Can Hill recover from his knee injury?
It's already been established that the team doesn't want to blow up the roster and start over. The key re-signs are consistent with this idea. The team only spent real money to keep Young, Johnson and to sign Justin Reid. The Yiadom signining is interesting because he could end up playing a lot of starter snaps since they lost Lattimore and Adebo. As the same for Radunz (although he is signed for 1 year prove it type deal).
The team upgraded the safety position but downgraded the boundary corner position in the process, so the overall talent of the secondary hasn't changed drastically. They lost MVS and have replaced him with former Saint Brandin Cooks at the WR position.
Depth wise, the team has been more surgical. They signed 6 new backups (5 on offense, 1 on defense), and are losing or letting go 8 depth pieces and 1 former starter.
They are losing 6 players that played key depth roles last year (Patrick, Turner, Jean-Charles, MVS, Williams, Gay), with no sure-thing replacements in the team right now for:
1. Starting Left Guard.
2. Starting boundary corner (although Yiadom could possibly fill that role).
3. Pass rush depth and rotation.
4. RB 2.
5. third LB and depth.
6. DB depth.
They have 4 picks in the top 100, 2 picks in round 4, and 3 dart throws rounds 6 and 7. This means that ideally the team could find two starting caliber players and two fringe starters/depth players through the draft.
The team could still try and find more depth pieces or possible starters in the free agent pool to even-out net gains and losses, or they can bank on developping underperformers and young talent in the team. On offense:
1. Saldiveri or Radunz could play as a starting LG.
2. WRs Wilson Jr, Means, Tipton or Austin Jr will compete for WR 4,5 duties.
3. RBs Edwards Hillaire, Miller and Mims will compete for RB 2. Velus Jones JR. could very well be a third down/satellite back.
4. Hergel could be OL good depth alongside Clapp and Young.
on defense:
5. DE/OLB Foskey is the obvious candidate to improve the pass rush.
6. LBs Sewell, Orji and Ford could make adequate depth.
7. NT Boyd could bolster the Dline.
8. CB Payton could become a contributor as well.
But all of them need to be coached up and they have to avoid injuries. There is no clear cut ascending player in this group.
Starters /possible starters (7)
New players (4):
S Justin Reid
CB Isaac Yiadom
NT Davon Godchaux (via trade)
WR Brandin Cooks
Re-signed (4):
DE/OLB Chase Young (re-sign)
DT/DE Nate Shepherd (extension)
TE Juwan Johnson (re-sign)
Depth players (6):
re signed (4)
WR Dante Pettis
LB Nephi Sewell
T Landon Young
CB Ugo Amadi
New depth/backups/STs (5):
DT/DE Jonah Williams
TE Jack Stoll
WR/KR/ RB Velus Jones Jr.
T/G Will Clapp
G Dillon Radunz
Lost:
Former starters (3):
CB Paulson Adebo
S Will Harris
LG Lucas Patrick
Depth players (4):
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
DE Payton Turner
CB Shemar Jean-Charles
LB Willie Gay Jr.
Remain unsigned (3):
Key depth (1)
DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
Underperfomers (2):
RB Jamaal Williams (released)
G Shane Lemieux
Analysis:
For compensatory pick purposes, the Saints are projected to land a 4th rounder for the loss of Adebo.
The team brought in 3 defensive players that are certain to be key contributors (Reid, Godchaux, Yiadom), and lost 3 of them (Adebo, Harris, Gay) also on D.
On offense, they lost MVS and replaced him with Brandin Cooks, who will effectively play as WR 3 if everyone stays healthy. Dillon Radunz will push Saldiveri for the starting LG spot and whichever OL they draft.
The team's core on offense is littered with question marks. Can Olave, McCoy and Ruiz stay healthy? Will Carr pickup his form with everyone back to health? Will age start to show for Kamara? Can Hill recover from his knee injury?
It's already been established that the team doesn't want to blow up the roster and start over. The key re-signs are consistent with this idea. The team only spent real money to keep Young, Johnson and to sign Justin Reid. The Yiadom signining is interesting because he could end up playing a lot of starter snaps since they lost Lattimore and Adebo. As the same for Radunz (although he is signed for 1 year prove it type deal).
The team upgraded the safety position but downgraded the boundary corner position in the process, so the overall talent of the secondary hasn't changed drastically. They lost MVS and have replaced him with former Saint Brandin Cooks at the WR position.
Depth wise, the team has been more surgical. They signed 6 new backups (5 on offense, 1 on defense), and are losing or letting go 8 depth pieces and 1 former starter.
They are losing 6 players that played key depth roles last year (Patrick, Turner, Jean-Charles, MVS, Williams, Gay), with no sure-thing replacements in the team right now for:
1. Starting Left Guard.
2. Starting boundary corner (although Yiadom could possibly fill that role).
3. Pass rush depth and rotation.
4. RB 2.
5. third LB and depth.
6. DB depth.
They have 4 picks in the top 100, 2 picks in round 4, and 3 dart throws rounds 6 and 7. This means that ideally the team could find two starting caliber players and two fringe starters/depth players through the draft.
The team could still try and find more depth pieces or possible starters in the free agent pool to even-out net gains and losses, or they can bank on developping underperformers and young talent in the team. On offense:
1. Saldiveri or Radunz could play as a starting LG.
2. WRs Wilson Jr, Means, Tipton or Austin Jr will compete for WR 4,5 duties.
3. RBs Edwards Hillaire, Miller and Mims will compete for RB 2. Velus Jones JR. could very well be a third down/satellite back.
4. Hergel could be OL good depth alongside Clapp and Young.
on defense:
5. DE/OLB Foskey is the obvious candidate to improve the pass rush.
6. LBs Sewell, Orji and Ford could make adequate depth.
7. NT Boyd could bolster the Dline.
8. CB Payton could become a contributor as well.
But all of them need to be coached up and they have to avoid injuries. There is no clear cut ascending player in this group.
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