NFL Offseason: What's Next for the Saints?
The NFL Draft is in the books, the undrafted free agents have been added, and some other moves have been made across the league. So, what's next for the New Orleans Saints?
Aug 18, 2019; Carson, CA, USA; A general view of New Orleans Saints helmets against the Los Angeles Chargers at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit Jake Roth
The Offseason Program
Here's a look at the offseason workout program scheduled for the team.
- OTA Offseason Workouts: May 25-27, June 1-3, June 7-10
- Mandatory Minicamp: June 15-17
- Rookie Minicamp: May 14-16
Now, whether or not these all happen remains to be seen. In mid-April, the Saints players became the 17th team to opt-out of in-person voluntary workouts. This would be the second year this doesn't look traditional, as last season was a complete anomaly due to COVID-19 and made the team go to virtual programs. These would definitely be a big point of interest to help satisfy a long impending lull in the NFL's offseason.
The Schedule Release
There's a ton of excitement building up to the NFL schedule dropping, and it'll be interesting to see how the 17-game season looks. We had some fun recently predicting the primetime games for the Saints, and we'll finally get to know how the opponent lineup falls on Wednesday evening. New Orleans won't have Drew Brees at the helm, which makes them an interesting foe for the teams they face. Hopefully, this year will allow a lot more fans in the stands to be able to enjoy some of the best parts of the Saints - the Superdome and road trips.
Look at Contract Extensions
Ryan Ramczyk and Marshon Lattimore are both on fifth-year options, while Marcus Williams is playing under the franchise tag. All three of those players combine for just under $32 million on the cap space for the new season. The Saints don't have to extend all three, but one or two of these players could create some relief to sign some players or also help things going into the next offseason. It wouldn't be uncommon to see the team let them all play under their tags, however.
Free Agency Additions
Free agency is obviously ongoing, despite the main rush that happens at the start of the new league year. Sean Payton was asked about the team being set at cornerback at the beginning of May after drafting Paulson Adebo, to which he replied:
"I would not say we are definitely going to, but I would not also discount that we might look to sign another player. We didn't fill up every spot tonight in free agency with the undrafted players because there's still a grade that we're looking to sign. So we'll have enough, clearly, we'll have enough, wiggle room as most teams will, heading into the spring."
There's a ton of big veterans who are available that could help New Orleans in 2021. This will be something to keep an eye out on, as the team looks to fill out their 90-man roster.
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