Saints 5 Best Offseason Decisions
Reviewing the New Orleans Saints' offseason could be one of five highly critical decisions that kept the Saints positioned as contenders to return to the 2023 NFL postseason. One can debate the loss of Sean Payton was a significant blow to the organization, but Mickey Loomis' subsequent moves were that of a savvy chess master.
Here are the best offseason decisions that New Orleans made in the 2022 offseason:
1. Handle the Salary Cap Issues Without Cutting a Player
Reducing the $77 million salary-cap overage was the No. 1 focus for general manager Mickey Loomis. For most teams, it's a daunting task to tackle the salary cap. For the Saints, it's a toying around!
Considering this point, Loomis did not release a single signed player from the roster — a masterful job. New Orleans freed up almost $80M of cap space in a few weeks. VP of football operations Khai Harley "wheeled and dealed" to restructure and revise veteran contracts.
2. Hiring Dennis Allen as Head Coach
No brainer. Allen was the logical person to transition the team from Sean Payton's sixteen-season leadership.
Wholesale changes weren't necessary for Allen in remaking his coaching staff, but the elevations and hires made were vital for New Orleans to be competitive this upcoming season.
3. Re-Signing Jameis Winston
Making amends and returning Jameis Winston could be considered another "no brainer" for the Saints. However! Flirting with Deshaun Watson was troublesome. (See #5 below)
Winston's ACL injury was a primary concern for the New Orleans brass. Still, after two seasons with the team, knowledge of the offensive scheme, and players, Winston re-signing was another logical choice. I under his feathers were a tad ruffled as the Saints actively recruited Watson, but his return brings stability to the position and team.
4. Signing NOLA Blood - Jarvis Landry and Tyrann Mathieu
Bringing home two local legends is what fans have dreamed of for years. The Black and Gold faithful drooled over the possibility of free-agent safety Mathieu journeying back home to the Big Easy for years.
Free-agent wide receiver Jarvis Landry was in the same boat as Mathieu. How could they make it to New Orleans and live out a dream of playing in front of family and friends?
South Louisiana claimed them first, and now the order is restored. Let's hope the big plays are still a part of the package for the hometown greats. Honey Badger and Juice! Legendary.
5. Dropping Out the Deshaun Watson Sweepstakes
Jumping into the Deshaun Watson Sweepstakes never had a chance from the start. Not only did New Orleans dodge a bullet, but perhaps a nightmare scenario. On paper, recruiting the highly-talented quarterback made sense. For most fans, it was an issue. By now, most are aware of the legal problems of Deshaun Watson. When executives flew to Atlanta to "persuade" Watson to consider New Orleans over Atlanta, Cleveland, and Carolina was more problematic than serving the best for the club.
New Orleans dropped the recruitment efforts, and Watson chose Cleveland. Ultimately, the Saints won and made a better choice with Winston at the helm.
Notable Decisions
- Drafting 2 Solid First-Round Picks
- Restructuring Veterans' Contracts
- Not Signing David Johnson
- Elevating Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen to Co-Defensive Coordinators
- Being Patient with Michael Thomas
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