Biggest Decisions, Needs Ahead for Saints
The season isn't over for the Saints, but the reality is that a lot are looking ahead to next year after the team lost to the Bucs and seemingly put themselves out of a division race. Over the final four games, there's a ton of things to still pay attention to, and we're looking at those items as well as what the next few months will hold for New Orleans. Here's all the big decisions on the team's plate going into the new season.
Evaluate the Roster
Things seem really bad right now, but the encouraging thing is that the Saints have some bright spots on the roster going into next season. Chris Olave is a solid wide out who is only going to improve after his rookie season. We've seen players like Kaden Elliss emerge in a big way after filling in for a major starter, and the same could be said for rookies Rashid Shaheed and Alontae Taylor.
New Orleans is going to see more of what they have in Trevor Penning, as well as some of the younger players who might wind up back on reserve/future deals. The team's practice squad is always fluid, and as soon as their season is over, you will see some of those moves made. The star power, veterans, and younger players will all be ones to keep an eye on over the final four games as the Saints will help use that to evaluate things going into a long offseason.
Make Coaching Changes
November 27, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen watches against the San Francisco 49ers during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
As an absolute best-case scenario, the Saints can finish 8-9 on the year. Now, whether or not that feels realistic or not is in the eye of the beholder. New Orleans could just as easily lose the last four games as they could win them. It's an important stretch for Dennis Allen in particular, as finishing out at 6 wins or below could really jeopardize his future and make the organization weigh out their options. If Allen gets to at least 7-10, then he might get another shot in 2023 with a very short leash.
The Pete Carmichael experiment feels like it might be over with, and based on how lethargic the offense has been this season and the struggles in the red zone, New Orleans may opt to move on. One thing that would somewhat make sense is if Carmichael follows Sean Payton, assuming that trade would materialize. Defensively, that feels like a pretty strong nucleus from a coaching standpoint, but others teams may look at bringing in some of their position coaches.
Decide On A Retool or Rebuild
Nov 20, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints general manager and executive vice president Mickey Loomis before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
We've heard this before from the Saints, something that Dennis Allen had a huge hand in when taking over the defense in 2015. From 2016 on, you saw how quickly the impact could be made for New Orleans. It was far from perfect, but they were able to be a much better product that led to them coming into their own in 2017.
The likeliest path for the Saints is to retool. They do believe there are some good building blocks to compete with, and we've already discussed some positions they need to address previously. The team can field a decent roster, and the NFC South seemingly is still up for grabs.
Make Decisions on Cap Rich Players
Sep 11, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) celebrates after a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Four players are going to carry nearly $98 million of salary cap space going into 2023. They include Michael Thomas, Cam Jordan, Marshon Lattimore, and Ryan Ramczyk. There's also a few players that make up the $15-18 million hits that include Andrus Peat, Alvin Kamara, and Jameis Winston.
First and foremost, the Saints are going to have to figure out what the future holds for Michael Thomas. Cutting him isn't a realistic option, and they're going to have to have conversations around lowering his salary or find a solution that benefits both sides. Thomas might be the most important decision to make for the Saints. Hopefully those mended fences between him and the organization result in a gesture of good faith.
Let Most of Your Free Agents Walk
Aug 23, 2021; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon (90), defensive tackle David Onyemata (93) and defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (99) walk to the locker room after the game against Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Bob Rose took a nice look at free agency for the Saints, and there's not many names to look at bringing back right now for exorbitant contracts. You can make easy free agent decisions on players like Juwan Johnson, who is a restricted free agent going into the new season. Players from the 2018 class are likely going to be out of the mix, unless there's a sweet spot to be found for someone like Marcus Davenport.
The way players like Kaden Elliss have been playing will certainly make things a little bit interesting for the Saints, and they will have to figure it out quickly. Naturally, New Orleans will have to maneuver and trim to get in line with the league's salary cap, and they should avoid going after the big names in March. They should stick to the bargain bin here.
Elliss and Davenport might be the big priorities to bring back, but the team should also look at re-signing players like Shy Tuttle, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Kentavius Street, and J.T. Gray. One-year rentals like Jarvis Landry will likely move on.
Find a Stop Gap Quarterback
The draft may hold some answers for some spots on the roster, but New Orleans is operating without a first round pick this year. Naturally, that could change if Sean Payton were to return to coaching and a trade partner would materialize. Figuring out their quarterback situation feels like the most important thing the Saints could do in the offseason. Again, we discussed the needs of the team, and it'll be interesting to see how things go with Jameis Winston after everything that went down this season.
The free agency pool isn't that appealing, as it's hard to see Lamar Jackson leaving Baltimore or Seattle letting Geno Smith walk. Where does Daniel Jones end up? Have players like Mike White, Cooper Rush, Taylor Heinicke done enough to get on team's radars to start? Another injury to Jimmy Garoppolo will hurt his market some, and then there's Tom Brady.
Once upon a time, New Orleans was linked to Brady when Sean Payton was in the building. Would that be an option to explore and then use a mid-round pick to develop someone behind him? That remains to be seen, but all options should be on the table for the Saints. Other quarterbacks like Matt Ryan won't likely come back at their price tag in 2023, and we're not suggesting him as a starter, but if things are kosher with Winston going into the next season and he is the guy, a stable backup option will still be needed.
Overall, the Saints have a ton of things to figure out, and we often talk about it being 'the most important offseason' ahead. This definitely feels like another one coming. New Orleans simply can't spend another season in the dumps and hovering mediocrity when they have potential.
