Saints Most Underrated Offseason Additions
There is a lot of excitement around the New Orleans Saints as they approach the 2023 season. The team will have an entirely new look in certain spots after an aggressive free agency period and productive draft.
The different look starts at the most scrutinized position in sports - quarterback. Derek Carr steps in at a spot where the Saints have started six players in the 34 games since Drew Brees retired. Obviously, New Orleans success hinges on how well Carr plays, but he won't be the only new face wearing a Fleur-de-lis this season.
Running back finally has some quality depth behind Alvin Kamara with 1,000-yard rusher Jamaal Williams and rookie third-round choice Kendre Miller. The defensive line will have a new look also after adding four players, including three at a revamped defensive tackle position.
Other than Carr, people will also be paying a lot of attention to the team’s top draft picks, DT Bryan Bresee and DE Isaiah Foskey. With so many new faces and other important players returning from injury, there are a few key additions that have gone under the radar.
Here are two new Saints players that few people are talking about, but will be critical to team success.
Foster Moreau, TE
Dec 4, 2022; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Foster Moreau (87) makes a catch behind Chargers linebacker Drue Tranquill (49). Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
A Jesuit High School graduate and former LSU standout, Moreau's addition certainly isn't being overlooked by local fans or media. However, his presence has been very much understated in national circles.
A fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Raiders, Moreau played with Carr for his first four seasons. As a Number 2 tight end to Darren Waller, Moreau had 91 receptions for 1,107 yards and 12 touchdowns. That includes a career-high 33 receptions for 420 yards last season.
At 6'4" and 250-Lbs., Moreau is also an outstanding blocker with underrated athleticism as a receiver. He's a capable short and intermediate pass catcher with the speed to make plays down the seam. His size gives him the advantage over most defensive backs, often forcing opponents to use athletic linebackers on him in coverage.
Moreau gave Carr a reliable intermediate security blanket for four years with the Raiders. Expect him to do the same with New Orleans. Of his 33 receptions in 2022, 26 resulted in either a first down or touchdown.
Moreau, just 26, may not get the majority of the targets at tight end because of the presence of Juwan Johnson. However, he brings a bona-fide in-line receiving threat that the team has not had at the position in quite some time and will also benefit the running game.
Foster Moreau's presence will also allow the Saints to be more creative in the ways that they use Johnson and Taysom Hill. Because of his relationship with Carr, don't be surprised if Moreau establishes new career bests as a receiver while adding vastly improved in-line run blocking for New Orleans.
Nathan Shepherd, DT
Dec. 22, 2022; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) scrambles under pressure from New York Jets defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd (97). Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK
New Orleans needed to retool the defensive tackle position after it greatly disappointed the last two seasons, especially after losing David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, and Kentavius Street in free agency. The Saints responded by adding free-agent tackles Khalen Saunders and Shepherd and using their first-round choice on Clemson DT Bryan Bresee.
Most of the offseason notoriety has gone to Bresee and Saunders, an incredibly athletic player with the Chiefs. However, Shepherd was actually signed by New Orleans before Saunders, and to a slightly more lucrative contract.
A third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets out of Fort Hays St., Shepherd has shown improvement over each of his five seasons. He was an integral part of a highly ranked Jets defense in 2022, contributing 1.5 sacks, 7 pressures, and 4 tackles for loss in 417 defensive snaps, the second highest of his career.
At 6'4" and 315-Lbs., the 29-year-old Shepherd is explosive off the snap. He's been graded much higher as a rotational pass rusher the last two years than against the run. However, he also proved himself to be a capable run defender for a Jets unit that ranked fourth overall in 2022.
New Orleans defensive tackles were abysmal last season. The position contributed just 14.5 of the team’s 94 sacks the last two years and was primarily responsible for a plummet to 24th against the run in 2022.
Nathan Shepherd will be an important part of the interior rotation for the Saints this season. His playing time versus Bresee and Saunders will be dependent on his ability to stop the run and pass rush disruption. On paper, this trio looks stronger than what New Orleans had inside for their last two campaigns.
The Saints have made major splashes through underrated free-agent signings in recent years. Demario Davis in 2018 tops a list that also included DT Malcom Brown, and DE Tanoh Kpassagnon. New Orleans success in 2023 could depend on whether Foster Moreau and Nathan Shepherd add their names to that list.
