Saints Buzz, Nuggets and Notes From The NFL Scouting Combine
With the NFL Scouting Combine interviews in full swing, it's quite the exciting time right now. Live drills begin on Thursday, as the defensive linemen and linebackers get to work in the afternoon. For the Saints, they're out here with numbers doing their homework in preparation for the draft. Here's a taste of what I've been able to gather surrounding New Orleans so far this week.
Saints Buzz and Nuggets From Scouting Combine
Dennis Allen speaks with the Saints media at the NFL Scouting Combine
OFFENSIVE OUTLOOK
Maximizing Derek Carr was a big part of the search for a new offensive coordinator. Carr was involved in the process with Dennis Allen and the system the Saints plan to employ should only help. The new offensive staff went through their own evaluations of the current players, which were positive.
The door isn't particularly closed on players like Jameis Winston and Andrus Peat. With Peat, he'll likely get a stronger offer on the market and the Saints will have to deal with some dead money if they can't retain him. The team was very encouraged by his play at left tackle last year. With Winston, he wants to start, but it's honestly up in the air where he lands.
DRAFTING A QUARTERBACK IN THE FIRST ROUND?
It's hard to see the Saints drafting a quarterback early, but never say never. A formal meeting with LSU's Jayden Daniels has sparked quite the response, but it's also a team doing its due diligence. We've talked plenty about how there's other pressing needs for the team, and that has been only echoed this week.
New Orleans is committed to Derek Carr financially and for the foreseeable future. A lot of the struggles last year were attributed to injuries, but the team feels strongly about the way they finished as a building block for next season. Carr is due a $10 million roster bonus on March 15 that will be applied on the fifth league day of 2025. There would be a ton of dead money ramifications if they decided to move on from him too. It sounds like you shouldn't buy the hype.
HEALTH OUTLOOK
We pointed out that Ryan Ramczyk had minor surgery on his knee recently and should be ready for training camp. After gathering information regarding his situation, Ramczyk's outlook after the season was much better than what was originally thought. Overall, the Saints are relatively healthy. The only player not expected to be ready for camp is Nephi Sewell with the torn ACL he suffered against the Bucs late in the year. There have been some minor procedures and injuries the Saints have managed. Two players I recently was told that were rehabbing in the facility with Matt Rhea were Chris Olave and Alontae Taylor.
UNDERRATED AND OVERLOOKED NEED
As much as everyone gets wrapped up into this mock or that mock draft and what players might become available, one need for the Saints they will plan on addressing is the wide receiver position. Only three players are in the mix at this time, and with Michael Thomas most assuredly heading for free agency, New Orleans will mostly likely be in the market for a new possession receiver. Thomas is not expected to be back, according to sources.
Bringing in Keith Williams, or 'Coach Dubb', to the mix was by design. The Saints felt they needed to unlock a little more from their young receiver corps, and Williams will be instrumental in helping with that development. He brings a lot of accountability and tough love to the table, similar to what Curtis Johnson did for the team.
FREE AGENCY OUTLOOK
Don't expect the Saints to go for some of the big prizes in free agency when it opens. The team is managing their cap situation and were beneficiaries of the salary cap rising. New Orleans will look to re-sign a good bit of their guys and possibly make moves similar to last offseason. If a game were to be played right now, the Saints could field a full field of starters.
TREVOR PENNING
The belief is still there in Trevor Penning, but now it doesn't sound like he's going to change positions. The plan is for him to still be at left tackle, and a reset under Klint Kubiak coupled with John Benton coming on board will be big for him and a lot of offensive players. However, the first few months of action will be crucial for him. He has to produce, and the team believes he can fit the system. New Orleans does also feel strongly about players like Landon Young and Nick Saldiveri too. The offensive line isn't mission critical right now for the team and they're going to see what falls to them.
HERE TO STAY?
There's been a lot of speculation surrounding some of the futures in New Orleans, but it sounds like several key players are a part of the plans for next season. Among those include Taysom Hill and Alvin Kamara. Things could change obviously, but the vision is for Kamara and Hill to both be big parts of the offensive plans under Klint Kubiak. The Saints have to figure out how best to use Hill, and it sounds like they're working on that. Other players like Jamaal Williams sound like they're also in the plans.
MARSHON LATTIMORE AND THE SECONDARY
Nothing has been ruled out regarding his future, but New Orleans still views Lattimore as a strong player. At this point, he could be traded or he could stay. There is some flexibility regarding his contract, so it's not like the team is on a particular timeline to make a decision. For what it's worth, Dennis Allen said publicly on Lattimore that 'He's a part of this football team' and can help the Saints going forward.
Johnathan Abram and Isaac Yiadom are players the team remain high on ahead of free agency, so re-signing both could be priorities. Depending on what happens with Lattimore will determine a lot, so don't rule out someone like Alontae Taylor returning to the outside too. However, the future is a little bit cloudy for Marcus Maye. We've pointed out that he could be a post-June 1 cut candidate, which would save the team $7.23 million for the Saints.
TRAINING CAMP ON THE MOVE
Plenty of reports have been out there, but California will be the home of Saints training camp this summer. The final details are being worked out, but it's happening for anyone that wasn't totally sold on it. From a logistics standpoint, it won't be too hard on New Orleans, and the belief is that getting away only helps. The team won't have to handle the heat and will have more camaraderie as opposed to the previous years.
Stay tuned for plenty more from Indianapolis.
