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After 16 years, 7 division titles and a Super Bowl, the Sean Payton era has come to an end. After Drew Brees in 2020, another Saints legend is leaving and definitively closing the franchise’s most glorious page. With an ambitious recruitment, the team does not intend to be part of a long transition and aims for performance from 2022.
Absent from the playoffs last season, New Orleans has arguments to bounce back immediately and play spoilsports in a very open NFC conference.
Last season: 9-8, 2nd of the NFC South
Movements in the off-season
Notable arrivals: Tyrann Mathieu (S), Jarvis Landry (WR), Marcus Maye (S), Andy Dalton (QB), Daniel Sorensen (S), Taco Charlton (DE), Nick Martin (C)
Re-signatures : Jameis Winston (QB), Tre’Quan Smith (WR), P.J Williams (DB)
Draft : Chris Olave (WR), Trevor Penning (OT), Alontae Taylor (CB), D’Marco Jackson (LB), Jordan Jackson (DE)
Notable losses: Terron Armstead (OT), Marcus Williams (S), Malcolm Jenkins (S), Kwon Alexander (LB), Trevor Siemian (QB), Ty Montgomery (RB), Lil’Jordan Humphrey (WR)
A page of history has turned in New Orleans. In place for 16 seasons, Sean Payton has left his position as head coach. It is now his former assistant Dennis Allen who will lead the team. Defensive coordinator of the Saints since 2015 and former head coach of the Raiders, Allen will therefore have the difficult task of succeeding him to try to do as well.
Once is not custom, the Saints animated the spring. Unaccustomed in recent years to major movements due to a payroll often at the ceiling, New Orleans has given itself the means to stand up to the Buccaneers. After extending Jameis Winston for two seasons, the front office decided to surround him by giving him targets. A 1st round pick invests in Chris Olave and the arrival of five-time Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry come to reinvigorate a limited squad in 2021. The other 1st round available to the franchise served to compensate for the departure of the starting left tackle since 2013. Terron Arsmtead left for Miami, the rough Trevor Penning will have to take over. As Winston recovers from a major knee injury, the team has relied on Andy Dalton to take on the role of understudy and replace him in the event of a longer than expected recovery.
In defense, if the front 7 hardly moves, the back of the field has been completely renewed. Malcolm Jenkins retired, Marcus Williams left against a nice check in Baltimore, the Saints did not skimp to replace them. Child of the bayou, the quadruple All Pro Tyrann Mathieu returns to his hometown. Leadership, versatility, playmaker ability, the 30-year-old safety should bring a lot to the backfield. He will be associated with his former Chiefs teammate Chris Sorensen, but especially Marcus Maye, former sure value of the Jets. A new titular safety duo who has nothing to envy to the pair of 2021. Former first round Taco Charlton brings depth to the pass rush, while the effective but fragile Kwon Alexander was not retained on the second curtain.
The strong points)
It is customary to say that an NFL game is won in the trenches. And in this area, the men of the bayou are far from unworthy. Despite conceding 37 sacks and a mid-table spot in this category, the offensive line remains one of the most reliable in the NFL. It must be said that general manager Mickey Loomis does not mess with the protection of his quarterback. On the starting line-up, four players were chosen in the 1st round (the 5th in the middle of the second round). Ryan Ramczyk is one of the best in his position if not the best, Andrus Peat is a three-time Pro Bowler and young McCoy and Ruiz still have a lot of room for improvement.
But the main strength of the Saints is on the other side of the ball. The defense has remained solid and extremely regular for several seasons. The squad led by Cam Jordan gives a hard time to any attack. 7th in the number of yards, 4th in the number of points last year, the defense against the run is particularly formidable, and always among the most effective in recent seasons. It is therefore difficult for the opponent to control the watch if he is not able to keep the leather while advancing on the ground. Dennis Allen now head coach has created a homogeneous group with at least one playmaker on each line. But the other strength of the technician is to get the best out of more anonymous players. His promotion will not change his methods and the quality of his human management.
The weak spots)
Without Drew Brees, a young retiree, the Saints have lost their air strike force. If Jameis Winston had started well, his injury definitively put the attack on hold. Last in the league in terms of yards, the team also and above all lacked targets. A group of receivers where the most productive peaked at less than 700 yards. This season, the group has been greatly strengthened and can count on the return of Michael Thomas, who has been absent for more than 18 months. Sometimes a group of failing receivers is compensated by dominant tight ends capable of being real security solutions for their pitcher. This is not the case in New Orleans. The squad is one of the least prolific in the NFL. Adam Trautman painfully reached 260 yards for two touchdowns.
If Demario Davis is still beyond reproach, the rest of the second curtain is a question mark. Zach Baun still has everything to prove and Pete Werner must confirm after a rookie season of ups and downs. The solution may come from Jon Bostic who arrived on August 15. The former Commander, who saw his 2021 season cut short due to a pectoral tear, is a duty player, a formidable tackler, who has already proven himself.
X factor: Jameis Winston
The former 1st pick of the 2015 draft has proven that he can throw. Over 5,000 yards in 2019 and the most productive quarterback spot in the air. But this performance was accompanied by a less brilliant statistical line. 30 balls intercepted. Jameis Winston has been blowing very hot and very cold since the start of his career. Able to launch a missile deep in the field for a big win, and inexplicably lose the ball on the next play. Well protected, and well surrounded, Winston is in excellent conditions in Louisiana.
Very good start last season before seeing his season ended on injury after 7 games (14 touchdowns, 3 interceptions), Jameis Winston seemed more mature in his game after a season spent behind Drew Brees. Can he keep such an application on all 17 matches and more? The key to New Orleans’ season will necessarily go through this.
Player to watch: Michael Thomas (WR)
December 29, 2019, Michael Thomas concludes the season at the top of the league. 1725 yards and 149 receptions (record still in progress), All Pro for the 2nd time and an offensive player of the year title far from being usurped. Nothing since. Or almost. Ankle injury, strained relationship with Sean Payton, the receiver’s career has suffered a major setback. But Thomas is back in training and, rid of his physical glitches, he intends to be present from the start of the season. After such a long absence, he will be keen to prove that he has lost none of his abilities and that he is still one of the best receivers in the league. His new head coach, Dennis Allen, was more than confident during training camp.
“When I watch Michael Thomas in training, I see the Michael Thomas I saw before his injury.”
A good omen at the dawn of the new financial year. Now no longer the only aerial threat on his team, Thomas could even benefit from the contributions of Jarvis Landry and 1st round Chris Olave. His two new quality targets will allow him to focus the attention of opposing defenses less. Focused on his preparation and no longer on his complaints on social networks, Thomas seems determined to regain all his brilliance. With the explosive Jameis Winston to throw the leather at him, the association could be hyper productive, and the receiver back on the front of the stage.
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In summary
The departure of Sean Payton was not a pretext for a reconstruction in Louisiana. Built on solid fundamentals such as defense and the trenches, the franchise has given itself the means to be competitive by reinforcing its main weakness.
In a conference that has largely weakened during the offseason, at least on paper, the Saints are clearly a credible and serious candidate for the playoffs. Playoff matches where they will not necessarily be good not to take.
