By: Jake Rajala

The New Orleans Saints have desperately needed Rx to Medicate their offense as of late. Since Jameis Winston suffered a season-ending leg injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, the Peyton Manning look-alike in Siemian has been a tale of two tales at the starting QB position. In the 4th quarter of each Saints contest he’s started, Trevor Siemian has looked like Peyton Manning on the field and he’s been a Top 5 signal-caller across the league. The glorious ailment of the scrappy QB from Northwestern has been his performance through 75% of each game’s sequence. Per PFF, Siemian has been graded as the worst starting QB from 1-3 quarters during his starting tenure.

After Sean Payton’s once 5-2 squad got obliterated by the Buffalo Bills in a 31-6 defeat on Thanksgiving night, the aggressive Bill Parcells disciple knew a QB change was needed. The Saints backup QB (?) and swiss army knife Taysom Hill has been standing on the sideline with a clipboard over the past couple of matchups watching his team get embarrassed in must-win games. Well, Hill may have been on the sideline hearing his crowd chant his name after his offense could get nothing starting on offense. Yet, Hill wasn’t getting involved and more so looking like a mysterious, potential, savior because he was battling a nagging (yet, utterly painful) plantar fascia injury.

Well…

The injury timeclock on the QB that has been compared to Steve Young has seen his health improve greatly. Hill went on to say Monday afternoon that he could play if the game were taking place that night. In fact, Hill’s status has impressed Payton so much that the Saints offensive whiz stated that Hill would be the Saints starting QB against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football! Atlas, the tides are turning, and the Saints offense might just get a massive boost — then the Superdome inhibiting Who Dat nation can get back to one giant party for four hours. Well, Will Taysom Hill actually be a significant upgrade over Trevor Siemian, and can Hill lead the Saints back to the promised land of playoff royalty? I truly believe that Hill is a dynamic playmaker and Hill can bring hope to Saints nation.

After all, Saints fans are built on hope…

Taysom Hill was a profile that went toe to toe with Jameis Winston during training camp and preseason, but Winston (combined with Marquez Callaway) was largely impressive against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 of the pre-season. Hill is truly close to the same caliber of QB as Jameis Winston — if not better, when he puts it all together. Hill’s talent was evident in his first three games as a starting QB in 2020. In Hill’s first career start, the dual-threat QB recorded 284 total yards and two touchdowns. One of Hill’s touchdowns came on a rushing touchdown where none of his WRs managed to get open and the play broke down. Yet, leave it to Hill to make magic with his legs — where Hill broke the pocket, bolted to the corner of the endzone, and jumped in for the unplanned score.

Hill’s ability to run the ball via his 4.4 40 yard dash time truly creates an extra threat against NFL defenses. In the absence of Alvin Kamara, Hill’s ability to pick up extra yards with his legs will prove vital for the Saints offense. The Saints might have an offensive creative genius in Sean Payton as head coach. Although, Payton isn’t at his best when his offense is dropping four passing touchdowns on opposing defenses. Rather, Payton pulls out all of his tricks when his team is running the ball, winning the time of possession, and having his well-rested, scary defense beat down opposing offenses.

The new Saints starting QB will absolutely be efficient with his legs, keep his offense from an infinite “amount of third and long situations”, and he will be able to get the ball in his playmakers hands on screens and play-action passes. Expect Hill, the very underrated Deonte Harris, and returning Saints legend Mark Ingram to impose their will on defenses down the stretch. The team that spanked Tom Brady and the 8-3 Buccaneers on Halloween may not be that far away.

The post The new starting Saints QB Taysom Hill will really revive the Saints season appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

The New Orleans Saints have had a pretty intriguing offseason, primarily in the wide receiver room, as many moves have happened.  WR1 Michael Thomas is expected to miss time with an ankle surgery recovery, previous WR2 Emmanuel Sanders has left, WR3 Tre’Quan Smith is battling a hamstring injury still, Deonte Harris is facing suspension still, despite gameday nearing, etc.  The one bright spot at the top of the new depth chart is 2020 UDFA Marquez Callaway from Tennessee University.  Callaway has solidified at the very least a starting role in the Saints offense as of now, if not the top receiver spot prior to a Thomas return.  In this article, I will be going over what to expect from Marquez Callaway in week 1.

Large Score in PPR Leagues

I personally believe that Callaway will have a high volume of offensive passing touches, which will lead to some high PPR numbers if anything.  He should most definitely have double-digit receptions at the very least, as with the Tre’Quan Smith injury putting him back out of practice today and not many outside options otherwise, he is the primary target for the Saints.  Even with having to go up against Jaire Alexander this weekend, he should be able to get open a few times with his route tree or make some contested catches when available.

Quick, Short, Shifty Route Tree

I fully expect this game to be a battle of how the Saints can play the short pass and then throw one or two deep passes and catch the Packers defense off guard if possible.  Callaway should be running a tree primarily consisting of curls, flats, slants, and short-out routes to be able to get underneath the defense and open up some capability for Deonte Harris to get behind the defense.  Letting Callaway play the short passing game and letting Jameis Winston get the ball out quickly and effectively should help this offense move the chains.

Tone Setting Deep Catch or Two

As we saw in the preseason, Callaway was able to keep up with the likes of Marlon Humphrey for a few downs before he was taken off to prevent injury, and against Shaq Griffin for a longer period of time where he had his two amazing touchdown catches, even regardless of coverage, the catches were spectacular.  We should expect to see one or two catches of this nature again, not necessarily touchdowns, but large gains of 25+ where they can keep the defense honest by opening it up in the safety level.

This deep placement should allow for Alvin Kamara to get some more touches and rushes if used at the correct time, as the defense will be forced to put men further back in coverage to prevent the deep pass, which opens up screens and zone rushes for Kamara.  Callaway overall should have a solid game, I am not sure to expect him to be having the showing of a lifetime yet where he absolutely torches the opposing defense, but it should be a respectable statline nonetheless.

The post Marquez Callaway can be a stud in the Saints week 1 game appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

Welcome to the NFC South. This is a division that has seen three of its four teams reach a Super Bowl during the past six seasons. The Panthers lost in Super Bowl 50, the Falcons lost in Super Bowl 51 and Tampa Bay go into the season as champions after winning Super Bowl 55.

Can we see a team from the division once again reach the Super Bowl in Los Angeles? Here is a preview of the NFC South.

Atlanta Falcons (2020 Record: 4-12. Missed out on playoffs)

The Atlanta Falcons found new ways to lose last season. They lost four games by four points or less and even lost a game by accidentally scoring a touchdown. They have seen a franchise legend in Julio Jones depart this summer, as he made the move to the Tennessee Titans. This gives Calvin Ridley the chance to show he can become a WR1 for the franchise. The 3,061 yards and 26 touchdowns during his first three seasons in the NFL show that he is very capable.

Atlanta has also drafted Kyle Pitts, who can also be deployed as a wideout due to his excellent receiving skills. He recorded 12 touchdowns and 770 yards in his final college season. With Hayden Hurst likely to be the backup tight end, the Falcons have the facility to deploy Pitts in the receiver position and use Hurst as the tight end. This gives new head coach Arthur Smith flexibility in his new offense. He did an excellent job as the Titans’ offensive coordinator, playing a big role in Ryan Tannehill’s career resurgence. Falcons fans will hope that he can do the same for their quarterback Matt Ryan. Despite his tenth consecutive 4,000 yards plus season, people still have their doubts about how long he has left. Smith can turn the former MVP into a Comeback Player of the Year contender and silence the critics. Running back Mike Davis has joined this summer and will hope that he will be the back they have needed for a couple of years.

Last season, the offense wasn’t the issue. It was the defense. Only three teams allowed more total yards than the Falcons (6,374). They were dead last in passing yards allowed (4,697) but only allowed more rushing yards than five other teams (1,677). They added five defensive players in the draft. Defensive backs Richie Grant, Darren Hall and Avery Williams were taken in the second, fourth and fifth rounds respectively. Defensive linemen Ta’Quon Graham Adetokunbo Ogundeji were both taken in the fifth round.

Two games against each of their division rivals as well as Washington, San Francisco and Buffalo are equally met with winnable games against the Lions, Jaguars, Giants, Jets and Eagles. Can they overcome their recent troubles and get back to the team they once were? Matt Ryan is my tip for the Comeback Player of the Year award and Pitts is a generational tight end talent that can play in multiple positions. Atlanta will make it back to the playoffs to the surprise of many, but they are nowhere near being Super Bowl contenders. A loss in the Wildcard Round is more than likely.

Prediction: 2nd in NFC South

Carolina Panthers (2020 Record: 5-11. Missed out on playoffs)

The Panthers are another interesting team. Their star player in running back Christian McCaffrey missed the majority of last season through injury. He is back this season and has a new QB to work with. Sam Darnold was traded from the New York Jets after a difficult three seasons for the 2018 third overall pick. Going to the Panthers will allow everyone to see whether the Darnold we saw in New York is a bust or if he was hindered by the coaching of Adam Gase.
Wideout Curtis Samuel has left this summer, with the Panthers drafting LSU receiver Terrace Marshall in the draft. He will play alongside Robbie Anderson and DJ Moore, who both recorded over 1,000 yards and combined for 7 touchdowns. Running back Chuba Hubbard impressed in the preseason, particularly the first week where he recorded 80 yards from 7 carries.

The Panthers took all defensive players during the 2020 draft and ended up 18th in total points, passing yards and total yards allowed and were 20th in rushing yards allowed. This is despite the 9 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 21 quarterback hits and 58 total tackles from defensive end Brian Burns. Rookie safety Jeremy Chinn also recorded 117 total tackles, 1 interception in 2020. He also recorded two defensive touchdowns in ten seconds in a game against the Minnesota Vikings.

Their mixed schedule sees them play the Jets, Giants, Eagles and Texans but also the Bills, Washington as well as home and away games against Buccaneers and Saints. Head coach Matt Rhule showed promise in spells during 2020 but despite the young and exciting roster in Carolina, they will find it tough in their division.

Prediction: 4th in NFC South.

New Orleans Saints (2020 Record; 12-4. Lost in Divisional Round)

How do you replace a franchise legend? This is the dilemma facing the Saints going into the 2021 season. Quarterback Drew Brees retired after fifteen seasons with the franchise. Jameis Winston beat out Taysom Hill to the starting role and has the challenge of being the guy after the guy. Despite being the passing yards leader in 2019 with 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns, he also threw for 30 interceptions. He showed his deep ball in the Saints’ Divisional Round loss to the Buccaneers, albeit his only attempted pass of the game. Can he rebuild his reputation and pick up right where Brees left off?

He is not blessed with the most talented offense to throw the ball to. It is worth considering that the Buccaneers went 7-9 in 2019 just a season before they won the Super Bowl. He had Chris Godwin and Mike Evans to throw to who both had 1,000-yard seasons. He had the same defensive players in Lavonte David, Jason Pierre-Paul, Vita Vea and Shaquil Barrett. Whilst the Saints still have a great defense featuring Cameron Jordan and Kwon Alexander as well as an elite running back in Alvin Kamara, he has no one to throw to. With the loss of Emmanuel Sanders in Free Agency and the status of Michael Thomas unclear, Winston will have to rely on Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. If he couldn’t stop the interceptions when he had Godwin and Evans, it is hard to not see him repeating this feat with Callaway, Smith and Humphrey.

The Saints will not be able to play their home games in New Orleans due to Hurricane Ida. Their opener against the Green Bay Packers will be played in Jacksonville. They then face the Panthers and New England Patriots. This is a tough start and it doesn’t get any easier, with the Washington Football Team in Week 5, Seattle Seahawks in Week 7, Buccaneers in Weeks 8 and 15, Tennessee Titans in Week 10 and Buffalo Bills in Week 12.

If there is one man who could change Winston’s fortunes, it is head coach Sean Payton. Bruce Arians was Winston’s head coach in the aforementioned 2019 season and he is known as the “quarterback whisperer”. Payton is another individual with the personality and coaching skills to help Winston. Sadly, this experiment may not work out the way New Orleans fans hope.

Prediction: 3rd in NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020 Record: 11-5. Won Super Bowl 55)

The Buccaneers became the first team to play a Super Bowl in their stadium, where they beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. Tom Brady, who is highly regarded as the best to ever do it, joined last summer and everything changed. His arrival attracted players such as tight end Rob Gronkowski, running back Leonard Fournette and wide receiver Antonio Brown to join the franchise. The team took a while to gel and were inconsistent for the first half of the season, going 7-5 before winning their remaining eight games and continuing this momentum onto the playoffs and Super Bowl. The challenge they now face is whether they can go back to back. There is a reason that the last time a team retained a Super Bowl was in the 2004 season. It is a hard achievement to accomplish.

The Buccaneers have returned all their starters and added depth, which gives them a great advantage going into the 2021 season. Linebacker Joe Tryon was taken in the first round and receiver Jaelon Darden was taken in the fourth round, someone who could be a big sleeper pick. With a 3-4 scheme led by defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, they have one of the scariest defenses in the NFL. Ndamukong Suh, Vita Vea, and William Gholston make up the front 3, with the 4 consisting of Jason Pierre-Paul, Devin White, Lavonte David, and Shaquil Barrett. Antoine Winfield and Sean Murphy- Bunting also add to a brilliant cornerback room. In 2020, White recorded 140 total tackles, whereas David recorded 117 and Winfield tallied up 94. Pierre-Paul had 9.5 sacks, White had 9 and Barrett had 8. Gholston had the most quarterback hits (20) and Pierre-Paul’s 4 forced fumbles were the most on the team. Cornerback Carlton Davis had 4 interceptions and White had the most tackles for loss (15).

Antonio Brown was involved in a training camp fight and the coaching staff will hope they are not going to see him go back to his old ways. He had a redemption year, causing no trouble and scoring 4 touchdowns in 8 games. He also scored in the Super Bowl win. His receiving teammates also played their part, with Evans maintaining his record of posting over 1,000 yards in every season of his career, including his two seasons in college. He also scored 13 touchdowns. Both Chris Godwin and Gronkowski caught 7 touchdowns, with Godwin recording 840 yards. On the ground game, Ronald Jones ran for 978 yards and 7 touchdowns. Fournette earned the nickname ‘Playoff Lenny’ and notched up 7 touchdowns in 2020.

Due to not winning the NFC South last season, their schedule is fairly favorable. Keep an eye out for their week four clash against the New England Patriots, with Brady and Gronk returning to Foxboro in what should be an emotional affair. Whilst they may face the Los Angeles Rams, Patriots, Washington, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills, they also get to play the Chicago Bears, Eagles, Giants, and Jets. Tampa Bay should be aiming to win a second consecutive ring and will be the favorites for the NFC. Purely for how hard it is to retain a Super Bowl, the Buccaneers will reach the Super Bowl but ultimately fall short.

Prediction: 1st in NFC South and Losing Super Bowl 56 Finalists

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By: Jeremy Trottier

The New Orleans Saints have had an extremely interesting offseason so far, primarily because of the retirement of Drew Brees.  This leaves the Saints with arguably the most intriguing quarterback battle in the 2021-2022 season.  As of right now, there are two QBs who are being heavily considered for the position, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting QB Jameis Winston, and the Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill.  Thanks to reporters who have been at each of the public training camps, we have the stats that each QB has put up so far in training camps.  With this info and other information gathered via previous knowledge of the players, we will be choosing which of the two is “ahead” currently in this battle.

Please note two things, the first being that this is not a guarantee that who I choose will start, nor does it mean they will perform better this season, it is just inferring who has done better so far with the camp stats.  Secondly, this was written on Friday, August 13^th, the day prior to the Saints first preseason game, so any stats or gameplay from that game will not be contributed to this article as it has not happened at the time of this piece being written.

Taysom Hill

Camp Statline: 8/10 in full-team drills, 78 for 120 with two touchdowns and three interceptions in all camp throws this season.

Taysom is really hard to see in camps, as his capabilities primarily rely on his ability to scramble outside the pocket as well as plowing through defenders on rushes.  This is near impossible to see as camps have been low contact on QBs and they almost always try to avoid contact, and more focus on the fundamentals of the game.  

With that said, this is somewhat the statline one would expect from Taysom if you have seen him play before.  He can make some poor decisions to move the ball downfield, hence the 3 interceptions, however his completion percentage (65% in camps) is still strong as he is very solid in the short to the intermediate passing game.  Overall, he has had about as good of a camp as anyone can ask of him so far, and once preseason rolls around he should be seen more in his natural form.

Jameis Winston

Camp Statline: 13/18 and a touchdown in full-team drills, 102 for 146 with five touchdowns and three interceptions in all camp throws this season.

Jameis Winston, on a pretty opposite tone to Taysom, has had a very good camp so far from the pocket and has really been able to lock down and focus on the play.  Now something that has not come up a ton is Jameis throwing deep passes, aside from a few that were reported, hence why his interceptions are low and his touchdowns are higher, as well as his completion percentage. 

As of right now, he has a 69.8% completion rate, which is likely due to being focused on shorter passes and working on his throwing technique and decision-making more than anything.  With that said, this is really nice to see as he is clearly taking the smarter play most of the time, considering his high completion percentage.  This works well for the Saints system as if he can get the ball to Alvin Kamara out of the backfield, that will allow Kamara to do the work.  This ability to throw in the flat also allows for a deep shot once a drive or so where Jameis can throw a defense off and hit someone down the field with a deep pass since the coverage would focus lower. 

Overview

As of this moment, Jameis has had the better training camp so far, but it is not by a landslide by any means.  Taysom has done well to keep up and have a solid completion rate, but as I mentioned previously, his main capabilities cannot be shown in camps.  Preseason will be absolutely massive, as this allows both QBs to go all out against a defense they are not 100% familiar with and use their skills.  Sean Payton when interviewed said they would have one of the two QBs start one preseason game, then one close it, and then switch for the next game and see the inverse, making preseason become even more interesting as they are clearly taking their time to decide.

The post Which Saints QB is winning the QB battle? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

The New Orleans Saints have struggled this offseason with injuries, suspensions, and cuts of players that would be considered starters entering this season.  Just to name a few of these issues:

• Suspension: David Onyemata (DT1)
• Pending/Probable suspension: Deonte Harris (WR3) & Marshon Lattimore (CB1)
• Injuries: Wil Lutz (K), Michael Thomas (WR1), Tre’Quan Smith (WR2)
• Major Cuts/Losses: Emmanuel Sanders, Sheldon Rankins, Trey Hendrickson, Janoris Jenkins, Drew Brees, Jared Cook, Nick Easton, etc.

With all of these noted, one of them stands out the most current as hugely impactful for the 2021-2022 season, that is the Michael Thomas injury and complications.  In this article, I will be discussing the issues that have taken place since his initial injury in 2020, as well as where this could go in the coming months.

Initial High Ankle Sprain

Michael Thomas initially had a high ankle sprain entering the 2020 season and played week 1 despite this, where he had three receptions on five targets.  He would then go on to miss weeks two through eight on IR as he was trying to recover from the sprain but came back because he said he wanted to help Drew Brees get deep into the playoffs in his final season.  Thomas would play weeks eight through thirteen, never having more than nine receptions in a game, and only having two games with 100+ yards during this span.  

This led to Thomas being removed from the rest of the season, that being weeks 15 to the divisional round of the playoffs, as he was not capable of playing on the injury any longer.  This injury pretty much derailed his season, as he was coming off a record-setting OPOY season in 2019, to which this injury prevented him from continuing into 2020.

Offseason Diagnosis/Team Issues

After the season ended, it was reported that the Saints medical staff told Michael Thomas that this ankle would require surgery to heal in the quickest manner, despite it being relatively invasive at the time seemingly.  Thomas would go on to get a second opinion, who said he could potentially recover through time and rehab without any surgery.  Then the interesting part of this all comes into place, in which the Saints coaching staff and medical team did not hear from MT for three months straight.

This is hugely concerning, especially to the franchise, as even if he was not injured he should still be in regular contact with the team.  Then out of nowhere, MT says he is getting surgery in June, to which he does, and now he is likely going to miss at least the first quarter of the season, as he did in 2020.  As of right now, eight weeks is the timetable for his return, and that is from the surgery date, not the start of the season, so he could return before the bye week for New Orleans if he really works hard.

Future Options

As of right now, MT is still locked into his 5-year $100 million extensions, and unless the Saints trade him during the season, they would incur a heavy dead cap penalty for a season or two.  This pretty much leaves them with four options, at least as I see it:

• MT returns before/near the bye week on schedule, plays like his 2019 self, and the Saints are able to mend relationships to the point where he can at least play out his contract.
• MT returns on schedule, still has fractured relationships with the Saints front office, and gets traded for assets during or after this season.
• MT takes his time and returns late in the season, or takes too short a time and returns early, underperforms, and is traded or cut for significantly less than expected.
• The Saints keep Thomas regardless of performance due to his contract issues, and just ride it out and hope he can heal to perform better in 2022 onwards.

The post What is the current situation regarding Michael Thomas? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

The New Orleans Saints could be one of the most intriguing teams heading into this upcoming season. The team returning will be very similar to the team that won the NFC South for the past four seasons and finished 2020 with a 12-4 record. 

There is just one glaring difference for this team heading into 2021; longtime quarterback Drew Brees is now retired. After leading the Saints since 2006, the QB1 decided to call it a career. The 13-time pro bowl quarterback had a career that will cement him among some of the greatest ever. But the Saints may be ready for life post-Brees. 

In the past two seasons, Brees missed nine games. In those nine games, New Orleans had a record of 8-1. They have proved that they are capable of still winning games without Brees and this upcoming season will be where they fully get to showcase that. 

The Saints will be a competitive team in 2021. The culture that they have created within the team will allow for nothing less. New Orleans could be a super bowl contender this season. Here’s why. 

Talented Defense

The Saints have a defense with veterans at every level. With Cameron Jordan leading the defensive line, Demario Davis leading the linebackers, and Malcolm Jenkins leading the secondary, this defense has capable playmakers at every point. 

The group that they have assembled is proven and will be nearly identical in 2021. They finished last season allowing 310 yards per game and 21.06 points per game, ranking fourth and fifth in both categories. They held opponents to less than 20 points on six occasions last season. 

If the defense is able to play at the same level as they did last season, this team will have a fighting chance in any game that they play in. An above average defense can also be enough to get a team to a SuperBowl appearance. That has been seen throughout NFL history. 

Top Offensive-Line

The New Orleans offensive line is one of the best in the NFL. Led by Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramcyzk, the Saints have put out a group that has been consistent for years. 

When running on all gears, this is arguably the NFL’s best group in the trenches. An elite offensive line can take a team far. And it can help diminish the other problems that the offense may have. 

Star wide receiver Michael Thomas may miss significant time due to off-season surgery. If Thomas is out for sometime, this offense could struggle in the beginning. Losing a player of Thomas’s caliber and having younger wideouts in a position where they have to make a play could be an issue for this offense. The o-line being able to hold blocks and let plays develop could keep this offensive unit alive at points. 

Alvin Kamara

Running back Alvin Kamara could be the x-factor for this team. His offensive presence alongside the elite offensive line could take this team far. 

Kamara has proven to be one of the most versatile players in the NFL. He reached the end zone 16 times on the ground and another five times through the air. His 21 touchdowns led the NFL. 

It would come at no shock if Kamara has a similar workload in 2021. This Saints team could go as far as their veteran running back takes them. If he is able to play at a high level, as he has for most of his career, he could be the leagues best running back this season. 

While a Super Bowl appearance could be slim to none, this team could still be competitive and at least have a fighting chance. Having a reliable defense, a top offensive line, and a star running back, paired with a veteran quarterback in Jameis Winston, this team will always have a fighting chance. Don’t count the Saints out in 2021. 

The post Why the Saints are still Super Bowl contenders appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

The New Orleans Saints have had one of the more interesting offseasons in 2021, mainly because of the outgoing pieces more so than the incoming ones.  With the loss of Emmanuel Sanders in free agency and now Michael Thomas to injury for 12-14 weeks from now, they are in a real predicament at the WR spot.  In this article, I will be going over the three reasons as to why the Saints should look to trade for New York Jets receiver Jamison Crowder.

Contract Price

One of the biggest limiters for the Saints right now would be cap space, despite having roughly 11 million right now to spend, they have many holes to fill both in depth and in starting even with that amount of money.  Jamison Crowder only has one year left on his deal, which would allow the Saints to either work on an extension if he proves useful or let him walk after this season with no dead cap repercussion.  

Looking specifically at his contract details, Crowder’s cap hit for 2021 will be a little over six million dollars, which fits well within the Saints budget.  This would allow them to have no issue trading for him, especially if they were to offload extra cap space with players in the trade, potentially along the lines of Andrus Peat to help the Jets offensive interior.  

WR1 Potential

Jamison Crowder has played WR1 before, there is no doubt about that.  He has also played WR2 before, which would allow him to play alongside Michael Thomas when he returns.  This type of versatility from a receiver is highly valued, as they know that at any time they can be moved behind another receiver, and can accept that.

Crowder has been really effective with his targets, having a 66.3% catch rating and 11.6 yards per reception average shows he has the quality to produce at a high level if given the targets to do so.  The two seasons he had over 100 targets he had 750+ yards each season, a 64% catch rating, and more than 35 first downs each season.  Despite not being a big-name receiver in the league, his productivity and efficiency per reception is very good.

Scheme Fit

Crowder would really be an interesting fit on the Saints because he fits their old scheme with many short to intermediate passes across the middle.  With that said, the development of a new quarterback in NOLA may change that, Jameis Winston would likely look more to the deep ball than Drew Brees has in recent years, and Taysom Hill would focus more on play-action and reverses.  

Crowder fits each of these well, as his speed allows him to carry well into the deeper portions of the field and make big plays happen with little to no issue.  This speed also would translate well to end-around and reverses as he could get to the sideline quickly and open up a lane alongside it.  Being able to play in an offense tailored by Sean Payton, one of the more prominent offensive minded coaches recently would definitely be something to benefit Crowder as he would be used in every way possible to improve his stat totals and improve the team. 

The post Why the New Orleans Saints should trade for Jamison Crowder? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Saints lost some valuable pieces on their defensive line in free agency this offseason. Sheldon Rankins, Trey Hendrickson and Malcom Brown will all be contributing for other teams next season. With three players on the defensive line departing for other teams, there is plenty of room for another free agent to step in and have an immediate impact.

Kawann Short has battled injuries throughout the past two seasons, only playing in five games in the last two years combined, but if he is healthy he would be a great addition to the Saints. He would be a cheap option for them to look at, and he could come in and be a key rotational player if he can stay healthy.

Health is a big question mark for Short at this point in his career, but they could sign him to a non-guaranteed contract, and it could pay off big if he remains healthy. He would provide much needed depth with his ability to stop the run and rush the passer.

Short’s Career thus far

It has been a rough couple of years for Short, but prior to 2019, he was a model of consistency and durability. Short is 32 years old and is a 2x Pro Bowler (2015, 2018), with 32.5 sacks and 59 tackles for loss throughout his career.

In 2015, Short made a name for himself, earning his first Pro Bowl nod, and became an every down starter for the Carolina Panthers. He was a one of the most dominant forces on the defensive line in the NFL, while totaling 11 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles and 18 QB hits, all career highs.

2018 was the last season where Short looked dominant, where he earned his second Pro Bowl nod, but totaled only three sacks, 12 tackles for loss and seven QB hits. Short still had a productive season and had to overcome lots of double and triple teams. Ever since that season, Short has struggled to stay on the field, but it is possible a new team and training staff could be just what Short needs to rejuvenate his career.

Short is skilled at stuffing the run and getting to the quarterback, and even though he has battled injuries the last two years, he would provide a veteran presence for the Saints. He would not be expected to be an every down lineman, and would be a great backup for Malcolm Roach and David Onyemata.

Adding depth to the front seven is never a bad idea, and if the contract was non-guaranteed there is essentially no risk for the Saints to bring him in. Short has recovered from the shoulder injuries that have kept him sidelined the last two seasons, and he appears to be drawing interest from numerous teams.

Once injuries begin for teams across the league, Short will not be a free agent for much longer. With OTAs under way, injuries are inevitable for every team, which means the Saints need to be proactive in signing Short before another team does.

The post Why the Saints should sign Kawann Short? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

Coming into the 2021 season, all eyes will be on the New Orleans Saints. With questions at positions all over the roster and the return of players such as Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara, this teams future is uncertain. The expectations will be high and much of the success will come down to one group: the offensive line. 

Anchor on offense

New Orleans has slowly crafted one of the best offensive lines in football. The tackle spots are locked down by Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk, who are both near the top of their positions. 

Armstead and Ramcyzk are joined by guards Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz. The line is completed with center Erik McCoy. The line has a combination of both younger players and veterans. Ruiz showed glimpses of potential during his rookie season and hopes to build on that going into year two. Terron Armstead continued his dominance at the left tackle position where he played 880 snaps. It was only due to being placed on the Covid-19 list that he was unable to appear in all 16 regular season games. Ryan Ramcyzk proved to be a top right tackle in the league. In 16 games, Ramcyzk only allowed two sacks. Center Erik McCoy is arguably the unsung hero of this offensive line. After appearing in all 16 games, playing 1073 snaps, and only allowing one sack, the third year is primed to make a case for the best center in the NFL. 

Durability 

The Saints offensive line has proven to be one of the most reliable and durable units in the NFL. All five starters appeared in at least 13 games. This has allowed them to grow as a unit, something that many offensive lines are not able to do. As time progresses, units that become used to playing together simply look better than others. This durability has also come at a time where much of the rest of the roster is up in the air. With both longtime quarterback Drew Brees and star wide receiver Michael Thomas both missing time, this offense was truly up in the air and relied heavily on running back Alvin Kamara. At this point, all eyes turned to the offensive line who never lost their step. They even blocked their way to a six touchdown performance by Alvin Kamara on Christmas day. 

Strong Backups

The depth that the Saints have on the offensive line cannot be ignored as well. At each position there are young backups who have contributed to the success that the line has as a whole. Backup tackle James Hurst has proven to be the best of the reserves. He appeared in 12 games during last season and played a major role when both Armstead and Peat missed time. In recent years, the Saints have attempted to solidify the line even more by drafting Will Clapp, Landon Young, Derrick Kelly, and Ethan Greenridge. If any of this young bunch is able to turn into a high quality starter, the Saints offensive unit will continue to be great.

This offensive line will have a lot asked of them and they will be up for the challenge. As NFL defenses continue to get better, more is being asked of the guys in the trenches of the line. This unit has proved that they are built for it. While there are still questions at quarterback in New Orleans, it may lead to problems for the offense. This unit will have to hold it down for this point. They are not only the most valuable part of this team but are also the most valuable offensive line in the NFL. And with guys like this playing for them,

They have absolutely no reason to worry.

The post Why the Saints have the most valuable offensive line in the NFL appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jeremy Trottier

With the 2021 NFL offseason close to being coming over, and training camps coming in the near future, we have had another chance to see teams being managed both poorly and very well.  Coming into this offseason, the Saints had one of the worst outlooks, due to their financial liabilities as well as not having nearly enough draft picks to fill all the holes made.  Yet here we are, the Saints still looking poised to be in contention for a division title. 

If the Saints do take the division title again this year, that would make their fifth in a row, which is more than any other franchise in the division has had in a row since 2002 (conception of the division with these four teams.).  With that said, there is a reason the Saints have been dominating in this stat for the last four seasons.  His name is Mickey Loomis.  In this article, I will be going over three reasons why Loomis should be considered the best general manager in the game today.  

Cap Space Compliance

This one has to be by far the most interesting and pertinent to the situation.  The last few years obviously the Saints have been competitors and have made the playoffs for awhile now.  They have continued to do so without having to get rid of many of the core pieces to this roster.  The reason being is that Loomis is absolutely amazing at working around the cap ceiling.

Take this year for example.  Loomis was able to shed roughly 99 million dollars of cap space in about two months, while keeping the core intact for next season.  He also did this under the Covid-19 cap ceiling, which is significantly lower than it has been in previous years due to little to no in person attendance.  This was absolutely wild to watch as a fan of the league, as he worked around every possible outcome to make this happen.

Anywhere from normal cuts to a huge amount of re-structured deals, to an 140 million dollar “extension” for Taysom Hill, in which all years are voidable and they do not have to pay a dime after this year.  Mickey has been an absolute force when it comes to clearing out the cap situation in a time effective and knowledgeable manner.  He was even able to franchise tag Marcus Williams for another ten million dollars this offseason, as well as sign some free agents and draft picks.  We are likely looking at over 110 million dollars cleared from the cap overall to comply with league standards this offseason.

Draft Picks & Draft Day Trade Success

In the last four years, the Saints front office has not drafted a non-starting player to their roster in the first three rounds at any point.  Just to prove this, I will list every player from 2016-2020 they have taken in rounds one through three, and how many starts they have on the team so far.

• 2016: Sheldon Rankins (33 starts), Michael Thomas (62 starts), Vonn Bell (45 starts for NOLA, 16 in Cincinnati), David Onyemata (4^th rounder, 40 starts)
• 2017: Marshon Lattimore (57 starts in 57 games), Ryan Ramczyk (63 starts in 63 games), Marcus Williams (60 starts in 60 games), Alvin Kamara (35 starts), Alex Anzalone (20 starts), Trey Hendrickson (18 starts)
• 2018: Marcus Davenport (14 starts), Tre ”˜Quan Smith (23 starts)
• 2019: Erik McCoy (32 starts in 32 games), Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (4^th rounder, 20 starts)
• 2020: Cesar Ruiz (9 starts in rookie year), Zack Baun (3 starts), Adam Trautman (6 starts)

With quite a few people saying the Saints drafted poorly in 2021, they really need to take a look at the history of their picks.  While some of them were seen as questionable picks at the time, at the end of the day they turned out to be very solid players.  Loomis has been able to facilitate some great draft classes over the years and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Facilitation of Staff

Finally, we have Mickey’s ability to rebuild staff that leaves the franchise and keep the most important ones.  Starting with Sean Payton, one of the best offensive masterminds in the league leading the pack.  His ability to take someone nobody knew at the time in Taysom Hill and turning him into one of the best gadget players if not the face of gadget players in the league is nothing short of impressive.

They have also been able to retain Jeff Ireland, who has been fantastic at scouting players over the course of his career, and is a high level assistant GM.  In terms of positional coaches, you have Ryan Nielsen and brought in Kris Richard, Nielsen being a very consistent coach for the defensive line and being able to develop players very quickly.  Then Richard being a new hire, who will again be working with a Stanford rookie CB (Paulson Adebo) after working with a former one during the legion of boom in Richard Sherman.

Overall, the ability to retain the main functional pieces of the coaching staff while being able to also bring in new improvements for the franchise is exceptional.  This is a huge reason as to why he should be seen as one of the best GMs in the league. 

The post Why is New Orleans Saints GM Mickey Loomis the best there is in the league right now? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.