2024 season: 5-12, third in NFC South, missed playoffs
Overview: It was largely a lost season for the Saints, which is incredibly disappointing after a very strong start that included a 25-point road rout of the Dallas Cowboys. And, at least in the first several weeks since the regular season ended, things haven’t gotten better.
New Orleans lost quarterback Derek Carr to multiple injuries, dropped seven games in a row at one point and fired head coach Dennis Allen. They also waited until the very end of the coaching cycle before landing Kellen Moore for the job fresh off coordinating the offense of the Super Bowl champion Eagles. That hire comes after former Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy reportedly pulled himself out of the running.
The Saints need to make big changes this offseason, and it feels like they’re already behind. They also have absolutely no salary cap money to work with, and they are locked into a bad contract with Carr. If the organization doesn’t make some quick moves, it could be looking at another rough campaign in 2025.
Key free agents
DE Chase Young
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling
TE Juwan Johnson
DE Payton Turner
LB Willie Gay
DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
Who’s in/out: The Saints should do whatever they can to keep Young around, even knowing their financial situation. He’s more than proven himself in his one season with the team and would be a great long-term guy on their defensive front.
Valdes-Scantling landed in New Orleans midway through the season last year and was fairly productive amid all of the team's struggles. He’d be a good weapon for Carr, or whoever their quarterback will be, if they can get him on a good deal. It’s unclear if he’d want to stick around.
Johnson is coming off a career year and had some very impressive outings. If the Saints end up splitting with Foster Moreau, keeping Johnson around for the right price would be very helpful.
Key free-agent needs
Defensive line
Wide receiver
Why the holes? It’s hard to see how the Saints can land anybody significant in free agency, considering their financial straits. But they struggled at wide receiver last season after losing multiple players to injury. Two tight ends and a running back were their top-three receivers in terms of yards last season, so bringing in a wide receiver is a must. And if they can’t retain Young and/or Cam Jordan on the defensive line, at least one solid replacement will be key. Any help they can bring in on defense would be a positive.
Do they have the money?
Not at all. The Saints enter the offseason almost $60 million in the hole, so they will be making some significant cuts. It’s the least amount of cap space in the league.
Notable potential cuts
DE Cameron Jordan
TE Taysom Hill
DL Khalen Saunders
DL Nathan Shepherd
TE Foster Moreau
Why they might be gone: This is a big list, but it would cut the Saints’ deficit by more than half if they cut all five of these players.
The most notable is Hill. He has become a staple in the Saints’ offense and a folk hero in New Orleans in recent years. He has played just about everywhere on offense, but he went down with a torn ACL in Week 13. He’ll also be 35 when next season starts, and cutting him would free up $10 million. While it won’t be a positive move, it’s one the Saints need to make.
Cutting Jordan wouldn’t be pleasant either. The Saints selected him in the first round of the 2011 draft, and he has spent his entire career there. The team captain’s role improved after the Saints split with Allen, and he said he wants to play at least another season in the league. The issue is he brings a $12.5 million cap hit. If the Saints want to keep him around, a pay cut or restructure is something they should consider.
Draft picks
1st round: No. 9
2nd round: No. 40
3rd round: No. 71
3rd round (from Commanders): No. 93
4th round
4th round (from Commanders)
6th round
7th round (compensatory)
Good draft fit
Malaki Starks, S, Georgia
The Saints need to draft guys who can start right away this fall, and Starks can do just that. Starks shined at Georgia, and he can seemingly fit in at any safety position for New Orleans. He is an easy choice for the Saints, who need cheap help across the board on defense.
Run into a bit better health luck
The Saints have some talent on the offensive side of the ball, they were just hit by injuries at every level in 2024. Wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed could be big-time values next season with the right ecosystem in place and if both guys make it back from 2024 injuries. The Saints have a ton of open, big-picture questions across their entire franchise but I am confident those two guys can thrive with solid quarterback play next season. —Matt Harmon
