With free agency less than 48 hours away, the Saints still have lots of questions to be answered. Who will be the quarterback? What does the team do with Terron Armstead and Marcus Williams? Chances are the two free agents will find new homes in the 2022 offseason.
That leaves the Saints with quite a bit of holes to fill. Obviously wide receiver is a need along with the offensive line and now safety. There is room for need at every position.
Here are my personal thoughts on who the Saints should look into for each position. This list doesn’t include any Saints free agents, so guys like Jameis Winston, Kwon Alexander, P.J. Williams and a few others won’t be on this list.
Quarterback: Teddy Bridgewater
In the case where the Saints don’t land Jameis Winston, signing Teddy Bridgewater feels inevitable. He’s been with the team, the players and staff love him, and there’s a sense of some stability at quarterback. He may get the Saints to the playoffs, but a 8-10 win season is what you can expect. The offense would become a game manager offense like the 49ers or Eagles offense. Rely on the run game and the defense to win the games and rely on Teddy to not have any mistakes. No fumbles, no interceptions, just a safe conservative player.
Bridgewater’s maker is projected to be at $10M a year.
Running Back: Marlon Mack
An underrated need for the Saints is running back. With Kamara possibly facing a suspension for 6 games, the Saints will need some reassurance at running back. Mark Ingram is capable of holding down the backfield, but he’s aging and will need some assistance from someone else. Based off last season I wouldn’t want to rely on Tony Jones and Mark Ingram. Jones probably overtakes Dwayne Washington’s role of primarily special teams and can step up when needed.
So that leads me to Marlon Mack. A good overall back with decent speed, hands, and ability to provide assistance. His career has been alongside someone else, Nyheim Hines and Johnathan Taylor. Mack would work well with Ingram cause they both play with chips on their shoulder and Mack is more of a receiving weapon. The biggest downside to Mack is his availability due to injuries. Maybe the Saints go a different route and find someone who can be relied upon more for availability.
Mack’s estimated market is $2.5M a year.
Wide receiver: Jamison Crowder
An underrated receiver with lots of upside. With the Saints in desperate need of a receiver. Crowder would provide a secure option at wide receiver two/three. A solid slot receiver who can play the outside and make plays happen. Super fast with the ability to make plays happen after the catch, which is what the Saints need. A quick, speedy guy.
Crowders market is projected to be $8M to $12M a year.
Tight end: Evan Engram
The Saints need a playmaker at tight end. Adam Trautman showed some promising upside, Juwan is still developing, and Nick Vannett isn’t a consistent enough weapon. The Saints were linked to Evan Engram trade rumors quite a bit over the past few seasons and acquiring Engram would strengthen the depth of the tight end room. He’s shown flashes of production but being a Giant has held him back. A new start is warranted and could be a huge weapon for the Saints if he comes to New Orleans.
His market value is set to be at $6.7M a year.
Offensive line: Chris Hubbard
The Saints could look into Chris Hubbard as a potential replacement for Terron Armstead. While the position will likely be addressed during the draft, going for a guy like Hubbard could be a decent move. He’s been a solid backup for the Browns but has struggled staying healthy. When he does play he struggles against speed pass rushers.
His market is projected to be $3M.
Defensive line: Tim Settle
An underrated key need for the Saints is interior defensive linemen. David Onyemata is essentially the only productive player on the inside of the line. Shy Tuttle is decent but not someone super productive.
Tim Settle would be a low key underrated signing. He’s a great run stuffer with good pass rushing abilities. He’s been playing behind Da’Ron Payne, Matthew Ioannidis, and Johnathan Allen so his potential has yet to be reached. Another thing is his energy, his vibe would match the rest of the defense. He makes music, possibly a collaboration with Chauncey? All jokes aside, the Saints should do their homework on Settle.
His market is projected to be $4.5M to $5M a year.
Linebacker: Alexander Johnson
With a possible departure with Kwon Alexander the Saints will need to find someone to fill in. Pete Werner will fill in for Kwon but the Saints are gonna need a solid backup. Johnson has decent speed with good coverage and good tackling abilities. He’s overall decent at everything, he won’t stand out at one thing in particular, but will be a consistent player.
His market is projected to be $6M to $8M.
Corner: Tre Herndon
Corner is the strongest position for the Saints, but depth never hurts at a position like corner. Tre Herndon has shown positive upside and would be a solid backup. The best way to describe his play style is 2017 Ken Crawley. The Saints could also use another special teams player at gunner
His market is projected to be $2M or less.
Safety: Marcus Maye
The Saints are prepared to take a hit at safety with the loss of Marcus Williams. The perfect guy to replace Williams is Marcus Maye. Maye has good range and good tackling capabilities. He’s in the Saints price range and has the skill set the team is looking for. Maye though is coming off a torn Achilles injury and is having some off the field troubles with a DUI from last February.
His market is projected to be $13M.
Written by Kadin Janisch
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