Offseason Analysis: New Orleans Saints

In 2008, the Saints were equal parts bad defense and injuries on offense.

They have Drew Brees coming back though, so there shouldn't be any worries on offense—at least not in the passing game. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush form a pretty dynamic RB pair. Obviously, Bush will need to be more durable next year. Deuce McAllister will be released if he doesn’t restructure his contract and take a pay cut. 

Lance Moore was a pleasant surprise and a fantasy hero last year. He’s a restricted free agent, but the Saints are most likely going to sign him. He’ll team up with Marques Colston.  Unrestricted-free-agent Devery Henderson has likely played his last downs in a Saints uniform.  Robert Meachem will get an opportunity to step up. 

Jeremy Shockey and Billy Miller form a solid TE duo. Shockey needs to prove he can stay healthy. They have some free agents on the offensive line (Jon Stinchcomb, Jahri Evans, Zach Strief, and Matt Lehr). It’s highly unlikely they will keep all four, so they could look to add depth on their line. 

Defensively, the Saints need to address free-agent Jonathan Vilma, who led the team with 132 tackles last year. Safety Josh Bullocks is also an unrestricted free agent—he had 41 tackles last year. The Saints need to improve their pass rush, as they recorded just 28 sacks last year.

Once again the defense is a more pressing need than the offense.

KFFL Free Agent Tracker:

Pos	Player Name	FA Status	Previous Team	Current Team
QB	Joey Harrington	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
RB	Aaron Stecker	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
WR	Devery Henderson	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
WR	Lance Moore	RFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
WR	Courtney Roby	RFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
TE	Mark Campbell	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
PK	Martin Gramatica	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
OG	Matt Lehr	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
OT	Jon Stinchcomb	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
OL	Jahri Evans	RFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
OL	Zach Strief	RFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
DL	Antwan Lake	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
DL	Montavious Stanley	RFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
DL	Mike Wright	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
LB	Troy Evans	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
LB	Marvin Mitchell	RFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
LB	Jonathan Vilma	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
CB	Aaron Glenn	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
CB	Leigh Torrence	RFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
SS	Chris Reis	RFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent
FS	Josh Bullocks	UFA	New Orleans Saints	Free Agent