Predicting the Saints' Starting Lineup After the 1st Wave of Free Agency
The first wave of NFL free agency is complete, and based on their abundance of noteworthy roster moves, the New Orleans Saints will have a decidedly different look in 2015.
Despite lofty preseason expectations, the Saints endured a lackluster 7-9 season in 2014. General manager Mickey Loomis apparently decided that a major shake-up was needed, and he's orchestrated numerous roster changes since the new league year began on March 10.
As a result, the Saints were the talk of the NFL throughout the first week of free agency.
The most significant move New Orleans made was the blockbuster trade of star tight end Jimmy Graham. The Saints dealt the All-Pro to the Seattle Seahawks on the first day of free agency, along with a fourth-round draft pick, in exchange for center Max Unger and a first-round pick.
New Orleans also addressed its glaring weakness at the cornerback position by inking Brandon Browner to a three-year deal. The team later added explosive running back C.J. Spiller via free agency and traded away starting guard Ben Grubbs to the Kansas City Chiefs for a fifth-round pick.
In yet another big move, the Saints traded starting wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Miami Dolphins for linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick.
Thanks to all their wheeling and dealing, the Saints have trimmed down their 2015 salary-cap number while stockpiling draft picks, and they now have an opportunity to bring in a sizable crop of young talent in the upcoming draft. At present, New Orleans has three of the top 44 picks and nine total selections. That number could rise to 10 if the Saints receive a compensatory pick.
Free agency is still in progress, but it isn’t too early to begin speculating on the Saints’ starting lineup for 2015.
The following is a prediction of what that lineup would look like if the season began today. Keep in mind, the draft will likely have a major impact on the roster, but here’s how things presently stand for the Saints.
Quarterback
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This slot in the lineup is a no-brainer. Come September, Drew Brees will enter his 10th season as the starting quarterback in New Orleans, and he’ll undoubtedly be zoned in on leading the Saints back to the playoffs.
The future Hall of Famer tossed for nearly 5,000 yards in 2014, but he also threw some costly interceptions in crucial moments. A revamped offensive line could do wonders for the 36-year-old gunslinger, but there’s no denying that his window for bringing a second Lombardi Trophy to New Orleans is closing.
Journeyman Luke McCown will back up Brees again next season, but don’t be surprised if the Saints bring in another signal-caller in the late rounds of this year’s draft.
Running Back
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RB: Mark Ingram
FB: Erik Lorig
The Saints inked Mark Ingram to a four-year, $16 million deal just before the start of free agency. Judging by Ingram’s performance in the last two seasons, this was money well-spent.
The former Heisman Trophy winner finished just 36 yards shy of the 1,000-yard mark last year, and he established himself as New Orleans’ primary ball-carrier. This followed up a solid campaign in 2013, when he averaged 4.9 yards per carry.
Ingram should get the starting nod in 2015, but there will be plenty of opportunities for newly acquired free-agent signee C.J. Spiller to showcase his talents. The former Clemson standout is entering his sixth NFL season, and after spending five years with the Buffalo Bills, he’ll now have a chance to endear himself to Saints fans with his electrifying skill set.
If Ingram is to be the hammer for the New Orleans offense, Spiller will play the role of big-play threat out of the backfield. He’s capable of taking it to the house on any given play, and his breakaway speed and nifty open-field moves could prove to be quite dangerous on the artificial turf of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
At fullback, look for 2014 free-agent signee Erik Lorig to eventually earn the starting nod, but not without some healthy preseason competition from Austin Johnson.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
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WR1: Marques Colston
WR2: Brandin Cooks
WR3: Nick Toon
TE: Josh Hill
The wide receiver position has now turned into one of the more intriguing spots on the team for 2015.
Marques Colston, entering his 10th season, will lock up one starting spot, while fleet-footed 2014 first-round pick Brandin Cooks will occupy the other.
Due to the Kenny Stills trade, the No. 3 spot is now up for grabs. Fourth-year returning wideout Nick Toon will get the first look, but after the trades of Stills and Jimmy Graham, New Orleans will almost certainly be looking to add another receiver via the draft.
There’s a good chance the Saints will take a wideout in one of the first two rounds, and Toon should then have some legitimate competition.
At tight end, veteran Benjamin Watson will return for his third season in New Orleans, but his biggest contribution will likely come as a blocker and locker-room leader.
Third-year tight end Josh Hill is now the leading candidate to man the primary receiving tight end spot, and there’s no reason to think the former undrafted free-agent signee can’t hold onto the starting job.
Standing 6’5” and possessing impressive athleticism, Hill provides Brees with a sizable target in the short passing game. Even if New Orleans drafts another tight end in the mid-to-late rounds, it won’t be easy for a rookie to unseat the Idaho State product.
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Offensive Line
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LT: Terron Armstead
LG: Tim Lelito
C: Max Unger
RG: Jahri Evans
RT: Zach Strief
Left tackle Terron Armstead and right tackle Zach Strief will both return as starters on the outside of the New Orleans offensive line, but the interior should look quite different next season.
Gone is former starting left guard Ben Grubbs. If the season began today, his replacement would be former backup Tim Lelito, who saw action at both guard and center last season. He could prove to be a capable replacement for Grubbs, but there’s a realistic possibility that the Saints will bring in another guard via the draft.
At center, newly acquired two-time Pro Bowler Max Unger is now the pivot man. The former Seattle Seahawk will forever be associated with the Jimmy Graham trade, and he’ll now anchor the New Orleans offensive line.
Unger is a definite upgrade over 36-year-old former starter Jonathan Goodwin. He should provide improved interior pass protection for Brees, who faced more than a small amount of pressure last season from up the middle. He’s also an accomplished run-blocker, which comes in handy now that the Saints appear committed to more of a ground-and-pound offense next season.
The right guard spot is still somewhat in question, but the starter, for the moment, is still Jahri Evans. Despite being named to the Pro Bowl, the 10-year veteran had a bit of a down season in 2014. Due to his whopping $11 million salary-cap hit, there’s a chance he won’t be wearing the black and gold in 2015, unless he agrees to a contract restructure.
Defensive Line
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DE: Cam Jordan
DT/DE: Akiem Hicks
NG: Brodrick Bunkley
DE/OLB: Junior Galette
The New Orleans defensive line was a huge disappointment last season, and the talented unit will look to bounce back in 2015.
On the interior, Akiem Hicks and Brodrick Bunkley will return, and they’ll be counted on once again to set the tone in coordinator Rob Ryan’s hybrid scheme.
At the defensive end spot, Cam Jordan will again get the nod. The former first-round pick enjoyed a stellar campaign in 2013 with 12.5 sacks, but he regressed in a big way last season, finishing with just 7.5.
Defensive end/outside linebacker Junior Galette also returns. Despite leading the Saints with 10 sacks last season, he still underperformed, as he often disappeared for long stretches of games. After restructuring his contract, Galette will once again start on the edge for New Orleans in 2015.
Linebacker
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ILB: David Hawthorne
OLB: Parys Haralson
LB: Dannell Ellerbe
New Orleans re-signed outside linebacker Parys Haralson to another one-year deal, and the ninth-year veteran is currently penciled in as the starter. This could change by September, however, since there’s a good chance the Saints will bring in another pass-rusher in the draft, possibly as early as Round 1. Haralson is a solid run defender, though, and he’ll receive significant playing time in 2015 regardless of what New Orleans does in the draft.
As for the inside, the Saints will certainly have a different look now that Curtis Lofton is no longer with the team. He racked up nearly 400 tackles in his three years as the signal-caller of the New Orleans defense, but his deficiencies in pass coverage often proved problematic for Rob Ryan’s defense, particularly last season.
David Hawthorne could slide over into Lofton's spot and play the role of primary run defender. He isn’t quite the thumper Lofton is, but he’s a bit more fluid and is also a capable blitzer.
As for the other starting linebacker, the spot now appears to belong to Dannell Ellerbe, who was acquired in the Kenny Stills trade. The former Baltimore Raven standout is a hybrid inside-outside ‘backer, and he was a highly sought-after free agent when he signed with the Dolphins in 2013. He had a disappointing two-year stint in Miami, but he looks to be a nice fit for Ryan's aggressive scheme.
The athletic Ellerbe can play the pass as well as the run, and Ryan will look to take full advantage of his versatility in 2015.
Secondary
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CB: Keenan Lewis
CB: Brandon Browner
FS: Jairus Byrd
SS: Kenny Vaccaro
NB: Rafael Bush
With the signing of free-agent Brandon Browner, the Saints addressed a major weak spot from last season, and they acquired a true No. 2 cornerback to team with Keenan Lewis.
The 6’4” Browner is a physical cover man, and with his ultra-aggressive style of play, he’s well-equipped to lock up in single coverage with some of the larger wideouts in the NFC South.
If Lewis and Browner can both stay healthy, the Saints should have one of the league’s better cornerback tandems.
At the nickel position, there will likely be some heated competition in fall camp, but at the moment, safety Rafael Bush gets the early nod. He manned the nickel position to start the season in 2014, but an injury to Jairus Byrd forced Bush to move into the starting free safety role.
Young corners Terrence Frederick, Brian Dixon and Delvin Breaux could challenge Bush, though. The Saints will look to work 2014 second-round draft pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste into the mix as well.
As for free safety, there shouldn’t be any doubt that Byrd will man the spot. The ball-hawking, three-time Pro Bowler suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 last year, and he’ll attempt to rebound with a solid season in 2015.
2013 first-round pick Kenny Vaccaro will once again start at strong safety. After a strong rookie season, his play dipped last year, and he’ll be looking to bounce back this coming season.
Special Teams
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K: Shayne Graham
P: Thomas Morstead
KR/PR: Jalen Saunders
Shayne Graham will be back in fall camp as place-kicker, but he isn't necessarily guaranteed the final roster spot. Graham had to beat out Derek Dimke in the preseason a year ago, and he may have to compete with another newcomer this fall.
Thomas Morstead is a mainstay at punter, and after another solid season in 2014, there's no reason to think he won't handle punting and kickoff duties again in 2015.
In the return game, the Saints struggled to get anything going with Brandin Cooks fielding punts last season. Travaris Cadet fared a little better in the kickoff return department, but he's now a member of the New England Patriots.
When Jalen Saunders joined the team last November after Cooks went down with an injury, New Orleans' return game was significantly improved on both fronts. Saunders averaged 46.3 yards per kickoff return and 11 yards per punt return, and he returned a kickoff 99 yards in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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