The number-one priority for the New Orleans Saints in the 2020 offseason has to be finding a wide receiver to run opposite Michael Thomas (after their quarterbacks riddle is answered, of course). Thomas put the team on his back for much of the 2019 season, breaking and resetting the NFL record for receptions in a single season, but he can’t be expected to do that every year.
Ted Ginn Jr. was the next-best wide receiver in catches, and he only had 30. After him, no other wideouts had more than 18. The Saints were able to win a lot of games and get into the playoffs by asking Thomas to make magic despite the extra coverage going his way, but their first-round exit spelled out how serious a problem this could be. Drew Brees needs more weapons at wide receiver, and Sean Payton has to recognize that.
While this is a draft class loaded with talent at that position, we shouldn’t expect the Saints to sit on their hands and wait for a rookie hopeful to drop to them in April. Their strategy for nearly two decades has consisted of filling roster holes through free agency so that they can go into the draft targeting the best players available. To that end, we’ve ranked a dozen possible free agents who fit the Saints’ needs, though maybe not their budget. Each tier is broken down by expected contract values.
Bank-Breakers ($10 million-plus per year)
- Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys
- Robby Anderson, New York Jets
- A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
- Emmanuel Sanders, San Francisco 49ers
Each of these players should command double-digit salaries. They’ve proven themselves to be number-one receiving threats who can make plays in the NFL, even though they each bring their own challenges. Sanders and Cooper have to be seen as favorites to re-sign with their current squads, given how integral they’ve been to their recent success; it would take a serious recruiting effort by the Saints to land Cooper on even a one-year contract beneath his market value. And the 49ers didn’t trade multiple draft picks to acquire Sanders just to let him walk away uncontested in free agency.
As for Green: he missed the entire 2019 season with injuries and it’s possible the Bengals want to retain him as their go-to target for Joe Burrow, the rookie quarterback they’re inevitably set to draft first-overall. Conversely, Anderson played more snaps than any other free agent wide receiver (944) and curiously isn’t part of the Jets’ long-term plans, despite his quick chemistry with young passer Sam Darnold. There could be some off-field shenanigans at play here, which the Saints should be wary of.
Ballers for a Budget ($4 to $9 million per year)
- Randall Cobb, Dallas Cowboys
- Danny Amendola, Detroit Lions
- Breshad Perriman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs
Cobb looks like a perfect fit for the Saints, as an experienced slot specialist who can quickly diagnose and adjust to what the coverage is showing him, making for an easy target Brees can connect with on short, efficient passes. The trouble is that the Cowboys just hired the coach who put Cobb on the map, Mike McCarthy, when they were both part of the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy might make a big push to keep Cobb in town after seeing how well he worked with Dak Prescott, his new franchise quarterback.
Amendola is a similar player to Cobb as long as we’re considering what happens before the catch. They’re of similar sizes and specialties as slot receivers, but Amendola is several years older and can’t touch Cobb as a threat after the catch (Amendola averaged 3.3 yards gained after the catch per reception last year; Cobb boasted 6.0). Maybe he’s a better fallback option.
As for Perriman and Robinson: they each showed a knack for stretching the field in 2019, doing their best work as third-wheel options behind their more-accomplished teammates. It would be fascinating to see how they react to getting an opportunity to do more, especially in New Orleans in Payton’s offense, but that might not be the kind of bet the Saints want to invest a ton of resources into.
Bargain Bin Finds (veteran’s minimum to $2 million per year)
- Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles
- Geronimo Allison, Green Bay Packers
- Seth Roberts, Baltimore Ravens
- Phillip Dorsett, New England Patriots
The players available in this tier are those who flamed out with their first stops in the NFL. Agholor’s too-low yards per reception rate (9.3) combines with a poor catch rate (56.5%) to paint an ugly picture. Some of that is due to inaccurate quarterback, but much of the blame has to fall on his shoulders for not catching the ball when it’s thrown to him. Geronimo Allison’s catch rate is slightly better (61.8%), but his yards per catch (8.4) is somehow worse. Dorsett rounds out the trio by having caught as many touchdown passes as both combined (5), and having made up for his low catch rate (53.7%) with a respectable 13.7 yards gained per reception. The Saints signing any of these three would be essentially giving Brees the scraps that quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady couldn’t win with.
We’d be wrong to overlook Roberts, though. He only caught 21 passes last season, picking up 12.9 yards at a time, but he did convert on a first down on 18 of these receptions (85.7%). There’s something to be said for signing someone with that kind of stellar situational awareness, even if he was an afterthought in a razor-thin receiving corps. But hopefully the Saints can pick up a player with more big-play capability.
