The New Orleans Saints have taken a patient approach in free agency, mainly working to retain their own players while being very selective in how they invest their dollars on the open market. That changed suddenly late Friday night when the club agreed to terms on a two-year contract with Pro Bowl wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, adding the complimentary receiving threat to Michael Thomas that they haven’t had in years.
So what are some other ways the Saints could aggressively upgrade their roster? With Drew Brees in the twilight of his career, there’s little time to waste in settling for less before his Super Bowl window closes. Here are some suggestions.
1. Sign cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman
Bringing in the player at fault in the 2018 NFC Championship Game (you know which play) may not sit well with Saints fans, but don’t blame him for inept officiating. Robey-Coleman expected to get fouled and was as shocked as anyone when he wasn’t. But let’s focus on the present.
Robey-Coleman is one of the best slot cornerbacks in the NFL, having broken up 20 passes in the last three years, and he’s only available because the Rams mismanaged their salary cap situation and couldn’t afford his $4.5 million contract option for 2020. If the Saints can make room for him, Robey-Coleman would be a rock-solid addition to the depth chart.
Having legitimate options at both safety (Malcolm Jenkins) and in the slot (Nickell Robey-Coleman) would allow Gardner-Johnson to play whichever position the coaching staff thinks best suits him. He’s handled a variety of duties before, and continuing to play him as a position-less “rover” might be the best path forward.
2. Sign quarterback Jameis Winston
Winston is the rare starting-quality quarterback who doesn’t have many options. While he did throw for 5,109 yards and fling 33 touchdown passes last year, Winston also turned the ball over 42 times (including 30 interceptions), by far his worst mark in the NFL. A lot of that is on him for poor decision-making ability, but turnover-worthy plays have always plagued him, and might partially be due to vision problems that he finally addressed with eye surgery.
With Tom Brady signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston’s time with the team that drafted him first-overall is over. Besides the low moments on the field, off-field immaturity has also been a frustration with him. Whether it’s bizarre stunts or ugly behavior around women, Winston’s issues are just as frustrating five years into his NFL career as they were at Florida State. The mistake-prone knucklehead hasn’t grown up.
But there’s reasons to think he can turn it around. Winston is still just 26, and deserves the same opportunities to learn from his mistakes and back up a more-accomplished starter that quarterbacks like Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill have gotten. Tannehill’s case is a prime example of how a change in scenery could benefit a young passer. Winston could learn a lot after working with Drew Brees for a year or two.
3. Sign defensive end Everson Griffen
The vaunted Saints defensive line fell apart late in the 2019 season as injuries slowly picked off the unit’s biggest contributors. Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport both went down with year-ending injuries, forcing backups like Trey Hendrickson, Mario Edwards, and Taylor Stallworth to play far more often than anyone anticipated. Even Cameron Jordan was banged up by the end of the year, having lost a lot of his lower-body explosion to an injury that required post-season surgery.
Adding Griffen would do a lot to plan against the inevitable wear-and-tear that teams face. He’d be an instant starter across from Jordan, allowing Davenport to rotate into the lineup rather than remain on the field for long stretches, putting him and Hendrickson in the game at moments when they can make the best impact. While Griffen’s services will not be cheap (the Vikings were unable to pay out the $13 million he was due for 2020), adding him would build strength on top of strength for the Saints defense.
