The New Orleans Saints have had an active offseason, retaining many of their own free agents while making a few big additions and maneuvering the 2019 NFL Draft to add impactful rookies. Those efforts earned a favorable review from ESPN’s panel of 32 NFL Nation reporters.
One area of potential concern was sighted by Mike Triplett, ESPN’s Saints reporter. Triplett identified the pass rush as an area still in need of improvement, having lost starting defensive end Alex Okafor to the Kansas City Chiefs in a big-money contract. One of the team’s other key pass rushers, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, will be out until midseason while rehabbing a torn Achilles.
Still, the consistent production of defensive end Cameron Jordan should be enough to tide them over until second-year pro Marcus Davenport is up to speed. Davenport worked his way back slowly after undergoing separative toe surgery in February, but now he’s ready to win the starting job opposite Jordan and become a force off the edge in his own right.
But for the most part, ESPN’s writers were impressed with what the Saints brought in with veteran tight end Jared Cook. He figures to make an immediate impact at a position that has been all-too-quiet in recent years, and Triplett noted his immediate connection with quarterback Drew Brees as a big, athletic target in the middle of the field. Cook’s knack for making the first man miss and carving up defenses should only help the Saints passing game remain competitive as Brees ages.
The Saints have their goals set on winning the Super Bowl in 2019. That’s no secret. The high regard their offseason additions have earned from the writers at ESPN is just proof that everyone is on notice about what they hope to accomplish.
