Restudying the Saints needs

If you’ve listened to Mickey Loomis and Sean Payton‘s interviews this past week, you’ve gotten brand new insight into where the roster goes from here. I have to say, that’s more candid and useful sound bites than usual from those two.

I think Sean Payton is genuine when he says he’s excited about Josh Hill, Seantavius Jones and Brandon Coleman. I think he hopes at least one or two of those guys will step up, take advantage of a great opportunity and make the most of it. To assume the Saints put all their playmaking eggs in those baskets, though? Can we really count on guys like that to produce at the level of Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills? Excuse my French, but:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRISmm3dpVw]

Let’s re-take stock of where the roster currently stands. Picture how disappointing the team was last year. Now we’re dealing with this below.

Notable new additions: CB Delvin Breaux, RB Tim Hightower, RB C. J. Spiller, CB Brandon Brown, C Max Unger, LB Dannell Ellerbe

Notable subtractions: C Jonathan Goodwin (so far), WR Robert Meachem (so far), CB Patrick Robinson, CB Corey White, DT Tyrunn Walker, RB Travaris Cadet, RB Pierre Thomas, LB Curtis Lofton, WR Kenny Stills, TE Jimmy Graham, G Ben Grubbs

You could argue about 5 of those guys are not notable. You could also argue that only 3 of the additions are worth getting moderately excited over. When you look at those two things side by side, how can you make the argument this roster is better than it was entering free agency? It’s not. You’re counting on Lelito, Ellerbe, Hill, Unger and Nick freaking Toon to outperform Grubbs, Lofton, Graham, Goodwin and Stills.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDvh4E93mEU]

Yes, Unger, Spiller and Browner are MASSIVE upgrades. Even still, the overall roster as a whole has been depleted. Now before you panic, the Saints do have a lot of picks. But they’re going to have to absolutely nail this draft. Like 2006 style crush it. If they do, the team is back to being playoff relevant overnight. If they don’t, 7-9 here we come… or worse.

So my immediate thought is this: who is the play maker? On either side of the ball? The Saints hoped Junior Galette and/or Jairus Byrd would be that based on the financial investment they made a year ago. Didn’t really pan out. Sure, they could return to glory this season, but I wouldn’t bank on it. You added C. J. Spiller, and there’s no question he’s a home run threat. But the Saints need to walk away with a playmaker on both sides of the ball from this draft. Guys like Brandon Scherff, La’El Collins, Danny Shelton, the inside linebackers many mocks have the Saints taking at 31 or in round 2: the type of guys you need on your roster. But not play makers.

For this reason, I think the Saints will take Amari Cooper at 13 if he’s available. Quite simply, the team can’t pass on that kind of talent. We saw what Odell Beckham, Jr. did the moment he hit the scene last year. Receiver isn’t the biggest need, but it is a need, and I’d prefer Beckham as the 3rd receiver over Dion Jordan (for example) as a starter with no depth behind him. I also think that’s why Trae Waynes is in the mix even with the Browner addition. Most of all, I think Vic Beasley is the holy grail. If he fails to 13 and Cooper is gone, that has to be the pick.

The Saints need a pass rushing difference maker, they need a starting guard – or at least one that can compete with Lelito and Kelemete, they need a backup tackle, they might even need another linebacker/end, and they need a playmaker on offense to help cushion the blow of losing Graham, Stills and PT. Spiller alone with the assumed emergence of a bunch of previously undrafted rookies isn’t going to cut it. The order doesn’t really matter, but those are the biggest needs. And when you spell it out, it seems feasible to address everything later in the draft… everything except impact playmaking pass catcher and impact playmaking pass rusher. That’s why I expect 13 and 31 to go that route if at all possible.

But again, most importantly, the Saints need two impact players from this draft. Preferably one on each side of the ball. It may be hard to do that with 13 and 31, but that’s the goal.

So who you got?