The New Orleans Saints played surprisingly well during Kellen Moore's first season at head coach. New Orleans went 6-11 in 2025 despite having a rebuilding roster and rookie Tyler Shough under center. The new-look Saints showed enough to have fans optimistic about the future for the first time since the Drew Brees era.
Now the next step for New Orleans is upgrading the roster before the 2026 season. But that will be much easier said than done.
The Saints are currently $8.29 million over the 2026 salary cap just a few weeks before NFL free agency. New Orleans is known for playing fast and loose with the salary cap, so fans should not worry about this being a major problem.
That said, the Saints won't be able to add any premium talent this offseason if they do not have the budget.
New Orleans will likely be much more aggressive during the 2027 offseason when their salary cap is finally in a good place. But until then, the Saints need to add at least one playmaker who can help move the needle in 2026.
But can the Saints find that player on such a tight budget? And if so, who should they target?
Below we will explore one free agent who would fix the Saints' biggest flaw during the 2026 offseason.
Romeo Doubs would be a huge upgrade at wide receiver for the Saints
The Saints have very little talent on the offensive side of the ball outside of Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara.
New Orleans does have two young bookend tackles to build around, but other than that they are in a dire state. As a result, it was difficult for me to pick just one free agent who could fix their offense.
Ultimately, I think adding a legit WR2 could provide the best value for the Saints when adding just one player.
Personally, Romeo Doubs is one of the first players I think of who screams “WR2” to me. And I mean that as a compliment.
Doubs is not current regarded as a WR1 or as a dominant alpha wide receiver. But he proved time and time again in Green Bay that if defenses ignore him, he'll make them pay.
Doubs had a breakout season in 2025, hauling in 55 receptions for 724 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
I find that to be especially impressive because of Green Bay's diversified offense. Doubs has always had competition for targets during his time with the Packers. That makes it easy to fantasize about what he could become as a primary weapon in a different scheme.
Ultimately, cost is the question with Doubs. Remember, we're on a tight budget here.
Spotrac gives Doubs a market value of $12 million per season on a new contract. That does not sound like a cheap contract on the face of it. But when considering that elite wide receivers earn $35 million or more per season, $12 million is a good bargain.
If the Saints signed Doubs to a long-term contract, they could spread out the cap hit over multiple seasons.
It might be tight, but I think this could work.
