The New Orleans Saints are in a state of transition this year as they begin a new era. After spending 16 seasons with the Saints in which he brought the team to three NFC Championships and a Super Bowl, Sean Payton elected to step down. Payton is undeniably the most successfull coach in Saints history and leaves massive shoes to fill. The organization trusted Dennis Allen to take over as head coach this season.
The franchise had an eventful offseason outside of the coaching change as well. They added Tyrann Mathieu and Jarvis Landry in free agency and drafted Chris Olave with their first-round pick. Despite doing their due diligence before making the decision, the Saints elected to resign Jameis Winston with the expectations he would be the starting quarterback moving forward. Winston signed a two-year deal worth $28 million after spending the past two seasons with the organization.
The start of the NFL season is rapidly approaching and expectations are beginning to be set. Teams have begun to release their depth charts and give an idea of what to expect heading into the season. The Saints are no different and have started to paint the picture of what the team is expected to look like. However, here are two current first-strigners who could be in danger of losing their starting slot ahead of the 2022 season.
Saints first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs in 2022
QB: Jameis Winston
It has been an interesting NFL career for Jameis Winston so far. The former first-overall pick has had some extremely exciting flashes and some incredibly frustrating moments. The Saints did not seem fully sold on Winston being the quarterback following last season. The hope when he came to the organization was that he would be groomed under Drew Brees and be ready to be the full-time starter when the time came. This transition has not exactly been smooth and it should not be a surprise if the Saints experiment with other directions.
It may not even be a decison that needs to be made as Jameis Winston left practice today with a rolled anke. It is unclear what the extent of the injury is or if he will miss time. There is still a month until the start of the regular season so he has time to heal if it is only minor. However, if the organization is not sold on Winston this could be used as an excuse to go a different direction.
Looking down the depth chart, the Saints also added Andy Dalton this offseason. The franchise has experimented with Taysom Hill at quarterback over the past few years as well. Dennis Allen is sure to have a different opinion of his thoughts on this idea. Regardeless, it appears the Saints are not 100% sold on Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback and it should not be a surprise if they look to go anther direction.
CB: Paulson Adebo
When the Saints traded for Bradley Roby last offseason it was expected he would become the other starting cornerback opposite Marshon Lattimore. Roby was suspended at the start of the season and allowed Paulson Adebo to get a chance at the starting role. The rookie impressed greatly and managed to hold onto the job for the entire season. Adebo had three interceptions, eight passes deflected, and 66 total tackles in his 17 games as a starter.
The second-year corner is sure to put up a fight to keep his job, but the early reports are the Bradley Roby has impressed greatly. Having a normal transition into the season certainly helps Roby's chances and this is a fight that is sure to continue as the season gets closer. Roby was regarded highly when he initally came to the Saints and it is possible he just never found his footing last season. Paulson Adebo remains the starter on the depth chart but if Roby continues to impress this could certainly change.
Regardless, it should be looked at as a great sign how competitive the Saints secondary is. The franchise is set to have a feared defense this year and that will set the tone for the rest of the team. This type of competition can only improve the team this season. It will be interesting to see if Roby is able to beat out the 23-year-old and earn his spot in the secondary.
The Saints are well on their way to being ready for the 2022 season. However, you cannot set their lineups in stone yet. Expect the next few weeks to call for some major changes as the organization perpares for the first season under Dennis Allen.