The New Orleans Saints have had a bumpy offseason to say the least. They lost the man who had guided them since 2006 in Sean Payton on one hand, but on the other, they don’t seem very far off a playoff spot with their current roster. If they can fill their remaining gaps, they should be able to contend for a very weak NFC South. But before we get into the reason you’re here, let’s look at how the offseason has shaken out in the Big Easy to date.
Notable departures: RT Terron Armstead, FS Marcus Williams, WR/RB Ty Montgomery, SS Malcolm Jenkins, QB Trevor Siemian, LB Kwon Alexander
Notable signings: QB Andy Dalton, FS Tyrann Mathieu, WR Chris Olave (draft), DB Daniel Sorensen
This leaves Dennis Allen and company with needs still at linebacker and on the defensive line, but with all that taken care of, let’s look at two moves the Saints need to make to complete their roster after the 2022 NFL Draft.
*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Saints Moves After 2022 NFL Draft
1. Sign Free Agent DL Akiem Hicks
The Saints added to their defensive line in the sixth round of the draft by taking Air Force DT Jordan Jackson, though it's assumed Jackson will assume a depth role early on in his career. The Saints are lacking a true force on the interior of the line, and Hicks is just that. Not to mention the emotional value of such a homecoming for Hicks, who spent his first three-plus seasons in New Orleans.
There are other options available at this position as well, such as Sheldon Richardson, Linval Joseph, Star Lotuleilei and Larry Ogunjobi, but Hicks makes the most sense to return to New Orleans here.
In the last six seasons in Chicago, Hicks totaled 247 tackles and 31.0 sacks. Injuries may be catching up to Hicks, 32, though, as in the last three seasons he missed 20 games. Nonetheless, given the depth the Saints already have at the position, they should be able to load manage Hicks very well. A rotation of he and Marcus Davenport would be absolutely deadly to opposing lines in the NFC South, with the two having a combined 12.5 sacks last season, and that's with Hicks only playing nine games.
2. Sign Free Agent LB Anthony Barr
There is a wealth of talent still left in free agency at this position, which the Saints need to bolster after the departure of Kwon Alexander. They did add depth to the linebacker room in the fifth round of the draft by taking Appalachian State's D'Marco Jackson, but it's unclear how much of a role he will be given in Dennis Allen's defense. It's fair to assume the Saints would be looking for someone to take a similar role to the potential Hicks signing just discussed, wherein a very capable veteran is brought in and load managed to keep both him and the players behind him at their best at all times.
Outside of Barr, there are also the likes of Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, K.J. Wright, Nick Kwiatkowski and Jaylon Smith if we rule out the re-signing of the aforementioned Alexander. That being said, Barr fits the mold of a Dennis Allen defense better than any of the players just listed.
Not to mention, with Barr you're getting one of the best linebackers in the NFC over the past half-decade when he has been on the field. He did miss 24 games over the last five seasons, but the majority of those came in 2020, when he only played in two. Across those same five seasons, Barr racked up 189 tackles, 8.0 sacks, and picked off four passes as well. Barr would make the ideal replacement for Alexander, as he's the best linebacker left compared to his peers mentioned earlier.
Follow Us
Subscribe