The New Orleans Saints are going to be interesting to follow as we approach the National Football League Draft in April and beyond.
Clearly, the Saints are confident that the reason why they finished in last place last year with a 5-12 record was due to things like bad health or coaching. The Saints brought in Kellen Moore to lead the team and haven't had a roster overhaul by any means. New Orleans actually has kept most of its high-end free agents.
This is pretty fair. The Saints looked great out of the gate last year but then injuries derailed the season. New Orleans finished with just five wins, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had just 10 and they won the division. Tampa Bay was the only team in the division to finish above .500 so there's merit to the idea that the Saints could finish much higher in the standings next year if they are just healthier and Moore helps improve the offense.
While this is the case, the Saints should be all over a new receiver. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are great but the team lost Marquez Valdes-Scantling and could use another pass-catcher whether it's through the NFL Draft or free agency. The Saints made a move on Friday by reuniting with Brandin Cooks, but could more be done?
One guy who should be on New Orleans' radar is six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen. He had 744 yards, seven touchdowns, and 70 catches in 2024 in 15 games for the Chicago Bears. Chicago had a shaky offense at times so it's not shocking Allen's numbers took a hit from 2023 when he had 1,243 yards in 13 games as Justin Herbert's top option with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Allen clearly can still play. His market value is projected to be over $22 million across two years by Spotrac. New Orleans is projected to have over $33 million in cap space by Over The Cap. Allen's projected market value would fit into New Orleans' budget while still allowing the team to have plenty of space for the NFL Draft as well a other guys in free agency.
A deal with someone like Allen could be just what the Saints' offense needs.
