Last Year
Disaster struck the city of New Orleans hard last season and the displaced Saints were not left untouched. Not that their aspirations were high to begin with, but the burden of 16 straight road games and the long-term loss of home-field advantage and star running back Deuce McAllister crippled the team. Sean Payton inherits a team who is in shambles and will have to work with a three-year plan.
What We Learned From Last Year
The Saints offense had been constructed out of many inconsistent parts.
Quarterback Aaron Brooks was hot and cold, wide receiver Donte Stallworth was in and out, while the offensive line was shaky.
That's why losing Deuce McAllister, who has been the model of consistency by averaging 4.3 yards per carry over his career, was additionally agonizing.
The Saints had won two of their first four games with him, but they lost 11 of their remaining 12 without him.
The Saints were still somewhat effective on the ground with Aaron Stecker and Antowain Smith, but Brooks' play at quarterback never really gave them a chance to win.
He posted his worst season in his seven-year NFL career, setting a new personal low for quarterback rating (70.0).
Brooks started 13 games last season and only had two interception-free outings in comparison to five touchdown-free contests.
Some people and/or pundits looked at the final Saints statistics, noticed that Joe Horn only tallied 49 receptions and one touchdown and made the conjecture that his skills were deteriorating.
That may be true, but only partially. Horn was hampered a hamstring injury throughout the whole season.
Stallworth took over the reigns as the top target, raking in 70 receptions and 945 yards. It was his best season as a pro, but he doesn't look to have the consistency of a top-flight wideout.
The front five was solid across the board, starting with LeCharles Bentley, who was the best center in the league. Rookie right tackle Jamaal Brown started from the get-go and had an excellent season, while veteran Wayne Gandy was steady on the left side. The guard play left much more to be desired, though.
The Saints had a very unique defense last season. Their roster entailed very skilled players at the extremities, such as defensive end, cornerback, and safety, but had very little talent in the guts, such as the tackles and linebackers.
Although Charles Grant had a rough year, the rotation at defensive end with Darren Howard and Will Smith was one of the best in the league. For a third consecutive season, though, Howard was not healthy enough to participate in the full 16 games.
In the middle of the line, the Saints really had no penetration and no space-eaters. The defense accumulated a measly 25 sacks, good for second-lowest in the NFL, and zero came from defensive tackles. Former first-rounder Jonathan Sullivan continued to be a major bust, while the only serviceable tackle on the roster was Brian Young, who is better suited as the third man in the rotation.
As porous as the tackles were, the linebackers were much worse. Colby Bockwoldt and veteran Ronald McKinnon were steady tacklers, but have very limited speed and range. The duo of Sedrick Hodge and Courtney Watson only contributed 88 tackles.
Even with the lost of stalwart safety Jay Bellamy, the secondary was decent. They weren't as good as their third-overall ranking in pass defense might indicate, but the trio of Fakhir Brown, Mike McKenzie, and Fred Thomas were solid corners. Rookie safety Josh Bullocks looks like a stud, while cornerback turned safety Dwight Smith was the team's most valuable player among defensive backs.
New coach Sean Payton inherits an offensive with some tantalizing constituents, but a defense that is now bereft of talent at every level.
This Year
Watching the Saints in the offseason, it is pretty clear their front office is lost.
They love to get their hands on outstanding running backs, but they continually fail to address areas of need.
First they pawned a draft to get Ricky Williams, only to draft Deuce McAllister two years later. Now that they've invested $49 million into him, (and then signed Michael Bennett to a two-year contract, although that is now irrelevant), and now they draft Reggie Bush.
Bush is a special player, and it is pretty easy to give them a mulligan for snapping him up, but they could have given some consideration to trading down for a hefty ransom.
The signing of Drew Brees was the main shrewd decision by the Saints this offseason and he will be the polar opposite of everything that Aaron Brooks was.
But the astute decisions were few and far between.
Allowing Darren Howard, LeCharles Bentley, and Fakhir Brown to walk in free agency was not wise. Howard can be replaced by Charles Grant, but if he plays unreliably like he did last year, Howard will be missed. Bentley is the best center in football and although the Saints picked up Jeff Faine, he is unquestionably a downgrade.
The Saints also traded away their starting left tackle, Wayne Gandy, to Atlanta for safety Bryan Scott. While Scott might be a decent player, the Falcons were down on him last season and it was conceivable that he would be a cut.
But the Saints' infatuation with the safety position didn't end there. Already equipped with possible starters Jay Bellamy, Josh Bullocks, Dwight Smith, and now Bryan Scott, the Saints burned a second-round pick on another safety, Roman Harper, and also signed Omar Stoutmire in free agency.
Considering they are so thin at linebacker, passing up on D'Qwell Jackson, Rocky McIntosh, and Thomas Howard while drafting no linebackers whatsoever is simply unacceptable.
Instead, the Saints decided to scrape the bottom of the free agent garbage can to find linebackers. Anthony Simmons, who was a marginal talent to begin with, was handed a starting gig after missing sitting out the 2005 season. He decided to retire instead. That leaves Tommy Polley, Scott Fujita, Jay Foreman, Alfred Fincher, and Colby Bockwoldt, easily the worst starting trio in the league.
They won't get much support from the tackles, as the Saints overlooked that area in the offseason, as well. Hollis Thomas was picked up from the Eagles, but I would be very weary of defensive players they are willing to give up. See: Bobby Taylor or Corey Simon. Josh Williams and Rodney Leisle are in the mix, but this is an atrocious rotation of tackles.
Will Smith and Charles Grant are two very solid young defensive ends and they both have the potential to be top-five in the league. Smith is more polished at this point.
In the secondary, for years Fred Thomas was trying to prove that he was good enough to be a starter, but the 33-year-old is now in the twilight of his career, and is better suited as a nickelback. Mike McKenzie is overrated as a top-notch cornerback and aside from him and Thomas, there is not much depth.
The main concern defensively is that they gave up 134.1 rushing yards per game last season and led the league in runs allowed of 20 yards or longer, but they have not improved their run protection in any way, shape, or form.
On offense, the Saints have a couple of new explosive weapons to play with, but their success will be contingent on the offensive line.
Faine is a good center, who will play better in the NFC South since he doesn't have to face as many 3-4 defenses. The Saints are moving Jamaal Brown to left tackle and as good as he played last year, it is a risky move. Jermane Mayberry will start at right guard, even though he disappointed last season and Montrae Holland will start at left guard. The right tackle position is up for grabs between fourth-round pick Jamar Nesbit and Jon Stinchcomb.
This front five needs a lot of repetitions together to develop some chemistry, but they have not had that in training camp so far because of injuries. Stinchcomb, Mayberry, and Holland have all endured bumps and bruises that have limited their time together.
This is not a good sign for Brees, who is recovering from a torn rotator cuff. He will need time to throw, especially facing three solid pass rushing defensive lines in the NFC South.
Expect Joe Horn to bounce back from a down year, but the Saints still don't have a proven number-two wideout. Stallworth keeps teasing with his potential, but he disappears far too often. (Note: Stallworth was traded to the Eagles earlier this week, after this writing. — Ed) Devery Henderson also has a lot of speed, and has been running with the first team, but he drops pass frequently. 2005 Biletnikoff Award winner Mike Hass figures to be a reliable pair of hands, and eventually, a steal from this draft.
McAllister plans to return from his season-ending injury soon, but let's face it: Reggie Bush will eventually replace him as the starting running back. Two-back sets have not had a lot of success in the NFL recently and the way egos work in this league, it is only a matter of time before friction mounts.
The Saints' defense figures to be atrocious this year and even with some dazzling offensive weapons, a weak offensive line will limit their immediate value. Since the Saints only won three games last season, they will take a step forward almost by default, but all signs point to this being a very difficult year otherwise.
Over/Under: 7
With both the offensive line and defensive line figuring to be an Achilles heel, expect the Saints to struggle this season. Eight wins is going to an arduous, but once Reggie Bush usurps the starting role from McAllister, expect the Saints to play with a little more energy. Even so, all signs point to a rebuilding season in New Orleans. They play: @CLE, @GB, ATL, @CAR, TB, PHI, BAL, @TB, @PIT, CIN, @ATL, SF, @DAL, WAS, @NYG, and CAR.
Fantasy Sleeper
With a healthy hamstring, Joe Horn should be return himself among the ranks of the better wideouts in the NFL. He is typically good for about 1,000 yards and at least 7 touchdowns, but he is ranked fairly low among top wide receivers because of his off-year last season. Although Devery Henderson and Donte Stallworth are inconsistent, between the two of them, they won't allow teams to solely focus their coverage on Horn. Also, a more accurate quarterback should help.
This is the fourth consecutive season of comprehensive NFL previews by Dave Golokhov. Stay tuned as he brings you previews for all 32 NFL teams! He can be reached at [email protected].
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