New Orleans Saints Roster 2018 Saints Roster

Saints Looking to Threaten the Eagles

During the past season, there were a few legitimate threats to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC including the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees and company looked capable of making a run towards the Super Bowl, but suffered a devastating loss at the end of their NFC Playoff game against Minnesota. They'll look to bounce back this coming season, and based on the offseason moves they made, they'll once again be amongst top contenders in a stacked NFC.

The Saints finished at 11-5 for the 2017-18 campaign. The team had an eight-game winning streak at one point last season and achieved their first winning season since the 2013 campaign. Thanks to sweeping the Panthers during the regular season, they also captured the NFC South Division for the first time in six years. They ended up losing to the Minnesota Vikings 29-24 in the closing moments as Case Keenum found Taye Diggins for a game-winning touchdown pass. Head coach Sean Payton said in reports he's using that tough loss to motivate his team for this season. Since the end of the season, New Orleans has made improvements on both sides of the ball. On offense, the team added wide receiver Cameron Meredith who is making his return after suffering a knee injury with the Chicago Bears. While he wasn't actively involved in some of the Saints' practices in late July, he met with quarterback Drew Brees to familiarize himself with the team's routes and other game situations.

Brees is now 39-years-old but continues to play at a high level as his retirement looms. Backing him up should be Tayson Hill, although the team also added J.T. Barrett during the offseason. Brees will have a number of other receivers besides Meredith to target including Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn, and Brandon Coleman. Third-year receiver Tommylee Lewis was also extremely active during Saints practices and will be fighting for game time. Tight end Ben Watson could end up as a fantasy sleeper player this season as a late-round pick. He is 37-years-old but still ranked among the top 15 fantasy tight ends last season while a member of the Baltimore Ravens. He'll now benefit from having Drew Brees as his quarterback, again, as the two were teammates in 2015. During that season, Watson caught 74 passes to record 825 yards and six receiving touchdowns.

A spot that already has Saints fans worried is the running back position. New Orleans will be without RB Mark Ingram due to a four-game suspension for a failed drug test. That means Alvin Kamara is likely to get more touches in his early absence with free agent Zach Line also a lock for the roster. The Saints signed Shane Vereen to help with the issue. They'll use the preseason to determine which other backs they may want to keep on the roster. Rookie Boston Scott, Jonathan Williams, Trey Edmunds, and Terrance West are the most likely players to grab the other spots. On the offensive line, the team has one of the best 1-2 tackle combos in the entire league with Ryan Ramczyk and Terron Armstead. Former first-round NFL Draft pick Andrus Peat has seen his play decline over the years. However, the fact he plays in between Armstead and Max Unger has helped quite a bit. Having a solid O-line should continue to allow Drew Brees to find time to make plays as he frequently was last year.

New Orleans' defense ranked middle of the league in most categories last season. They selected defensive end Marcus Davenport in the first round so he'll join the defensive unit. He had an unspecified injury causing him to miss several days of practice. However, Alex Okafor has looked impressive during his sessions, which is good news for the Saints' edge defense. In addition, they signed cornerback Patrick Robinson and middle linebacker Demario Davis this offseason. Davis is likely to be one of the roster's top linebackers behind Alex Anzalone, while Robinson will be slotted behind fellow cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley. The cornerback spot will feature each of the starters from last year as well as upgraded slot coverage. At the linebacker position, Craig Robertson, Hau'oli Kikaha, and Nathan Stupar will probably be battling for one of the final roster spots.

The key offseason acquisitions seem to have bolstered an already-talented Saints roster. Meredith, Watson, Scott, and Vereen provide new help on offense while Davenport, Robinson, and Davis will help the defensive side of things. The team will hope to weather the early four-game suspension of Ingram, but Brees' passing game should help for a bit. The NFC will be loaded with top-quality teams this coming season, though, so time will tell if New Orleans has done enough to put themselves above the likes of Minnesota, Green Bay, and the Los Angeles Rams.