Offense continues to not be a problem for the New Orleans Saints. In 2015 the Saints were second in yards, eighth in points, and tops in first downs. The offense is playoff caliber, but as usual, the defense is far from it. Second to last in yards and the most points allowed. Drew Brees can only do so much.
What was done to fix it? Salary cap constraints kept the Saints from doing much at all. Drew Brees carries a $30 million cap hit. So the Saints had to shop at the bargain bin. The defensive reinforcements signed were Nick Fairley (1 year, $3 million), and James Laurinatis (3 years, $8.25 million). That’s it. Sheldon Rankins out of Louisville was chosen in the first round, but the Saints only had five picks in the draft in total. The defense looks a lot like last years, so the Saints are going to have to outscore opponents yet again.
Is the offense up to the task? Drew Brees is. Brees put together another fine season at age 36, throwing for 4,870 yards and 32 touchdowns. He continues to be the main cog in what is still an excellent offense. The running game was lacking in 2015, as Mark Ingram struggled before his injury, and CJ Spiller did not provide the big numbers expected. Brandin Cooks took over as the primary receiving threat, and Willie Snead was a solid #2. This year, Ingram is back as the anchor of the backfield. Cooks, Snead, and Brandon Coleman make up the receiving core.
You didn’t mention the Tight End For good reason. The Saints had no money, and tons of holes on defense. They had enough cap space for one large signing. Who did they sign? Coby Fleener. Fleener has 183 catches over a four year career, and caught 54 balls in 2015. He ended up being the second Tight End in Indianapolis behind Dwayne Allen. Despite that, the Saints signed him to a 5 years, $36 million contract with $18 million guaranteed. I’m sure Fleener couldn’t sign the deal fast enough. The deal is also back loaded because of the Saints cap situation, so at least they destroyed their cap more down the road for a marginal player.
Fantasy Focus The pundits love Mark Ingram so he will cost you a second round pick at the latest. I think we know what we get with mark Ingram at this point. He’s never had a 1,000 yard season. He’s never had double digit touchdowns. Yes, he saw 60 targets last year, but that doesn’t mean he’ll see them again. Tim Hightower is there to vulture touches. CJ Spiller is there to vulture catches. He’s fine as your # 2 RB, but if he’s your choice for # 1, I’d go elsewhere. Cooks is the receiver you want, and Brees is as solid as they come. You’re a fool if you pay the draft price for Coby Fleener. I can name 10 better tight ends than him and he’s currently ranked #6.
Prediction The Saints have plenty of winnable shootout games, but they can’t win them all. For every win over Oakland, they will lose at New York. The defense will then cost them any time they play a halfway decent team they cannot keep up with. 6-10