Saints' offensive weapons ranked within bottom third of the NFL

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Have the New Orleans Saints built a strong enough supporting cast for their next quarterback? Whether it’s Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill (or Ian Book or Trevor Siemian) starting under center, it’s fair to wonder if the Saints have assembled enough weapons to compete without Drew Brees.

Sure, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara are among the NFL’s best playmakers. While Thomas is an injury-plagued year away from winning Offensive Player of the Year, that same ankle issue could sideline him until after New Orleans’ bye week. Kamara made a strong case for the award himself last season and will shoulder a heavy load during Thomas’ absence. After them, though, things get a bit suspect.

Their next-best pass catchers are wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith and tight end Adam Trautman, two former third-round picks who combined for 49 catches and 619 yards last season. The hope is that both players take a big leap following this offseason’s changes. How much are you willing to invest in hope?

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell isn’t eager to make that bet. He’s dropped the Saints’ skills positions group down to No. 19 after ranking them at Nos. 6 and 7 in 2020 and 2019. Much of his evaluation of the Saints hinges on Thomas recovering from his ankle injury, but Barnwell remains critical of the process that landed New Orleans where it is now:

“The Saints’ situation at the skill-position spots is a microcosm for the moves they had to make to clear out nearly $100 million in cap space this offseason. Are their stars still here? Yes. Sean Payton’s two best weapons are Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, and they’re back for another go-round. Are the pieces around them as good as they were over the past couple of years? Absolutely not. Emmanuel Sanders and Jared Cook were both released without veteran replacements, leaving New Orleans to be dependent on Adam Trautman, Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway to step in and play more meaningful roles.”

It’s tough to feel optimistic about that group when it’s compared to their rivals around the NFC South. The Julio Jones-less Atlanta Falcons aren’t too far behind New Orleans at No. 23, while both the Carolina Panthers (No. 7) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 1) are within the league’s top tier of supporting casts.

Maybe the young backup receivers like Callaway and Deonte Harris surprise us while Trautman sees exponential growth at tight end. Finding more ways to get Ty Montgomery involved could help, too. But at the end of the day it’s going to come down to how well Winston, Hill, or whoever else starts at quarterback can elevate the group.

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