It may not be the most significant need, but Noah Fant could open up the offense.
New Orleans Saints training camp has arrived, and improvements can still be made throughout this roster. When examining the roster on paper, it is clear which positions need improvement. At first glance, tight end may not jump out as a massive issue, but it can become one quickly.
Without a real contested catch threat in the receiver room, Juwan Johnson may need to fit that role in the offense. This may take him away from the stereotypical TE tasks that need to happen. New offseason addition Jack Stoll was one of the surprises of minicamp, and there is a good chance he can be the second-string TE with Foster Moreau and/or Taysom Hill dealing with injuries. This, in combination with Kellen Moore’s heavy utilization of TEs, creates an opening for the Saints to make another addition to this position, and that could be Noah Fant.
This past week, the Seattle Seahawks announced the release of TE Noah Fant. This was mainly due to his contract, and the team recently selected a rookie TE in the second round of the draft. Looking at Fant’s career, he was never able to reach that first-round potential that the Broncos wanted when they picked him in 2019. Denver ended up sending the young TE to the Seahawks in the Russel Wilson trade. The Seahawks viewed Fant as a high-potential player who could be a nice piece for the future, and this is what he was for this team. The issue was that Fant still never reached his original potential, and by selecting Elijah Arroyo in the second round, Seattle is making that potential bet once again, resulting in Fant being replaced. Now, Fant is on the open market, and the Saints should look his way.
When comparing Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant, the former Seahawks TE has been more consistent, healthy, and productive in his career. In addition, Fant is actually one year younger than Johnson and has been in the league for one more season. The area that Johnson wins is blocking, which has been pretty bad for all of Fant’s career. Even with that issue in mind, adding Fant could actually be an upgrade at TE for the Saints, but New Orleans will not have to rely on Fant to be that #1 TE option. This could take some pressure off of Fant, while also allowing other TEs on the roster, such as Johnson and Stoll, to play more freely.
If the potential contract is decent value and head coach Kellen Moore can see a role for Fant in the New Orleans Saints offense, signing the former first-round pick should be a high priority.