Free Agency Priorities: The Case for DE and OG
By Ty Anania
The New Orleans Saints have upgrades to make all across their roster. I’d argue that no positions demand bigger focus than DE and OG.
After finishing 7-9 for a third consecutive season, the New Orleans Saints have their work cut out for them to right the ship. But, as one would hope, they’re closer now to relevancy than they were a few years ago. With a bit of a luck and upgrades at a few key positions, they could be contenders again in 2017.
Those upgrades, in my opinion, are most pressing at defensive end and guard. Other positions of need, namely CB and MLB, are important, for sure. But those fall to the side when you look at DE and OG. Let’s take a look.
Cornerback
Many in Saints media have called for the need to upgrade the Saints cornerback position. And there’s a point there. After being decimated two years in a row by injuries at CB, the Saints badly need proven and healthy depth. But it’s silly to compare the need to DE or OG.
First of all, the Saints have competent starters already on their roster. Granted, both are returning from season-ending injuries. Delvin Breaux broke his leg in Week 1, then suffered a shoulder injury in Week 14 that landed him on IR. And P.J. Williams suffered a terrifying concussion in Week 2 against the Giants that left many wondering whether he’d been paralyzed.
It’s hard to evaluate the potential recovery from an injury like Williams’s. He may return with no lasting effects—the injury won’t affect his athleticism, for example. And he may, just as likely, not be the same player, mentally. And that’s a concerning question for the depth of the position.
Delvin Breaux, however, should return to his 2015 form that saw him as one of the emerging CBs in the league.
Even after returning from the leg injury in 2016, Breaux didn’t quite look himself. He expressed frustration at his rust and was often seen working on his leg on the sideline during games. That leg will heal up over the offseason, as will the shoulder. There won’t be lasting effects.
And behind Breaux, the Saints have a number of solid depth players. Sterling Moore was a gem signing after the injuries last year. I’d be content—not happy, mind you—with Moore starting the season opposite Breaux. Ken Crawley showed potential throughout the season. B.W. Webb was adequate.Damian Swann may never return to his 2015 form, but you never know. And then there’s Kyle Wilson, who played very well for the Saints as depth in 2015. Wilson hit IR with a torn shoulder in 2016; he should be fully recovered by 2017.
As you can see, the Saints don’t have a bonafide starter opposite Breaux, unless Williams returns to form. They can use an upgrade here. But if they don’t manage to bring in a premier starter, they’re not sunk. Even without Breaux, this unit proved it manage its way through a season.
They will, without a doubt, look to bring in some talent here. But if they only manage to bring in depth, the defense can still compete.
Middle Linebacker
At MLB, the problem is much the same. The Saints could very well use an upgrade to Craig Robertson. Robertson is a solid player but is more suited for WLB, where Dannel Ellerbe has struggled to stay on the field. Robertson would be a wonderful backup prospect, able to play both WLB and MLB in a pinch, should the Saints manage to bring in a starting MLB.
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But if they don’t manage to do so, again, they’re not sunk. Robertson still played well in 2016. He’s smart and athletic, and can get the job done.
Again, if they don’t manage to bring in a starter to replace Robertson, they’ll need to add depth. They only have Nate Stupar and Stephone Anthony at the backend of the depth chart, if you don’t count Adam Bighill who will likely feature heavily on Special Teams.
Speaking of Anthony, there’s some hope that under new LB coach Mike Nolan Anthony will be able to right the direction of his career. The Saints absolutely cannot count on this coming to fruition. If Anthony is thrust into the starting role, there will likely be problems. But so long as Robertson and Ellerbe can suit up, the Saints wouldn’t be sunk without an upgrade here.
Whether they can is another thing, and that’s why this remains a position of need.
Defensive End
The Saints aren’t slated to lose much on their defense, besides the possible departure of DT Nick Fairley. Fairley would be a big loss, no doubt. But Fairley will command big money in free agency. And with Sheldon Rankins, Tyeler Davison, and David Onyemata behind him at DT, the Saints can afford to spend their money elsewhere.
Looking back on their 2016 season, there’s one painfully clear need that the team failed to fill. That’s DE. Opposite Cam Jordan, the Saints failed to find any pass rusher capable to getting after the quarterback. And it crippled the defense.
Paul Kruger was a failed attempt. Nobody will argue otherwise. He set the edge well enough and helped in defending the run. But when third-down came along and the DL pinned their ears back, Kruger floundered.
An EDGE player that can get after the QB has the potential to transform this defense into a different animal. They could, with an elite player at the position, go from one of the worst to one of the better units in the league. For a single position, that’s a rare assessment.
But even given that, there’s another reason why DE is a bigger need than CB or MLB. If the Saints fail to sign a starter at DE, they’re left with next to no one.
Hau’oli Kikaha would be the prospective starter if the Saints roster was left as is. And there’s reason for optimism that Kikaha could perform at a high level. He was a record-breaking talent at DE in college, and looked very capable rushing the passer in his rookie season. The problem with Kikaha, as we all know, are the injuries. He’s torn his ACL three times now, in the same knee. That’s a horrible sign. And an ankle injury in his rookie season totally hobbled Kikaha’s ability to do much of anything. Not only can you not rely on such an injury-prone player to hold down a starting role on your team; you can hardly rely on him to play a situation role.
Besides Kikaha, the Saints have Kasim Edebali and Obum Gwachum. Gwachum was hurt all of last year, so his development is a bit of a mystery. Maybe he can emerge as a situational pass-rusher. Maybe. Edebali, on the other hand, looks to have reached his ceiling. He was healthy all of 2016 yet failed to see the field even when his skillset was so desperately needed.
The Saints need more than depth at DE. They need, need, need a starter. And if they don’t bring one in, it’s going to be rough sailing for the unit in 2017. Even if they manage to retain DT Nick Fairley.
Guard
Finally, guard. The Saints’ offensive line put together a commendable 2016 campaign. Even through injuries, they managed to give Brees solid protection and Ingram and company room to run. But there’s every reason to be concerned for 2017 and the future.
The Saints ran with Jahri Evans and Zach Strief on the right side of the line for the entire season. And both played well. Strief especially put together one of his best seasons to date. But both Evans and Strief are 33, and are nearing the end of their careers.
With Evans, it’s not even clear if the Saint great will return in 2017. He’s allegedly mulling over retiring. He barely made a roster this year. After the Saints cut him for cap space, Evans failed to stick with the struggling offensive line at Seattle. Now, granted, Seattle was actually pretty set at guard. But it goes to show where Evans is in his career.
And even if Evans does play again, there’s no telling how well he can play for 16 games. The same goes for Strief. At some point, the wheels will just fall off. And whether that comes in the form of an injury or a drop in production, the Saints need to be prepared.
If Strief goes down, the Saints can slide Andrus Peat over to RT. He’s struggled on the right side but has the tools to get it done. The problem is that would then leave the LG position unmanned. Senio Kelemete is a competent player, and I’d be more than happy with him in the starting lineup. But he’s most valuable as a backup because of his versatility: Kelemete can possibly line up anywhere on the line. Either tackle position, either guard position, or at center.
With a 38-year-old Drew Brees, protecting the quarterback will be direly important.
If the Saints can’t field a competent offensive line, then all the talent they have on offensive would come crashing down. And despite how much improvement they make on defense, without an elite offense this team isn’t going anywhere.
It only takes one signing here to make sure that doesn’t happen. I doubt Evans will want to come back to play backup, but for an easy million, you never know. I’d like to see the Saints pursue a starting caliber RG to plug into the line, and possibly a swing tackle or guard as depth. We’ve already seen injuries on defense derail the Saints seasons. I don’t want to see the same happen on offense, especially not when that means putting Drew Brees at risk of injury.
Next: Preparing for life without Nick Fairley
Brees has a few years left in the tank. But whether or not he plays those out will depend on how good he feels after this season. So please, Payton and Loomis. Do what you can to make sure he feels good. Keep him upright, and bring in some OL help.