The New Orleans Saints are attempting the difficult task of escaping mediocrity without committing to a full rebuild. Despite rostering several high-paid veterans, the team refuses to move on from them and just start over. Instead, New Orleans wants to transform into a contender over night by maximizing the draft and free agency.
Mickey Loomis has already said the team will be more active in free agency this offseason, and after four straight seasons without a playoff appearance, it’s safe to assume the Saints are a little desperate. However, they can’t act out of desperation in free agency, because that would surely lead to mistakes, like signing the wrong players.
With that in mind, here are three players New Orleans should avoid in free agency.
3. Saints should avoid Amari Cooper in free agency
The Saints absolutely need help at the wide receiver position, and seeing an available Amari Cooper could be enticing. However, he’ll be 31 next season, and he’s coming off a year where he caught just 44 passes for 547 yards and four touchdowns. This isn’t to say that Cooper can’t still be productive, or that he’s washed, but it doesn’t make much long-term sense for New Orleans to bring him in, and he’s not currently dominant enough to benefit the team in the short term.
2. It wouldn’t make sense for Saints to sign Kevin Zeitler
That same line of thinking can be applied to Kevin Zeitler, who is coming off a great season with the Detroit Lion. With New Orleans needing help on the interior offensive line, Zeitler would absolutely be an upgrade. However, he’s 35, and the Saints don’t seem like they’ll be contending next season. The team needs help on the line, but they should be thinking about the future, and that’s not Kevin Zeitler.
1. Saints must resist the temptation to pursue DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency
Clearly there’s a theme here: avoid older players. DeMarcus Lawrence has been one of the most productive edge defenders since he entered the league, but signing him wouldn’t exactly change the outlook on the Saints’ future. He’ll be 33 next season, coming off a Lisfranc injury. It’ll make sense for him to sign with a team that’s already a contender, looking for a defensive end. Meanwhile, New Orleans needs an edge defender that can be apart of the team’s future.