As the New Orleans Saints continue the search for their 19th head coach in franchise history, there still remains a litany of other problems that need to be addressed. After finishing the 2024 regular season with the 24th overall offense and a bottom tier defense, Mickey Loomis and co. certainly have their work cut out for them.
From addressing the ever-struggling offensive line to filling the Marshon Lattimore-sized hole in the secondary, the road to recovery for New Orleans will be a long and tumultuous path. It’s also worth noting that the Saints currently have 21 players who are set to become free agents this offseason.
Change is certainly in the air down in the Bayou. With numerous roster spots and a head coaching job still available, here are some of the biggest offseason needs for New Orleans.
Wide Receiver
Unfortunately, despite having a pair of electric receivers in Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, the Saints receiving core is still lacking in terms of physicality. Olave and Shaheed played a combined 14 games this year as a result of their injuries.
The former Buckeye endured the fifth concussion of his pro career, while a Week 6 knee injury sidelined Shaheed for the remainder of the season. Olave's routes are a thing of beauty and Shaheed can take the top off of a defense whenever he so chooses, but neither one of them present size, muscle mass, or a large frame.
Both stand at 6ft tall, with Shaheed being listed at 180lbs. Ever so slightly larger, Olave comes in at 187lbs. Regardless of who the next QB for the Saints may be, they are going to need a pass catcher who can out muscle defenders and bring some much needed physicality to a passing game that features more finesse than power.
Defensive Line
New Orleans' defense finished the season with an expected points contributed (EXP) of -107.32, the seventh worst total in the league. Likewise, their 2,404 rushing yards allowed was the second most in the NFL. Their 6,459 total yards allowed was also the third highest total from the 2024 season.
One of the largest contributing factors to these issues is the Saints inability to generate pressure off the edge. Carl Granderson and Chase Young provided fleeting moments of brilliance, at times, but the two combined for just 11 sacks all year long.
Cam Jordan will turn 36 years old this offseason and Young is one of the aforementioned 21 players set to hit free agency. It should come as no surprise to see New Orleans address their defensive front through the draft in April.
Cornerback
After seven and a half years, the Saints finally said goodbye to their 2017 first-round pick, Marshon Lattimore. This now leaves the likes of Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry as the premiere DBs in New Orleans.
Since trading Lattimore to the Washington Commanders in exchange for fourth, fifth, and sixth round picks, the Saints allowed 237 passing yards per game. Giving away an average of 238.5 passing yards per game this season, the secondary ranked 28th overall.
With no tangible veteran presence apart from Tyrann Mathieu, who turns 32 in May, this secondary unit is liable to continue its growing pains until further help arrives.
Tight End
After the Swiss army knife of the NFL, Taysom Hill, suffered an ACL tear in Week 13, the lack of depth at TE really began to show for New Orleans. Thankfully, the now 34-year-old "Mormon Missile" underwent a successful surgery and is now on the road to recovery.
With his contract set to run through 2025, depending on how his recovery goes, this may not be the most pressing need for New Orleans at this very instance. However, Juwan Johnson alone is not enough to facilitate a Klint Kubiak-style offense.
Should there be any complications with Hill this offseason, New Orleans is going to need some additional help in providing a safety blanket for Derek Carr.
Head coach
Last but certainly not least is the ever growing issue that is the Saints head coaching position. After missing out on Aaron Glenn, New Orleans has now been forced to regroup in its search for a play caller.
With names such as Joe Brady and Kellen Moore currently being floated around, in addition to Mike McCarthy, it now seems as if the Saints are hoping to find an offensive minded coach that could potentially help to develop a future QB.
With the Saints having officially failed to secure any of the coaches that they were initially reported to be interested in, making the right hire just became more difficult. The franchise continues to falter in the wake of losing Drew Brees and Sean Peyton, and no one seems interested in trying to save this sinking ship.
Mickey Loomis has drawn fire from both fans and pundits alike in recent weeks. So long as this head coaching search continues, so too will the criticisms. The GM is on the hot seat, the roster is in disarray, and the once beloved faces of the franchise are beginning to age out.
Simply put, the longer New Orleans takes to land a head coach, the more grim their future becomes.