On paper, the Saints' season could have gone worse. Finishing above .500 – even if it's just by one game – always looks good, especially considering that New Orleans won four of their last five to get there. They also, you may remember, more-or-less got a NFC South rival's head coach fired after beating the breaks off the Falcons in the final game of the year. Unfortunately, that game had more than enough baggage to stay in TV debate shows for the next couple weeks, and Saints fans watched their season become defined by one of the very last plays of the whole year. So if the Saints want to find their way back to the postseason in 2024, here are three tough decisions they'll have to make this offseason.
1. What To Do About Michael Thomas
Since putting together four straight 1,000+ yard seasons to being his career (2016-2019), Thomas has failed to even reach 500 yards in the four seasons since. After only appearing in three games last year, Thomas rebounded some this season, playing in 10 games with 39 receptions, 448 yards, and one touchdown. It's a far cry from the 149-catch, 1725 yard season he had in 2019, and with Thomas turning 31 this March, it's fair to wonder if he's just not the same guy anymore. Though he's not technically a free agent this offseason, there's been plenty of speculation about his future in New Orleans – and judging by his own Tweets, he's not super thrilled to be there anymore either. A clean start for both sides looks like the best option at this point.
2. What To Do About Jameis Winston
Winston's been a reliable backup for the Saints since joining prior to the 2020 season. Over that time, he's appeared in 21 games, starting 10, and has put up a 6-4 record with 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Most teams will take that production out of their backup QB, and with his contract set to void when the 2024 NFL league year begins, the Saints and Winston will have to work on a new/restructured deal if they want to keep things going. 'If's' doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, though: Winston's decision to ignore head coach Dennis Allen's call in the final moments of the Falcons game was fairly dramatic (as dramatic as a game between two eliminated teams can be, that is) and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Saints want to move on from that episode entirely.
3. Take An Honest Look At The QB Situation
Derek Carr's going to be the starting QB for the Saints in 2024 – unless the Saints and Carr's agent find a way to restructure his contract – which isn't totally unlikely – his cap hit is going to be over $35 million (taking up roughly 14% of the team's cap space). If they decide to let Winston explore other opportunities, they could be in a prime spot to take one of the 2nd- or 3rd-tier QBs in this year's draft. That way, they'd be able to start evaluating what their post-Carr future looks like, and whichever QB they drafted wouldn't necessarily feel the pressure of having to start in Week 1. Maybe the 14th overall pick is a little high for this Saints roster to go after a QB, but using their 2nd or 5th round pick on a developmental projected isn't the worst idea. Good teams take fliers on QBs even when they don't think they need it.