Analyst believes the Saints are facing an identity crisis that’s holding them back
The New Orleans Saints have been stuck in a cycle of mediocrity and there’s a belief that’s happening because the team is facing an identity crisis.
The New Orleans Saints finished last season 9-8. The season before that, New Orleans finished 7-10. A year before that, it was another 9-8 season. That all equates to three straight years where the Saints missed the playoffs. Now, New Orleans is hoping to turn things around in 2024, hoping to build a roster that can win the NFC South and make the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the Saints’ actions this offseason haven’t supported the belief that they’re striving for anything more than a playoff appearance. David Kenyon broke that down in a recent article for Bleacher Report, naming six teams that need to decide if they are a contender or a pretender. New Orleans was one of teams listed.
Saints must decide if they’re a contender or pretender
Kenyon explained that New Orleans is once again in the same offseason position of creating cap space. However, Kenyon argues that the yearly cap gymnastics are the reason the Saints are stuck where they are, saying, “This annual half-measure is once again hampering New Orleans' ability to truly upgrade the roster.”
Kenyon concludes his argument with a damning statement on the state of the Saints:
"Look, the NFC South is winnable anyway, but "at least we can maybe make the playoffs" is a pretty lousy roster-building vision."
- David Kenyon (Bleacher Report)
It’s hard to disagree with this statement. New Orleans hasn’t operated like a team that wants to turn its roster into a Super Bowl-contending squad. They’ll likely remain competitive in the NFC South, but it’s arguably the worst division in the NFL, so does that that mean anything? Will a playoff berth be enough to ensure job security in New Orleans?
If that playoff berth is accompanied by a mediocre record and a first-round exit, the answer is probably not. That means the Saints need to attack the rest of the offseason aggressively. Signing Chase Young was a great start, but the team needs more, or they’ll have another mediocre season and some major changes will be coming to New Orleans.
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