Top 5 needs Saints must address this offseason to become a contender

After a disappointing 2023 season, where the New Orleans Saints went 9-8 and missed the postseason for a third consecutive year, the Saints need to have a great offseason if they intend to compete in 2024. With free agency here, and the 2024 NFL Draft approaching, it’s important to have a plan.

There will be a ton of talented players available but New Orleans can’t go after them all. The team must assess the roster and determine the specific holes it has to address. From the outside looking in, here are the top five positions that the Saints should look to address this offseason.

5. Safety

Safety is a big need for the Saints this offseason. They recently released Marcus Maye, who played in 17 of their last 34 games. That leaves a hole at the starting safety position. The Saints could address this in-house. Second-year player Jordan Howden and veteran Johnathan Abram are two great options to fill that role. Both played great down the stretch of last season and filled in well for Maye when he was not in the lineup.

If the Saints look to bring someone in, they are in luck. The safety market is currently booming, as there are a multitude of amazing safeties sitting in free agency. There are amazing options such as Xavier Mckinney, Justin Simmons, Quandre Diggs, or even a possible reunion with C.J. Gardner-Johnson. There is a plethora of talent at the position and the Saints really can’t go wrong.

New Orleans has already taken advantage of the safety market as they recently signed Tyrann Mathieu to a two-year extension. Mathieu has been an amazing player for the Saints in the past couple of years. Last season, he tied for the lead on the team in interceptions, with four. Re-signing him was a step to ensure the safety position, but they still need to add 1 or 2 more players to make it as strong of a unit as it has previously been.