Who says the New Orleans Saints don’t get active if free agency? On the first day of the negotiating period, the Saints agreed to terms with running back Travis Etienne, offensive guard David Edwards, punter Ryan Wright and tight end Noah Fant to close out the evening.
In addition to being active, the Saints also spent big in relation to the position. Etienne received $13 million per year, Edwards agreed to $15 million per year and Wright will be on the books for $3.5 million per year (all of which being averages.) These contracts don't sound like a lot, but it's good money for a running back, guard and punter.
The day wasn’t without its losses, though. Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor walked to different teams. Those losses sting, but it stung a little less on Monday because it was expected. The Saints also brought in enough players to make arrivals a bigger story than departures.
The Saints first day of free agency was straight from a page of fan fiction
The Saints gave the fan base the first day of free agency for the ages. Agreeing to deals with Etienne and Edwards was an outcome that felt outlandish until it happened.
Etienne and Edwards were the splash moves fans most commonly thrown clamored for leading up to free agency. Most times it was treated like grabbing Edwards OR Etienne would have been more than satisfactory. Then, the Saints go and grab both over the course of an hour. To quote J. Cole, “why would I choose between this one and that one when I know that I can have both?” It was this mentality Kellen Moore and company brought to free agency.
More than just fan service, this is a great example of Moore identifying the problem and fully investing in a solution. The Saints struggled to run the football and generate explosive runs. Edwards helps improve the consistency of the run blocking, which greatly hindered the rushing attack last year. Etienne will help on a play by play basis, and add the home run threat that’s been missing from the offense for years.