The New Orleans Saints showed interest in Noah Fant, but that ship has sailed. The former Seattle Seahawks tight end is expected to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. The Bengals were the first team Fant visited with, and though he went on more visits afterwards, it's clear they made an impression on Fant.
You can count Juwan Johnson among the disappointed party. There may not have been anyone higher on the potential of bringing Fant into the fold. Johnson went as far as to compare their potential as a duo to Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.
The Saints are still dealing with the injuries to Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau. Fant would have been a strong addition to go with Johnson, in the meantime. The Saints will have to look elsewhere if they want to add more bodies to the room.
Picking the Bengals over the Saints was a no brainer for Noah Fant
Fant visited three teams during his short stint in free agency. The Bengals were the first of the trio, followed by the Saints and Miami Dolphins. When weighing those options, the Saints look like the worst choice for Fant.
The obvious part is team success. The Bengals missed the playoffs in the last two seasons, but with Joe Burrow at the helm, they always stand a chance. On an individual level, the Dolphins would have given Fant the chance to be the top tight end the room.
It appears Fant valued the highest team ceiling over everything, However, Fant's role with the Saints was dependent on Foster Moreau's absence. Once Moreau came back to the lineup, Fant was likely going to be third in the pecking order. Moreau could return as early as the beginning of the season. That would quickly put a limit on Fant's role.
In Cincinnati, Fant will only be behind Mike Gesicki. In two tight end sets, Fant will see the field most times. With the Saints, that would have been more situational once Moreau returned. When you view it from that lens, the Saints were always fighting an uphill battle.