2014 NFL Preview: Everything you need to know about the New Orleans Saints

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New Orleans Saints

Schedule | Roster

One of the biggest success stories of the 2013 NFL season was the drastic turnaround of the Saints' defense. Under the direction of new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, the Saints ranked second in passing defense with 194.1 yards allowed per game - a stark contrast from the previous season when they set an NFL record for the most yards allowed in a season with 7,042.

New Orleans opened the season with a five-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 134-73 during that stretch. After advancing to the postseason as the sixth seed in the NFC, the Saints defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card game to earn their first-ever playoff road win. In the divisional round, the Saints were eliminated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.

Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham were among the best quarterback-pass catcher duos in the NFL, and a big reason the Saints ranked second in the league in passing with an average of 307.4 yards per game. Graham, for his part, led all tight ends with 1,215 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, while Brees surpassed 5,000 passing yards for the third consecutive year.

Preseason Power Ranking - #5

The Saints have one of the NFL's best quarterback/head coach tandems in Brees and Sean Payton, and are coming off a season in which their offense and defense both finished in the top five. Add a happy Graham to the mix, and they become a strong contender to win the NFC. More...

Key Additions/Departures

Key Additions: S Jairus Byrd, C Jonathan Goodwin

Key Departures: C Brian De La Puente, S Malcolm Jenkins, RB Darren Sproles, WR Lance Moore, LB Will Smith, S Roman Harper, CB Jabari Greer, WR Robert Meachem

The Saints bid farewell to several long-tenured players this offseason, but were able to offset those losses by making a big splash in the free agency pool. 

Widely considered the top safety available on the open market, Byrd will be expected to help force turnovers - an area the Saints struggled in last season. He and second-year safety Kenny Vaccaro should be among the league's more dynamic duos.

Goodwin is the likely candidate to replace the departed De La Puente at center, though Tim Lelito is emerging as a strong challenger.

2014 Draft Class

The Saints traded up select Cooks in the first round of this year's draft, and it's easy to see why. A 5-foot-10, 189-pound receiver out of Oregon State, Cooks has the skills and the speed to make an immediate impact. He also has experience returning punts - an area the Saints could use some help with.

Jean-Baptiste, the biggest cornerback of the 2014 draft class at 6-foot-3 and 218 pounds, has drawn comparisons to Richard Sherman, though he still has some development left to do before he reaches those ranks.

Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Sean Payton
Offensive Coordinator: Pete Carmichael
Defensive Coordinator: Rob Ryan

The Saints took a big step back in 2012, but took an even bigger step forward last season. A great deal of that success can be contributed to the return of Payton, who was reinstated in January 2013 after serving a year-long suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty scandal.

Last season was also a redemption of sorts for Ryan. While the Dallas Cowboys stumbled under his 3-4 scheme, the Saints thrived, giving up 305.7 yards per game in 2013 compared to 440.1 a year earlier. The 134.4-yard-average improvement was the largest turnaround since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

2014 Schedule

This season gets off to a favorable start for the Saints, with their first six matchups coming against teams that failed to advance to the playoffs last season.

Weeks 8 through 11 could prove the most difficult stretch, as New Orleans faces four consecutive teams that made the postseason in 2013. The good news is that three of those four games will be played at home, where the Saints posted a perfect 8-0 record last season.

Bold Predictions

The Saints will miss the playoffs: Outside of the 2012 season when head coach Sean Payton was forced to sit out the year, the Saints have been a mainstay in the postseason but that will change this season. The Falcons will be better than last season, as will the Buccaneers and while the Panthers may slip a bit, there will be no easy games for New Orleans in the NFC South. They’ll come close, but at 8-8 or 9-7 the Saints will end the season on the outside of the playoffs. -Mike Dickson

Brandin Cooks will win Rookie of the Year. The No. 20 overall pick is poised for a high-volume role on one of the NFL’s best offenses. Cook will get the short passing game targets the Saints used to give to Reggie Bush, Darren Sproles and Lance Moore, and he should thrive in the role. 80+ catches for 1,000 yards and half a dozen touchdowns is easily attainable for the speedster. In a draft class without a clear-cut stud running back, that could lead to end-of-year honors for Cooks. -David Woods