It is going to take a long time for the New Orleans Saints and their fans to get over what happened at the end of Sunday's game in Minnesota.
For weeks, months, and maybe even years, members of the Who Dat nation will be muttering under their breath things like "61 yards? How does that happen?" just as they groaned about how Alex Smith broke their hearts in 2012.
But a major silver lining is that it is awfully hard not to see this team back in the mix this time next year. And, for the first time in recent memory, the Saints enter an offseason after a winning year without a mountain of cap issues to deal with, a lineup of players to re-sign, or a laundry list of positions to upgrade.
Drew Brees, who turned 39 on Monday, is the only must-sign free agent on the Saints and he has been adamant about coming back, essentially giving up his negotiating power and allowing the team to lock him up on another one-year deal. After the franchise quarterback, safety Kenny Vaccaro and defensive end Alex Okafor are the most impactful players set to hit the market, but both could be easily replaced by players on the roster or other free agents.
The New Orleans defense, ranked in the bottom six for three straight seasons before 2017, emerged as a legitimately frightening unit this season thanks to a group of first- and second-year players. Seven of the 11 players who played at least 50 percent of defensive snaps for the Saints' 10th-ranked scoring defense entered the league in 2017 or 2016.
| Player | Position | Age | Def. Snaps | Snap % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marcus Williams | S | 21 | 960 | 90.5% |
| Ken Crawley | CB | 24 | 822 | 77.5% |
| Sheldon Rankins | DL | 23 | 812 | 76.5% |
| Vonn Bell | S | 23 | 787 | 74.2% |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 21 | 754 | 71.1% |
| David Onyemata | DT | 25 | 598 | 56.4% |
| Tyeler Davison | DT | 25 | 589 | 55.5% |
(Snap counts courtesy of Football Outsiders)
Marshon Lattimore blossomed as a true lockdown corner to become a leader of the secondary, and is in solid contention to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Defensive end Cam Jordan earned the maiden First-team All-Pro nod of his seven-year career, of which he has not missed a single game.
The linebacking corps of Craig Robertson, A.J. Klein, and Manti Te'o are all under contract for another season. Not the most impactful group of playmakers, their role in Dennis Allen's defense is to play things relatively safe and make the plays that come their way; another year of continuity only improves communication and reliability.
With virtually every starter returning and no major changes expected to the coaching staff, the once-laughable defense is on the rise and has only one big need to address. Jordan has been a force and 300-pounders Sheldon Rankins, Tyeler Davison, and David Onyemata create a solid interior push, but the Saints still lack a speed rusher to pair with their All-Pro on the edge.
Assuming Brees is re-signed for close to market value, the Saints won't have the cap space to pursue highly-profiled free-agent edge rushers like Ezekiel Ansah or Demarcus Lawrence. However, they could afford to sign a known talent coming off a down year like Dee Ford, Shaq Barrett, or Barkevious Mingo and pair them with a draft pick to hope for a boost of speed.
The emergence of the defense matches well with the offensive transition seen in 2017 that will undoubtedly continue into the next season. In years past, the Saints' pass-oriented offense was offset by lack of depth and balance on a defense not often given much rest between up-tempo series, but not in 2017.
Led by Mark Ingram and rookie sensation Alvin Kamara, the Saints finished with the fifth-most rushing yards in 2017 while averaging a league-high 4.7 yards per rush and the eighth-best time of possession. Brees' arm strength has somewhat started to fade, though his accuracy and competitiveness is as sharp as ever, but being able to lean on the rushing attack and, in turn, using play action will allow the future Hall of Famer to prolong his career.
It's a shame Brees can't chuck the ball 40-plus times a game like he used to, because the most talented receiver the Saints have possibly ever had is a 6-foot-3, 25-year-old with two years left on his rookie contract. Michael Thomas has led the way, setting an NFL record for most catches through his first two seasons this year, and is only getting better.
Thomas, who has just a $1.4-million cap hit next season, allows the Saints to no longer require a quality four-man receiving corps as he fits the bill of a No. 1 wideout who can fill all the roles. His low cap number will also help the front office recruit from the bevy of talented free-agent receivers who may want to join the Saints before their Super Bowl window closes.
At 39, it is delusional to think Brees can continue to be the record-breaking force we've known throughout his career until his targeted retirement age of 45, but another year or two at his current level is certainly on the table. As long as he can work his magic, with the developing young defense and stellar run game behind him, the Saints aren't ready to stop marching toward another Lombardi Trophy.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
