The Saints need to re-sign three guys in order to stay competitive this offseason.
This summer, the New Orleans Saints will have to make some difficult choices about who to let go of and who to re-sign. These are the players that the team ought to add back.
Despite being one victory away from the postseason, the New Orleans Saints had a dismal season, finishing 9-8. Now, in addition to trying to assemble a club that is capable of winning, New Orleans has to negotiate a challenging cap scenario. The Saints will eventually need to address the player roster, but they have already begun the process of overhauling the coaching staff.
Selecting which of the 22 free agents available this offseason to keep and which to go will not be an easy process. Having said that, the Saints should re-sign these three players this offseason to ensure that they don’t lose ground the following year.
Distinguished acknowledgment
Prior to discussing the top three players the Saints should re-sign, I wanted to acknowledge Rashid Shaheed with a mention. The Saints should re-sign Rashid Shaheed on its own merits. He is a dynamic returner and wide receiver. The Saints will have an easy time keeping Shaheed because he is a free agent with exclusive rights. Instead of signing him to a one-year contract, they ought to think about offering him a long-term contract to ensure his future in New Orleans.
Saints ought to get CB back. Yiadom Isaac
Isaac Yiadom is the first player the Saints ought to re-sign. Yiadom was one of the Saints’ most underappreciated players last season. Yiadom filled in well as a cornerback after Marshon Lattimore was sidelined for a considerable period of time.
With 11 pass breakups in the previous season, Yiadom was tied for fifth place in the NFL. He only gave up 22 receptions for 289 yards and three touchdowns during the season, with one interception. The Saints’ defense was successful because of Isaac Yiadom’s leadership. The Saints ought to resign Isaac Yiadom because Marshon Lattimore’s future is uncertain.
QB Jameis Winston should be re-signed by the Saints.
QB Jameis Winston is the second player the Saints ought to re-sign. Winston had the backing of every player in the locker room, but his future in New Orleans was called into question after he altered the goalline play against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18. In any case, head coach Dennis Allen ought to bring Jameis back for an additional season.
Without a doubt, Jameis Winston is a fan favorite in New Orleans. The city loves Jameis back, and Jameis loves the city. Winston recently declared that he would like to live in New Orleans permanently while out enjoying Mardi Gras.
Winston is not only a beloved member of the community and a locker room guy; he is a quarterback who played in five games last season. Winston completed passes for 264 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in those contests. Winston wouldn’t be a starter if he returned, but he would provide the Saints with a fantastic safety net in the event that Derek Carr got hurt. Also, if Jameis Winston went back to New Orleans, the fans would be overjoyed.
WR Keith Kirkwood should be re-signed by the Saints.
Keith Kirkwood, a wide receiver, is the third player that New Orleans should consider returning for another campaign. Not one to light up a stat sheet, Kirkwood only caught five passes for 37 yards and a touchdown in the previous season. The Saints shouldn’t bring him back for the sole reason that he is a pass catcher.
Given his offensive scheme, new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will probably require Kirkwood, a willing blocker. Run blockers are especially needed at the wide receiver position in that wide zone run scheme. Kirkwood wouldn’t be pricey to get back and could fill that role for the Saints.
Kirkwood’s return to New Orleans would mostly be motivated by the Saints offense’s need to strengthen its run game. The Saints may and should make the choice, even though it wouldn’t be the most spectacular.
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