NEW ORLEANS — NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis also have made several key roster changes designed to upgrade the offense with veteran additions on the offensive line and at running back . Meanwhile, a defense that played well last season has been largely stable under second-year coordinator Brandon Staley. If the Saints can raise their level of play even moderately over last season, there’s a chance they could begin their climb back to relevance after missing the playoffs for the past five seasons. Chris Olave is unquestionably the Saints’ best receiver and has a good rapport with Shough. See ’s full NFL coverage here
After a dismal 1-8 start under new coach Kellen Moore, the Saints won five of their final eight games, with then-rookie quarterback Tyler Shough under center, to provide a measure of hope and encouragement heading into the offseason. Carolina won the division last season with an 8-9 record, just two games better than New Orleans. The Saints hope Shough, who went 5-4 in nine starts last season, is able to make considerable strides after his first full NFL offseason as a projected starter. If he can stay healthy, Olave has proved he’s an almost certain bet to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving in a season, which he has done in three of his first four NFL seasons since being drafted 11th overall out of Ohio State in 2022. Last season was his best yet, with career highs of 100 catches for 1,163 yards and nine TDs.
Because of how they stack up against the rest of the NFC South, while the Saints are not expected to be Super Bowl contenders, they could very well contend for a playoff spot.
