For the past four years, the New Orleans Saints offense has primarily flowed through Jimmy Graham, the team's All-Pro tight end. Now that Graham is catching passes for Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks, the Saints must redesign their approach around the talent that remains.
2015 NFL depth charts: How will the Saints fill the void left by Jimmy Graham?
With their top pass catcher now working in Seattle, the Saints need to manufacture some new offense.
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Though officially a tight end, Graham functioned like a super-sized slot receiver for a significant portion of his snaps in New Orleans. In doing so, Graham created mismatches that Drew Brees and the offense could consistently exploit. Certainly, no one player can step in and function the way Graham did, but head coach Sean Payton must figure out how to manufacture production without him.
The Saints also need to forge a new identity on defense. Rob Ryan returns for his third year in New Orleans, but after the poor showing in 2014 he must oversee a significant improvement or find a new home. He’ll likely need early contributions from the Saints’ rookie class.
Who’s the new No. 1 pass catcher now that Graham has left?
The simple answer to this question is either soon-to-be 32-year-old Marques Colston or 2014 first-round pick Brandin Cooks. Colston served as the team's top passing target early in his career and, despite multiple injuries, can still function as a competent possession receiver. Cooks is an explosive wideout that the Saints can utilize as both a traditional receiver and gadget player.
However, neither is going to simply replace Graham’s production. What made the All-Pro tight end so effective was his ability to create mismatches over linebackers and undersized slot corners. While Colston possesses great size and Cooks has the athleticism, neither provides the total package of physical tools that Graham brought to the table.
That means that Payton will have to get creative. If he can find ways to get Cooks the ball in space, the dynamic young playmaker could have a Darren Sproles-like impact on the offense. Payton must also figure out which among his other unproven wideouts can stretch the field the way Kenny Stills did a year ago.
Can the new-look secondary turn Ryan’s defense around?
Though the Saints’ offense remained potent in 2014, their defense proved to be one of the poorest in the league. Football Outsiders’ DVOA rated Ryan’s crew as the second-worst unit that season, which helps explain how a top 10 offense in a historically bad division managed to miss the playoffs entirely.
Salary cap limitations forced the Saints to move on from several defenders this offseason, but for the most part the core remains intact. Cameron Jordan and Junior Galette return as New Orleans' top pass rushers while Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro hope to stay on the field and provide improved play behind them.
The linchpin of the Saints' comeback effort is the incoming rookie class. The team added Stephone Anthony, Hau'oli Kikaha and P.J. Williams in the first three rounds of the draft. Anthony will compete for a starting inside linebacker position in Ryan's base defense while Kikaha may end up as Galette's running mate at outside linebacker. Williams is less likely to start given the team's investments in Keenan Lewis, Brandon Browner and Kyle Wilson. However, Williams has the highest ceiling of the group and may be pushed into a bigger role sometime during the season.
If the rookies provide an early impact, the Saints can legitimately compete for a playoff spot in the still woeful NFC South. However, if the group struggles to adept to Ryan’s defense, the team could sink as a result.
How many games will the starting offensive line lose to injury?
On paper, the Saints still possess a capable offensive line. Terron Armstead improved over 2014 at left tackle while Zach Strief remains competent on the other side. Inside, Jahri Evans has regressed but is still an above-average blocker while Max Unger was acquired to take over center duties. Left guard is the only real question mark along the starting line.
However, this group is unlikely to make it through the season without attrition. Unger missed 10 games last season and three the year before that. The Saints cannot rely on him to stay off the shelf for all of 2015. Evans has missed only two games in his career, but the former All-Pro turns 32 before the start of the regular season and may begin to break down. Strief has only started all 16 games once in his career, and he also turns 32 this year.
New Orleans has accordingly made some backup plans. The team invested the 13th overall pick in Stanford’s Andrus Peat, one of the few true left tackle prospects in his draft class. He can back up both Armstead and Strief this year before taking over a starting role in 2016. The Saints also added several undrafted free agent offensive linemen who could compete for backup spots in camp this year.
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