Jan 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston (2) greets quarterback Derek Carr (4) after a touchdown pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Now that the offseason has officially begun, the Saints must decide what to do with its upcoming free agents.
New Orleans Saints Unrestricted Signs: Which Players Should You Retain?
Peat Andrus
Andrus Peat’s 60.2 PFF grade indicates that he is not Trent Williams. He could be the Saints’ finest free agent choice, though. Since Michael Onwenu is the lone talented tackle anticipated to enter the market, the upcoming class of free agents is largely awful. New Orleans needs someone who can play tackle since Trevor Penning is having trouble and Ryan Ramczyk’s knee might be a permanent problem. While the team utilizes its first-round pick on someone like Taliese Fuaga, Peat can serve as a temporary solution.
Winston Jameis
The Saints will have Derek Carr for at least another season, but that doesn’t mean they should allow their backup free agent to sign with another team. Carr is not the short-term solution, and he won’t be the long-term solution either if he doesn’t become better by 2024. It’s difficult to see Dennis Allen selecting a quarterback in the first round if that guy won’t be able to assist the team until at least 2025 given his precarious employment situation. Should Carr continue to perform poorly, Jameis Winston, one of the top backup quarterbacks in the game, is a wise precaution.
Turner Trai
Trai Turner is a free agent who might be the ideal fit for the guard position that the New Orleans Saints require. Even though he just recovered from a season-ending injury and is over 30, he can be a reliable starter when healthy. At the end of the day, Turner probably won’t break the bank in free agency, and the Saints should be comfortable making a low-risk, medium-reward investment on someone who can solve a severe position of need.
James Hurst, let go
Free agent The Saints’ first need for a guard is largely due to James Hurst. The offensive tackle, who is 32 years old, had a dismal 58.7 PFF grade at the end of the 2023 campaign. By now, there ought to be more affordable and superior options available on the open market for New Orleans.
Cameron Erving
When it comes to offensive linemen who are past their prime but still versatile, Cameron Erving seems to be nearing the end of his career. Erving is more of a liability than a benefit, even though the Saints do need all the offensive line support they can get. With a 49.0 PFF grade, the upcoming free agent wrapped up what will likely be his final season with the Saints. Although he didn’t have enough snaps to be included in the ranking, he would have been rated 76th out of 83 qualified tackles if he had. Similar to Hurst, he is approaching thirty and most likely won’t be improving at this stage of his career.
Jimmy Graham
Jimmy Graham, that amazing run from 2011 to 2014 will always be with us. At his best, the former third-round choice was among the best in the league for his position, but that was more than ten years ago. The Miami product is now among the league’s oldest free agents, so it’s unclear why the Saints would want to re-sign him.
