New Orleans Saints
Offense
Despite losing matchup nightmare Darren Sproles and go-to slot receiver Lance Moore, the Saints offense actually got better this offseason. Not only did the team lock up Jimmy Graham, but added a dynamic rookie in Brandin Cooks with the expectation breakout years on the horizon for Kenny Stills and Nick Toon.
Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson are as solid a 1-2 punch in the league as you’ll find, while Pierre Thomas is the best running back when it comes to screen passes and pass-blocking. With Drew Brees at the helm, you’d be hard-pressed to find a defense that’ll slow these Saints down.
Defense
Like many other teams, New Orleans took a page out of the Legion of Boom playbook, adding ballhawk safety Jairus Byrd and veteran corner Champ Bailey to solidify a secondary already featuring Kenny Vaccaro and Keenan Lewis.
Last year Cameron Jordan, Akiem Hicks and Junior Galette proved the Saints had a solid front seven, among the best in the NFL. Rob Ryan has put his players in the right places, and this year they should surface to among the league’s elite units.
Outlook
The Saints were toe-and-toe with Seattle early on last year, but after re-tooling in the offseason the team is poised to compete for the No. 1 or 2 seed in the NFC.
The offense is well-balanced, and the defense is a unit that’s begging to be talked about. It’s an even more well-rounded team than the Saints squad that won the Super Bowl in 2009.
