What areas do the Saints need to look at in the offseason? Who are potential targets and who could be on the move?
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00:00 I think they again, they have to get a pass rusher to I think that's what they're looking or somebody on the interior
00:04 I just don't think this team has when you look at the playoff teams and again, we're still talking offense line
00:10 but one of my points on the defensive line is you don't have that guy who can take over a game you don't have a
00:17 Bosa, you don't have an Aaron Don you don't have a Aiden Hutchinson
00:21 You don't have that right now on the roster in my opinion
00:25 I mean and of course something could change you could get more out of it, right?
00:29 But you need somebody who can when it's time to make a big play and the biggest moment in the game
00:34 You need that game changer, right?
00:36 And I think that's what the Saints have got to look at, you know
00:39 There's gonna be some pass rushers out there. Danielle Hunter obviously is a big one to look at
00:43 I mean, you know, there's just tons and tons of pass rushers are gonna be in the market
00:48 Do you have any favorites and you agree disagree? Yeah. No, I completely agree
00:52 But for me the guy that I look at a lot is and this is this might be wild
00:57 But for me, it's Leonard Floyd like Leonard Floyd's one of the better ones in this year's class. That's kind of
01:02 Manageable, right? That's that's a realistic option and things like that just came off of a one-year deal
01:07 I believe in Buffalo has had nine to ten and a half sacks most seasons here recently
01:13 But then kind of saw that trickle down a little bit last year and I think that works in the Saints advantage
01:17 I think that what they've learned between
01:21 Carl Granderson Zach bond Cade Nellis over the course of past couple of years is that athleticism speed off the edge?
01:27 Works in this this day's league a little bit not more but works in different ways than size, right?
01:35 We know the Saints prototype they like big they like stocky they like you know, they like all that and I get that
01:40 but I think if we've seen the value that a
01:43 Speed rusher off the edge offers to this team if you're looking for somebody that's gonna come in and kind of be that
01:49 Situational pass rusher that third down guy
01:52 I thought I touted Justin Houston last year as somebody for them to maybe
01:56 Invest in just to kind of see if they can get somebody to rotate in on those third and long obvious passing down
02:01 situations effectively do what Zach bond did toward the end of the year a guy like
02:05 Leonard Floyd is a veteran who has done that before and can do it in your system
02:10 And then I think reinvesting in Zach bond might be a great option for them, too
02:14 They can solve it in-house almost by say believing what Zach bond just showed you toward the end of the season
02:22 bringing him back and allowing him to play that role a little bit more as a
02:25 Pass rusher as opposed to a coverage linebacker and then reinvesting in linebacker in another way
02:29 That's another guy that I really like along with a fantastic again
02:33 Really good edge rusher class coming up pass rusher class coming up in this year's draft
02:37 So in addition to what you might do in free agency
02:40 You can also double back or maybe even double up if you will at that at that spot in the draft
02:45 Yeah
02:46 I like you the fact you talk about speed because I think when you look at Trevor
02:50 Penning's first games he played the Titans and the Panthers
02:52 Totally a lot of speed off that edge, right?
02:55 Right, which it's not a typical I mean you're looking at three four defenses and stuff like that
03:01 I mean, it's just not typical and
03:03 In a lot of ways he got worked in some of that in the past bro
03:06 And the thing is he tells us the most he's aware of his problems
03:09 He knows it's his footing. It's his pad level. It's his hands
03:12 It's all those types of things and look the Saints believe that he can put it together still
03:16 But he's really got to show something here. And so again, I like the fact that in was that bond?
03:21 I don't know why it took so long to just kind of figure that out
03:24 But you know, it's interesting because if I'm a 3-4 team and kind of maybe pick up on that
03:29 You might be able to outbid the Saints, you know
03:32 and he's a guy that might get a little bit extra dollars if they see him as a
03:37 3-4 rusher potentially and so it's possible but you know again a free agency
03:43 That Saints are gonna have money to spend so let's not kid ourselves, right you see it every single year
03:49 They don't have cap money. They're so over the cap 82 million
03:53 We've seen a hundred million ninety something million. They find a way they'll do it
03:59 They'll get the math and they will spin players now
04:01 I understand people talking about the kick the can philosophy all this other stuff and the thing is if it works
04:06 Nobody cares, but it hasn't worked for three years
04:09 so this is a really really high pressure situation because you know, if it doesn't work this year and
04:15 DA gets ousted or and you just have this
04:19 Aging team. It's not like you can completely strip it down to the bones, right?
04:24 You still have a lot of guys you're gonna have to deal with and pay and financials and all this but it's an interesting
04:29 time for this Saints team and
04:31 Look, I know that they feel like they're in a position to compete and you saw the NFC
04:37 Not really impressed by the NFC San Francisco. Obviously was the cream of the crop
04:40 You saw Philly just fall off the face of the planet
04:44 You love what Detroit was able to do but I think this NFC when you look at it now
04:49 And of course the fun part about mock drafts is we haven't even gone through free agency
04:53 And so I like to see free agency first before we get into the huge draft stuff, but this team
04:59 Potentially could with all the new tools the offensive staff
05:04 Giving proper attention where it needs to be they could find themselves as a contender this next season
05:09 Oh, yeah for sure
05:11 And look, I mean there have been some teams within the within the division that have done some good work
05:15 Atlanta did some good work bringing in Raheem Morris adding Zach Robinson as their OC
05:20 We'll see what happens with the offensive coordinator change over in Tampa
05:24 But Liam Cohen is somebody at the Saints liked a few years ago as far as I understand it
05:28 As a potential Blake all or an OC so, you know, they'll have some competition and things like that
05:32 but like they're gonna be able to be in a position to
05:35 Compete as long as these changes work out and as long as the offensive line gets addressed whether that is
05:41 Addressed because they reinvested new players whether that's addressed because they get the development out of the players that they need and already have
05:49 Whatever it might be but they're gonna be in position to be able to do that
05:52 That's why you do what you do and not do it do what they did this offseason and you know
05:57 Scrap that offensive coaching staff with basically I mean position coach wise everyone but Clancy Barone
06:02 Ended up leaving the tight ends coach
06:05 And so, you know you go in there you rebuild that the things did that on the defensive staff
06:09 I had a 2023 and jumped up eight eleven interceptions were added to that that allowed fewer
06:15 I believe it was fewer passing yards and and or fewer rushing yards and a little bit more in terms of passing yards
06:21 But not by much. He was less than 500 yards
06:22 Hey, they they it worked and so you're hoping to see the same thing over in the offensive side and look if it doesn't
06:28 You take your medicine for a year and then you're you're back into being in a situation to where you're ready to kick the can
06:35 Down the road and start the whole process over again. You pull a Tampa
06:38 2023 and you go
06:40 Okay
06:40 well
06:40 We're gonna grab this quarterback and try to compete still and have the talent that you do have for that year
06:46 But you mostly take your medicine for 2025
06:48 Then you're back at it again in 2026 like all the people that get upset about the New Orleans Saints salary cap situation
06:54 And oh, it's eventually gonna catch up with them. They're gonna have to take their medicine. Walla. We're talking about
06:58 15 years of competing
07:01 One year of a reset button and then you're effectively ready to start building again the year after you'll still have some things you have
07:07 to pay off in 26, but
07:09 You can take the majority of it in 25, so it's not the end of the world
07:13 But I think that what you're looking for from this New Orleans Saints team is to be competitive and be a playoff team here
07:18 in 2024
07:19 And anything less than that's gonna be a bit disappointing for sure
07:23 Yeah, and it's got a leap to some accountability
07:26 I mean you just cannot afford to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight year and you know again the
07:31 philosophy and the way for those who just don't understand like the salary cap is
07:35 Expected to rise every single year and it has up until it had up until kovat
07:41 And so this broadcasting deals all this stuff
07:43 So it's just a sense that you know
07:45 I remember the day what back and when it was first the thing is like 35 million dollars and now we're up to
07:50 230 plus I mean it's just insane but again
07:54 That's what they kind of bank on is that you know you can kind of push some of this because this salary cap does rise
08:00 For every year you're gonna get more things
08:02 Broadcast deals all this type of stuff. It should help out the financial picture and so it makes sense
08:08 You know again you got to look at everything. They're gonna have to make some tough decisions
08:13 They're gonna have to figure out what to do with Jamis Winston
08:15 You're gonna have to figure out what to do with Anders Pete Michael Thomas
08:18 I think that's probably a rap for Michael Thomas in New Orleans
08:22 They've got to figure out are they gonna move Marshawn Latimer, you know, is that a viable option?
08:26 I think there's cut candidates that we're gonna look at Marcus Mays
08:30 Probably one of the prime candidates that I'd say and so they can make money
08:35 Appear but how they get there is just what's gonna be fascinating and one thing I will say they're not trading Alvin commander
08:41 To the Ravens for something. I don't know what somebody was thinking and that genius pro trade
08:47 What that's like?
08:50 Great Tesla for a Pinto, you know
08:55 Yeah, that's that that's the classic like
09:00 You ever seen a camera what movie it was, but it was Chris rocks first movie when he just wants one rib
09:06 One rib like that
09:11 Yeah, and everything it was wild and I feel bad because it was it was our our Ravens guy over at locked on was the
09:19 One that tweeted it out sharing it and everything. Everybody thought that he was one that was proposing it
09:24 Ah, yeah, no Alvin career is not getting traded anywhere for a seventh around pick. It's 2024. That's definitely not happening
09:29 Yeah, I'm gonna have to riot if that happens
09:31 So it just doesn't make sense. But again all season fun is coming. You got the combine
09:37 And in a couple weeks, we'll be out there and we got the HBCU Legacy Bowl, you know combine coming up tomorrow on Monday
09:44 That's gonna be really exciting to see a lot of local prospects can be held in the Saints backyard and such
09:48 So real fun times that's coming ahead
09:51 I know people are like I miss football because this is the first Sunday without football and I'll be the last Sunday for a while
09:56 Until at least until the UFL kicks off in March
09:59 so I think that's that'll help build some time but