The New Orleans Saints checked their first and most important box on their offseason wish list when they and former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr agreed to terms on a four-year contract Monday morning.
Everything begins with the quarterback, but now the Saints can begin the process of assembling the pieces around him.
It was important for both Carr and the Saints to get something done this week. The new league year begins next week, bringing with it the so-called “legal tampering period” and the start of free agency. With Carr in place, the Saints not only became a more attractive option for prospective free agents but they also gained a valuable recruiter.
One of the Saints’ selling points in their conversations with Carr was the offensive line, which is a strong unit when healthy. But much of the focus this offseason will be on filling out the offensive skill positions with players that both complement Carr’s skillset and make the Saints a more well-rounded offense.
With the quarterback position settled, here’s a look at what should be on the horizon between now and the conclusion of the NFL draft.
Michael Thomas on board?
At one time it looked like a foregone conclusion that the Saints and Thomas were destined to part ways, but perhaps there should be optimism about his potential return.
The Saints last week didn’t appear ready to cut ties with Thomas, but two things needed to happen: The Saints needed to upgrade at quarterback, and Thomas needed to agree to rework his contract into something more team-friendly.
That first part appears to have resonated with Thomas, who enthusiastically reacted to the Carr news on his social media. The second part remains to be seen.
Whether with the Saints or elsewhere, Thomas will make less money in 2023 than he has in recent years — because of both his recent injury history and his age. Can the Saints convince him that this is still the place to be?
Don’t be surprised to hear word of Carr reaching out to Thomas in the coming days, perhaps traveling to get some on-field work with him.
Timing is of the essence: A $31 million roster bonus for the 2024 season triggers and becomes guaranteed if Thomas is still on the roster March 17.
New top priority?
Without doubt, the No. 1 mission for New Orleans this offseason was to get better at quarterback, and it got out ahead of the rest of the league by getting that done March 6.
What is the most pressing need now? The answer might be running back.
Alvin Kamara has a trial date set for late July stemming from his arrest in February 2022 in Las Vegas, and his status for the 2023 season is up in the air. Even if there wasn’t a question about Kamara, the Saints still would be looking to upgrade the talent in the room.
Kamara carried too heavy of a load the last two seasons, and his percentage of explosive plays cratered. The Saints didn’t really have anyone else to turn to — their second-best running back might’ve been Taysom Hill, and he rarely lined up at the position.
This year’s draft has an impressive running back class, both in terms of depth and high-end talent. With quarterback locked up, it would not be a surprise to see New Orleans use one of its top two picks on a runner — even potentially to make an aggressive move up for someone such as Bijan Robinson from Texas if he falls toward the bottom of the first round.
The free agent class also has some promising players, though two of them (Josh Jacobs from Las Vegas and Tony Pollard from Dallas) already have been given the franchise tag. It also wouldn’t be surprising to see the Saints wait out the first wave of free agency to see if there’s a good player available at a price point that makes sense for them.
In fact, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the team add a runner both via free agency and the draft. It’s that important.
Move-the-chains guy
Even if the Saints bring Thomas back, it wouldn’t hurt to add another player whom they can count on to get 5 tough yards when necessary.
New Orleans did a full accounting of last year’s offensive problems, and found it too often faltered in the red zone and on third down because it didn’t have someone who could reliably make a tough catch in traffic. The Saints believe they would’ve won three or four more games with that type of player on the roster.
New Orleans already has some promising pass catchers — Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Juwan Johnson are all coming off strong seasons — but they still feel they are missing an element for Carr in the passing game.
Thomas would fill this void, but considering his injury history, it’d be wise for New Orleans to have its bases covered. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be a wide receiver.
This year’s draft class is loaded at tight end. NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said it’s the best he’s seen in a decade.
Several of these players profile as the type of pass catchers the Saints are looking for, including Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid, both of whom could be in play at the back end of the first round.
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