The national expectations are plenty low for the Saints heading into the 2024 season, but all that means is the team should have no problem exceeding them.
That can be the case, as ESPN's Stan Verrett explained on SportsTalk this week, if the team can finally get some luck on their side, particularly in the trenches. Vegas placed the team's win total over/under at 7.5 heading into the new season.
Listen to the full interview with Stan Verrett in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here .
"I think they have the Trent Williams of the future in [rookie [Taliese] Fuaga, I think he’s gonna be a star at left tackle," Verrett said. "But the Saints need some luck. They either need [Ryan] Ramczyk’s knee to hold up or they need [Trevor] Penning to take the next step on the other side, because, you know what you’ve got in McCoy. You know what you’ve got in Ruiz. ... So if you get some luck at right tackle with either Ramczyk or Penning, the offense should be pretty good."
Verrett, a Louisiana native and St. Aug alum, also sees the shift of Penning to the right side as something that could jumpstart his NFL career after a pair of underwhelming seasons for the former first round pick. He dealt with injuries throughout the majority of the 2022 season, and started the first five games at left tackle a year ago before getting benched in favor of Andrus Peat.
"That is a large human being and when he’s bearing down in the run game, I think that can really help him get rolling," Verrett said. "Playing left tackle in the NFL is — it’s a lot for a young player. … You usually got the other team’s best pass rusher coming at you and you’re protecting the quarterback’s blind side, there’s a lot invested there, and so I think this move to the right side, maybe just for now, or if Fuaga is who they think he is, I mean, maybe that’s the future, those two guys at tackle.”
Another major reason for the optimism is the new offensive scheme brought in by Klint Kubiak, which should be well suited for the type of athletic and mobile offensive line group that the Saints have. Things will rely more on deception and ideally be a good fit for Alvin Kamara after a pair of down seasons.
The star running back made waves this offseason when he departed minicamp early as he pushed for a reworked contract.
"Kamara can be as productive as [49ers RB Christian] McCaffrey, I really believe that," Verrett said. "His yards per carry has been down a little bit, but I think a lot of that is the offensive line. I think if you give him what he needs, he’s gonna do his part."
The onus will also be on Kubiak, quarterback Derek Carr, star wide receiver Chris Olave and the rest of the cast of characters to make things go and take advantage of the ball in space.
But they could also use a stroke of luck on the other side of the trenches, with the Saints in need of a revitalized pass rush after a season that saw them finish 28th in total sacks (34) and QB pressures (118) across the 2023 season, according to Pro Football Reference. For those figures to improve, they'll not only need production from entrenched players like Cam Jordan or Carl Granderson, but also a significant impact from one or more newcomer Chase Young, oft-injured Payton Turner and 2023 2nd rounder Isaiah Foskey.
"Again, they need a little bit of luck. They need Chase Young to be the best version of himself because in passing situations," he continued. "If you can put Jordan, Granderson, [Bryan] Bresee and then if [possibly Khristian Boyd], you’ve got a rotation of five guys who can get to the passer."
We'll get our first extended look at this year's Saints group later in the month when the team kicks off training camp practices on the campus of U.C. Irvine in southern California on July 24.
Most Popular
Comments / 0