Last offseason, the New Orleans Saints threw big money at Derek Carr in free agency in an attempt to shore up their quarterback situation following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Drew Brees.
Carr put up decent numbers in his first season in New Orleans, but struggled with consistency while playing behind a banged-up and underperforming offensive line.
With an eye toward the future, the Saints spent a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler, and some believe the time to see Carr's eventual successor might be sooner than later.
In his first season with the Saints, Derek Carr passed for 3,878 yards and 25 touchdowns, with eight interceptions.
“Derek Carr’s play is so up-and-down that the Saints have to start thinking about what they have in Spencer Rattler," a rival scout told Athlon Sports for this year's NFL preview magazine , on sale at newsstands now. "That’s a long-term play for a coaching staff that’s under heavy evaluation."
"If ownership makes a change after this season, I doubt it comes in personnel," the scout continued. "General manager Mickey Loomis is in good standing. Head coach Dennis Allen is under review. They’ve got to win more."
There's plenty of talent throughout the rest of the Saints' offense, and they spent their top pick in this year's draft to bolster the offensive line, which could lead to more consistency from Carr and the rest of the unit this season.
"Alvin Kamara hasn’t stopped being one of the most versatile backs in the game," the scout said. "Chris Olave dominates these nickel corners. They can’t stop him in the slot. ... Juwan Johnson is below the radar, but he’s a really good tight end. .... Trevor Penning is a brawler at the line of scrimmage. ... The Ryan Ramczyk health situation prompted them to draft Taliese Fuaga. See him being an upgrade very soon."
On defense, the Saints still have some bright spots, but age and health will be a huge factor in determining the success of that unit, both now and in the future.
"Demario Davis’ play belies his age," another scout said. "He hasn’t slowed down a bit. ... Chase Young may need a lot of time before he’s 100 percent healthy. ... Pete Werner keeps finding the football and making plays. ... Tyrann Mathieu has declined as a player. ... Marshon Lattimore is constantly in trade rumors. Maybe one of these days they’ll actually trade him. ... Kool-Aid McKinstry looks like a plug-and-play type at corner.”
The Saints are fortunate to be playing in arguably the most winnable division in the NFL, but if they want to unseat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (division winners in each of the last three seasons) and keep the Atlanta Falcons from passing them up, Carr will have to rise to the occasion and bring the rest of the team with him.
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