Saints Urged To Address ‘Clear Weakness’ For Training Camp

The New Orleans Saints offense has the pieces in place to be one of the better units in the NFL. Led by quarterback Derek Carr, he has some elite talent around him to get the ball to.

Running back Alvin Kamara remains one of the best dual-threats in the NFL. Chris Olave has wasted no time showing that he can be a bonafide No. 1 receiver in the NFL.

Flanking him as the starter this season will be the emerging Rashid Shaheed. He will combine with Olave to give Carr a solid one-two punch atop the wide receiver depth chart.

Alas, things behind them leave a lot to be desired. With Michael Thomas being released this offseason, there isn’t much in the way of reliability or established players behind their top two options.

As a result, Thomas Valentine of PFF has urged the Saints to address the clear weakness on their roster. He believes the team should sign a free agent wide receiver to improve the depth of the offense.

“The Saints’ offense struggled in 2023. Derek Carr’s numbers in his first season in New Orleans were solid, and his 77.2 PFF overall grade ranked 16th, but he and the Saints never really put their foot on the gas.

The front office improved the offensive line and added Equanimeous St. Brown and Cedrick Wilson Jr. in free agency, but the receiver room still looks thin.

While Chris Olave is a superstar and Rashid Shaheed and A.T. Perry should be serviceable, the lack of a true No. 2 receiver, unless either Shaheed or Perry steps up, is a clear weakness,” Valentine wrote.

Cedrick Wilson Jr. looked like an emerging player with the Dallas Cowboys when he signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent in 2022. Alas, that coincided with the team acquiring Tyreek Hill, relegating him to rotational duty behind him and Jaylen Waddle.

Wilson could regain the form he showed in 2021 with Dallas when he caught 45 passes for 602 yards and six touchdowns. In six seasons in the NFL, Equanimeous St. Brown has caught only 63 passes for 928 yards and two touchdowns.

The free agent market is thin at this point in the offseason, but that could change once teams start cutting down the roster later in training camp. For now, a veteran such as Hunter Renfrow would make sense.

Renfrow would provide the Saints with a reliable slot option to work alongside Olave and Shaheed. He also has experience playing with Carr from their time with the Las Vegas Raiders.

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