By: Michael Higgins

The New Orleans Saints have seemingly put themselves in a state of purgatory. They are not good enough to compete for a Super Bowl, but they are not bad enough to tank for the 1st pick in the draft. You could say that this is the worst position to be in as a team in the NFL.

New Orleans lost a good amount of talent to free agency and cap crunches. Key players include LB Zack Baun, SAF Marcus Maye, OL Andrus Peat, WR Michael Thomas, QB Jameis Winston, and CB Isaac Yiadom. The Saints had a lot of work to do with little room to get it done in terms of cap space.

They were able to pick up a few nice additions in free agency. EDGE Chase Young, WR Cedrick Wilson, and LB Willie Gay all signed on “prove it” deals with the team. The Saints also need to turn their draft history around. The last few years have not been filled with too much draft success. This year’s draft class looks like it can break that trend for New Orleans. They took OT Taliese Fuaga in the 1st round, a candidate to kick inside to guard. They were also able to get CB Kool-Aid McKinstry in the 2nd round, a guy that I had a high 1st round grade on. In the later rounds they took QB Spencer Rattler, who has impressed early and could look to be the team’s future starter, WR Bub Means, and LB Jaylan Ford.

Even with the solid draft, the Saints did not improve enough for me to even assume that they will push for a playoff spot. The one thing working for them is the fact that they play in the worst division in football.

New Orleans starts the season at home against the Panthers before packing their bags for Dallas to take on the Cowboys. They host the Eagles and then close the opening month in Atlanta to play the Falcons. The Saints go 2-2 in September.

They start October on Monday Night Football in Kansas City against the Super Bowl Champions. They go back home for a two-game homestand that includes the Buccaneers and the Broncos on Thursday Night Football. They finish October in Los Angeles against the Chargers. The Saints go 2-2 in October.

In November, the Saints go to Carolina to play the Panthers, come back home to play the Falcons and the Browns, and have a Week 12 bye. The Saints go 1-2 in November.

The Saints play host to the Rams to start December, go up to New Jersey to play the Giants, play the Commanders at home, play in Green Bay on Monday Night Football, host the Raiders, and finish the season in Tampa Bay. They’ll be halfway to their offseason vacation in the Bahamas for their Week 18 matchup. The Saints go 3-3 in this final stretch of games.

I have the Saints finishing 2024 with a record of 8-9. This may even be a bit optimistic for them. They have some stars and some guys who can take big leaps. However, coaching and a tight cap has held them back in recent years.

2023 Record: 9-8

2024 Prediction: 8-9