New Orleans Saints

For the second straight year, the New Orleans Saints saw their postseason end in devastating fashion.

After a miracle play in 2017 followed by an overtime loss (with questionable officiating) in 2018, the Saints are likely desperate for another crack at the playoffs next year.

The problem is, the regular season stands in the way, and you can't assume anything in the NFL.

Drew Brees will try to keep his team focused on the prize as the squad attempts to build off last year's league-best 13-3 record. 

Here is a look at the schedule for the upcoming season, courtesy of the team's official website.

       

Saints' 2019 Schedule

Week 1: vs. Houston Texans on Sept. 9 at 7:10 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 2: at Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 15 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 3: at Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 22 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 29 at 8:20 p.m. on NBC

Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 7: at Chicago Bears on Oct. 20 at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 8: vs. Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 9: BYE

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 11: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 17 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers on Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 13: at Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 28 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC

Week 14: vs. San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 8 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 15: vs. Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 16 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 16: at Tennessee Titans on Dec. 22 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 17: at Carolina Panthers on Dec. 29 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

             

Analysis

For teams that win 13 games, the offseason is less about improvement and more to do with keeping the roster intact, and the Saints did that for the most part.

Mark Ingram is gone after eight years with the team, but it was Alvin Kamara's backfield last year anyway. Latavius Murray should also provide some valuable depth at running back.

On defense, former Patriot Malcom Brown should help solidify the middle of the defensive line.

There will be still opportunities to upgrade the team through the draft and more before the start of training camp, but the Saints made sure they at least didn't get any worse. With a roster full of young players who are only getting better, this should be enough to compete for a championship.

Of course, the NFC is full of high-level teams that will once again be top contenders in 2019.

The Saints have a relatively easy schedule overall (ranked No. 22 in the NFL, per John Breech of CBS Sports), but they will see a lot of their biggest competitors in the regular season between the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears and more.

New Orleans will need to be ready for these challenges if it wants to remain in the title hunt.

          

Pivotal Matchups

It will be a tough road to the No. 1 seed in the NFC this season thanks to road games against the Rams, Bears and Seattle Seahawks.

New Orleans went 7-1 on the road last season, but the squad is historically better in the Superdome, with Brees especially better playing at home. In 2018, he had a 133.3 quarterback rating at home compared to a still-respectable 99.3 mark on the road.

The 40-year-old will clearly have to step up his game in Week 2 against the Rams and Week 7 against the Bears.

In Chicago, the offense will have to find a way to score against one of the toughest defenses in the league. In Los Angeles, Brees will have to outscore an offense that was impressive throughout last season.

These games will not only serve as a measuring stick for the team during the year, but they could also become tiebreakers for playoff seeding down the line.

In an interview with NFL Network's Steve Wyche, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton explained how teams are so focused on finding the "next Sean McVay" that other qualified coaches get "pigeonholed" before getting an opportunity to prove themselves.

I asked @Saints Coach Sean Payton about the trend of teams hiring young, offensive-minded head coaches. He delivered a strong, honest response, capped by him saying some teams are making mistakes and the Saints can’t wait to play them. This is damn good. 🔥🔥🔥@nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/AOiAsLCXeO

— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) March 28, 2019

He added: "Ultimately you would say if we did a little history, successful head coaches probably come from the East and the West and North and South. They probably come of both color, and they probably come on defense and on offense. And they're good leaders."

The lack of diversity has also led to some calls for action.

Of the eight teams that changed head coaches following the 2018 season, Brian Flores with the Miami Dolphins was the only non-white coach hired. Ron Rivera (Carolina Panthers), Anthony Lynn (Los Angeles Chargers) and Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers) are the other minority head coaches in the NFL.

According to an Associated Press study conducted last season, only four minorities worked on the 32 coaching staffs as an offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach.

Mark Maske of the Washington Post reported in January the Fritz Pollard Alliance, a group that works to promote diversity and job opportunities in the NFL, planned to ask the league to create two entry-level positions in an attempt to increase the number of minority coaches.

There has also been a growing divide in the hiring process between offensive and defensive coaches. High-powered offenses have taken over the NFL, as teams averaged 23.3 points per game in 2018, the third-highest total in league history.

Six of the eight new head coaches hired this offseason came from an offensive background. Zac Taylor and Matt LaFleur were offensive coordinators last season. Freddie Kitchens started 2018 as the Cleveland Browns running backs coach, then was named offensive coordinator after Hue Jackson was fired before eventually being hired as head coach in January.

Over the past two seasons, 14 of 32 teams have made a change at head coach. Only Flores, Vic Fangio (Denver Broncos), Matt Patricia (Detroit Lions) and Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans) were hired as head coaches after being defensive coordinators.

The New Orleans Saints and tight end Jared Cook agreed to terms on a contract, the team announced Tuesday.  

Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Cook will make $15.5 million over two years with $8 million guaranteed in 2019. 

Cook, a third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in the 2009 NFL draft, was almost perennially viewed as a breakout candidate across the first eight years of his career, which included stops with the St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers in addition to his four seasons with the Titans.

Although the 31-year-old University of South Carolina product often failed to live up to expectations in those stops, he found a comfort zone with the Oakland Raiders over the past two seasons.

That includes his long-awaited breakout campaign in 2018 as he posted career-high totals in receptions (68), receiving yards (896) and touchdowns (six) while playing all 16 games.

Cook jokingly sidestepped a question in December about whether he'd like to stay with the Raiders with the potential of a big payday looming as an unrestricted free agent.

"Yeah, of course," he told reporters. "I mean, who don't want a job? You don't want a job next year?"

In all, Cook has tallied 425 catches for 5,464 yards and 25 scores across 149 appearances.

Ultimately, he took the opportunity to cash in on his strong season with the Raiders. Now the pressure is on him to replicate that type of production within the Saints' offense.

Cook should slot in as the team's No. 3 target behind wide receivers Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith. Running back Alvin Kamara is also a major pass-catching threat out of the backfield, which could limit his overall numbers.

The New Orleans Saints are "nearing" a deal with free-agent tight end Jared Cook, according to Pro Football Talk on Wednesday.

NFL.com's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Thursday morning that "the Saints are expected" to sign Cook.

The 31-year-old veteran is coming off the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.

Cook recorded career highs in receptions (68), yards (896) and touchdowns (six) with the Oakland Raiders in 2018. He led the team in all three categories, although running back Jalen Richard tied him in 68 catches.

Per Pro Football Focus, Cook recorded the fifth-highest receiving grade (81.5) among tight ends a season ago.

PFF 2019 NFL Free Agency Profile:
#Raiders Tight End Jared Cook https://t.co/Qgvq1RhbYX pic.twitter.com/NRf93jRXsF

— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) March 18, 2019

Last season wasn't a fluke, though. He has been a productive pass-catcher throughout his career. 

The South Carolina Gamecock has averaged 48 receptions for 629 yards and three scores since establishing himself in 2011 with Tennessee. The Georgia native has put those numbers up even while moving from team to team, as he has also suited up for St. Louis and Green Bay.

New Orleans, meanwhile, needed to address the tight end position following the retirement of Benjamin Watson. Earlier this offseason, the Saints signed Garrett Griffin from the practice squad and Nate Wozniak to a reserve/futures contract. That provided the team with options at the position, but neither has Cook's track record.

The addition of Cook should help a passing attack that ranked 12th last year. More importantly, it gives the team another playmaker to utilize as it looks to avenge last season's controversial NFC title game loss.

Although Drew Brees is 40, one of his former teammates believes he isn't close to calling it quits.

"I think that Drew has, in my objective opinion, about another two to three years left," former New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma told TMZ Sports.

"But if you ask Drew," he added, "he's got like another 10 or 15 years left."

Brees finished last season with 3,992 passing yards and 32 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He led the NFL with a 115.7 passer rating and broke his own record with a 74.4 completion percentage.

His play earned him his 12th career Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro honors behind Patrick Mahomes. And Considering Tom Brady is almost two years older and still getting it done, Brees doesn't necessarily have to retire anytime soon.

Teddy Bridgewater recently signed a one-year, $7.25 million deal to back up Brees instead of potentially becoming a starter with the Miami Dolphins, telling Luke Johnson of the Times-Picayune: "I'm still 26 years old. The way I look at it is that I'll have another opportunity to start in this league at some point."

He could be planning on taking over for Brees down the line, although there is clearly no timetable for that.

The New Orleans Saints and free-agent interior lineman Nick Easton agreed to a four-year, $24 million deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The move comes a day after Field Yates of ESPN reported Max Unger, the Saints' starting center for the past four seasons, is retiring. Not surprisingly, Schefter added New Orleans plans to line up Easton at center. He lined up at center, left guard and right guard for the Vikings in 2017.

Easton missed the entire 2018 season after undergoing surgery for a herniated disc in his neck. SiriusXM NFL Radio's Adam Caplan reported the 26-year-old has made a full recovery from the procedure.

Some might argue the Saints overpaid in order to secure Easton's services. His $6 million average annual salary will rank 14th among centers, per Spotrac.

However, Jason B. Hirschhorn of SB Nation's Acme Packing Company noted why New Orleans had an added level of desperation to sign a proven offensive lineman:

This is a lot of money for Nick Easton, but the Saints just lost starting center Max Unger to retirement and don't have a first- or third-round draft pick. https://t.co/mQbv43n8EL

— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) March 18, 2019

While Easton isn't a natural center, he has more experience over Cameron Tom, who was Unger's backup as a rookie in 2018.

The Pioneer Press' Chris Tomasson reported the Vikings made a formal offer to Easton as he was weighing a final decision. Without making a corresponding move or two, though, Minnesota simply couldn't match the terms of his new deal with the Saints. The Vikings have a little over $2.3 million in available salary cap space, the lowest in the league, per Over the Cap.

Given the team's limited financial means, the draft seems the likeliest route for Minnesota to find Easton's successor. It has one selection in each of the first four rounds and a sixth-rounder as well. The Vikings also have three compensatory picks—one sixth-rounder and two seventh-rounders.

Offensive line was already a priority, with Bleacher Report's Matt Miller projecting Oklahoma offensive lineman Cody Ford to Minnesota in his most recent mock draft. Now, the Vikings have another reason to approach the draft with an eye toward strengthening at the point of attack.

New Orleans Saints center Max Unger has retired after 10 seasons in the NFL.

Unger confirmed the decision on Monday, via Mike Triplett of ESPN, after ESPN's Field Yates first reported the decision on Saturday.

Triplett reported Unger said he has "been dealing with the maintenance of a lower-body injury for a while and doctor recommended surgery that would take full offseason to recover." Triplett added Unger "didn't think he could do that and keep playing up to his standard."

Unger has been hiking footballs to quarterback Drew Brees since 2015. As a Saint, Unger has started 63 out of 64 possible regular-season games. He spent the first six seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected him in the second round of the 2009 NFL draft. 

The Saints acquired Unger in exchange for sending tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks in March 2015.

The only positive the Saints can take from Unger's retirement is that his placement on the reserve/retired list relieves $6.95 million in salary-cap space, per Triplett, as $1.75 in dead money will still count against the team's cap.

Unger was entering the final season of his three-year, $22.2 million contract. He will turn 33 years old on April 14. 

Unger's departure will leave a gaping hole along the Saints offensive line as Unger's 63 games with Brees make him the longest-tenured center of Brees' career. In December, Brees told Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune of Unger, "He's the glue that holds a lot of what we do together."

Brees also credited Unger with extending his career and labeled him as the center young guys should strive to be like: "The center position really sets the tone. They set the tone for the whole O-line."

Last season marked Unger's first time being selected for the Pro Bowl as a Saint. He racked up 1,013 snaps in 2018, only marginally down from his 1,037 in 2017. Unger appeared in three Pro Bowls throughout his career and was named first-team All-Pro in 2012.

Moving forward, the Saints may turn to backup centers Cameron Tom or Will Clapp. Tom was signed by the Saints after going undrafted in 2017, while Clapp was selected in the seventh round of last year's draft.

When asked by a fan on Twitter in May last year, retired Saints offensive tackle Zach Strief named Tom as the offensive lineman soon to make a name for himself. That time now can't come soon enough from the team's perspective.

Rod Walker of the New Orleans Advocate pegged free-agent centers Stefen Wisniewski, John Sullivan, Ryan Groy and Tyler Shatley as potential targets. The Advocate's Nick Underhill tossed free agent Nick Easton, who has spent both his NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, into the mix as well.

New Orleans does not own picks in the first round, third round or fourth round of the upcoming 2019 NFL draft. 

Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater explained Friday why he decided to re-sign with the New Orleans Saints rather than join the Miami Dolphins to potentially compete for a starting job.

Appearing on WWL radio (h/t Luke Johnson of the Times-Picayune), Bridgewater said: "You play the game to compete, and you want to be a starter, but at the same time you don't want to rush yourself to be in any situation that could possibly lead you back to where you are today."

Bridgewater added that re-signing with the Saints was the best move for him "as a football player and as a man."

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Bridgewater signed a one-year, $7.25 million fully guaranteed deal to serve as Drew Brees' backup in New Orleans. Bridgewater re-signed with the Saints after the Dolphins hosted him for a free-agent visit Wednesday.

ESPN's Field Yates provided some possible insight into why Bridgewater chose New Orleans over Miami:

The best chance to start right away for Teddy Bridgewater was to leave in free agency.

The best chance to lay the foundation to be a long-term starter for Teddy Bridgewater was to stay in New Orleans. It will take patience, but this could well pay off in a major way.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 12, 2019

Since suffering a major knee injury that cost him the entire 2016 season, Bridgewater has appeared in just six regular-season games. He threw two passes for the Minnesota Vikings in 2017 before signing a free-agent deal with the New York Jets.

He was then traded to the Saints last season, and he started the team's season finale, where he went 14-of-22 for 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception while leading an offense primarily composed of reserves.

Prior to the knee injury, Bridgewater was a rising star. The Vikings selected him in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft out of Louisville, and in his second season, he led the Vikes to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth.

Bridgewater was also named to the Pro Bowl that season after completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 3,231 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for 192 yards and three scores.

Signing with Miami may have given Bridgewater an opportunity to start in 2019. The Dolphins are expected to release incumbent starter Ryan Tannehill, and there aren't many options left in free agency.

The Dolphins do own the No. 13 pick in the 2019 draft, though, and they could look to select their quarterback of the future in Kyler Murray, Dwayne Haskins, Drew Lock or Daniel Jones.

If the Dolphins were to do that and sign Bridgewater, it's possible he would have been supplanted at some point in 2019 or entering the 2020 season.

While Bridgewater is the clear backup to Brees in 2019, remaining with the organization leaves the door open for him to be the heir apparent when Brees retires. While Brees hasn't indicated when that time will come, he is 40 years old.

Taking over for Brees would be a dream scenario for Bridgewater, and the possibility of that happening in the near future seemed to outweigh the instant gratification of starting for a rebuilding team in Miami.

The best free-agent quarterback still on the market is gone after Teddy Bridgewater agreed to return to the New Orleans Saints.

Bridgewater announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday. ESPN's Adam Schefter cited colleague Dianna Russini while reporting the news.

https://twitter.com/teddyb_h2o/status/1106317314302062595

According to Schefter, Bridgewater agreed to a fully guaranteed, one-year contract worth $7.25 million:

Teddy Bridgewater’s 1-year, $7.5 million deal with the Saints also has a maximum value of $12.5 million dollars with incentives, per source. https://t.co/03x2dPFxcg

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2019

Bridgewater has been trying to work his way back into a more prominent role after a horrific knee injury with the Minnesota Vikings during training camp in August 2016 knocked his career off course. 

"It's mangled," Dr. Dan Cooper told ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor of Bridgewater's injury. "You make the skin incision, and there's nothing there. It's almost like a war wound. Everything is blown."

After appearing in the 2017 regular-season finale with the Vikings, Bridgewater signed a one-year deal with the New York Jets last year. He showed promise during the preseason, throwing for 316 yards and two touchdowns in four games. 

Teddy Bridgewater has been impressive so far this preseason!https://t.co/Tc0qJVubGa pic.twitter.com/aLuQp86N0o

— PFF (@PFF) August 17, 2018

Bridgewater's performance caught the eye of the New Orleans Saints, who acquired him late in the preseason for a third-round draft pick. The 26-year-old appeared in five games last season, including his first start since 2015 in Week 17.

Bridgewater returning to the Saints ends a whirlwind period for the veteran quarterback. 

Per NFL Network's Jane Slater, Bridgewater seemed to be on the verge of returning to the Saints despite having a bigger contract offer from Miami:

Teddy Bridgewater expected to re-sign with the New Orleans Saints despite a bigger deal on the table from Miami. I’m told Bridgewater values the locker room culture and prospect of one day becoming the Saints starting QB per source informed. #Saints

— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) March 12, 2019

When free agents were allowed to sign contracts at 4 p.m. ET on March 13, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported Bridgewater was at the Dolphins facilities meeting with the team. 

Even though the Saints can't offer Bridgewater a starting job in 2019 due to the presence of Drew Brees, there are plenty of reasons to explain his decision. 

Brees is 40 years old and likely won't have many more years on the field. When Bridgewater's opportunity to start arrives, he should have an easy transition thanks to the presence of stars like Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. 

The New Orleans Saints will reportedly sign defensive tackle Malcom Brown to a three-year deal worth $15 million, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. 

Brown spent the past four years with the New England Patriots after being drafted in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft. He appeared in 60 regular-season games during this stretch, starting 51 of them.

Pro Football Focus provided a breakdown of the tackle's career to this point:

Malcom Brown played at least 500 snaps in each of his first four seasons with the Patriots, and finished 3 of his 4 seasons with plus-grades overall, joining New Orleans on the heels of the lowest-graded season of his career. https://t.co/CtZ1ZegzsN

— PFF (@PFF) March 14, 2019

The negative grade likely came from his limited impact in the pass rush. Brown had at least 2.5 sacks and five quarterback hits in each of his first three seasons but didn't get a single sack in 2018, totaling just one quarterback hit.

Still, he was a key player throughout the year for New England, starting in the Super Bowl LIII win over the Los Angeles Rams. It was his second championship in his young career.

Considering he is still just 25 years old, he should continue to improve and potentially gain more consistency going forward.

This will be big for the Saints, who could potentially line Brown up either next to Sheldon Rankins or in place of him after he suffered an Achilles injury last season.

DT was a big need for the Saints, and Malcom Brown should see immediate action

— John Hendrix (@JohnJHendrix) March 14, 2019

Malcom Brown's addition is pretty huge for the Saints with Sheldon Rankins recovering from a torn Achilles. He's a strong PUP candidate. At DT now, they have those two, Onyemata, Stallworth and Tomasi Laulile

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) March 14, 2019

The Saints had the No. 3 offense in the NFL but just the No. 14 defense in 2018, so an improvement on that side of the ball could help bring the team closer to elite status as the squad tries to contend for a championship.