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The New Orleans Saints 2014 season did not go as well as they had hoped. They went in to the season expecting to win their division and potentially contend for a Super Bowl championship. Unfortunately, those dreams and aspirations failed to materialize as the team limped into second place in NFC South. After finishing with a terrible record of 7-9, New Orleans will be looking to fill some needs on both sides of the ball in order to contend in 2015.
This team’s offense was ranked among the NFL’s best in 2014, averaging 400 yards per contest. Untimely and stunning mistakes held them back from having real consistency however. The lack of defensive help put all of the pressure on quarterback Drew Brees and the offense at times, making it tough for them to come through at critical moments.
On the defensive side of the ball the 2014 season was nothing less than putrid and calling it that is being nice. The Saints’ defense was sliced and diced week-in and week-out with second-year defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s unit finishing 31st in the league.
With the draft over a month-and-a-half away, the Saints have already addressed one need. In a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, they sent away a guy that still has great value. Tight end Jimmy Graham and a 2015 fourth-round pick were traded to Seattle for a quality center — Max Unger — and a 2015 first-round pick (31st overall). The Saints have gotten better along the offensive line and now have the ability to draft two solid players that can contribute right away.
As free agency goes on, they will continue to find players that they feel can help this team. The draft is where you find the guys who become the nucleus of your ball club but it does not happen in one off-season.
Four of the positions the Saints need to address in this upcoming 2015 NFL Draft are:
4. Quarterback: Obviously Drew Brees — a nine-time Pro Bowler — isn’t going anywhere. He is getting older however and head coach Sean Payton is not leaving recently re-signed Luke McCown as the future Hall of Famer’s only back up. McCown might lead them to a few wins if Brees can’t play but he’s not the answer as a starter. Father Time stops for no man so it would be a good idea for New Orleans to select another signal-caller at some point in the draft.
3. Nose Guard: In a 3-4 base defense, a big space-eating nose guard is needed. His job is to take up a lot of room and push the pocket back into the quarterback. In 2013, Saints’ defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley did a decent job holding down the middle. This past season… not so much. He made a few plays but, for the most part, New Orleans was slaughtered up the middle by opposing teams’ rushing attacks. Bunkley is a nine-year vet and suffered a quad injury in late November. Second-year man John Jenkins filled in and was a disappointment as well.
The Saints need to get younger at this position. Even if Bunkley does come back for another season, they need a quality starter that can wreak havoc in the backfield.
2. Inside Linebacker: This position was another sore spot for the Saints. Although Curtis Lofton recorded 144 tackles (99 of them solo), the seven-year pro out of Oklahoma was often found out of position. Teammate David Hawthorne was not without reproach either. Their poor play together led to many long games as the opposition’s running backs would split right through New Orleans’ defensive front seven and into the secondary. These two weren’t any better in pass coverage.
The Saints have released Lofton and re-signed ILB Ramon Humber but they will still look to upgrade at that position. Fortunately for the team, this year’s group of inside linebackers prospects are impressive.
1. Safety: This position is an area of concern due to the lack of depth and an injury that Rafael Bush suffered in November of 2014. The Saints signed defensive back Jamarca Sanford that same month to help out on special teams as well as to back up Bush at his spot. Obviously, things didn’t go according to plan because Bush broke his leg and was placed on injured reserve and Sanford did not have much of an impact filling in. Whether or not Bush will be able to return to form is unknown. More depth at the safety position will provide quality competition… something the Saints need.
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