ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked every set of skills positions for all 32 teams, and while he didn’t put the New Orleans Saints at the bottom, it was a near thing. Barnwell sees few difference-makers supporting Derek Carr in the New Orleans offense at running back and tight end, and he’s skeptical about their ongoing youth movement at wide receiver.
Here’s why Barnwell argues the Saints have the 25th-ranked set of pass-catchers in the NFL:
Do the Saints have two playmaker standouts? Depends on how optimistic you are about Alvin Kamara. I’m confident in Chris Olave, but Kamara hasn’t been an efficient runner for three seasons now since Drew Brees retired. He has averaged 3.9 yards per carry and generated minus-277 rush yards over expectation during that stretch. New Orleans’ other backs have been about as disappointing over the same time frame, but Kamara is being paid a premium to be something more than Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller. His top-end speed is also down from where it was three years ago.
Does this group go as far as Kamara can take it? That seems to be what Barnwell is suggesting. It’s true that Kamara’s numbers have fallen off in recent years as many of the factors around him turned from strengths (like an elite offensive line, intuitive play caller, and rare talent at quarterback) to weaknesses for the team as a whole. But Kamara has lost a step, too. Of the 35 running backs who had at least 166 carries last year (50% of the league leader), Kamara ranked 30th in runs that gained 10 or more yards (15). He’s never been a home-run threat like other guys around the league, but that extra gear he did have has gone away.
What about wide receiver? There’s a lot of optimism surrounding Shaheed as the No. 2 with Chris Olave, but he must prove he can stay on the field when the Saints need him to block someone out on the perimeter. He lost snaps to backups like Lynn Bowden Jr. and Keith Kirkwood last year because of that concern. And after those two, it’s a total projection for A.T. Perry, who hasn’t yet won the WR3 job from Cedrick Wilson Jr. It would be nice to add another veteran to the group who has experience drawing a lot of targets in case one of those young players stumbles.
That brings us to tight end. Johnson isn’t out indefinitely, but he may as well be with the Saints not expecting him back from foot surgery until September. Foster Moreau’s first year with his hometown team left a lot to be desired, and much of that can be chalked up to poor coaching decisions. He followed Derek Carr to New Orleans after catching 63 passes for 593 yards and 5 touchdowns their last two years together with the Las Vegas Raiders. Pete Carmichael miscast him as a blocking specialist and Moreau tied for the second-fewest targets (25) of his pro career. He has some receiving ability, and he has a strong connection with Carr. Klint Kubiaak must do a better job than Carmichael of tapping into it.
Still, the group is what it is. This is their lowest ranking (No. 25) in three years of Barnwell’s series, having risen to No. 14 last offseason after starting out at No. 21 the year before. Moving on from Michael Thomas without investing in a credible replacement is worrisome. So is a running backs room that lacks big-play potential, and a group of tight ends that don’t exactly move the needle. Kubiak can change the perception with better play calling but at the end of the day it’s on these players to make plays.
