How can the New Orleans Saints end their playoffs drought? There aren’t many key players headed for free agency in the spring, with just one of their pending free agents having played more than 50% of his snaps in 2023: offensive lineman Andrus Peat.
But the rest of their class is lukewarm, without many heavy contributors headed for the open market. So while retaining talent is going to be a concern in the spring, this free agency cycle is going to be more about acquiring upgrades (once the Saints get under the salary cap, of course). New Orleans doesn’t have to prioritize their own players as heavily as in years past.
Still, there are some players going into free agency that we’d like to have back. Here are the top 10 pending Saints free agents, ranked by how important it is for New Orleans to re-sign them:
10
Lynn Bowden
Bowden did a lot of the dirty work this year — blocking for his teammates, running decoy routes and moving in motion pre-snap — and he totaled just 115 yards from scrimmage across 15 games. He also stepped up as a leader on the sidelines and recorded the longest run of the season for the Saints on a 29-yard scamper. It’s worth bringing him back for depth in the receiving corps.
9
Ugo Amadi
Amadi is the kind of versatile defender that Dennis Allen values, having lined up at a couple of different spots in the secondary while playing often on special teams. He probably could have started in the slot for much of the season given Alontae Taylor’s struggles. Like Bowden, it’s worth bringing him back at a manageable salary to round out the depth chart.
8
Johnathan Abram
Abram spent most of the season on the practice squad, but he still made a positive impact. He played a critical role in beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17 with a ton of tackles and a couple of takeaways, and he was a vocal leader on the sidelines during some tough moments. He should be brought back.
7
Malcolm Roach
An injury unfortunately cut Roach’s year short at 12 games, but he still set new career-highs in tackles (38), tackles for loss (3), and passes batted down at the line of scrimmage (3). He was an active defender up front and he should draw some attention in free agency much like Shy Tuttle did last year. If the Saints can’t bring Roach back, they must add another tag-team partner for Bryan Bresee in the middle of the defensive line.
6
Zack Baun
Baun looked like the player the Saints drafted out of Wisconsin so many years ago when they finally let him do what he does best and rush the quarterback. He posted more sacks (2), pressures (11), and passes batted down (1) in his last six games than in his first 58 games with the Saints while matching his totals in quarterback hits (4) and tackles for loss (3) over that span. Dennis Allen is open to keeping him in this role, but Baun should have better opportunities to play more often on other teams. If he leaves, it’s important they find someone else who can bend around the edge and close on the quarterback quickly.
5
Jameis Winston
It’s going to be important for the Saints to nail down their backup quarterback, and it’s possible they end up keeping Winston. It’s more likely that they’ll sign a bargain bin free agent to compete with Jake Haener for the No. 2 spot, but maybe New Orleans ends up being Winston’s best option again. But the Saints must invest in an insurance policy given Derek Carr’s injury history.
4
Michael Thomas
We’ve seen flashes of dominance from Thomas, but between the injuries and a poor fit in the offense with Derek Carr it’s tough to see him coming back. Carr hesitates too badly on the slants and in-breaking routes that are staples for Thomas. If Carr was more effective on those throws it would make sense to bring Thomas back, but at this point the Saints are a waste of his time.
3
Isaac Yiadom
Yiadom emerged as an effective spot-starter when Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo missed time with injuries, though it remains to be seen whether he could hold up during an entire season. He and teammate Alontae Taylor each had 14 pass deflections this season, tying for 9th-most in the NFL. Retaining him becomes even more important if Lattimore is traded this offseason.
2
Rashid Shaheed
It’s almost cheating to include Shaheed here. Because he’s an exclusive rights free agent, the only option for him and the Saints is to bring him back on the veteran’s minimum salary in 2024; he isn’t even eligible to sign a long-term extension until March 2025. But he’s developed into a dynamic receiver and Pro Bowl return man, and it’s critical that he wear a black and gold jersey in the fall.
1
Andrus Peat
Peat slid over to his college position at left tackle after moving to left guard for much of his pro career. He outplayed both Trevor Penning and James Hurst in that role, and now Peat is looking like a must-sign free agent for New Orleans. It’s a big reversal after the team asked him to take a pay cut this time last year.
