Chris Olave, a Saints wide receiver, was suspended for violating NFL policy.
The Saints’ mission-critical wide receiver position as the new league season approaches
Although the wide receiver position needs to be addressed by the Saints in free agency, the team shouldn’t stop there. Over the next two months, it should be one of the top priorities to address.
The start of the new NFL league year is in less than a week. From now until then, the Saints will have a lot of decisions to make, with their primary goal being to stay under the salary ceiling and free up some capital for free agency. From what we learned at the Scouting Combine, it seems unlikely that New Orleans will pursue any elite players that become available.
The Saints still have several pressing issues that need to be resolved in the summer. One of those is wide receiver, and the team has a couple options about how to approach it.
In all likelihood, the Saints’ roster will include three wide receivers. Rashid Shaheed (ERFA) will undoubtedly make a comeback and ought to receive a boost shortly, while A.T. Perry and Chris Olave will also rejoin the team.While Shaq Davis left for Philadelphia on a reserve/future deal and Lynn Bowden Jr. (RFA) is recovering from offseason surgery, Michael Thomas is largely projected to be out in New Orleans. This is something we’ve hinted at and makes sense given the blank years and past events. The only other unrestricted free agent who is missing from the list is Keith Kirkwood.
The way the team uses the Klint Kubiak offense will play a major role in their plan. As this is a very young group, it is hoped that Coach Dubb, Keith Williams, can assist them in developing. The team may choose to pick one, but they will want to have a veteran or two on hand to help set the tone and provide leadership.
What does that mean for the Saints now that they are pursuing someone? One of Mike Evans’ major targets is now staying in Tampa. Before March 13, additional fallout is anticipated, which implies that more receivers will be in the market for new residences. Once more, don’t anticipate that New Orleans will go big-game hunting at this time. Here are a few targets that may be under observation, given some of the factors.
