New Orleans Saints: Which free agent signing helps Super Bowl run most?
The New Orleans Saints put together an impressive pool of free agent signing. Of all their additions, which player will aid most in their Super Bowl run?
The New Orleans Saints seem even closer to the Super Bowl heading into 2019 than they were last year. The team almost made it before getting ousted by the Rams — in controversial fashion, no less. It was a tough loss and one that some Saints fans still haven’t gotten over. It does bring up an interesting question, though.
The Saints have a full and complete roster. Even so, they failed to make it to the Big Game once they got to the NFC Championship Game. With all eyes on them again, which new free agent addition is going to be the biggest difference-maker? Of all the signings, who holds the key to the Saints making it to Miami?
Free agency for the Saints has been exciting. The team didn’t exactly sign any superstars but they fulfilled needs. Many teams go after name-brand signings rather than focusing on fit and need solely. The Saints stayed with their mantra of quality over quantity and it’s proved to be a tried and true idea for them.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
After losing Mark Ingram, the team signed Latavius Murray. Offensively, this made sense as Murray is similar to Ingram but with a smaller price tag. Murray might not be a carbon copy of Ingram but he’s still fast, big and can handle those tough third-down runs. As a complement to Alvin Kamara, he has the potential to be a quality back-up but likely won’t be the main reason the Saints make it to the Super Bowl.
Defensively, the Saints signed two defensive tackles in Malcom Brown and Mario Edwards. It’s clear that Brown was the biggest investment as he can hopefully fill in for the injured Sheldon Rankins. It was a major paycheck for Brown and the Saints are hoping that he can come in and immediately show he was worth it.
As for Edwards, he played well with the Giants last season but hasn’t broken out yet so no doubt the Saints are hoping he will flourish. Most of their defensive stars already have their roster spot locked down and these two likely won’t make as big of a difference.
Looking at the rest of their free agency pool, one name stands out: Jared Cook. Of all the free agents the Saints have signed, he’s the biggest name and the one everyone seems to gravitate towards. Cook was easily their smartest signing as he replaced Benjamin Watson and had one of his best seasons in Oakland last year. The Saints have lacked a true playmaker at tight end for the past few seasons and Cook can be that playmaker.
Next. New Orleans Saints: Worst 2019 offseason move?. dark
In addition to being a playmaker, Cook has the largest upswing of all their free agent signings. Even though he’s 32 years old, he still has a lot of gas left in the tank. If he can put up similar or better numbers than he did last year, he’s going to be worth the money. In turn, he could be the reason why the Saints make it to the Super Bowl.