With the news that Deshaun Watson will be acquired by the Browns, the Saints are back to where they were a week ago. Not content to enter the 2022 NFL season with only Ian Book and Taysom Hill on the roster at quarterback, New Orleans continues to evaluate the options available on the market.
The best option may be the simplest: free agent Jameis Winston has kept New Orleans in his sights while shopping out his talents. Winston was a locker room favorite for the Saints last year, seeing some success as their starter before tearing his ACL seven games into the season. Winston recently entered into discussions with the Colts, but he already has an offer on the table from the Saints. Thoughts were that the offer may be contingent on whether or not Watson found his way to New Orleans, but, with that out of play, the Saints would be more than happy to bring Winston back. Teddy Bridgewater was also a free agent option for a reunion before he signed with Dolphins earlier this week.
The Saints could also look towards the trade market for a new starting quarterback. The 49ers have widely let it be known that Jimmy Garoppolo is available. Garoppolo has put up solid numbers throughout his career while racking up wins with the Patriots and Niners. The Browns are now much more likely to honor Baker Mayfield‘s trade request after bringing Watson in. Mayfield famously replaced the zeroes in Cleveland’s win column and ended the longest playoff drought in NFL history. If New Orleans is more interested in a short-term replacement, they could make a move for Atlanta’s Matt Ryan. The former-MVP was clearly thought of as expendable as the Falcons went all in during the Watson sweepstakes.
So whether the Saints go through free agency or the trade market, there are still some starting-caliber options they can pursue. Right now, their future at the position likely hinges on Winston’s decision. If Winston decides to sign elsewhere, New Orleans will need to react fast to explore these other options.
Lol, the Saints acquiring Ryan is never happening
Actually I could see the Saints giving up their 1st for Ryan and the Falcons using their own 1st to take Matt Corral.
Matt Corral isn’t going #8. That dude is lucky if he goes in the first
He’ll go in the first, I think. It may not be worth it, depending on which team takes him, but he’ll go sooner rather than later.
Corral ran a LOT of RPOs in college. That’s concerning, but a weak QB class will likely elevate him or others higher. I would not be surprised if he went in the later first, and would be a bit surprised if he went after the mid second.
From what we’ve read, Corral in the first would be a real desperation reach for the team picking him.
ThAt may be true, but a desperation pick for a QB would nothing new for the draft.
A first for Matt Ryan? Lol
A first for Ryan? Not a good trade. A 3rd, maybe.
They are never ever going to give up a 1st for an old ass Ryan. What are you smoking? He’s worth a 3rd round pick at most. Baker Mayfield is not even worth 1st round pick!
I dont quite get what the Saints are doing with Hill. They just gave him a good contract. Personally, I dint think he will be a solid NFL starter but if they like him, why not go w him.
I think it was Sean Payton that was the one that kept pushing for Taysom Hill, and without Payton there, it looks like his QB days are numbered. Well, other than maybe as a backup if the starter goes down..
You are probably right. Keep forgetting Payton is gone.
Yeah, Hill was a great luxury that the Saints could afford with a solid and consistent starter. Without that, and without Payton, his utility to the Saints is pretty limited.
I have extreme doubts about Dennis Allen as is, but even moreso ads an offensive coach.
Carmichael’s presence gives New Orleans some familiarity and consistently offensively, but I think that a defensive minded coach (especially one who is, in my own opinion, as uncreative and reliant on talent as Allen is-again, my opinion) may actually do better with a veteran QB who can manage a game than with a younger player who is more of a risk taker. This is especially true for a team that is lacking in receivers and may be missing their sole threat offensively in Kamara, depending on his legal issues.
Which is what many of us said a long time ago….Hill is nothing but a wildcat QB at best and even a questionable backup…never saw what apparently Payton thought he saw but of course he was the HC so what do we think we know as compared to what he knew….interesting but it appears that the team now thinks he’s not the answer.
“Mayfield famously replaced the zeroes in Cleveland’s win column and ended the longest playoff drought in NFL history.”
Oh weird, I didn’t know Mayfield played for the ’87 Saints. They really went the extra mile for their strike players.
The grass is always greener…
Just keep the accused sexual assailant you have instead of chasing after every accused sexual assailant who comes onto the market.
Whatever happened to loyalty?
Or they could just use the draft.
Taysom Hill as a starter/bridge QB
I’d run a lot of play action. Kamara needs lots of carries and can also act as a receiver. Hill can move well and run the ball. Don’t need him to sling it deep with Micheal Thomas the slant god.
Sam Howell or Matt Corrall I think would both be good in a mobile QB system behind a good o line with Kamara and Thomas as their two main weapons.
Forget giving up assets for Baker, Matt or Minshew. Or giving up cash for Winston, get in some fresh and with heaps of upside
Heck, they may as well. New Orleans had offensive depth issues even when Payton was there last year. I suppose the question now is how much is their talented defensive roster worth to them in terms of a competitive window?
Kamara may not be playing either as he got arrested in Las Vegas.
Just sign Winston to a multi year deal that’s team and cap friendly and bridge til the day you’re out of cap purgatory.
They aren’t in cap purgatory they are 30 million under cap. Why does no one read
At this point, just re-sign Jameis…he should be cheaper than the $19M Baker is set to get paid, and you don’t have to give up a draft asset. Unless Cleveland is attaching draft picks with Baker, I would say hold off.
My guess is that Winston is tired of signing small “show-me” deals and probably wants big cash.