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The New Orleans Saints have had a somewhat up-and-down offseason, but they have come out of it so far with seven new players via trade or signing. Some players have been in the upper echelon of talent and will likely start, while others are more likely to be depth signings who play their role specifically.
With many of the pre-draft signings out of the way, and only a month remaining until then, we can now take a look at these additions, and what we can realistically expect out of them in year one and beyond. So without further ado, let's kick it off with likely the most notable addition:
Justin Reid is a huge addition to the Saints for 2025 and beyond, as he is still in the prime of his career, and has proven it in recent years. 2024 was a tough year in terms of his coverage, allowing a 77.4% completion rate on 62 targets for 502 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, when it came to productivity, he was getting ahead of the ball in many cases, with 2 interceptions and 9 pass deflections. It is realistic to expect him to be around a top 10 to 15 safety in the league as he has shown himself to be previously, and pairing him up alongside Tyrann Mathieu will only help improve his game.
Brandin Cooks was one of the more recent additions by the Saints, as they brought back their former 2014 first-round pick. With a desperate need at wide receiver, they needed to add at least one veteran to bolster the group before considering drafting one, and Cooks is a quality pickup despite a down year in 2024. While he will likely not end up being a starter, he can be thought of in a similar role to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, where he will use his speed to gain separation. He likely will not eclipse 500 receiving yards this season unless someone gets injured, but will likely see about 40 to 50 receptions for 450 yards or so.
Davon Godchaux was the one trade pickup for the Saints this offseason, sending away a future seventh-round pick for the veteran nose tackle. As one of the best run stoppers up the middle in the game, he brings a huge amount of talent to the Saints as they likely end up moving to a 3-4 defensive front. While his stats don't pop off the chart to the untrained eye, his run defense is spectacular, and his ability to collapse the pocket from the interior is also very strong. He will likely end up starting for the Saints while with them, and run a substantial amount of snaps.
Dillon Radunz is the most recent pickup for the Saints this offseason as of writing, and he fills an immediate need presumably at the left guard spot. With Lucas Patrick on his way out, there was most certainly a gap at that spot, and while it is not the primary position for Radunz, it is one he has played before. He has a similar level of talent to Patrick just with less experience, and more toolsy. At only 26 (nearly 27) years old, he still has room left to grow, and learning from this new offensive staff will most definitely help him along. While he may not be a perfect protector immediately, he will likely show signs of improvement game by game.
Velus Jones Jr. is an intriguing pickup, as he is not really a wide receiver despite that being his primary position, he is more of a running back now. Odds are the Saints have added him for returns though, as he has handled 40 kick returns at the NFL level. With Rashid Shaheed gaining a larger offensive role with the team, the Saints may want to protect him by finding a replacement on special teams. While expectations may not be high for Jones, he is a solid player and could end up making the 53-man roster due to his versatility.
Jack Stoll was one of the only Kellen Moore-connected Saints acquisitions, as they worked together on the Philadelphia Eagles last season. While his receiving production is limited, he has been a huge contributor when it comes to the run game and blocking off the end of the offensive line. As an in-line tight end, he does an exceptional job blocking and would be specifically used in that role in many cases. He should not be expected to have huge receiving production, but he should be a rostered player considering his specific niche of production.
Finally, we have one of the earlier pickups with defensive lineman Jonah Williams. Despite a tough 2024, he has shown some good production previously as a rotational defensive lineman, specifically in 2023. He is not going to be someone who starts or even really gets substantial snap counts, but at the same time, he could end up being a part of the defensive line rotation throughout the year. We will see how he performs in camp and preseason to truly judge what his role may be.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Here's how Saints' free agent signings, trade pickups fit in for 2025
Continue reading...
With many of the pre-draft signings out of the way, and only a month remaining until then, we can now take a look at these additions, and what we can realistically expect out of them in year one and beyond. So without further ado, let's kick it off with likely the most notable addition:
S Justin Reid
Justin Reid is a huge addition to the Saints for 2025 and beyond, as he is still in the prime of his career, and has proven it in recent years. 2024 was a tough year in terms of his coverage, allowing a 77.4% completion rate on 62 targets for 502 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, when it came to productivity, he was getting ahead of the ball in many cases, with 2 interceptions and 9 pass deflections. It is realistic to expect him to be around a top 10 to 15 safety in the league as he has shown himself to be previously, and pairing him up alongside Tyrann Mathieu will only help improve his game.
WR Brandin Cooks
Brandin Cooks was one of the more recent additions by the Saints, as they brought back their former 2014 first-round pick. With a desperate need at wide receiver, they needed to add at least one veteran to bolster the group before considering drafting one, and Cooks is a quality pickup despite a down year in 2024. While he will likely not end up being a starter, he can be thought of in a similar role to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, where he will use his speed to gain separation. He likely will not eclipse 500 receiving yards this season unless someone gets injured, but will likely see about 40 to 50 receptions for 450 yards or so.
NT Davon Godchaux
Davon Godchaux was the one trade pickup for the Saints this offseason, sending away a future seventh-round pick for the veteran nose tackle. As one of the best run stoppers up the middle in the game, he brings a huge amount of talent to the Saints as they likely end up moving to a 3-4 defensive front. While his stats don't pop off the chart to the untrained eye, his run defense is spectacular, and his ability to collapse the pocket from the interior is also very strong. He will likely end up starting for the Saints while with them, and run a substantial amount of snaps.
OL Dillon Radunz
Dillon Radunz is the most recent pickup for the Saints this offseason as of writing, and he fills an immediate need presumably at the left guard spot. With Lucas Patrick on his way out, there was most certainly a gap at that spot, and while it is not the primary position for Radunz, it is one he has played before. He has a similar level of talent to Patrick just with less experience, and more toolsy. At only 26 (nearly 27) years old, he still has room left to grow, and learning from this new offensive staff will most definitely help him along. While he may not be a perfect protector immediately, he will likely show signs of improvement game by game.
WR/RB Velus Jones Jr.
Velus Jones Jr. is an intriguing pickup, as he is not really a wide receiver despite that being his primary position, he is more of a running back now. Odds are the Saints have added him for returns though, as he has handled 40 kick returns at the NFL level. With Rashid Shaheed gaining a larger offensive role with the team, the Saints may want to protect him by finding a replacement on special teams. While expectations may not be high for Jones, he is a solid player and could end up making the 53-man roster due to his versatility.
TE Jack Stoll
Jack Stoll was one of the only Kellen Moore-connected Saints acquisitions, as they worked together on the Philadelphia Eagles last season. While his receiving production is limited, he has been a huge contributor when it comes to the run game and blocking off the end of the offensive line. As an in-line tight end, he does an exceptional job blocking and would be specifically used in that role in many cases. He should not be expected to have huge receiving production, but he should be a rostered player considering his specific niche of production.
DL Jonah Williams
Finally, we have one of the earlier pickups with defensive lineman Jonah Williams. Despite a tough 2024, he has shown some good production previously as a rotational defensive lineman, specifically in 2023. He is not going to be someone who starts or even really gets substantial snap counts, but at the same time, he could end up being a part of the defensive line rotation throughout the year. We will see how he performs in camp and preseason to truly judge what his role may be.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Here's how Saints' free agent signings, trade pickups fit in for 2025
Continue reading...
