Expectations for Saints Pre-Draft Acquisitions

The 2015 NFL Draft will be coming to us this Thursday from Chicago, and it has been widely accepted that this will be the most important draft the New Orleans Saints have had under Sean Payton, including his inaugural draft in 2006.  While this sentiment remains true, the Saints have already completed a key phase in transitioning their roster into a more successful one for 2015.

Through trades and free agency, the Saints have made what hope to be improvements to a roster that severely underachieved in 2014.  The Saints have been very active in filling in areas of need during this first step of their roster revamp for the 2015 season.  Let's re-evaluate the moves the Saints have made thus far, and look at the expectations placed on the newest Saints.

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Max Unger - Center

Unger comes to New Orleans from the Seattle Seahawks.  His pros are that he's an All-Pro center, which was a position of dire need for the Saints, and he is reportedly a strong locker room presence and leader, which was also lacking in 2014.  His only con has to do with injury concerns, considering he missed time late last year due to ankle injuries.  Unger should anchor the Saints offensive line for years to come.  Expectations are high.

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Brandon Browner - Cornerback

Browner comes to New Orleans from the New England Patriots.  His size, skill, physicality, and experience are all desperately needed in the Saints' defensive backfield.  In 2014, the Saints consistently fielded arguably the worst cornerback corps in the NFL.  Before even touching the field, Browner already changes that fact.  He may actually fight for the top corner spot this season.  That even being a possibility is a huge win for the Saints in and of itself.  Having two top flight cornerbacks is not a luxury in today's NFL, its a necessity.  Browner gives them that, along with Keenan Lewis, for the first time in a while.  Expectations are high.

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C.J. Spiller - Running Back

Spiller comes to New Orleans from the Buffalo Bills.  He in the next in a steady line of versatile weapons out of the backfield for Sean Payton.  Spiller will now fill a role once created for former Saints Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles.  Spiller has the skill set and resume that perfectly compliments that role.  Like the aforementioned Saints running backs, Spiller will have to split carries with other backs in New Orleans, namely starting running back Mark Ingram.  This role is not new to Spiller, as he played a similar complimentary back role in Buffalo.  Spiller should excel in this role under Sean Payton.  Expectations are high.

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Anthony Spencer - Outside Linebacker/Defensive End

Spencer comes to New Orleans from the Dallas Cowboys.  He is the next in line to follow Rob Ryan from Dallas to New Orleans, following the failed signings of Kenyon Coleman and Victor Butler in recent years.  Many are viewing the 31-year old, 8 year veteran as the next coming of the Coleman/Butler failings, which is absurdly unfair to Spencer, considering his resume and talent dwarfed the aforementioned former Cowboys.  Spencer is a former Pro Bowler (2012) with 385 career tackles and 33 career sacks.  The former first round pick was twice franchise tagged in Dallas and was presumably sought after by the Saints when Rob Ryan first arrived in New Orleans in 2013.

Spencer is both solid against the run and as a pass rusher.  His versatility is something the Saints front seven is in dire need of, as there are far too many "specialists" at defensive end and in the linebacking corps.  The big question mark with Spencer is how he will hold up in the long term following the microfracture surgery he had on his knee in 2013.  After returning to the field for Week 4 of the 2014 season, Spencer steadily improved his play and was a force in Dallas' Wild Card victory this past January.  Spencer is the player I am most looking forward to making an impact on this team in 2015.  Expectations are tempered.

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Dannell Ellerbe - Inside Linebacker

Ellerbe comes to New Orleans from the Miami Dolphins.  He has little competition for a starting spot, pre-draft, at inside linebacker, considering the lack of depth and skill at the position as of this moment.  Ellerbe is considered a good-but-not-great linebacker, which would have him seem quite similar to his teammate David Hawthorne.  Ellerbe's signing by no means fixes the Saints' issues at linebacker, but it is a step in the right direction.  At best Ellerbe can be a solid starter, at worst he will provide veteran depth at the position.  Expectations are tempered.

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Delvin Breaux - Cornerback

Breaux comes to New Orleans from the Canadian Football League.  The man affectionately referred to as "Canadian Deion" was widely considered one of the best corners in the CFL during his two-year stint in Canada.  The move to the NFL, and the Saints specifically, is a homecoming for Breaux, who is a New Orleans native.  Despite his lack of NFL experience, it would not be surprising to see Breaux play his way into a nickel corner spot in 2015.  Expectations are tempered.

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Kyle Wilson - Cornerback

Wilson comes to New Orleans from the New York Jets.  Wilson was very much maligned by the Jets faithful during his five seasons in New York.  He has been considered the Jets' version of Patrick Robinson, which is funny considering Wilson was selected just three picks before Robinson in the 2010 draft.  Despite this dubious distinction, it would seem likely Wilson makes the team, but any spot above fourth on the cornerback depth chart for Wilson could prove dangerous for the Saints this season.  Expectations are low.

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Kenny Phillips - Strong Safety

Phillips comes to New Orleans from the distant past New York Giants.  Phillips had microfracture surgery on his arthritic left knee in 2009 and has not played in an NFL game since 2012, after an MCL sprain derailed his season.  It would be stunning to see him ever suit up for the Saints in a regular season game.  It would be unlikely for him to make this team at all.  Expectations are zero.

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The Saints now look to the draft to fortify a revamped roster.  Despite the moves already made, the Saints obviously require much more help and depth to round out a successful roster.  The draft will be the next big step in that direction, and post-draft free agency will round out the 2015 roster, but this is where the revamp has begun.  Let's all hope, in retrospect, this was where the change from a pitiful 2014 into a wildly successful 2015 took shape.