Wide receiver remains biggest hole in Saints offseason

The New Orleans Saints have already been fairly active in free agency already, having signed Latavius Murray to replace the departing Mark Ingram and trying to nab former Minnesota Vikings teammate Nick Easton to replace the retiring Max Unger. They’ve also signed a third former Viking in Marcus Sherels, retained a fourth former Viking in QB Teddy Bridgewater, added two defensive linemen in Malcolm Brown and Mario Edwards, and extended Wil Lutz for the kicking game. All in all, it’s been a solid offseason for the Saints, especially when you consider that the Saints are reportedly close to a deal with Pro Bowl TE Jared Cook.

Still, the Saints have plenty of work left to do. They still need to address the lost snaps at safety after releasing Kurt Coleman and will likely want to add another capable body to the running back room to group with Murray and Alvin Kamara. But when Bleacher Report named the biggest remaining need for each of the 32 teams in the offseason, it wasn’t either of the above that was listed. No, it was wide receiver.

The Saints don’t have a plethora of holes to fill this offseason after making the NFC Championship Game last year. The team also doesn’t have many assets with which to attend to those holes—less than $20 million in cap space and just one draft pick in the first three rounds.

If the Saints are going to get markedly better, the team’s either going to have to hit on that second-round pick or make a very fortuitous discount signing in free agency.

And if there’s a position the team should try to hit that target at, it’s at wide receiver. There are a couple veteran free agents still available in Jordy Nelson and Michael Crabtree, who, while past their prime, could still serve as an underneath complement to Michael Thomas.

There are also Day 2 draft prospects like Georgia’s Riley Ridley or Kelvin Harmon of North Carolina State who could be in play when the Saints finally pick at No. 62.

The Saints could surely use help at wide receiver, as their lack of depth at the position was obvious in 2018. Ted Ginn Jr isn’t getting any younger and Michael Thomas, though he might try, cannot do it all by himself.

Whether it be via a remaining free agent (Dez Bryant, anyone?) or via the 2019 NFL Draft as the article suggested, the Saints will surely add someone to the Saints group of pass-catchers.