New Orleans Saints
New Orleans made the calculated decision to trade talented receiver Brandin Cooks back in March. Some may question the trade, but this team had enough talent at receiver to make a deal of that ilk possible.
As a rookie last season, former Ohio State pass catcher Michael Thomas surprised the masses. He tallied an absurd 92 receptions to go with 1,137 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Add in the consistency of Willie Snead as a No. 2 receiver and future Hall of Famer Drew Brees has a tremendous receiving group to throw to.
What should help New Orleans contend in a wide open NFC South is the presence of Adrian Peterson at running back. We don’t really know how the future Hall of Famer will respond after suffering through an injury-plagued 2016 campaign, but all reports coming from Saints camp on that front seem to be glowingly positive (more on that here).
If Brees is able to find balance on offense, the Saints offense should be among the best in the game. And despite lingering issues on defense, that could be enough to contend in the NFC South. There’s definitely a lot to like about this team in 2017.