2. New Orleans Saints
It is past time for the Saints to get back to the playoffs. Quarterback Drew Brees is showing no signs of slowing down. He passed for a league-high 5,208 yards 37 touchdowns in 2016. It made for his fifth season passing for at least 5,000 yards.
Even without wide receiver Brandin Cooks, Brees has one of the best young group of pass-catchers in the league. The goal obviously is for the Saints to win more than they lose, which has not happened since 2013.
This offseason, the Saints made some great additions to their defense, which finished 27th overall last season. Notably, linebackers Alex Okafor, Manti Te’o and A.J. Klein should bolster the team’s front seven in a major way. The team also retained defensive tackle Nick Fairley and corner Sterling Moore.
General manager Mickey Loomis weighed in on the team’s offseason progress and upcoming draft.
“We’re not done with free agency yet, and yet the bulk of that has happened, said Loomis per Larry Holder of the Times Picayune. “We’ve got the draft we’re preparing for. We’ve got five picks in the first three rounds in what we perceive is a pretty deep draft.”
As for opponents they’ll face this season, the Saints have some favorable matchups against the like of the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.
Head coach Sean Payton will be under tremendous pressure to coach his Saints out of their funk. It might just happen if all of the puzzle pieces align properly this fall.