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The New Orleans Saints came up just short of a trip to the NFC Conference Championship last season. Sean Payton's team was bested by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round, losing 30-20.
For much of the year, the Saints nation was able to point to injuries in the skill positions when its team lost. But against the Bucs all the big names were out there: Michael Thomas was back; Alvin Kamara was fit and firing; Emmanuel Sanders played, and Drew Brees was in the pocket. It was the first time since the early goings of the campaign that New Orleans had been able to field its full strength offense, but they came up short -- again!
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Fans didn't get to see the very best 'Mike T' in that game vs. the Buccaneers. The Saints wideout, who was the league's most productive receiver in 2019-20 looked off the pace, finishing with a torrid zero receptions on the evening. A fit Michael Thomas does not for go zero receptions on four targets against anyone. I'll leave that there.
However, the Saints receiving corps struggled to get open all night and it does appear they might need some reinforcements in this area, especially if they can no longer rely on the poise and accuracy of veteran QB Drew Brees for next season. The Saints legend is likely to retire in the coming weeks.
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NFL: New Orleans Saints free agency situation
It is also worth mentioning that before New Orleans can do any business in the free agency window, the franchise needs to do some serious work on the books to ensure next season's squad comes in under the salary cap; the Saints are estimated to be $74 million over cap budget at present, though Drew Brees's acceptance of a veteran's contract a few weeks ago is likely to put a dent in that.
With all that said, let's take a look at 3 wideouts available for the New Orleans Saints in free agency:
In descending order:
3. Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Is there a better WR2 in the NFL than Tampa's Chris Godwin? It's debatable, of course, but the fact is that Godwin is about as reliable a set of hands as you could ask for in free agency. The Super Bowl-winning Buccaneers star battled through injuries (concussion/ broken finger) and had to cope with being moved around the Bucs offense last season by Brady and Arians to accommodate Antonio Brown and young Scotty Miller. Still, Godwin barely missed a step, finishing up the year with 840 yards and 7 TDs from just 12 games played.
Godwin is one of those "do it all" receivers that any franchise would be lucky to have. He's capable of beating his man deep, on the slant, and just by trucking over a dude with raw power derived from the strength in his upper and lower body.
It's also worth noting that if Drew Brees does retire, the likely candidate to fill those enormous shoes is former Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston. Winston and Godwin enjoyed a lot of success together down in the NFC South before Winston's departure and Brady's arrival. Godwin went for 1,333 yards and 9 TDs in 2019-20 when Winston operated in the pocket for Bruce Arians' team, so it could be a match made in heaven down in the Bayou.
2. Kenny Golladay (Detroit Lions)
After posting consecutive 1,000 yard seasons in 2018 and 2019, Detroit Lions receiver Kenny Golladay endured a season to forget in 2020. The Northern Illinois graduate suffered a hip flexor injury in early November and that was the last we got to see of him.
In the 4 games Golladay did appear in, he averaged 84.5 yards per outing, which comes as little surprise, given his performances in previous seasons. Golladay is a big, powerful receiver, capable of claiming the ball up against elite pass coverage. He's the kind of guy you can throw one up to on third or fourth down to give your team a shot at keeping the chains moving or scoring a 'tuddie;' something Jameis Winston (if past performances with the Bucs are to be assessed) would be keen on, for sure.
19 TDs over the course of his first 3 years with the Lions also says plenty about Golladay's nose for the endzone.
Kenny Golladay is an elite receiver when fit and because of his height, power, and athleticism (not to mention his ability to block when need be), would provide the Saints offense with an alternative to what they currently have on the roster. He's definitely a player one would think Saints coach Sean Payton has his eye on, considering he claimed a TD against the Saints last year before getting injured.
1.Allen Robinson II (Chicago Bears)
If the Chicago Bears can't get the franchise tag to stick with Allen Robinson ll -- the only elite target in the franchise -- whichever team ends up with him is going to be significantly improved. Sean Payton will no doubt know this better than most.
Whilst representing the Jaguars, Robinson missed the entire 2017 campaign. But in the six seasons in which he has been fit to play, the Penn State product averages 1,000 yards per season and has chipped in with 39 TDs. In 2020, while operating in a woefully uninspired Matt Nagy Bears offense that struggled with both Trubisky and Foles in the pocket, Robinson still posted 1,250 yards receiving and was a big part of the reason that the Bears made it to the playoffs.
Robinson was personally responsible for more than half of all the Bears' first downs and touchdowns among the receiving corps. Seventeen of those 68 first downs and touchdowns came off of inaccurately thrown passes from Trubisky and Foles, tying Robinson for the second-most in the NFL. He has an unquestionably good set of hands and is the type of player who can make clutch plays and turn seemingly dead balls into big plays.
Any offense that featured Michael Thomas and Allen Robinson ll at WR1&2 would be capable of challenging for Super Bowl honors next February. The Saints could certainly do a lot worse than the Detroit native.
What do you think of our picks? Which wideout do you think the Saints should go after in free agency? Have your say in the comments section below:
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