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Biggest Saints Offseason Needs: Finding a Quarterback

The Saints have a great deal of needs in the offseason, but none bigger than finding a quarterback now.

John Hendrix

We're less than a month away from the start of the new league year in the NFL, and it'll be here before we know it. The Saints are one of several teams that are looking to get back into the postseason for 2022, and New Orleans is staring at a field of uncertainty with Dennis Allen now leading things. While he's certainly capable and has had a lot of public support for him getting the job, there are many skeptics that exist.

Despite all of the adversity last season's Saints faced, they still managed to finish out with a winning record at 9-8 and just narrowly missed the postseason. The good news for them is the NFC South looks to be wide open right now. The bad news is there's a lot of work to be done on the offensive side of the ball, and the quarterback spot is their most important need to fill during the offseason.

2021 Quarterback Summary

The Saints had the league's worst passing attack in net yardage, finishing out behind the Giants with 3,186 yards (187.4/game). For perspective, this has been on the decline for New Orleans for years, as 2020 saw them finish 19th with 3,758 yards (234.9/game) and 2019 at 7th with 4,244 yards (265.3/game).

Collectively, New Orleans went 293/504 (58.1%) for 3,437 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The team allowed 37 sacks, resulting in 251 lost yards. Here's how each quarterback fared during the season.

  • Jameis Winston: 95/161 (59%), 1,170 yards, 14 TDs, 3 INTs, 11 sacks (69 lost yards), 102.8 rating
  • Trevor Siemian: 108/188 (57.4%), 1,154 yards, 11 TDs, 3 INTs, 9 sacks (64 lost yards), 88.4 rating
  • Taysom Hill: 78/134 (58.2%), 978 yards, 4 TDs, 5 INTs, 9 sacks (64 lost yards), 75.4 rating
  • Ian Book: 12/20 (60%), 135 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, 8 sacks (54 lost yards), 40.6 rating

Winston went 5-2 as a starter before getting hurt. Siemian went 0-4, Hill was 4-1, and Book's lone start was a loss against the Dolphins that was really not a fair look for him.

It didn't help that the offense was down Michael Thomas, as the receiving group was very underwhelming and inconsistent. Still, Winston made things work without Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith in the early going. Trevor Siemian did everything he could in the first two outings against the Falcons at home and Titans on the road. However, the wheels fell off against the Eagles and Bills. Taysom Hill overcame a rough start against the Cowboys to win against the Jets, Bucs, Panthers, and Falcons.

Both Hill and Winston also helped in the rushing department, as they ranked 2nd and 4th on the team. Hill finished behind Alvin Kamara with 70 attempts for 374 yards with 5 touchdowns, while Winston was behind Mark Ingram with 32 attempts for 166 yards and a score.

Current Concerns

For now, Hill, Book, and Blake Bortles are the only options on the roster. Hill's dealing with a Lisfranc recovery, and there's no guarantee that he'll be ready for Week 1 right now. Of course, he's been down this road before, but there's no guarantee that things will be just like what he experienced previously. Book isn't ready to start, and Bortles is essentially this year's Siemian currently.

Jameis Winston is set to hit free agency, assuming something doesn't happen prior to the start of the new league year on March 16. Other teams will be interested in him, should he become available. That's the thing about the Saints' quest of finding a new quarterback, because teams like the Steelers, Colts, Commanders, Broncos, Panthers, and Bucs are all going to be looking.

Free Agent Landscape

For anyone looking, here's some of the more realistic options that'll be available on the quarterback market at the start of free agency besides Winston.

  • Teddy Bridgewater, 29
  • Andy Dalton, 34
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick, 39
  • Tyrod Taylor, 32
  • Cam Newton, 32

Others like Marcus Mariota, Mitch Trubisky, and Jacoby Brissett will also be available, but none of those feel like they'd be desirable starting options for New Orleans. Based on the market, if you had to choose someone, it would be between Winston and Bridgewater. 

Trade Options

If the Saints truly believe that this is their most important thing to figure out, then they'll try to swing for the fences for a trade. Potential options who could be on the move include Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Derek Carr (Raiders), Deshaun Watson (Texans), and Jimmy Garoppolo (49ers).

For now, it appears that the Vikings are sticking with Kirk Cousins, and things might have calmed down between the Cardinals and Kyler Murray. Also, there's little to no reason to include Sam Darnold (Panthers) as an option.

Of those, Wilson certainly makes the most sense. The only real thing is if he would waive his no-trade clause to come player in New Orleans now that Sean Payton is out. Pete Carroll also returning somewhat makes this more of a 'pie in the sky' option. Rodgers also has that feel, but some of that could have a lot do with how they approach things with Davante Adams.

Realistically, Carr or Garoppolo might be the easier targets to get via a trade.  

To Draft, or Not to Draft?

New Orleans could use this year's and next year's 1st Rounders to try to acquire someone, but the question is if it's going to be enough. Drafting a quarterback certainly doesn't feel like the answer, and again, other teams ahead of the Saints could be in a position to take players like Malik Willis, Kenny Pickett, and Matt Corral. 

The other side of this coin is entrusting this offense to a rookie who may not be completely ready for a Day 1 start. If this were a Justin Herbert, then maybe you could justify that. The mentality from the team is that they feel they have a roster that can help get back into the postseason, and going with a proven quarterback would be the play.

Regardless of what happens over the next month, we're sure to get this answer soon for the Saints. They have a variety of ways that they can tackle the quarterback position, and once they get that set, then they can focus on upgrading the receiving talent to pair along with their leader in 2022. 

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John Hendrix
JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net