Top Remaining Areas Of Need For Saints As Final Cuts Approach

Don't expect the Saints to be done with roster moves after initial 53-man rosters are set on Tuesday. Here are a few positions where New Orleans could upgrade their depth chart from the cast-offs of other teams.

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen watches from the sideline against the Houston Texans / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 NFL preseason has concluded, with the New Orleans Saints finishing their preseason campaign with a 1-2 record. New Orleans won the opener at Arizona before dropping two close decisions to San Francisco last week and Tennessee this past Sunday.

Before NFL teams begin fully preparing for the regular season opener two weeks from this past weekend, they must officially set their rosters. By 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, all teams must trim their active rosters to 53 players, along with filling out a 16-player practice squad.

The New Orleans Saints come into this season with talent on both sides of the ball. However, the team also has some pressing concerns at a few key positions. Those concerns were alleviated little by some performances through training camp and the preseason.

Some players may be initially safe when the big wave of cuts are announced by Tuesday. That job security may not last long. New Orleans, along with every team, will look hard at several of the players released by other clubs. Here are three positions where the Saints will likely make some personnel moves after Tuesday.

OFFENSIVE LINE

New Orleans Saints offensive linemen Taliese Fuaga (75) and Kyle Hergel (60) during practice at Yulman Stadium / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans showed noticeable improvement up front through their final two preseason outings. It is still not a position that looks like a secure and finished product heading into the regular season.

Rookie first-round choice Taliese Fuaga looks like the solution at left tackle. On the right side, 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning can be a punishing run blocker, but still shows potentially crippling issues in pass protection. Backups Olisaemeka Udoh and Landon Young both had strong finishes to camp and could also play guard in a pinch, but have only shown themselves as capable spot starters if called on.

Lucas Patrick looks like he's won the underwhelming competition at left guard, though undrafted rookie Kyle Hergel came on strong to push him. Free-agent addition Shane Lemieux has been a disappointment at center and guard. Returning second-year G Nick Saldiveri has missed all of August so far with injury.

The Saints may not find starters among the cuts from other teams. This team also needs to bolster their questionable depth up front. Still a work in progress, there's also reason to believe that the Saints aren't done looking for potential offensive line pieces.

WIDE RECEIVER

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown (13) catches a pass against the Tennessee Titans / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

This has been another underwhelming group throughout preseason. Aside from starters Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, no other wideout on the roster has shown the ability to consistently make plays.

Undrafted rookie Mason Tipton got off to a dazzling start in camp. However, a hamstring injury caused him to miss all of preseason and will likely land him on injured reserve. Fifth-round rookie Bub Means has shown some promise in recent weeks after being slowed by injuries early in camp.

Veteran offseason signings Cedrick Wilson and Equanimeous St. Brown also weren't much of a factor early, but each have come on well enough to probably make the initial roster. The same is true of second-year WR A.T. Perry, who's made some nice plays but has also been wildly inconsistent.

The opportunities were there for unheralded receivers Samson Nacua, Stanley Morgan Jr., Kevin Austin Jr., and Shaq Davis. Nacua made enough plays in practice and on special teams to warrant practice squad consideration. None of the four were able to outperform Wilson, St. Brown Means, or Perry after their slow starts.

The guess here is that Perry, Wilson, Means, and St. Brown all make the initial roster. Whoever makes it must perform at a higher level than this unit did during preseason. New Orleans has a history at finding talented wideouts from the cast-offs of other teams. Expect the Saints to bring in at least a few receivers after Tuesday's cuts to at least push the wideouts on the roster.

RELATED: Saints vs. Titans: Who Shined and Who Struggled for Roster Spots

SAFETY

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (5) runs past New Orleans Saints safety Jordan Howden (31) for a score / Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Outside of veteran Tyrann Mathieu, this was an underrated area of concern for the Saints entering training camp. The position did little to ease those concerns in either training camp or preseason.

Johnathan Abram continues to be solid against the run and around the line of scrimmage, but a major liability in coverage. Ugo Amadi, J.T. Gray, and Roderic Teamer are valuable special teams contributors, but don't add much to the secondary.

Will Harris and Jordan Howden waged the main battle to see who would start with Mathieu. Harris was a little more consistent, with Howden still a step slow instinctively against the run and in coverage several times. Either are solid options, but neither should be considered top-tier and could potentially be the weak spot of an otherwise elite secondary.

With the emergence of young corners Rico Payton, Rejzohn Wright, and Shemar Jean-Charles, New Orleans will likely keep an extra cornerback over an extra safety. Abram and either Gray or Amadi should still at least make the initial roster.

It's hard to believe that the Saints will find a starting safety to supplant Harris or Howden among Tuesday's cuts. There's a stronger possibility that they may seek a player who can match the special teams value or experience of Gray, Abram, Amadi, or Teamer while bringing a better defensive contribution.

The Saints are typically extremely active after initial cuts are made through the league. They'll likely bring in players at several different positions, not just for the practice squad but potentially for a spot on the active roster. Where it is vital that they find at least a talent upgrade among depth is at offensive line, wide receiver, and safety.