The New Orleans Saints were one of the more disappointing, yet surprising teams of last season. They blew a divisional lead to the Carolina Panthers, but their defense really stepped up and turned out to be one of their league, saving the struggling offense.
Now without Darren Sproles and Lance Moore, the Saints will look to get their high-flying offense back on track.
New Starter: Kenny Stills
Stills has been on the roster for a year now, but with Lance Moore gone Stills will be taking on a starting role with the Saints. Stills showed a ton of promise in his rookie campaign out of Oklahoma, averaging 20 yards per catch for 641 yards while adding on five touchdowns.
Two of his touchdowns came on passes thrown more than 41 yards, and another came on a 34-yard pass. Stills has big-play ability, which fits in perfectly with what Drew Brees likes to do with the ball. Stills should step in nicely as the Lance Moore-like deep threat.
Areas of Improvement
After releasing Sproles, the Saints virtually have no main rushing threat. Pierre Thomas hasn’t scored more than two touchdowns since 2011, and he didn’t even break 550 yards last season. Behind him, Mark Ingram continues to disappoint every year when he is expected to step up, most recently only rushing for 386 yards.
Sproles provided a dynamic and quick option out of the backfield, and now the Saints have virtually two of the same packs in Thomas and Ingram.
Potential Breakout Star
With a depleted roster of wide receivers, Nick Toon could really find a spot in New Orleans’ offense. He has done virtually nothing in his first two years out of the league in Wisconsin, but he’s been plagued by injuries. With Stills moving up to the second spot, Robert Meachem will run out of the slot and Toon can take over as a fourth guy.
His senior year at Wisconsin, Toon had 926 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he had great hands coming into the league. If he can stay healthy, Toon could potentially make a name for himself.
On His Way Out
The Saints have already said they won’t pick up Ingram’s option after this season, allowing him to become a free agent. Every season, it seems the Saints coaching staff is talking him up to have a big year, and he falls flat (literally and figuratively). Ingram can only score near the goal line, and he will likely be phased out of the offense as long as Thomas stays healthy.