New Orleans Saints Face Uphill Battle in HC Search

The New Orleans Saints are still without a head coach.

Coming off a disappointing 5-12 season, the franchise sits in a tough position. A team that has never truly bought into a full rebuild, it will be interesting to see the path they take as the offseason ramps up.

Five of the seven head coaching vacancies have been filled. The New England Patriots kicked it off by agreeing to a deal with Mike Vrabel. Three teams battled for offensive wunderkind Ben Johnson, but the Chicago Bears ultimately won out. The second Lions coordinator to get taken off the board was Aaron Glenn who will coach the New York Jets next season.

Shortly after withdrawing his name from consideration, Bucs OC Liam Cohen decided to bolt to Jacksonville to become the Jaguars’ next HC. The Las Vegas Raiders opted for the 73-year-old Pete Carroll who they hope will turn the franchise around.

That leaves the Saints and Cowboys as the only two teams without a head coach. Both are expected to fill the vacancies soon, but with the other positions filled, they could take their time with their approach.

The Saints are an interesting case. Out of all the openings this offseason, there’s a case to be made that New Orleans presents the least desirable situation for a prospective HC.

Their brutal salary cap situation is well-documented. The Saints are a projected $52 million over the cap — by far the most in the league (No. 2 Cleveland is projected $30 million over). Three of the other openings — Patriots, Raiders, and Bears — rank in the top-five in cap space entering the offseason.

Giving a new coach the option to build a fresh roster with plenty of funds to work with is an appealing offer. It’s been a calling card for GM Mickey Loomis throughout his tenure with the team. They’ve stayed afloat by restructuring deals, but it’s starting to cost them.

Having a high payroll isn’t detrimental in itself, but the Saints don’t have the talent or track record to justify it. Their division rival Buccaneers has won the NFC South four years in a row with a stacked roster. The Cowboys recorded 12 wins in ’21, ’22, and ’23 with a healthy Dak Prescott. The Jaguars are two years removed from winning the AFC South and have elite players at premium positions.

The Saints have an aging defense, injury-prone skill players, and a 33-year-old QB with a $51 million cap hit next season. They own the No. 9 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and have no cap space to make a splash in free agency.

With that being said, this team has performed a bit better than some have given them credit for. In ’23, they finished 9-8 with the third-best point differential in the NFC. They missed out on the playoffs due to a tiebreaker with Tampa Bay. This year, they went 5-5 when starting QB Derek Carr was healthy — four of those losses were by one possession.

Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are a dynamic duo at WR. Taliese Fuaga already looks like one of the best young tackles in football. Alvin Kamara is coming off a 1,400-yard campaign. A bright offensive mind would surely be intrigued by working with this core.

Still, it’s a group that has likely run its course. The team traded veteran CB Marshon Lattimore during the season. Expect more fan favorites to be on the move shortly. They’d surely listen to offers from QB-needy teams on Carr. The Saints didn’t have a single Pro Bowler this year. The Lions, Eagles, and Vikings — all in the NFC — each had six. This New Orleans roster is in desperate need of a massive overhaul.

We may get some movement on the coaching search after this weekend. Two names that could be in the race are still currently coaching for playoff teams — Bills OC Joe Brady and Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury. Don’t rule out Mike McCarthy, who was just fired by the Cowboys. Adding an HC with experience and a winning pedigree could do wonders for this group.

Whichever candidate ends up accepting the job will have a long road ahead of them. Rebuilding this Saints team won’t be an easy task.