The New Orleans Saints continue to exercise all options to improve the roster during training camp before Week 1.
Just…not in the way fans want.
According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, the Saints hosted the following players on tryouts this week:
TE Stephen Anderson
LB Isaac Darkangelo
LB Andrew Dowell
DB Steven Jones
DB D'Angelo Mandell
TE Geoff Swaim
DB Joejuan Williams
LB Josh Woods
And while there are some viable names there at positions of need, fans weren’t happy. Many wanted to see the Saints work out offensive linemen. Others were very irritated with the lack of wide receivers.
It’s valid criticism, too. The offensive line in front of Derek Carr is a disaster, hence miserable 2024 projections. Taliese Fuaga is a first-rounder expected to play left tackle and is also hurt. Trevor Penning, a former first-rounder, has struggled at right tackle. Depth is also a major problem, which as fans point out, is also an issue at wide receiver, where the team hopes someone like former sixth-rounder A.T. Perry can suddenly emerge.
The criticism of the workout list also makes sense considering the free agents left on the market. A proven, productive veteran presence like Hunter Renfrow is right there. One could even float a reliable name like JuJu Smith-Schuster to keep the chains moving. And in the offensive trenches, former starters elsewhere such as Halapoulivaati Vaitai could provide depth.
Granted, free agency isn’t the only thing the Saints can use to improve. The trade block is wide open leaguewide near final cuts and the waiver wire and practice squad are a thing, too. But for a team heading into Year 3 of the Dennis Allen era, it’s understandable fans want to see some win-now-minded names.
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