The New Orleans Saints have already done plenty of roster work this offseason, but that doesn’t mean the shopping is over.
After a busy spring aimed at pushing the team to another level in 2026, New Orleans has put together an offense that no longer looks like it has a glaring weak spot. The upgrades should matter for QB Tyler Shough’s development, and while the defense still has room to grow, that side of the ball may become the bigger priority next offseason.
Even so, the Saints can’t afford to sit back and assume the roster is finished. Injuries have a way of changing everything, and every team eventually finds out whether its depth is as sturdy as it looked in June. That’s why a few free-agent additions could still make sense before training camp settles in.
One name that fits the Saints’ needs is Ryan Bates at center. New Orleans already played this kind of game last preseason when it dealt for Luke Fortner, a move that made sense because of Erik McCoy’s injury history.
That decision paid off when McCoy went down and Fortner had to take over for most of the season. He held up well enough to earn a solid contract in free agency, which only reinforces the value of having another capable center waiting in the wings.
The Saints could be in the same spot again, needing a dependable backup in case McCoy misses time. That player might already be on the roster, but there’s always value in adding competition.
Bates stands out as a possible low-cost option. He was a useful depth piece with the Bills, and injuries with the Bears kept him from making much of an impact in Chicago.
For a team looking for center insurance, that could be exactly the kind of bargain New Orleans wants.
Another player who could fit is linebacker Bobby Okereke, formerly of the New York Giants. Linebacker is a tricky spot for the Saints after the departure of Demario Davis. Kaden Elliss was a strong signing, but his role could be affected by Brandon Staley’s potential use of him at OLB.
That makes linebacker depth especially important, and the Saints may need help if the current group doesn’t prove ready once camp and the preseason get going. If that happens, Okereke would be a logical target.
In Other News...
Chargers Fans May Not Love Keenan Allens Latest Team Link
Keenan Allens next stop may be closer to home than Chargers fans would like to imagine. The veteran wideout has been linked to New Orleans as one of the better fits still available on the free-agent market, and the appeal is easy to see from the Saints side: a proven route runner, a steady target and a receiver who already knows Kellen Moores offense from their time together in Los Angeles.
For New Orleans, the timing makes sense because the depth chart behind Chris Olave is still light on experience, with Tyson, Lance, Brown and Devaughn Vele all representing younger options. Allen is 34 now, but he was still productive in his last Chargers season and would give Moore a familiar piece to lean on if the Saints decide they want more polish and reliability in a room that could use both. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Are Starting To Feel Better About Their QB Future
Tyler Shoughs first NFL season gave Saints fans a reason to breathe a little easier about the quarterback future, even if the bigger questions are still ahead. The second-round pick flashed the kind of accuracy and early impact that can change the mood around a position room fast, and his rookie year was strong enough to put him near the top of his draft class conversation without needing a full seasons worth of games.
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus did not put Shough among the 10 players under the most pressure in Year 2, which says plenty about how his first year was viewed around the league. Still, the next step is the one that matters most in New Orleans, because the Saints need to know whether Shough can turn that promising start into the kind of consistency that makes a quarterback feel like a long-term answer rather than just a bright early story. [Read more 🡒]