With the New Orleans Saints having only two wins entering the bye week, it’s an ideal time for some changes to be made. Although many may be ready for a head coaching change, that’s unlikely to happen just yet, even after a loss in Paris. So, I wanted to look at other areas of the roster and staff where the Saints could make moves before deciding whether to move on from Kellen Moore.
Cut kicker Daniel Carlson
Let’s start with the most obvious move. The Saints took way too long to move on from Blake Grupe last season, which
led to more losses. That was a mistake the Saints should have learned from, and hopefully they did.
So far this season, Daniel Carlson has not been the signing many hoped for. He’s been very inconsistent, and like last year, it’s impossible for fans to feel comfortable with the kicker making a field goal. It’s not going to be a season-changing move, but one that will help.
Move on from OL Coach Brendan Nugent
If you look at the roster, the offensive line has been arguably the most disappointing unit. After major investment throughout, the players who should be playing well are underperforming. The comparison that I have been making is to the 2024 Saints defensive line coached under Todd Grantham. That group was really bad under Grantham, but that was with a younger Cam Jordan, Chase Young, and Carl Granderson. Once Grantham was gone, the entire defensive line played much better.
This is why I think Nugent and the Saints should part ways. There’s a legitimate chance that some of the Saints’ offensive line issues could improve once Nugent is gone.
Trade away some veterans
Although this is more of a trade deadline conversation, the Saints can start working in the veteran trade market. New Orleans should be sellers at the deadline, and they have some veterans who could at least earn an early day 3 pick.
Looking at some of the names on the roster that stand out as options: Justin Reid, Cesar Ruiz, and Pete Werner.
Starting with Reid, the safety group is really struggling this year, and that should have been the consistent part of the DB room. Jordan Howden can step in, and the Saints can get a decent return for Reid. Next is Ruiz, and this is similar to Reid. To get some more draft capital, Ruiz can make that happen, and the Saints can keep Jeremiah Wright in.
Last is Werner, and I’m not sure the Saints will be able to get much for the linebacker. But it may be time to make a deal happen.
What changes do you think the Saints should make to their roster or staff?
