Tag: Chris Olave

Klint Kubiak had the perfect answer about Saints’ future on offense

Few teams struggled to sustain drives like the Saints did last year. Klint Kubiak has a great plan for fixing what’s broken:

Few teams struggled to sustain drives or end them with touchdowns like the New Orleans Saints did last year. You’d be hard pressed to find more offenses that had as many run-run-pass-punt sequences or short field goal tries. So it’s reassuring to hear new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak share a great plan for fixing what’s broken:

Kubiak spoke with WWL Radio on Thursday evening in a wide-ranging interview, ostensibly for previewing the 2024 draft (which we transcribed here). But this was Kubiak’s first exposure to local media, and so he ended up revealing more than may have been expected. And when asked how he plans to improve the Saints offense on third downs and inside the red zone, he gave a perfect answer.

“Speaking first to the red zone, it’s not one thing, it’s being able to run the ball down there,” Kubiak began, “That’s having an identity in running the ball and having success on base downs in the red zone so you’re not getting into 3rd-and-6 from the 6 or 3rd-and-10 from the 10. That’s something Coach (Kyle) Shanahan really harped on with those guys.”

That’s the antithesis of Pete Carmichael’s strategy. Carmichael’s entire play calling approach was designed around playing for third downs in manageable situations: 3rd-and-4, 3rd-and-6, that sort of thing. A couple of short runs into the teeth of the defense and then a quick pass to (hopefully) move the change. But that’s a tough sell when runs are getting stuffed, passes are falling incomplete, and fans are seeing more of the kicking specialists than they ever planned for.

Avoiding third downs altogether with more success on early downs is key. And that’s where Kubiak wants the offense to go. He envisions a run-heavy offense that will set up Derek Carr for big gains off of play action passes, much like the one that his mentor Shanahan has spread around the league. But even the best-designed game plan will run into some snags.

Kubiak continued: “As far as third downs, you know, that’s a whole other set of deals. Its’ a team game and we had a lot of great players on offense. It all started with them. Having great protection up front. Good decision maker at quarterback, and weapons on the outside. It’s all about players and coaches having an organized plan for them.”

So that means the Saints will be leaning hard on their personnel to win their matchups on critical downs. But as Kubiak said, it’s also on coaching to put them in a position to succeed. Finding the right route combinations for Chris Olave and getting favorable mismatches for Alvin Kamara is on him and his staff. It’s a good plan. Now they need to execute it.

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B/R: Saints’ inactivity hurts their offseason grade heading into the draft

The rubric: free agency, cap management, draft preparation and team direction. How does Bleacher Report grade the Saints’ offseason?

Bleacher Report scouting department has graded the offseason for each NFL team. Kris Knox evaluated the NFC teams while his constituent Alex Ballentine evaluated the AFC. Free agency obviously plays a big part, but salary cap management, preparation for the 2024 draft and general team direction all play a part in forming the team’s grade.

The New Orleans Saints haven’t been overly active in free agency. The biggest move they made was bringing in Chase Young on a prove it contract. That likely brings down their grade, but they have managed the cap well this offseason. The rest of the rubric is subjective. Cumulatively, Knox gave the Saints a C. Here’s why:

There really isn’t much to discuss regarding New Orleans’ offseason. The Saints entered the offseason facing a massive cap deficit, and general manager Mickey Loomis had to work just to get the franchise in compliance.

Everything will hinge on how New Orleans fares in the draft because the Saints’ penchant for kicking contracts down the road is catching up to them. Give Loomis credit for not selling off the entire roster just to manage the salary cap, but New Orleans largely looks like the same squad it was a year ago.

The first line sums up why a low grade was expected. “There really isn’t much to discuss regarding New Orleans’ offseason.” That’d be acceptable if the Saints were at least coming off a playoff berth. Finances played a part, but it does feel like they played it safer than required.

Knox lays out offensive line and wide receiver as positions of need heading into next week’s draft. Wide receiver still needs more bodies despite the addition of Cedrick Wilson Jr., Stanley Morgan, and Equanimeous St. Brown. They also need an impactful player whether in the form of a draft pick or A.T. Perry. The offensive line needed help coming into the offseason and the outlook, like Ryan Ramczyk’s health, got worse as the offseason has progressed.

You can’t return essentially the same team that didn’t make the playoffs and feel good about it. That places a lot of pressure on Klint Kubiak as the biggest new piece to tilt the Saints’ trajectory upward. He can’t afford for Derek Carr and Chris Olave to have as many quiet spells as we saw last season. Even with their flashes last year, New Orleans needed some juice heading into the upcoming season. The NFL draft will be vital to the success of this team moving forward.

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Dennis Allen’s draft history proves one thing about Saints’ priorities

Dennis Allen’s draft history gives us a good idea to what positions could be on the table in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft:

Dennis Allen is entering his third season as the New Orleans Saints head coach. His tenure has proven many things but one of those is his ability to properly identify and address a need, specifically in the NFL draft. Quality of the players is up for debate, however, he’s proven he knows what holes need to be filled. This is noteworthy when predicting the 2024 first-round pick.

Wide receiver was a major issue going into his inaugural season. Sean Payton trusted his offensive acumen, to a fault, to scheme players open. Allen didn’t have the luxury to even be that confident as a defensive minded coach. Chris Olave was Allen’s first pick. The other clearly glaring hole was offensive tackle that season after Terron Armstead’s departure. This led to Trevor Penning being the second first-round pick of 2022.

Last season, the Saints were in desperate need of pass rush. The response was to draft a defensive tackle and defensive end in the first two rounds. Bryan Bresee delivered in his first year while Isaiah Foskey played a season-high 20 snaps in a Week 5 blowout of the Patriots.

As they say “results may vary.” Olave and Bresee are examples of good picks, while Penning and Foskey haven’t truly seen enough time to fully know what they will be. His talent evaluation may be spotty, but he has shown an understanding of what needs must be addressed. The Saints have needs at offensive tackle, defensive end and wide receiver. Those needs aren’t as glaring as year’s past, but those are the most likely first round candidates.

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Saints’ Derek Carr, Chris Olave ranked just outside of Top-10 QB-WR duos

Derek Carr and Chris Olave had a rocky first year together, but there’s potential for greatness. B/R ranked them close to the top 10 QB-WR duos:

Where do Derek Carr and Chris Olave rank in the NFL as a duo? The New Orleans Saints’ quarterback and top wide receiver obviously are not on the elite tier with big names like Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase or Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill.

Individually, Carr isn’t in that conversation after a decade in the league, and Olave hasn’t reached that status yet going into his third season. But they have a lot of room to grow together. Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton has the pairing ranked right outside the top 10 as an honorable mention:

Derek Carr had an up-and-down first year with the New Orleans Saints in part because he played through injuries, but the 10-year veteran established a strong rapport with Chris Olave, who caught 87 passes for 1,123 yards and five touchdowns as the focal point of the 11th-ranked passing offense.

Perhaps the Saints offense takes a step in the right direction under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. If it does, look out for Carr and Olave to pick up where they left off in 2023.

That rapport took a while to find. Early in the season there was a clear disconnect between Carr and Olave. Olave’s effort was being questioned which led many to question his feelings towards his quarterback. Carr blowing up on Olave, when Carr was in the wrong, didn’t help matters either. As the season went on, however, they began to get on the same page and seemed to have a better relationship.

It’ll be interesting to see if they hit the ground running this year with a season under their belt. Being an honorable mention is a start. In order to crack the top 10, Olave will likely need to surpass 1,200 yards. Carr is who he is at this point in his career, but the addition of Klint Kubiak is here to elevate the passing attack schematically. As important as the players’ chemistry is, the new offensive coordinator is the most important piece.

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B/R labels Malachi Corley as the perfect fit for Saints WR corps

The Saints should look to add a wide receiver at some point in the 2024 NFL draft. Is Malachi Corley the perfect fit with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed?

Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed provide a solid foundation for the New Orleans Saints receiving corps, but confidence thins in that position group after that. A.T. Perry could carve out a bigger role in his second season. Derrik Klassen labels Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley and his yards after catch as the perfect fit for New Orleans in the NFL draft.

Everyone loves a short, stocky receiver with a mean streak, hence everyone loves Malachi Corley. A sturdy 5’11” and 215 pounds, he is more running back than wide receiver. He’s not yet a polished, expansive route-runner, but my word can he bring the pain with the ball in his hands. He’s an explosive, violent ball-carrier with the natural vision and balance to squeeze out extra yards in any scenario. At the very least, he is going to be a nice screen and underneath YAC threat in the NFL.

An ability to run after the catch is an attribute the Saints should look to improve from last season, but it doesn’t appear to be the top priority in skill sets to add. The Saints are in the market for a receiver with size. The Saints just lost Michael Thomas, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them add someone similar to replace him.

Corley’s ability with the ball in his hands could lead him to a Deebo Samuel-style role. The two are comparable in size, and the 49ers, ironically, were also listed as a perfect fit. It’s less about Corley’s talent and more about alignment with the Saints’ vision. They are in the market for a bigger receiver to operate in the middle of the field and catch 50-50 balls. That isn’t something he’s shown much of a knack for after going 4-17 on contested targets last season, but Corley does enough other things well to where he could still be on the team’s radar.

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New mock draft from former NFL GM has Saints passing on OL to add new weapon

Former NFL GM Mike Tannenbaum acknowledged that OL is a big need, but says the value at WR was too great for the Saints to pass up in his new mock draft:

There’s little question that upgrading the offensive line is the top priority for the New Orleans Saints going into the 2024 NFL draft, but that doesn’t mean it will be the only position group they look to address. And if the cards fall a certain way, they might have little choice but to put out another fire first.

That’s what happened in Mike Tannenbaum’s new mock draft for ESPN. The longtime Miami Dolphins and New York Jets executive shared his thoughts on what may happen in the first 32 picks of this year’s draft, and he sees a future where the Saints pass on their top needs because the value is too strong elsewhere to ignore.

Here’s why Tannenbaum says the Saints should draft Washington Huskies wide receiver Rome Odunze if given the opportunity:

“Offensive line might be the bigger position of need, but this value for Odunze is just too good. He’s available at this point only because I’ve had five QBs come off the board, pushing down a great player. It’s a break for the Saints, who need another young WR to complement Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. Odunze is one of my favorite prospects in the class — he ran a 4.45 40 at 6-3 and 212 pounds in Indy and plays even bigger and faster than that. I love his physicality at the catch point and ability to break tackles in the open field. He had 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 scores last season and should develop into a front-line No. 1 WR. I see a lot of Terrell Owens in his game.”

Odunze is a special talent, and he could fill the void the Saints have been working around over the last three years with a series of injuries sidelining Michael Thomas. When you watch him, Odunze moves smoothly, like Olave, but he’s a more versatile player who can line up at the split end, win a contested catch (he was 21-of-28 on them in 2023) and make a play with the ball in his hands (he averaged 5.6 yards after the catch per reception last year). Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers have earned top billing, but in almost any other year Odunze would be a top-10 lock.

And, yes, the Saints should probably consider drafting him if he’s available. They still need to address both tackle spots and guard, somehow. They can’t count on Trevor Penning, James Hurst, and Ryan Ramczyk each playing 17 games at a high level.

But the strength of this draft class along the offensive line is impressive. There are going to be starting-quality blockers drafted in the second and third rounds like Kingsley Suamataia (BYU), Patrick Paul (Houston), Christian Jones (Texas), and more. It’s a gamble to draft anything but offensive line in the first round, and it’s very possible the Saints would lose that wager. At the same time, there’s real wisdom in giving Derek Carr and whichever quarterback might succeed him in a few years a receiving corps that includes Olave, Shaheed, and Odunze. We’ll see how it plays out in a month.

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Which jersey number is Chase Young going to use with the Saints?

Forget the contract and schematic fit. The real question is which jersey number is Chase Young going to use with the New Orleans Saints?

The New Orleans Saints made a splash in free agency by signing Chase Young, who could do a lot to change Cameron Jordan’s role and allow them to both play their best football. But beyond the salary cap ramifications of acquiring Young and how he’ll fit into the defense, we’ve got to consider the most important question: what jersey number is Young going to be wearing?

Young has worn two different numbers in the NFL, choosing No. 99 (with Washington) and No. 92 (with San Francisco). Right now, both of those are taken by Khalen Saunders and Tanoh Kpassagnon, respectively. Before he turned pro Young used No. 2 at Ohio State, and while that is available the Saints showed last year they didn’t understand the new rules by not allowing Jason Pierre-Paul to wear a linebacker number. They insisted he be listed as a defensive end, who are not eligible for wearing single digits.

Chris Olave has already shown an interest in switching to No. 2 (which he also wore in college at Ohio State), and there wouldn’t be any question about a wide receiver using it.

What about Young’s high school number? He transferred from St. Vincent Pallotti High School, where he wore No. 34, to DeMatha Catholic High School, where he switched to No. 9. Drew Brees’ number is unofficially retired, so we can scratch that out. Which means the only number Young has used before, No. 34, is also the only one still available. But it isn’t eligible for defensive linemen, so the Saints would have to list Young on the roster as an outside linebacker, which they’ve been reluctant to do before.

There are two numbers in the nineties that could appeal to Young: Nos. 91 and 97, last used by Kyle Phillips and Malcolm Roach. It’s also possible he could buy out his preferred number from Saunders or Kpassagnon, or go with something fresh altogether. It’s a curious situation, but honestly pretty low-stakes given everything else going on with this team and the world at large. We’ll keep an eye out for an update.

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Chris Olave may be going back to his college jersey number

With the loss of Jameis Winston to the Cleveland Browns, Chris Olave has floated the thought of changing back to his jersey number:

The offseason is in full swing, and with that, the New Orleans Saints are reportedly going to be losing Jameis Winston to the Cleveland Browns. It’s an opportunity for wide receiver Chriis Olave to return to his old college jersey number.

In his first two seasons at Ohio State, Olave wore No. 17 as his teammate J.K. Dobbins was using  No. 2; however, Olave would snap it up in his junior and senior years. Then he had to move on to No. 12 in the NFL with Jameis Winston having already claimed it. However, with Winston reportedly gone, that frees up Olave to return to his preferred number.

Olave responded to Alontae Taylor, who wears No. 1, on Twitter when Taylor asked if he wanted to rep the “1 & 2 combo” and his brother Josh Olave would also send out a post about the potential number change:

If this number change were to go into effect, Olave would be the first wide receiver to wear it for the Saints. There have only been six others to wear No. 2 for New Orleans, all of whom were kickers or quarterbacks:

  • K Chip Lohmiller: 1995
  • QB Aaron Brooks: 2000-2005
  • K Olindo Mare: 2007
  • K John Kasay: 2011
  • K Zach Hocker: 2015
  • QB Jameis Winston: 2020-2023

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Saints aren’t tendering wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr.

The Saints aren’t tendering Lynn Bowden Jr., which means only 3 of the 11 wide receivers who played for them last year are set to return for 2024:

Get ready for a new-look New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps in 2024. The Saints will not be tendering veteran wideout Lynn Bowden Jr., per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which will make him a free agent when the new league year begins on March 13.

This isn’t too surprising in itself. Bowden primarily worked as a blocker and decoy for the Saints, only drawing 16 targets in 15 games last year while catching 11 passes for 83 yards, picking up a pair of first downs. He also recorded 5 rushing attempts for 32 yards on the ground, moving the chains three times. He was a serviceable emergency returns specialist, averaging 7.6 yards per punt return and 21.3 yards per kick return. That isn’t production teams pay top-dollar for.

But things are interesting under the surface. Fowler initially said that Bowden was an exclusive rights free agent, not a restricted free agent, which he later said was a mistake. Not tendering Bowden as a restricted free agent made sense because it costs at least $2,985,000. Re-signing Bowden at the league-minimum salary is an option.

Maybe he returns later as a minimum signing, but it’s possible that the Saints will be moving on as offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak revamps the receiving corps. Bowden is the latest wideout from New Orleans’ 2023 team to depart thus far. Let’s break it down:

  • Michael Thomas will enter free agency on Wednesday after being released from his contract
  • Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after his practice squad deal expired
  • Shaquan Davis chose to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in similar circumstances
  • Kirk Merritt is playing for the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks
  • Jontre Kirklin is with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas as well
  • Keith Kirkwood will be an unrestricted free agent, too
  • If you’re curious, the Detroit Lions signed Tre’Quan Smith

Which leaves Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry as the only receivers returning for the 2024 season (so far). It’s possible Kirkwood and Bowden return at some point but Kubiak has a big opportunity to retool this depth chart. Stay tuned to learn what his plan for accomplishing that is.

Update: Fowler corrected his report, clarifying that Bowden was a restricted free agent (RFA), not an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA). So that confusion can be chalked up to a typo. Maybe the NFL can workshop some abbreviations which aren’t so easy to mistake for one another?

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Bills cut former Saints All-Pro Deonte Harty, but don’t expect a reunion

The Bills released Deonte Harty, a former All-Pro returner with the Saints. But a reunion is ‘not currently in the works’ per NOF’s Nick Underhill:

Could the New Orleans Saints bring back Deonte Harty? Their former All-Pro returns specialist was a salary cap casualty with the Buffalo Bills earlier this week, and on Friday he shared on social media that he was visiting New Orleans, saying “Back like I never left.” Harty is an unrestricted free agent who will not count into the compensatory draft picks formula for 2025.

The Saints need to start adding wideouts at some point. With Chris Olave, A.T. Perry, and Rashid Shaheed under contract for 2024 while Michael Thomas heads out into free agency, they’ve filled just three of the 13 training camp roster spots they used last year on receivers. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is going to want his own players and that many vacancies gives him an opportunity to rebuild the depth chart.

But a reunion with Harty is “not currently in the works,” per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. So maybe he was just in town visiting old friends. Shaheed has done everything Harty offered at a higher level both on offense and in the return game.

While there’s a chance the situation could change, don’t bet on it. The Saints have a plan for restocking the receiving corps and Harty might be an option if they can’t get other players they’re prioritizing more highly. If he’s still available this summer when they’re filling out the depth chart for training camp, maybe it makes sense to have him compete for a roster spot. At this time the Saints are looking for help elsewhere.

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