Tag: needs

Saints not finished tweaking roster, but Mickey Loomis says he’s not losing sleep over it

The Saints are not finished tweaking their roster, but Mickey Loomis says he’s not losing sleep over it. Where are they looking for more upgrades?

The New Orleans Saints opened training cap by signing several veteran players to reinforce the depth chart, including a pair of veteran offensive guards in Trai Turner and Max Garcia (as well as a reunion with their former Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham). Those were all moves that general manager Mickey Loomis characterized as guys with proven performance who can compete for roster spots during his first press conference.

But they aren’t finished just yet. The Saints also brought in a half-dozen defensive linemen for a group tryout before camp, and Loomis acknowledged that there are other roster spots they would like to add another proven player or two. But are there any areas of need on his mind?

“Nothing glaring,” Loomis said, choosing his words carefully. “There’s probably a couple of spots, I don’t want to identify them. There’s a couple where I wouldn’t mind having another player that has played in the NFL. But nothing glaring that I’m losing sleep over.”

So which positions could Loomis be alluding to? Let’s look at the depth chart and areas where there are more younger, inexperienced players than established veterans.

Linebacker jumps off the page. Demario Davis is the only player in the group with more than 30 career starts; Pete Werner has only played 27 games through two years (out of 34 potential starts) while Zack Baun (8 starts in 45 games), Andrew Dowell (no starts in 34 games), Ty Summers (1 start in 52 games), and Ryan Connelly (1 start in 31 games) are all better known for their efforts on special teams than quantity of reps on defense. That’s also the case for second-year pro Nephi Sewell, while rookies Anfernee Orji and Nick Anderson are relative unknowns, as is D’Marco Jackson as he returns from a season-ending injury.

There are other cases to be made, like at defensive end where Cameron Jordan is the sole established presence, ahead of Tanoh Kpassagnon (34 starts in 84 games) and Carl Granderson (7 starts in 54 games). Defensive tackle could also use another piece — Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders are a solid pair of veterans, but they’ve started a combined 17 of their 111 career regular season games. The Saints are putting a lot of pressure on young draft picks like Bryan Bresee, Isaiah Foskey, and Payton Turner to fill out the depth chart along the defensive line, which leads to uncertainty.

It would be nice to have someone else with a strong NFL resume in either group, but as Loomis said, it’s not worth losing sleep over with so many young, developing players in the pipeline. Don’t be shocked if more moves are on the way, but maybe don’t look out for anything earth-shaking, either.

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Biggest remaining needs for Chiefs following 2023 NFL Draft

Our @Nicolas_Roesch takes a look at the #Chiefs’ biggest remaining needs following the 2023 NFL draft.

The 2023 NFL draft is in the books, and the Kansas City Chiefs did a nice job of addressing their top needs. They still, however, could use some quality depth at a variety of positions. There are some notable free agents still available and there are almost always a handful quality players who get cut or become available via trade during the offseason.

Let’s take a look at the biggest remaining needs for the Chiefs’ roster:

Broncos’ team needs in 2023 NFL draft

Do you agree with these positions of need for the Broncos going into the NFL draft?

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton only has five picks to use in the 2023 NFL draft this week, so he will need to get the most out of the club’s mid-round picks.

Denver did a good job patching up holes during free agency, so the Broncos do not have many big draft needs going into the draft. Denver does have a few positions of need that could be addressed, though.

Here’s a quick look at our list of the top five draft needs for the Broncos.

  • Cornerback: CB2-caliber defensive back to pair with Pat Surtain, bumping Damarri Mathis to CB3 duties.
  • Defensive end: Starting-caliber player to help replace DeShawn Williams on the defensive line.
  • Center: Real competition for Lloyd Cushenberry.
  • Running back: RB3 with upside to pair with Samaje Perine early in the season while Javonte Williams recovers from knee injury.
  • Offensive line depth: Backup swing tackle and guard depth.

There are, of course, many other positions Denver could target, ranging from pass rusher to tight end. The Broncos have said they plan to draft “the best player available” at each pick, so the team won’t be reaching to fill needs during the draft.

If the team can walk away from the draft with several of these positions solidified, though, the roster will look much better going into training camp.

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Categorizing Packers’ roster needs entering 2023 NFL draft

Separating the Packers’ roster needs into four different categories ahead of the 2023 draft.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is entering the 2023 NFL draft with a hole-riddled roster after back-to-back offseasons featuring a mass exodus of veteran players. The Packers got to the doorstep of the Super Bowl in 2019 and 2020 and failed, and the roster is now feeling the consequences of attempts to keep the team together for failed runs in 2021 and 2022.

This post from Joe Goodberry represents a smart way of looking at roster needs. There are immediate needs, long-term needs and overall depth needs, and teams use the draft to address all three to varying degrees.

Instead of rankings roster needs, let’s categorize the individual needs into the four tiers: rookie contributors, long-term developmental players, positional depth and no clear need.

Broncos’ top positions of need in 2023 NFL draft

What are the Broncos’ top needs going into the 2023 NFL draft?

After patching up a bunch of holes during NFL free agency, the Denver Broncos do not have a massive list of needs for the 2023 NFL draft.

That’s good news because the Broncos currently only hold five picks overall, and the team does not have any selections in the first or second rounds. Denver general manager George Paton will have to make the most of his limited draft capital later this month.

Two of the team’s biggest positions of need are at cornerback and center. Most of the Broncos’ other positions of need are mostly depth related.

Here’s a quick look at the team’s biggest remaining roster needs.

Updating the New Orleans Saints depth chart at TE ahead of 2023 NFL draft

Updating the Saints depth chart at tight end after free agency and gauging how important a priority it could be in the 2023 NFL draft:

How important is it for the NEw Orleans Saints to add another tight end? They aren’t going to find a rookie who can handle a higher volume of targets in the passing game than Juwan Johnson (who they just signed to a two-year extension), though some receiving ability is needed. Ideally they’ll find a new blocking tight end who can handle a wider range of responsibilities than Adam Trautman, who hasn’t really developed since his rookie year.

But first we need to know what we’re working with. Here’s list of tight ends signed for 2023, with new additions in bold:

  • Juwan Johnson
  • Adam Trautman
  • Miller Forristall
  • Lucas Krull

Taysom Hill is listed at tight end on the official roster, but that isn’t the position he plays. Last season he lined up more frequently at quarterback (148 snaps) and wide receiver (101) than at tight end (51). He may have attended more meetings in the tight ends room, but he isn’t part of the big-picture plan at that position. His positional flexibility is an asset and the Saints are smart to avoid limiting him to one spot.

Krull might be just a guy. He’s tall and brings great straight-line speed with a big catch radius, but he spent most of his rookie year on the practice squad and didn’t get many opportunities to show what he can do. It’s obviously worth bringing him back for Year 2 to see if he can take a step forwards, but if the Saints are angling for improved blocking they’ll probably need to draft someone.

And this year’s draft has a stacked class at tight end. Michael Mayer and Darnell Washington are two early-round prospects who can throw their weight around as blockers; Penn State’s Brenton Strange is also climbing draft boards after doing well in pre-draft workouts. He brings a physical presence as a blocker and there’s a lot to like about his small sample size of targets in the passing game. You could say the same of Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker. Dalton Kincaid (Utah) and Luke Musgrave (Oregon State) are eager to mix it up at the line of scrimmage but neither player has the functional strength to make much headway just yet. They’ve got to get in the weight room.

So we’ll classify tight end as more of a “want” than a “need” and certainly not a “must.” The Saints should want to get better here (especially with Trautman entering a contract year) but they’ve got bigger fish to fry and spending an early-round pick on a part-time player who is mainly expected to block isn’t the best use of resources. If they can address bigger priorities along the defensive line first, then it makes sense to target more of a luxury like at tight end in the later rounds.

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Hendon Hooker could make sense for the Saints, but not in the first round

Hendon Hooker could make sense for the Saints, but not in the first round. Their priority needs to be adding immediate upgrades:

The New Orleans Saints caught a lot of attention this week by hosting former Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker on one of their 30 official pre-draft visits, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport kindly reminding his 4 million Twitter followers that the Saints are scheduled to pick at No. 29 in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.

Which led to everyone asking whether the Saints could make a bold move and pick the prolific passer in Round 1 — after having inked a $150 million contract with Derek Carr?

If Hooker’s knee was fully healthy, if he were two or three years younger, and if he was coming out of a system that helped him cultivate more NFL-applicable skills: maybe, but then he would be a prospect going in the first round’s top ten picks, not its final ten. That isn’t the situation we’re in.

I’m saying this as someone who’s been singing Hooker’s praises since October: there’s a lot to like about Hooker, but not enough to where he should be the highest-graded prospect when the Saints are on the clock. Especially considering the state of their team. New Orleans needs to prioritize immediate help in the early rounds of this draft. After moving so strongly to install Carr as their quarterback, they must find some upgrades along the defensive line and a couple of positions on offense — wide receiver, tight end, running back, and maybe left guard.

There’s still a scenario where drafting Hooker makes sense. If the Saints can get at least one player (preferably two) who will be on the field for 30 or more snaps each week, then they should consider a luxury pick like Hooker. Having him on the roster to develop as a Plan B in case Carr doesn’t meet expectations in 2023 and 2024 could be wise, seeing as Carr’s contract was written with an exit ramp in 2025 if it’s needed.

Yeah, Hooker would be 28 by then. That can’t be helped. But he would have several years of experience in the offense to go with his ample reps at the college level between Tennessee and Virginia Tech. He’d still be in his athletic prime and could feasibly start for ten years, maybe. It’s not an ideal situation, but drafting a replacement plan to the quarterback you just agreed to pay $150 million isn’t ideal, either. Compromises are critical in the NFL.

So will the Saints call Hooker’s name on draft day? Maybe, maybe not. They don’t often pick many of the prospects who visit the facility on these exclusive pre-draft meetings (and it doesn’t help that we often only see half of them reported in the first place). It’s a possibility, but anything’s possible. We’ll just have to see how it shakes out. The Saints could very well decide that Hooker is their best and only option at No. 29, unlikely as it feels. But if that’s the case there’d be a lot to criticize about the talent evaluation that led them to such a conclusion.

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4 underrated needs for Chiefs in 2023 NFL draft

Our @goldmctNFL names four underrated needs the #Chiefs must address in the 2023 NFL draft.

Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach has some work to do in the 2023 NFL draft to help beef up his team after their Super Bowl LVII run.

Many have become hyper-fixated on some of the most obvious needs such as wide receiver and edge rusher, which are undoubtedly important. There are also some quieter roster needs for the 2023 NFL season and beyond that could prove instrumental to the team’s success.

Below we take a look at four of the more underrated roster needs for the Chiefs ahead of the 2023 NFL draft:

PFF ranks WR, CB, LB as Vikings’ biggest needs following first wave of free agency

Pro Football Focus has determined that the #Vikings need a receiver, cornerback, and linebacker after the first wave of free agency

The Minnesota Vikings made a couple of splash moves in the first week of free agency by signing defensive end Marcus Davenport and cornerback Byron Murphy, but their work is far from over. In the pursuit of fielding a Super Bowl-caliber roster, the team will continue to exhaust every option to sign high-value talent and, according to Pro Football Focus, they may need to continue shoring up their secondary.

The quants at PFF made their stance on Minnesota’s roster clear on Tuesday, publishing an article that listed the wide receiver, cornerback, and linebacker positions as the Vikings’ biggest needs after the first wave of free agent signings. Minnesota’s decision to release long-tenured receiver Adam Thielen likely played into PFF’s calculus to recommend that they sign another pass-catcher, but with a threat like Justin Jefferson on the roster, the team certainly doesn’t need to make a huge investment at the position.

Likewise, Murphy’s addition to the secondary will necessitate that the Vikings shore up their depth or potentially sign a veteran to compete for consistent snaps, though the position has already functionally been addressed.

The linebacker position, though, remains a question for Minnesota moving forward. Second-year backer Brian Asamoah II should be poised to take a big step forward in 2023 after seeing limited action in 16 games last year, and veteran Jordan Hicks should prove to continue stirring the pot in the middle of the Vikings’ defense next season. Both are expected to start for the team when the regular season commences in September, but more depth could be added to complement Troy Dye and William Kwenkeu, who currently round out their backup positions in the linebacking corps.

Updated Saints team needs after first big wave of free agency

We’ve updated our list of the top Saints team needs after they signed several defensive tackles and a running back in the first big wave of free agency:

Whew. The New Orleans Saints were busier than many expected during the first wave of free agency, reaching agreements with several veteran players and bringing back one of their own on Wednesday — the Saints cut deals with defensive tackles Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd as well as running back Jamaal Williams before retaining special teams linebacker Ty Summers.

So what’s left to be done after all of that (and the big-time free agent pickup in quarterback Derek Carr)? The Saints still have some team needs to address between free agency and the 2023 NFL draft. Here’s where we’re looking for movement in the days and weeks ahead: