Tag: teams

Ranking all 32 teams (including the Saints) by their 2024 strength of schedule

Ranking all 32 teams (including the New Orleans Saints) by their 2024 strength of schedule, from toughest to easiest:

The New Orleans Saints had an easy schedule on paper in 2023 but weren’t able to do much with it. They’ll have another shot at it this season as they have the easiest schedule in the league.

A big reason for that ranking is the fact that the NFC South was as weak as it was last season, which includes the Panthers having the worst record in the league. In addition to the NFC South, the Saints also face the NFC and AFC West.

Here is every team ranked by their strength of schedule in 2024, based on their opponents’ combined records during the 2023 season according to pro football researcher Ivan Urena, from toughest to easiest:

Forbes raises Saints’ valuation by half a billion dollars going into 2023

In the wake of several franchise sales, Forbes estimates that the New Orleans Saints’ valuation has risen by half a billion dollars going into 2023:

Several NFL franchises have sold recently, with the Denver Broncos selling for $4.65 billion and the Washington Commanders selling for a whopping $6 billion. Those exchanges have helped Forbes’ Mike Ozanian and Justin Teitelbaum estimate franchise values for all 32 teams in the league on the eve of the 2023 NFL season, including the New Orleans Saints.

And it’s a big number: Forbes estimates that the Saints are now valued by as much as $4.08 billion. That’s a climb over their $3.575 billion valuation by Forbes this time last year, but it reflects something the league is acutely aware of: business is booming.

Forbes says the average NFL team is worth $5.1 billion, an increase over the $4.43 billion valuation they suggested last year. With new broadcast rights deals padding out the league’s pockets, that number is expected to continue to climb. The Saints certainly helped raise their valuation by inking a long-term naming rights deal with Caesars Entertainment for the Superdome, which is entering the final stage of widespread renovations in advance of Super Bowl LIX in 2025 (preceded by a record-breaking three-day Taylor Swift concert tour in 2024).

What does it mean for the Saints and New Orleans, though? Team owner Gayle Benson, 74, has made it clear she has no plans to sell the team. She also has no heirs. In 2021 multiple local outlets reported her succession plan in the event of her death: any buyer would be contractually obligated to keep the team in Louisiana, with proceeds from a sale to go to local charities in the region. Team president Dennis Lauscha is to serve as the executor of her estate, with senior executives like Mickey Loomis and Greg Bensel also involved, if need be.

Hopefully that isn’t something we’ll need to worry about for a long time. Benson has been quick to invest in the Saints’ team facilities and her willingness to regularly cut large checks for signing bonuses has allowed Loomis and his chief assistant Khai Harley to restructure contracts as often as they have (something other small-market teams haven’t enjoyed).

Still, Forbes’ valuation ranks the Saints all the way down at No. 27 among their peers. At the end of the day they’re not based in one of America’s largest or most affluent metro areas. New Orleans punches above its weight class, and that isn’t something fans should take for granted.

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Derek Carr can get his first win against these four teams in 2023

Derek Carr can get his first win against these four teams in 2023, but he’ll have to wait for payback against his old Raiders squad | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints brought in Derek Carr to try to stabilize the quarterback position for the first time since Drew Brees was on the roster. He’s a veteran that has pretty much seen it all as a quarterback, but there are still some teams that he has not been able to beat in his NFL career.

He’ll see most of those teams with a chance to right the ship against them. Carr will have two chances against the Atlanta Falcons (at home and on the road), but unluckily everyone else he will be facing in 2023 will be an away game. He likely won’t win every single matchup, but he has a good chance to knock a couple names off the list of teams that he hasn’t taken down.

Here is his record against each of those teams and when they’ll play in 2023:

Saints’ all-time record vs. each opponent on 2023 schedule

Which opponents have given the Saints the most trouble over the years? Here’s their all-time record vs. each team on their 2023 schedule:

We already know which teams the New Orleans Saints are going to play in 2023, we’re just waiting on the NFL schedule release to confirm the dates and times for each matchup. But which of their opponents have given the Saints the most trouble over the years?

Here’s a quick look at the series history between the Saints and every team lined up on their 2023 schedule, ordered from the lowest winning percentage to the highest:

4 free agent destinations for Saints DT David Onyemata

David Onyemata is expected to be a hot name on the free agency market. These four teams could be contending for the Saints starter’s services:

It sure sounds like David Onyemata is going to be a hot commodity on the free agent market. The New Orleans Saints defensive tackle is one of several players at his position who are picking up momentum ahead of the legal tampering window and signing period this week, and if his price is going to be as high as expected then the Saints might have a hard time holding onto him. That’s concerning given the $10.1 million that would toll in dead money salary cap penalties if the Saints lose him, but that’s what constant restructuring gets you sometimes.

So which teams could be in the market for Onyemata’s services? Here are four fits who make sense for the 30-year-old veteran:

5 best free agent destinations for Saints DE Marcus Davenport

5 possible free agent destinations for Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport, expected to be one of the top pass rushers available:

There might not be a more intriguing New Orleans Saints free agent than Marcus Davenport. The big defensive end is full of unfulfilled potential and comes with a lengthy injury history, but there aren’t many more players with higher upside on the free agent market. He’s going to draw a lot of attention from teams and coaches who think they can get more out of him than the Saints did the last five years.

But which teams could be in the hunt for Davenport’s services? We took a look at his connections around the NFL, the outlook for various teams’ salary cap situations, and which defenses could most need the help off the edge. Here are five of the best free agent fits for Davenport if he’s on the outs with New Orleans:

Saints’ known opponents for 2023 season so far

We already know all but three of the Saints’ opponents for the 2023 season:

There are just four games left on the 2022 schedule, and it’s safe to say the New Orleans Saints haven’t quite met expectations. So some eyes are already being drawn to 2023. And we know all but three of the teams the Saints will face next season.

The Saints are scheduled to host the same-place finisher in the NFC East next year while visiting the same-ranked teams in the NFC West and AFC East. If current standings hold, that means a home game with the Washington Commanders and road trips to face the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.

We’ll know the finalized list of 2023 opponents after the 2022 season. For now, here’s what we know during the Week 14 bye:

Here are the 13 former Saints players who were selected in the 2023 XFL draft

Some familiar faces could be playing in the XLF next year. Here are the 13 former Saints players selected in the 2023 XFL draft, from RB Abram Smith to TE Alize Mack:

The XFL will be back in 2023, prompting the spring league to launch its draft in Las Vegas this week. A draft pool of 1,700 players from a wide array of backgrounds were available in the three-day event, with the XFL’s eight teams ultimately selecting hundreds of prospects hoping for their big break.

And there were quite a few former New Orleans Saints players in the mix, including some NFL draft picks and even a couple of players currently signed with the Saints practice squad, meaning they may have to choose between a flyer contract with New Orleans or this XFL opportunity after the 2022 season concludes.

A total of 13 former Saints were picked throughout the XFL draft. Here’s a quick recap:

Notre Dame back in top 20 of Josh Pate’s power ratings

Will Notre Dame finish the season ranked?

If you’re a college football fan and are unfamiliar with the work of Josh Pate then do yourself an immediate favor and become familiar.  In a world of screaming, yelling, and forced debate, Pate is a breath of fresh air that can deliver a well thought-out point without having to put on a sideshow in order to do so.

You can check out his YouTube page here as his regular podcast is the best of any national college football show/podcast I’ve heard and he just announced that he’s locked up a new deal with CBS/247Sports so that is good news for college football fans everywhere.

Pate releases his JP Poll each week which is done entirely by a formula and not by the old “eye-test” or anything of the sort.  That’s why sometimes teams with a few losses are ranked ahead of unbeaten squads and until these formulas can account for teams that just seemingly know how to execute late and those who don’t, I’ll have some reservations.

When looking at this look at with the question in mind “who would be favored if they met tomorrow?” and they’ll probably make a lot more sense.

With that in mind here is the top-20 in the JP Poll rankings this week.

Kirk Herbstreit releases college football top 6 team rankings following Week 4

Do you have the same top four?

Week 4 of college football has come and gone and with it goes FBS contests for the month of September.  What do we know a month into the 2022 season?  And what do we still have to find out?  It would appear plenty in both categories.

Week 4 saw No. 6 Oklahoma get knocked off at home as Adrian Martinez and Kansas State proved unstoppable for Brent Venables and company.  Elsewhere USC escaped Oregon State with a hard fought victory despite their offense having nowhere near their A-game.

Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State, cruised to victories while Michigan perhaps had more of a test than most would have thought against Maryland.

How did the weekend make Kirk Herbstreit feel about the College Football Playoff outlook?

Here is who Herbstreit ranked as his top-six college football teams on Sunday.