Although the Saints have traditionally been known to put up big points, last season, they fell back on their strong defense. New Orleans finished second in pass defense, allowing just 194.1 yards per game, and they finished 19th in rushing defense, although teams tried to control the clock against the Saints to keep Drew Brees off the field.
Now, Rob Ryan will look to bring his defense back to that level as they try to get back the divisional crown that Carolina took from them last season.
New Starter: Jairus Byrd
The Saints came up as a dark horse team to land Byrd. With already limited cap space, they penned Byrd the second largest contract of any safety in the league (it was the largest until Earl Thomas got an extension with the Seattle Seahawks). Byrd was the most coveted defensive free agent this offseason prior to Darrelle Revis being released, and the Saints filled a hole at free safety by landing him, despite the issues he created with the salary cap.
Area of Improvement
Although the Saints were one of the best pass defenses in the league last season, they have to be worried about the personnel in the secondary they are bringing into this season. They lost Malcolm Jenkins to the Philadelphia Eagles, who had two interceptions last season at safety, and Jabari Greer is still a free agent. Last season, Greer had one interception and had defended 12 passes.
Byrd is a bonafide ball hawk at safety, but there are questions around how well Champ Bailey can still play at his age. He brings plenty of experience to the table, but he’s not nearly as fast as he used to be. Keenan Lewis is still a top corner, but after that, there are a lot of questions for New Orleans at corner.
Potential Breakout Star: Junior Galette
Among the top levels of football fans, Galette is a known talent, but he could become a well-known player to the casual fan this year. Jonathan Vilma is out, making Galette the top linebacker in New Orleans. Last season, he quietly had 12 sacks and six tackles for a loss, his best season by far in the league.
In his first three years in the league with New Orleans, Galette only had a combined 9.5 sacks. Look for him to take over as the best pass rushing option on the Saints and fill the play-caller for Ryan’s defense.
On His Way Out: Champ Bailey
Bailey hasn’t even played a single snap for the Saints yet, but at 35, he’s on his way out of the league in general. He’s a lock for the Hall of Fame, but in his last few years with the Denver Broncos his play has dropped off. Bailey only appeared in five games last season, and looked slow, and in the last three seasons, he’s recorded just a combined four interceptions.