2. Saints Sign Emmanuel Sanders

The Saints had one of the top offenses in the NFL last season, but they have not been as dynamic since they traded away Brandin Cooks to the Patriots in 2017 and letting Wille Snead leave in free agency to the Baltimore Ravens. Since then, they have been desperately looking for wide receivers who can restore that dynamic element they lost.

After the Saints traded Cooks, they signed Ted Ginn Jr. as a replacement deep threat option. The problem was that Ginn was never a good route runner and has a problem with drops, making him an unreliable target and predictable to defenses. It was a simple choice to not re-sign him as a result.

During the offseason, the Saints chose not to re-sign Ginn and capitalized on the opportunity to sign Emmanuel Sanders to a two-year, $16 million deal. With the addition of Sanders, New Orleans will gain one of the most dynamic slot reivers in the NFL over the past six seasons. They have finally found the player they have been looking for to fill the Snead role, but one that can take it to the next level, too.

By adding Sanders into the mix, it allows Tre’Quan Smith to take over the deep-threat role that Cooks thrived in with the Saints. Of course, Smith still has to prove himself functioning in this way, but overall, New Orleans now has a trio of receivers that are capable of filling needed roles. Signing Sanders will play a key role in restoring that dynamic element of their offense.