3 offseason moves the New Orleans Saints have to make to take the next step

2. Upgrade the offensive front

This was once one of the better offensive fronts in the league, but it has certainly fallen off as of late. As recently as 2020, Pro Football Focus had the Saints’ line as a Top 10 unit (8th, to be specific). That hasn’t been the case these past three seasons as this group has been ranked in the bottom half of the league.

In 2023, New Orleans was 23rd on the charts, and PFF’s Zoltán Buday had this to say about this unit’s performance this year.

“This was another disappointing season for the Saints' offensive line, highlighted by the fact that they benched 2022 first-round pick Trevor Penning after just six games. Penning allowed 21 quarterback pressures, including four sacks, in those six games.

The unit played well late in the season despite losing right tackle Ryan Ramczyk. Over the last seven games, New Orleans allowed 57 pressures and six sacks while ranking fifth in pass-blocking efficiency.

Buday singled out center Erik McCoy, who was “among the best run blockers in the league this season. He earned a positive grade on 17.2 percent of run plays, which ranked fifth among centers, while his 86.6 run-blocking grade placed fourth at the position.”

The Saints gave up a respectable 35 sacks, but averaged a disappointing 102.5 yards per game on the ground. Will the team bring back potential free agent Andrus Peat?