6 splashy free agents Saints should consider before training camp (2024)

Green Bay Packers tackle David Bakhtiari (69) speaks with New Orleans Saints Trevor Penning (70) at training camp practice with the Saints on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wis. Samantha Madar/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bakhtiari, 32, was a five-time All-Pro selection from 2016 to 2020. The longtime Green Bay Packers left tackle is still waiting to sign with a new team, and on paper he looks like a good fit for the Saints as a mentor for young bookends Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning. But would Bakhtiari feel the same way? He wants to join a Super Bowl contender, and the Saints don’t fit that criteria after missing the playoffs three years in a row.

He’s also been very critical about playing on artificial turf surfaces, which the Saints will use in 14 of their 17 games this year. Bakhtiari has only played 13 games in the last three seasons while dealing with a complicated knee injury. He has the strongest resume of the offensive linemen still looking for a new team, but there are some major questions that may not have answers in New Orleans.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 27: Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos looks on prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Simmons, 30, is the best defensive back still on the market — there are probably 20 or 25 other fanbases also hoping he’ll pick their team, so Saints fans are far from unusual in that regard. It was very surprising to see the Broncos cut Simmons at the start of the offseason after he won All-Pro recognition in four of the last five years, including 2023 (and he still made the Pro Bowl the year he came up short of being named an All-Pro).

The Saints have shown they weren’t willing to pay top dollar for Marcus Maye to start next to Tyrann Mathieu (Maye’s salary cap hit would have been $9.9 million, but releasing him left a dead money charge of $8.1 million; the Miami Dolphins signed him on a one-year, $1.37 million deal). But Maye isn’t Simmons. He appeared in 27 games over the last two years when Maye only played in 17, intercepting 9 passes compared to Maye’s pair of takeaways. Maybe the Saints really are comfortable starting Johnathan Abram or Jordan Howden this season, but Simmons is much easier to believe in.

Jan 15, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Miami Dolphins guard Connor Williams (58) snaps the ball to Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson (19) during a wild card game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Williams, 27, is reportedly recovering well from season-ending knee surgery and hopes to sign with a team before training camp so he can play in September’s season opener. While he started at center for the Miami Dolphins over the last two years (excelling in an offense very similar to what Klint Kubiak is installing with the Saints), earlier in his career he was a mainstay at left guard with the Dallas Cowboys. He’s also moonlighted at right guard, and played left tackle in college.

The Saints have signed some bargain bin free agents to reinforce the depth chart along the offensive interior, adding guys like Lucas Patrick, Shane Lemieux, and Olisaemeka Udoh. But Williams is easily the most impressive player of the bunch. He’d be a strong candidate to push Nick Saldiveri for the starting job at left guard, but the question is whether he’d accept a role as a backup (or a backup’s salary).

January 1, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (13) before playing against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

There are three wide receivers left in free agency with some real skins on the wall: Michael Thomas, who burnt his bridge with New Orleans on his way out of town; Russell Gage, who didn’t impress as a tryout at minicamp last week, and who didn’t sign a contract afterwards; and Renfrow, 28, who has been linked to the Saints for more than a year. The Saints explored adding him before they even signed Derek Carr, and they were haggling on a trade with the Raiders before last season’s deadline.

It kind of feels like we’re beating a dead horse here, but Renfrow is still available, and he still makes sense for the Saints. They don’t have a wideout with real NFL experience on the depth chart. Renfrow has caught 100 more passes in his career than each of the veteran free agents the Saints signed earlier this offseason combined (169 between Cedrick Wilson Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown, and Stanley Morgan). Maybe Klint Kubiak’s staff isn’t a fan of his game, or maybe Renfrow is really washed after a couple of down years. He’d still be worth signing to compete for the fourth or fifth spot on the depth chart while giving the young guns an opportunity to shine.

Nov 20, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Donovan Smith (79) on the line of scrimmage against the Philadelphia Eagles during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Smith, who turns 31 soon, is younger and healthier than most of the left tackles still looking for work in free agency — and the Saints are very familiar with him after he spent the first eight years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was beaten in some bad matchups last year protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blind side but still won another Super Bowl ring, and he could be a good pickup for New Orleans. The question is whether he’d be receptive to coming into games off the bench.

You’d still like to see the Saints add better depth at offensive tackle, and Smith has the chops to start on the left side if Trevor Penning can’t pull off the move to right tackle. Returning Taliese Fuaga to his college position and trusting Smith to continue doing what he’s done for a decade isn’t the worst idea. He played on a $3 million deal with the Chiefs last season which would be easy for the Saints to match.

DENVER, COLORADO – OCTOBER 08: Al Woods #96 of the New York Jets reacts after the Denver Broncos were called for a safety in the first quarter at Empower Field At Mile High on October 08, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Woods, 37, is the nostalgia pick — his career started with the Saints way back in 2010, but he never took the field in black and gold. He’s since played for six different teams (with two stops on the Seattle Seahawks) while consistently stopping the run well for more than a decade. He’s probably just a part-time player now, but that’s fine given how actively the Saints rotate their defensive tackles in and out of games. They weren’t strong enough against the run last season, so if Woods can just give them 10 to 15 quality snaps in specific situations each week, that’s good enough.

The cupboard is bare at defensive tackle in free agency. Most of the players available are either on the older side, actively recovering from injuries, or both (as is the case for Woods; he tore his Achilles in October), if they weren’t retained on practice squads last season. There’s some wisdom in the Saints trusting Bryan Bresee too develop further while giving young guys like Khristian Boyd and Jack Heflin an opportunity to make an impact, but there’s risk, too. This group is missing another veteran who can occupy multiple blockers in the middle. If nothing else it would be a great narrative for Woods to close out his career where it started.