The 2023 season has the potential to be a big one for a New Orleans Saints team that finished out last season with a disappointing overall record of 7-10 in the midst of a lowly NFC South conference that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers led at 8-9.
It’s clear the team is looking for a complete overhaul in what appears to a Super Bowl-or-bust campaign as the team ranks the eighth-highest in active spending in 2023 with the additions of free agents Derek Carr, Jamaal Williams, Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd, among others, per 247 Sports’ Jack Duffin.
This is a large shift after the Saints had the eighth-lowest active spending rate in the league during 2021 and continued that trend into 2022 with the third-lowest active spending rate in the NFL.
While there is plenty of risk involved with going all-in, the Saints have done, at least on paper to this point, a good job of addressing some of their biggest needs — including the quarterback position. Compared to their other options, Carr is a clear upgrade.
Having failed to meet the expectation in Tampa Bay and now in New Orleans, it seems like a long shot for Jameis Winston to ever be anything more than a viable high-end backup quarterback at best. While rookie quarterback Jake Haener has potential to develop into something incredibly special, placing him behind a veteran like Carr gives him a better chance of hitting that ceiling.
So, the move to sign Carr could be worth the money in more than one way, regardless of how Carr himself pans out. It will be interesting to watch just how effective the Saints’ strategy is when the action gets underway this fall.
NFL Cash Spending 2021 – 2023 💰
The #Browns are spending $80m more than 2nd place & $168m more than league average
It is actually sustainable based on their balanced spending model, my article from April https://t.co/LvV007DOjJ pic.twitter.com/2Uccffpp85
— Jack Duffin (@JackDuffin) June 2, 2023
