With all due respect, I couldn’t disagree more. As a Saints fan who has watched every game in the Sean Payton/Drew Brees era, I can tell you (and so will everyone else here in New Orleans) that the Saints offense was never more predictable than they were last year. Whenever Graham was in the game, they passed. Whenever they took him out (because he can’t even block on a high school level), they ran. The offense was stale. Good defenses knew how to stop them. Even some average ones too.
This year the offensive line, with the addition of Unger at center, is much better and deeper. Brandin Cooks & Mark Ingram will have breakout years and CJ Spiller will take up the Reggie Bush/Darren Sproles role that was sorely missed last year. They have a couple of second year WRs that they’re also very high on. Ben Watson and Josh Hill are solid TEs in the Saints system and there’s also a chance they will sign Jermaine Gresham. The players on offense will be matchup nightmares for defenses, similar to the Saints of 2009. Mark my word, this will still be a top 5 offense as long as Brees (who tried to do too much in a predictable offense last year) is healthy.
They’ve made major changes on defense. The defensive backfield last year was the weakest in the NFL. With the addition of Browner and Byrd (he’s healthy now), this area is now an area of strength and it’s deep as well. The linebacking corp will be stronger and so will the pass rush (even without Galette, who was one dimensional) thanks to some additions from the draft. Rob Ryan has simplified the defense which should tremendously lower if not completely erase the miscommunications from last season which often led to big plays.
I see the Saints winning at least 11 games. Just look at their schedule and find me a game they have no shot it. At Indy is their hardest game. What’s the next hardest? At Arizona? At Houston? There’s no way they lose 8 or less games without and injury to Brees.