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The New Orleans Saints have a serious problem at the wide receiver position. Michael Thomas, the team's leading receiver, is set to miss multiple weeks of the 2021 NFL season with an ankle injury.
As of now, it's still unclear when Thomas will make his return from injury.
In the first year of the post-Drew Brees era, it was all-important that Thomas be out there to help make it easier for whoever the Saints started at quarterback. Without Thomas, Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill are going to have a tough go of it to start the season.
The injury to Thomas makes wide receiver an obvious position the Saints should look to upgrade through free agency.
Wide receivers aren't the only positions New Orleans should consider upgrading through free agency, though. The Saints have several roster spots that could use more proven talent.
The free agency market may not be what it was at the beginning of the offseason, but there's still some good talent out there. Here are the five remaining NFL free agents the Saints should consider signing.
Five free agents the New Orleans Saints should consider
#1 - Kenny Stills, WR
At 29 years of age, Kenny Still may not be the player once was, but he's still good enough to provide the Saints with a nice veteran option at wide receiver.
Right now, the Saints have Deonte Harris, Tre'Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway as the top pieces behind the injured Thomas. The trio is very young, with Smith being the oldest at 25. Not to mention, they are all relatively unproven.
Stills isn't going to be Thomas' replacement, but he'll provide stable play for a position that needs it. If Stills can give the Saints 40 catches for 561 yards, as he did for the Houston Texans in 2019, then it would be a well worth signing.
#2 - Trey Burton, TE
Brining in Trey Burton as a depth piece would be a smart move. Second-year tight end Adam Trautman will be the Saints starter at tight end, but they could use a better backup than Nick Vannett. In five seasons, Vannett only has 75 catches.
Burton isn't the promising player he once was during his 2018 breakout season with the Chicago Bears, but he's still a good pass-catching tight end option. Burton had 28 catches for the Indianapolis Colts last season.
At the very least, Burton should be signed to provide competition for the backup tight end role. If he just doesn't have the juice anymore then so be it, but it would be wise to give Burton a shot.
#3 - K.J. Wright, LB
K.J. Wright is one of the best free agents for any position still available to be signed. The long-time Seattle Seahawk still has a lot left to give. In 2020, Wright had 86 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 10 pass deflections.
It's fair to wonder if New Orleans could even offer Wright a contract he'd be interested in.
The Saints are in a bit of a cap crunch, but seeing as Wright is still unsigned he may lower his salary demands as we near the start of the regular season.
Aside from Demario Davis, the Saints don't have much for good linebackers. New Orleans drafted Pete Werner in the second round, but giving him a huge role right off the bat may not wind up being productive to his development. With Wright on the roster, Werner could ease himself into playing time.
#4 - Brian Poole, CB
It's a bit shocking to see Brian Poole still sitting in free agency. Poole is a slot corner, which means his value is automatically lowered due to positional value, but he's still an excellent player.
Poole had seven pass deflections and two interceptions in nine games with the Jets last season. He's the kind of consistently good veteran corner every team should have. It's as simple as that.
Poole wouldn't start with the Saints, as Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has turned himself into a promising slot corner, but he'd be able to contribute in sub-packages.
#5 - Geno Atkins, DT
The 6-game suspension of David Onyemata all but assures the Saints make some kind of roster move at defensive tackle.
There's no way the Saints go into the season with only Malcolm Roach and Shy Tuttle as viable options at defensive tackle.
Signing Geno Atkins would give the Saints a much better chance of surviving the Onyemata suspension. Atkins, who's now 33, isn't likely to be a Pro Bowl-caliber defensive tackle anymore. However, in a rotational role, Atkins can still be productive as both a pass rusher and a run defender.
