This article is part of our Team Previews series.
New Orleans Saints 
New Orleans finished 28th in the league in total offense last season, yet their defense was one of the top units in the game. If the team's skill-position players can stay healthy, the Saints have a chance to get back to being competitive in the NFC under new head coach Dennis Allen.
2022 Offseason Moves – New Orleans Saints
Key Acquisitions
- Chris Olave – WR (Rd. 1, No. 11 – Ohio State)
Slots in as a legitimate receiving threat opposite Michael Thomas.
- Jarvis Landry – WR (from Browns)
Provides another reliable target in the passing game.
- Tyrann Mathieu – S (from Chiefs)
The three-time Pro Bowler joins an already loaded secondary.
- Marcus Maye – S (from Jets)
Fills the void created by the departure of Marcus Williams.
- Andy Dalton – QB (from Bears)
Will serve as an experienced backup behind Jameis Winston.
- Trevor Penning – OT (Rd. 1, No. 19 – Northern Iowa)
An athletically gifted lineman that fills a need at tackle.
Key Departures
- Malcolm Jenkins – S (retired)
The three-time Pro-Bowler calls it a career after 13 NFL seasons.
- Terron Armstead – OT (to Dolphins)
Long-time starting left tackle now will shore up a shaky Miami O-line.
New Orleans Saints 2022 Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Dennis Allen (Year 1)
Offensive Coordinator: Pete Carmichael (Year 14) – Air Coryell scheme
Defensive Coordinator: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard (Year 1) – 4-3 scheme
Stats to Know for the New Orleans Saints
2022 Vegas Projected Wins: 8.5 (T-15th)
2021 Record: 9-8
2021 Points Scored: 364 (19th)
2021 Points Allowed: 335 (4th)
2021 Point Differential: +29 (T-14th)
2021 Run-Play Rate: 48.5 percent (3rd)
2021 Offensive Snaps: 1,051 (23rd)
2021 PFF O-Line Ranking: No. 18
2022 New Orleans Saints Depth Chart
QB: Jameis Winston / Andy Dalton / Ian Book
RB: Alvin Kamara / Mark Ingram / Tony Jones / Malcolm Brown / Dwayne Washington
WR1: Michael Thomas / Marquez Callaway / Kevin White
WR2: Jarvis Landry / Deonte Harty
WR3: Chris Olave / Tre'Quan Smith
TE: Adam Trautman / Taysom Hill / Juwan Johnson
O-Line: LT James Hurst / LG Andrus Peat / C Erik McCoy / RG Cesar Ruiz / RT Ryan Ramczyk (RotoWire Rank: No. 17)
Kicker: Wil Lutz / John Parker Romo
2022 New Orleans Saints Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff (ET) |
| 1 | Sep 11 | @ Atlanta Falcons | 1:00 PM |
| 2 | Sep 18 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1:00 PM |
| 3 | Sep 25 | @ Carolina Panthers | 1:00 PM |
| 4 | Oct 2 | Minnesota Vikings | 9:30 AM |
| 5 | Oct 9 | Seattle Seahawks | 1:00 PM |
| 6 | Oct 16 | Cincinnati Bengals | 1:00 PM |
| 7 | Oct 20 | @ Arizona Cardinals | 8:15 PM |
| 8 | Oct 30 | Las Vegas Raiders | 1:00 PM |
| 9 | Nov 7 | Baltimore Ravens | 8:15 PM |
| 10 | Nov 13 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers | 1:00 PM |
| 11 | Nov 20 | Los Angeles Rams | 1:00 PM |
| 12 | Nov 27 | @ San Francisco 49ers | 4:25 PM |
| 13 | Dec 5 | @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8:15 PM |
| 14 | Bye | ||
| 15 | TBD | Atlanta Falcons | TBD |
| 16 | Dec 24 | @ Cleveland Browns | 1:00 PM |
| 17 | Jan 1 | @ Philadelphia Eagles | 1:00 PM |
| 18 | TBD | Carolina Panthers | TBD |
New Orleans Saints Storylines for 2022
A New Era in New Orleans
Just a year after Drew Brees announced his retirement from the NFL, Sean Payton also stepped away from his long-tenured head coaching position with the Saints. It's officially a new era with coach Dennis Allen at the helm.
Allen has been with the franchise for 12 years as a member of the coaching staff, most recently as New Orleans' defensive coordinator from 2015-2021. He's helped to make that side of the ball a formidable foe for opposing offenses, as the unit gave up the fourth-fewest points per game (19.7) last season.
There's little doubt that Allen can keep things going on defense, but the question remains if he can fill the shoes of his predecessor, who many consider to be an offensive mastermind. Though the defense specializes in takeaways, it's the player turnover this offseason that Allen must fend off heading into the 2022 campaign.
The team lost some key defenders after the season, with two of the team's safeties no longer on the squad: Malcolm Jenkins announced his retirement, and Marcus Williams signed with the Ravens. The Saints were able to fill those voids with the signings of veterans Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye. Meanwhile, a concerning loss for the team's offense is the departure of left tackle Terron Armstead, as protecting Jameis Winston is a high priority this season.
Welcoming Back Winston and Thomas
Quarterback Jameis Winston and star wide receiver Michael Thomas will make a return to the field in 2022, and when these Saints come marching back in, New Orleans will get a much-needed boost on offense. These two will be very popular for Louisiana sports bettors, as they are players that tend to go over on their NFL player props on Louisiana betting sites.
Winston made only seven appearances last season before suffering a torn ACL. In those contests, the 28-year-old signal-caller totaled 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions, the latter of which plagued him in his previous stint with the Buccaneers.
Regarding Thomas, he followed up a nine-game sample in 2020 (including playoffs) with no action in 2021, all due to complications with his ankle. During it all, the wideout's reliable hands and consistent production were missed by the team.
Once Winston and Thomas are available to suit up – both players practiced early on in training camp – the Saints offense will look much different than the group that struggled mightily last year. Winston is no stranger to slinging the ball at a high volume, and he should find it easier to distribute passes to his supporting cast, with Thomas likely acting as the preferred target and eight-year vet Jarvis Landry and rookie Chris Olave providing the QB with steadier secondary receiving options.
Nevertheless, the recoveries of Winston and Thomas loom large, with the pair poised to combine for some exciting fantasy days once healthy.
A Backfield Paced By Kamara
With all the change in the Big Easy, one player remains a constant: Alvin Kamara. The 27-year-old is as reliable as they come, as fantasy managers can count on him earning a significant workload in the Saints backfield. Kamara consistently maintains a high ceiling, and even in a somewhat underwhelming campaign by his standards in 2021, he managed to reach the highest carry total of his five years as a pro.
A notable change was the dip he experienced in the passing game, recording career lows in targets (67), catches (47) and receiving yards (439). Kamara's situation was less than ideal, with uneven quarterback play and a midseason knee injury of his own leading to some decline in his output.
Looking ahead, an improved offense with new pieces should allow the Saints to scheme more effectively. The team also is retaining Pete Carmichael as offensive coordinator. Such continuity is a bonus, especially because Carmichael previously hasn't shied away from getting the ball in Kamara's hands as much as possible.
Kamara may shoulder less of the load this season with Michael Thomas and Chris Olave in the mix, and if he misses time for any reason – be it health-related or as a result of potential discipline stemming from an offseason arrest in Las Vegas – he'd yield RB reps to the likes of Mark Ingram and Tony Jones.
Fantasy Football Stock Watch
⬆️ Rising: WR Michael Thomas
Once a league-leading receiver, Thomas missed most of the last two seasons due to injury. With the Saints offense desperate for talent outside of Alvin Kamara, the veteran wideout is in line for his usual high-usage role.
⬇️ Falling: TE Taysom Hill
Hill's value in recent years has come when he was used as a dual-threat quarterback. This season, however, he'll be focused on playing tight end with some gadget potential, which likely will lead to inconsistent production.
😴 Sleeper: WR Jarvis Landry
Landry signed a one-year contract worth up to $6 million with the Saints this May. The 29-year-old wideout has a chance to see a decent target share and should add a security blanket to an offense that needs it.
🌟 Pivotal Player: Alvin Kamara
Despite a run-heavy attack in 2021 that saw Kamara handle a career-high 240 carries in 13 games, he set career lows in several offensive categories. Nonetheless, this season presents an opportunity for Kamara to bounce back when available. The Saints should be able to use a more balanced offensive approach, giving Kamara a chance to return to form.
New Orleans Saints Injury Report
Winston's 2021 season was cut short after suffering a torn ACL and additional MCL damage to his left knee at the end of October. In seven games played, the veteran signal-caller completed 59 percent of his passes at a clip of 7.3 yards per attempt. The team plans to have Winston back for Week 1 as he continues the later stages of his rehab from the surgery he underwent in November. In early July, Winston cleared another hurdle in his recovery, as he threw without the knee brace he wore during OTAs. Assuming the 28-year-old doesn't suffer any setbacks, he could take a major step forward in 2022 considering the additions made to the receiving corps.
Due to an ankle injury that required multiple procedures due to setbacks, Thomas hasn't played since appearing in nine games (including playoffs) during the 2020 season. It's been a long road for the veteran wideout that once was a favorite wide receiver pick at the top of fantasy drafts. Though it looked like he was on pace to return to action in 2021, Thomas suffered a new injury to his surgically repaired left ankle last November, ending his season before it started. Since then, the 29-year-old has focused on his recovery with the hope to be ready for the 2022 campaign. Thomas didn't participate in the offseason program but was able to get on the practice field early in camp, indicating he's on pace to serve as the top option in the Saints' passing attack this year.
TE Taysom Hill
Hill ended last season with a Lisfranc injury to his left foot that required surgery. The veteran's 6-to-9-month timeline to recover forced him to focus on rehab rather than on-field work during the offseason. Considering GM Mickey Loomis considered Hill "ready to go" at the beginning of camp, he now can turn his attention to making the permanent transition from gadget player and occasional quarterback to tight end behind No. 1 option Adam Trautman.
Training Camp Battle 2022 – New Orleans Saints
Trying to predict what will happen at tight end in the Big Easy will be anything but, as the group is crowded with players with much to prove. The presumed favorite in 2022 is third-year pro Adam Trautman, who caught 27 of 43 targets for 263 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games last season while running routes on just more than a third of his 615 offensive snaps. Most of his value comes through his ability as a blocker, but that doesn't translate to fantasy production.
Nick Vannett also is in the mix, but, like Trautman, he sticks to blocking more often than not, as evidenced by a 9-133-1 line on seven appearances in 2021. Another candidate for TE work is the 6-4, 231-pound Juwann Johnson, who found the end zone four times on 21 targets last fall. He's a converted wide receiver but has an uphill battle to playing time. The wild card among the team's tight ends may be Taysom Hill. Another Saint switching positions this offseason, he boasts seven TDs and has averaged 8.3 YPT on 47 career targets.
Regardless of who runs the most routes at tight end for New Orleans this season, he likely will find himself low in the pecking order of targets behind the likes of Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara.
