The New Orleans Saints are building around quarterback Tyler Shough. It’s been somewhat difficult to find the centerpiece of their rebuild, with the organization cycling through guys like Spencer Rattler, Derek Carr, Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, and Taysom Hill since watching Drew Brees walk away in 2021. Shough just might be that guy, though, finishing with a 5-4 record with 10 touchdowns, 2,384 passing yards, and six interceptions during his stint as the starting quarterback last season.
Chris Olave had the best season of his career playing alongside the former second-round pick. Juwan Johnson and Alvin Kamara remained steady as ever when healthy, and will remain that for the young quarterback. The Saints feel confident enough to hand the offense over to a young quarterback, so they need to make sure he has the infrastructure around him to succeed.
It’s a decent group of weapons that will only get better with time and continued investment. It’s also a decent protection unit thanks to the addition of one free agent: Height: 6' 6"Weight: 308lbsAge: 28Contract: 4yr, $61M2025: 17 G, 1,035 SNAPS, 3 SK ALWD Edwards brings something that was desperately needed to the offensive line: experience, versatility, and stability. New Orleans recognized that the one thing it didn’t have was someone who has done it before, having spent premium picks on young players who were undoubtedly talented but wholly inexperienced and without anyone to help fix that… until now.
Edwards has already played a major role on successful offensive lines, having made the playoffs in five of the last six seasons during stints with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills – winning Super Bowl LVI – and starting games at both left guard and right guard while helping call protections for Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen. The Saints need to build things from the inside out, which means shoring up the interior offensive line to help a middling running game and to keep pockets clean for their young quarterback. If he can serve as an upgrade on the field, that’s one thing.
It’s all about providing a steady presence for Shough, former first-round offensive tackles Taliese Fuaga and Kelvin Banks, and veterans Cesar Ruiz and Erik McCoy.
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