Saints Loosely Linked To 6-Time Pro Bowl Receiver In Possible Last-Minute Signing

The New Orleans Saints are being projected by most analysts to finish near the bottom of the NFC standings, and that has a lot to do with their lack of offensive talent.

The issues start at the top, with the quarterback position largely in flux for a Saints team that went 5-12 last season. But a mediocre QB can be offset by talented skill players, and between injury concerns and age, the Saints' skill players are question marks as well.

Let's focus on the wide receiver group for a moment. Chris Olave has flashed number-one potential, but his repeated concussions are becoming a major worry. Meanwhile, Rashid Shaheed is more of a home run threat than a consistent WR2, Brandin Cooks is over the hill, and few others in the room are worth mentioning.

Unfortunately, there aren't many free agents left on the market that merit consideration. But one NFL writer still believes the Saints have an opportunity to provide some much-needed stability to their wide receiver group.

On Friday, Luke Loffredo of Saints Wire urged New Orleans to consider signing Keenan Allen, the six-time Pro Bowl wideout who hit free agency this spring at age 33 after a one-year tenure with the Chicago Bears.

"The obvious name of the bunch who has direct ties to head coach Kellen Moore from their time in L.A. together," Loffredo wrote. "In 2023 under Moore, Allen had one of his best seasons statistically catching a career high of 108 passes for 1243 yards and 7 touchdowns.

"At 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, Allen fits the mold of what the Saints need as someone who can work the intermediate area of the field and make contested catches."

Allen has some injury concerns too, but he did manage to play 15 games for the Bears this season. His 744 yards and seven touchdowns weren't quite up to his typical career standards, but he was fighting for touches with two other talented wideouts while rookie quarterback Caleb Williams was constantly under pressure.

There's no telling whether the Saints and Allen could come to an agreement on a reasonable salary, given New Orleans' tricky cap picture, but if they could somehow fit him in, they'd have a much better outlook in the passing game.

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