1. Give Brandon Staley a raise
Staley authored one of the best coaching jobs in the league this season. The Saints defense improved from 30th to ninth under Staley’s command, and he did it without many high-end additions in the offseason while transitioning to a new 3-4 scheme. Players have universally praised Staley’s coaching this season. If Staley stacks another year like one on his résumé, he’ll be a popular head coaching candidate next year. Rewarding him with a pay raise and an “assistant head coach” title would send a positive message to the rest of the staff.

2. Sign Chris Olave and Alontae Taylor to extensions
Olave and Taylor have earned the security of a long-term contract and are future core players. Both are productive, in their primes and improving. They’re exactly the kind of players you commit to long-term. The Olave contract might be complicated by the need for provisions to protect the team because of his injury history, but he has earned a deal similar to the four-year, $130 million deal his college teammate Garrett Wilson received from the Jets last year. Taylor, meanwhile, ranked among the team leaders in tackles (83), tackles for loss (7), interceptions (2) and passes defensed (11). He was a catalyst in the defense’s remarkable improvement.

3. Hire Jon Gannon
The former Cardinals head coach is going to be a popular candidate for a defensive coordinator job, so the chances of landing him are remote. But if for some reason, he falls through the cracks, the Saints would be wise to bring him aboard. Gannon is close friends with Staley, and the two run essentially the same scheme. Gannon is a respected defensive mind who would bolster the staff and be an ideal coordinator-candidate-in-waiting should Staley land a head coaching job next offseason.

4. Bring back Demario Davis and Cam Jordan
The 30-something defensive captains continued to defy Father Time and enjoyed career renaissances in Staley’s 3-4 scheme. Davis led the Saints with 143 tackles, and Jordan led the team in sacks (10½), tackles for loss (15) and quarterback hits (15). Both are team captains and have stated their desire to keep playing and stay in New Orleans. Not sure I would have said this before the season, but both deserve another year, based on production not loyalty. I don’t think the Saints rally from the 1-8 start this season without their steady leadership.

5. Give Taysom Hill a retirement send-off
Full disclosure: I have no idea what Hill wants to do in 2026. He might want to keep playing. But he sure sounded like a guy ready to call it a career after the Saints’ home finale against the Jets. Hill turns 36 in August and has taken a physical pounding over the years. He’s earned more than $60 million in his nine-year career. Not bad for a former undrafted free agent. If he elects to retire, the Saints should give him a send-off befitting one of the most unique, dynamic and popular players in team history.

6. Sign Teven Jenkins in free agency
The Saints have to run the ball better in 2026. That starts with upgrading the offensive line. Finding a starting left guard in free agency is Job 1. Quality offensive linemen are hard to find, so they don’t come cheap. But the Saints final have the cap room to make it happen. Cleveland’s Teven Jenkins is still only 27 and would bolster the team’s run blocking, which should be a priority this offseason. He finished the season as the eighth-highest ranked guard, according to Pro Football Focus. By comparison, Cesar Ruiz was the Saints’ highest ranked guard at No. 61, and former Saints guard Trevor Penning was No. 69.

7. Sign a veteran backup QB
Having the most inexperienced quarterback room in the league was a fun, compelling storyline last season. But it doesn’t need a second chapter. As Shough takes the reins of the offense in Year 2, he would benefit greatly from having a veteran to mentor him and help him learn the ins and outs of modern NFL quarterbacking. The Saints will have plenty of options here, but I’d look hard at Tyrod Taylor, Marcus Mariota and Carson Wentz.

8. Draft Jeremiyah Love at No. 8
Toss out the conventional wisdom that running backs shouldn’t be drafted this high. Love is an exception, one of the few backs worthy of a Top 10 selection. He’s the most explosive playmaker in this draft, regardless of position, and this Saints offense desperately needs juice. In fact, it’s the team’s top offseason priority. The Saints ranked last in the NFL in explosive plays. They can’t continue to rely solely on Shough to execute 10- and 12-play scoring drives every game. Love is the kind of explosive playmaker the Saints need to complement Shough’s passing skills, someone who can score in chunks rather than bites. His sprinter’s speed helped him produce 39 runs of 10 or more yards last season. Check out his 98-yard TD run vs. Indiana in the 2024 College Football Playoff as evidence. Love would immediately become RB1 and allow Alvin Kamara to move into a complementary backup role, which best suits him at this stage of his career.

9. Draft Chris Bell and Tim Keenan III
Here’s your second-day haul. The receiving corps desperately needs a third wheel, someone with a complementary skill set to Olave and contested-pass-catcher Devaughn Vele. The Saints finished last in the NFL in yards-after-catch average. Add a receiver who can turn a 5-yard crosser into a 15-yard third-down conversion, and this Saints offense could take off. Ja’Lynn Polk and Trey Palmer were intriguing in-season additions, but both are question marks. Louisville’s Chris Bell is a Mississippi native with dynamic run-after-catch ability. He’s also Shough’s former teammate. His draft status is complicated by ACL surgery, but that could help the Saints’ ability to acquire him at a bargain in Round 2. Keenan, meanwhile, is exactly what NFL teams look for in a run-stuffing interior lineman. He’d be a younger, cheaper replacement for Davon Godchaux at nose tackle. A speedy edge rusher is another possibility here.

10. Draft a punter — any punter
I know most folks view punters as an afterthought, but this is an underrated offseason priority. Kai Kroeger finished near the bottom of the league in every major punting statistic, including dead last in EPA per punt. Fortunately for the Saints, it’s a good year for punters in the NFL draft. Brett Thorson (Georgia), Palmer Williams (Baylor), Tommy Doman (Florida) and Ryan Eckley (Michigan State) are all top prospects. The club needs to invest a late-round draft pick in one of them.

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