NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 25: James Hurst #74 of the New Orleans Saints in action against the Carolina Panthers during a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on October 25, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Sean Payton’s team has won the NFC South four straight years. But the club from the Big Easy has some difficult decisions to make over the coming months.
The club has seen its season end at home in the playoffs each of the past three seasons. In 2020, the New Orleans Saints captured a fourth consecutive NFC South title. After a wild card win vs. the Bears, the team fell at home to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers – a club that Sean Payton’s squad swept during the regular season.
The franchise will not have quarterback Drew Brees on the roster for the first time since 2005. The defense will look to rebound after an inconsistent year. And it was an offseason in which the club was not able to add some veteran talent. Which makes trimming the roster later in the summer all the more intriguing for this Super Bowl contender of recent seasons.
5 Saints who might be cut before the 2021 NFL season
5. T James Hurst
Sean Payton’s offensive line has been spearheaded by one of the best fronts in the league, most notably at tackle. Strong side starter Terron Armstead was a third-round draft choice in 2013 and has developed into a solid performer who has been named to the last three Pro Bowls.
On the other side, Ryan Ramczyk a first-round selection in 2017, started all but one game the past four seasons and earned All-Pro honors in ’19. A year ago, the Saints added some veteran depth in James Hurst and he made five starts for the club. And this offseason the team did sign him to a three-year, $9 million extension (via Spotrac).
But the Saints also brought in Kyle Murphy this year and used a sixth-round pick on Landon Young (Kentucky) so Hurst’s future could bear watching.