By John Sarianides

Let’s be honest. The New Orleans Saints are an after thought in the NFC. They did make some headlines this off-season when they traded wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Patriots and signed aging running back Adrian Peterson but other than that, it was a quiet off-season in the French Quarter. 

On paper, the Saints don’t have the look of a contender. They do have sleeper potential however. It is tough to dismiss a team coached by Sean Payton and quarterbacked by Drew Brees. As long as they are in New Orleans, the Saints will have a chance to win.

Defense has been the Saints Achilles Heel in recent years and while they focused on upgrading the talent on that side of the ball this off-season, they are young. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will have his hands full trying to get guys like Marshon Lattimore, Alex Anzalone and Trey Hendricksen ready to play and contribute this season. 

Scoring points won’t be an issue for New Orleans. The Saints have one of the deepest skill groups in the NFL, even after trading Cooks, Mike Thomas had an impressive rookie season and is on the brink of being a star. Willie Snead will see more targets now and he has the talent to make the most of them. The Saints should once again finish in the top five in the NFL in total offense. 

Here are three keys for the 2017 Saints.

1. Fit AP In: How are the Saints going to fit Adrian Peterson into their offense? They already have Mark Ingram and they drafted Alvin Kamara. Peterson is not the number one running back that he once was but he could be a good complement to the other backs on the roster if he is used on first and second down and short yardage situations. 

2. Defensive Improvement: The Saints won’t surprise anyone in the NFC unless their defense starts playing better. Poor play by the defense has been the Saints downfall in recent years and I have a feeling that might be the case once again this season unless the young talent steps up. 

3. Brees Must Be Brees: Drew Brees is still playing at a high level despite some ball security issues last season . There is no doubt Brees will play at a high level but he needs to carry this team once again if they are going to have any chance of making the playoffs. 

In the End: The Saints had the number one offense in the NFL last season so scoring points won’t be an issue. It is the defense that is the issue. If the Saints don’t improve defensively, they will once again be a .500 team and on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs.