Many believe the New Orleans Saints are positioned to take a step back offensively. Even if Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara provide the bulk of the juice on that side of the field, New Orleans still needs to overcome a fairly poor wide receiving corps.
The Saints are currently poised to start Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and AT Perry at wide receiver while names like Equanimeous St. Brown, Cedrick Wilson, and rookie Bub Means fight for space. To put it lightly, this is a fairly underwhelming group that could do with a quick injection of talent.
The Saints may need to look to the veteran market, as New Orleans could be the plce for an experienced player to rehabilitate their value. After declining in the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, it makes sense for the Saints to take a look at Hunter Renfrow.
Bleacher Report predicts that Renfrow, who has familiarity with Carr from their days in the silver and black. Renfrow has seen his value tank over the last few seasons due to Josh McDaniels not using him properly, and the Saints could be a spot where he revitalizes his career.
Renfrow was a solid contributor in his first two seasons with the Raiders, but 2021 is when he truly shot up into the stratosphere as a player. After catching 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns, Josh McDaniels undid all the good work Jon Gruden had accomplished with Renfrow.
Despite past success with similar players like Julian Edelman, McDaniels essentially put Renfrow on the second team and rarely got him snaps. Unless the rest of the league believes he is completely washed, a team like New Orleans could benefit from his veteran savvy.
It’s remains a mystery as to why Hunter Renfrow remains a free agent just weeks before the start of the 2024 regular season. The New Orleans Saints have as good of reasons as any to sign the former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver.
We’re three years removed from Renfrow’s Pro Bowl season. He caught 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns that year, all from Saints quarterback Derek Carr. The tandem played four seasons together with the Raiders and became “best friends” according to Renfrow. Carr is the only full-time starting quarterback Renfrow has played with in the NFL.
The impressive play earned him a two-year, $32 million contract extension. But the Raiders cut him one year into the new deal, after he had 25 catches for 255 yards and no touchdowns last season. His usage over the past two years decreased under Josh McDaniels. Which is odd to think about when he was the New England Patriots’ offensive coordinator when slot receivers such as Julian Edelman and Wes Welker thrived. Welker had over 110 catches and 1,100 yards in each of his two seasons with McDaniels calling plays. Edelman never had that level of production, but was never far off.
Plenty of teams have a need for a third receiver with sharp route running skills that wouldn’t demand much of a salary. Other than Michael Thomas, Renfrow is the best receiving option available in free agency. Maybe he’s waiting for a contender to reach out so he has a chance to win a Super Bowl. But based on what we know, what’s stopping New Orleans from at the very least bringing him in for a meeting?
Beyond Chris Olave, the Saints’ wide receiver room remains mostly unproven. Rashid Shaheed has looked explosive the past two seasons, but now he’s going to prove he can do so in an expanded role. Cedrick Wilson might just be the slot player coach Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak view as the better fit in their scheme. A.T. Perry isn’t a slot guy, but could be a player they want to see develop. Same goes for Bub Means, who the team drafted in the fifth round in May. Mason Tipton shined in training camp, but the undrafted free agent injured his hamstring and hasn’t played in a preseason game yet.
Renfrow would eat a lot of targets and playing opportunity, if Allen and Kubiak have enough faith in these younger receivers it might not be worth it. They’ll never say it, but the Saints are aware they’re not likely going to win the Super Bowl. It could be as simple as trying to grow a young, fairly unproven receiving core over signing a high-floor slot guy.
Carr and Renfrow often hung out together, and knowing how close they were in Las Vegas and Oakland it’d be shocking if they aren’t in contact with each other. Who knows if that’ll actually mean anything when it comes to Renfrow’s next team, but it’s an advantage the other 31 teams don’t have.
Olave is a fantastic receiver, but he's not good enough to carry the load of an entire corps by himself. Shaheed is a solid role player, but likely not a high-end WR2 in the NFL. Means is a Day 3 rookie, Perry has been up-and-down, and St. Brown has never caught more than 21 passes in a season.
Renfrow won't take the Saints' passing game from good to great, but he will bring some much-needed baseline competence to the offense. In a wide-open NFC South, a move like this might be the difference between winning an extra game and falling flat on your face.
