March 14, 2026, 6:28 p.m. CT

One of the biggest issues for the New Orleans Saints over the past few seasons has been their cap situation and their long-term handling of it. Despite their ability to get out of the red each year, they really did not have a ton of spending money, and usually went for about one big-name player an offseason, leaving the rest for depth pieces. 2026 has been a bit different, with more money opening up for them; they have been able to make some bigger moves.

Much of free agency relies upon being able to win over the players, too, and living in New Orleans is a huge perk that helps in this case. However, the team being in a difficult spot, both monetarily and roster-wise, made it a less desirable spot for a little bit. With the breakout of Tyler Shough in 2025 and a new head coach leading the way, things look to be on the rise, and that has been repeated in the media recently.

Kellen Moore recently mentioned something to this effect as well, noting that Shough’s emergence as a high-level quarterback made it easier to land some of the free agents they acquired.

This concept was backed up by new signing David Edwards, who noted the rise of Shough and the momentum of the team moving forward was a huge factor in his decision.

“Crossover game last year, when the Saints played the Jets, we played the Jets the last week of the regular season, and so scouting that film, watching Tyler and this offensive line, was really cool,” Edwards said during his introductory press conference. “You saw so many great traits and plays, and special things that he put on film, as well as (Kelvin Banks Jr.), Erik (McCoy), and I knew Erik was a great player, and so was Cesar (Ruiz), and Tali’ (Fuaga). So there’s so much excitement and momentum, I felt like, leading into this sort of decision that made me feel good.”

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Knowing that the quarterback plays such a major role in free agent signings is actually quite interesting to hear, as it was somewhat expected, but hearing it outright is a fun notion. Protecting Shough and giving him ample weapons is going to be the key to improvement in 2026, and the Saints have already worked to do so and will no doubt continue to as the draft rolls around.