The New Orleans Saints played above their weight class during Kellen Moore’s first season at head coach. In fact, New Orleans authored a surprisingly fun 6-11 season in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Now the Saints are close to getting their salary cap in line and showing fans some signs of hope for the future.
New Orleans only made a handful of additions during NFL free agency. But the roster is already starting to look better after plugging a few obvious holes.
Did the Saints do enough during free agency? And will these new players help them get over the hump in 2026?
Here are free agency grades for every external signing the Saints made during NFL free agency.
Travis Etienne Jr. – RB
© Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Etienne is the biggest name that New Orleans added during NFL free agency.
The 27-year-old running back played well during Liam Coen’s first season in Jacksonville. He logged 260 carries for 1,107 rushing yards with seven touchdowns. Etienne also contributed as a receiver, hauling in 36 receptions for 292 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Etienne projects as a three-down starter for the Saints in 2026. He should take over for veteran Alvin Kamara, who is a perfect backup for Etienne because they share many of the same skills.
The combination of Etienne and improvements made to the team’s offensive line (more on that in a moment) could bring stability on offense. Etienne also has good enough hands that opposing defense will not want to ignore him on third downs.
Now the Saints are just a few receiving options shy of having a great situation around Tyler Shough.
Speaking of…
Grade: A
Noah Fant – TE
Fant never quite developed into the superstar scouts envisioned after being selected 20th overall by the Broncos back in 2019. But he is unquestionably a valuable player in the NFL even at 28 years old.
The Saints signed Fant to a two-year contract, putting him into competition with Juwan Johnson as the team’s starter. Moore is comfortable fielding multiple tight ends at once, so perhaps there will be no true starter in 2026. Either way, the point is that neither Fant nor Johnson should be wasted in New Orleans’ offense this fall.
Fant had a solid season in 2025, hauling in 34 receptions for 288 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a dreadful situation in Cincinnati. He experienced poor quarterback play for most of the season and was constantly in competition with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
But everything will be different in New Orleans.
It would not be surprising to see the Saints deploy a lot of two tight end formations in 2026. That could make Fant a regular part of the passing attack.
This is a good signing that should help Moore feel comfortable getting creative on offense.
Grade: B
David Edwards- G
Edwards signed a four-year contract worth up to $61 million that should keep him with the Saints for the foreseeable future. He is arguably the biggest addition by New Orleans during this year’s free agency cycle.
The Saints have struggled to find consistent play at left guard over the past few seasons. But that will change with Edwards taking over the job.
Edwards flashed some elite potential in 2023, which helped him earn a starting spot in Buffalo over the past two seasons. He is equally capable in both run blocking and pass protection.
New Orleans suddenly has a pretty solid offensive line after adding Edwards. Kelvin Banks Jr. and Taliese Fuaga are an excellent pair of young book end tackles. Erik McCoy still has a few good years left in him at center, and Cesar Ruiz is no slouch at right guard.
The Saints finally have an o-line that will allow them to assert their will on offense. Fans have to be excited to see how good the offense looks later this fall.
Grade: A+
Kaden Elliss – LB
Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Elliss is a familiar face who rejoins the Saints after starting his career in New Orleans back in 2019.
He was a seventh-round pick who did not blossom in New Orleans until the 2022 season. Elliss logged 45 total tackles with seven sacks, helping him earn a contract with the Falcons during the 2023 free agency cycle.
Elliss was a consistent contributor in Atlanta, flashing potential both getting after the quarterback and in coverage.
The Saints signed Elliss to a three-year contract worth $33 million. This suggests he will have an important role on defense right away. In fact, Elliss should start in the middle of the Saints’ defense alongside Pete Werner at inside linebacker.
The size of that contract hurts the grade a little bit here. But beyond that, the Saints fill a big need with a known commodity who has a few years left in the tank. It’s hard to be mad about a move like that.
Grade: C+
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