Mickey Loomis brought a familiar message to Versailles. Speaking Wednesday outside Paris, where the New Orleans Saints are practicing before Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the longtime general manager asked for patience with what he called a “young developing team.”
The roster numbers make that a tougher sell. Spotrac’s age data has New Orleans tied with the Carolina Panthers for the 10th-oldest roster in the league, at an average age of 26.8. Loomis also answered owner Gayle Benson’s public criticism from when the team was 1-4, saying he understood where she was coming from and adding, “This is an outcome-based sport, and it’s not good enough yet.”
Where the youth argument holds up
Loomis has a point in a few key spots. He noted Kellen Moore is only 22 games into his head coaching career, and the 34-27 win over the Giants leaned on younger players. Martin Emerson Jr. picked off two passes and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week, and according to PFF, he allowed four catches on 10 targets with a 90.2 coverage grade. Safety Jonas Sanker graded 79.0 overall, and Kendre Miller is becoming the lead back ahead of Alvin Kamara.
The veteran end of the roster is a different story. Kamara is still producing and just joined elite NFL company with 5,000 yards rushing and receiving, but he has been limited by a back issue for three straight weeks. Cameron Jordan graded 41.3 overall against the Giants, according to PFF. And the young players carry their own warning signs, like Danny Stutsman’s four missed tackles in a game New Orleans nearly blew from 34-10.
Loomis called that late collapse a growth opportunity and said “you can’t take your foot off the gas.” He also said this year’s benchmarks are “a little more subjective” than wins and losses, which will be a hard pitch in a city that hasn’t seen a playoff game since the 2020 season.
Paris gives him a stage to back it up. New Orleans is still in the race to win the NFC South, but Benson made it clear she’ll judge the roster Loomis built by what it does next, and subjective benchmarks only go so far with an owner who has already gone public.
More on the New Orleans Saints
- Saints Rookie Jordyn Tyson Won’t Practice in Paris, but Mickey Loomis Says He’s Getting Closer
- New Orleans Saints Could Get a Missing Piece in Their Passing Game Back Soon
- Saints Have Arrived in Paris. Here Are 4 Things We Hope They Didn’t Bring With Them
- Saints Climb Back Up NFL Power Rankings After Snapping Their Losing Streak Against the Giants
