Saints counting on Derek Carr to elevate mediocre offense

(The New Orleans Saints will begin training camp July 26 to start preparations for the 2023 season in earnest. In preparation for the start of training camp, Crescent City Sports will take a look each week at a key offseason storyline that will bear watching during training camp and the preseason.)

Part 1: The acquisition of Derek Carr

METAIRIE – The New Orleans Saints entered the offseason knowing that the most important step toward significant improvement on their 7-10 record last season was to upgrade the quarterback position.

They aggressively pursued and landed the best candidate they could have reasonably acquired – former Raider Derek Carr.

They not only landed Carr, but they were patient while the quarterback mulled his options and even forced his former team to release him so his new team would not have to offer compensation for him.

The Saints, who ranked fifth in the NFL in total defense and ninth in scoring defense last season, finished 19th in total offense and 22nd in scoring offense. So it was pretty clear where the improvement needed to come from. Bringing in Carr to succeed Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton was the most significant move the organization could make to address the offense’s shortcomings.

Carr came on board nearly four months ago and in that time he, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry have been brainstorming how to tailor the Saints offense to Carr’s skills and comfort zone.

Curry said the process began with “getting to know the kid, having a real dialogue with him, how he sees the field.”

“He likes to be in a control a little bit,” Curry said of Carr, adding that the coaches are giving Carr more control “than I would say we did in the past.”

“He’s very smart and has a high football I.Q.,” Curry said. “You want to use that.”

Curry said the Saints looked at the seasons in which the ninth-year quarterback had success, “which was pretty much every year until last year.”

And even last season, when Carr had his lowest passer rating since his rookie season and was benched for the final two games, Curry said the Saints still took “some of the things that they did well and what will make him the most comfortable.”

Carmichael called the offseason work “an interesting, exciting time” as the Saints “experimented with new ideas” during OTAs and a June mini-camp in order to be full speed ahead when training camp opens.

The Saints have perennially tweaked the offense that former head coach Sean Payton installed when he arrived in 2006. It’s not significantly different than the one Carr operated while Jon Gruden was head coach of the Raiders from 2018 until five games into the 2021 season.

“You look at 32 teams around the league and at least 28 of them have the same install, the same plays,” Curry said. “It’s just a matter of where you’re putting your pieces and what you’re leaning on the most.”

The Saints’ upgrade of the offense wasn’t limited to the addition of Carr. They signed veteran free agents in tight end Foster Moreau, a product of Jesuit High School and LSU who was Carr’s teammate in Las Vegas; running back Jamaal Williams, who rushed for 1,066 yards and an NFL-best 17 touchdowns with the Lions last season; and wide receivers Bryan Edwards and James Washington.

In the draft they selected TCU running back Kendre Miller in the third round and Wake Forest wide receiver A.T. Perry in the sixth round.

They’re hopeful that the passing game will receive an additional boost by continued maturation from a pair of second-year wide receivers that Curry called “stars” – Chris Olave, who was a No. 1 draft choice, and Rashid Shaheed, who was an undrafted free agent.

Additionally, the Saints know what they have in all-purpose running back Alvin Kamara (though he could face a suspension from the NFL depending on the resolution of his court case at the end of July), wide receiver Michael Thomas (if he can return to health after playing in a total of 10 games the last three seasons) and tight ends Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson.

Carr gushed about Kamara and Thomas after practicing with them for the first time during mini-camp.

He said the offense weapons he has around him and the Saints defense will make his job easier.

“We have a good defense,” Carr said. “I know I don’t have to force many passes. I also know that I don’t have to play perfect to win a football game. That was one of the intriguing things about coming here.”

Click here for more in the Saints training camp countdown series.