The 2019 Saints are going to a good deal more different from the 2018 Saints than the 2018 teams was different from 2017. The loss of Mark Ingram is obviously the most visible change. That's been written about enough already, so I won't say much. The way he ended up leaving for virtually the same figure the Saints replaced him for seems suspicious to a lot of people but I imagine it was more an accident than anything else. There was a chain of events that week involving three of four different teams that played out like an especially stupid Three's Company episode. It's hard to know who or what to blame. Probably nobody. Anyway, it's clear Ingram was a critical team leader over the past few seasons. And he had grown to be an absolute fan favorite. This is going to be a different team without him.
It's also going to be a different defense. The Saints were near the top of the league in run defense last year. But with Sheldon Rankins's return uncertain, David Onyematta's suspension, and Alex Okafor's departure, there are major changes happening along the defensive line. More may be in the works.
Oh also Max Unger retired.
The point here isn't to just list the free agency comings and goings. There are plenty of those every year. But this year it seems like the goings scoop out a bit more of the heart and soul of the team than usual. It might be fine. But it's a risky thing to have happen when you're trying to make one last run before your quarterback retires.
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