This is the third year of Allen’s four-year contract with the Saints. And his goal is clear: win 10 or 11 games and get into the playoffs, and there’s a good chance Allen will have his contract extended next spring. If he underwhelms again and misses the playoffs for his third year in a row, there’s no way the Saints can justify bringing him back to coach the team again in 2025. Allen needs to run a tight ship, impress fans over the summer (which will be hard with training camp moving to California), and start fast in September with some early-season wins. Everything begins here.

It’s time for Kubiak to step into the light; he hasn’t so much as had his photo taken in his time with the San Francisco 49ers (at least not by the USA Today and Getty photographers we’re licensed with) or been formally introduced to the Saints media beat, but his performance as offensive coordinator is critical to the team’s success in 2024. Kubiak must quickly dial in on how his new system can get the most out of cornerstone players like Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, and yes, Taysom Hill.

This is an extremely important offseason for Penning. The Saints gave him a long leash after he missed most of his rookie season with injuries, but there’s no excuse if he can’t win a starting job over the summer — the only explanation would be that he didn’t have it in him, and the Saints made a mistake investing so much in him. If Penning is going to turn that narrative around it starts by showing up in the spring and being well-prepared for the challenge in front of him.

Carr didn’t play well enough for the Saints last year. Not well enough to get his team to the playoffs, and not well enough to save his coaching staff’s jobs. He has to step up and meet the expectations the Saints saddled him with when they signed him to a massive contract. There isn’t time for any hiccups or learning curves or delays in executing Kubiak’s offense. Carr must move more confidently and throw more accurately to earn back trust from a fanbase that he let down in 2023.

While Jordan underwent ankle surgery early this offseason, he isn’t expected to miss much time in the spring program, if any. And he has a lot of ground to make up after his production fell off last season. Signing Chase Young to split reps with him will help but Jordan is still one of the team’s highest-paid players and just two more sacks won’t do much to help his image. He’s a team leader, and bringing that energy to offseason workouts right out of the gate can help set the tone for the months ahead.

Lattimore is such a mystery. Will he even attend voluntary spring workouts? Will he be traded later this offseason anyway? Will he and Dennis Allen get on the same page so he can get back to beating Mike Evans twice each year and winning Pro Bowl recognition? All of these questions must be answered at some point this offseason. But the sooner the better. This team is better-built and more talented with Lattimore on top of the depth chart at cornerback. It would mean a lot to see him around and active in April.