What’s next for the New Orleans Saints after missing out on Deshaun Watson? - New Orleans Saints Blog- ESPN

METAIRIE, La. – Now that the New Orleans Saints have missed out on quarterback Deshaun Watson, they find themselves … pretty much exactly where they were one week ago before Watson became a realistic option in the first place.

Sure, the Saints might have some egg on their faces after falling short in such a tenacious and high-profile recruiting effort — not to mention turning off portions of their fan base because of the inappropriate conduct and sexual assault allegations made by 22 women against Watson.

But from a purely football standpoint, the Saints’ roster is talented enough to contend for a title in a NFC South division, where none of their rivals wound up landing Watson either. And now they have about $30 million in salary-cap space to work with, in addition to all of their draft picks.

Of course, New Orleans also still has a gaping hole at quarterback, which remains as big of a priority as it was one week ago, one month ago – and frankly, one year ago when Drew Brees retired.

Here is a look at the Saints’ most pressing priorities:

Surprisingly, most options are still available after the first week of free agency, since much of the quarterback carousel was put on hold while several teams pursued Watson.

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Free agent Jameis Winston remains the best bet to return as New Orleans’ starter. The Saints no longer have free agent Teddy Bridgewater as a backup option, since he signed with the Miami Dolphins. But the trade market has actually become richer, since Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield will now be available