Why the 2016 New Orleans Saints Roster Was Better Than Their Record

You know that feeling when you have all the right ingredients for a world-class gumbo but your stove keeps flickering out? That was basically the 2016 New Orleans Saints roster.

On paper, they were an offensive juggernaut. In reality? They finished 7-9 for the third straight year. It’s honestly one of the most frustrating seasons in franchise history because, if you look closely, this was the year the foundation for their future dominance was actually poured.

Most people remember the 2016 season as a "lost year." They think of the missed playoffs and the defensive struggles. But if you were watching every Sunday, you saw a team that was a few bounces away from being a double-digit win squad. Drew Brees was playing out of his mind, and a rookie wideout from Ohio State was starting to make everyone realize he was something special.

The Offense Was Historically Good

Let’s get one thing straight: Drew Brees was a machine in 2016.

He threw for 5,208 yards. Think about that for a second. That's his NFL-record fifth 5,000-yard season. To put that in perspective, every other quarterback in the history of the league combined only had four such seasons at that point. He was completing 70% of his passes and tossing 37 touchdowns. Honestly, it's kinda criminal he didn't get more MVP buzz that year, but when your defense is giving up points like a leaky faucet, the national media tends to look elsewhere.

The 2016 New Orleans Saints roster featured a receiving corps that was deep and dangerous. Brandin Cooks was the speedster, hauling in 1,173 yards and 8 touchdowns, including that insane 98-yarder against the Raiders in Week 1. Willie Snead IV was the reliable "chain mover" with 895 yards.

But the real story? Michael Thomas.

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As a second-round rookie, "Cant-Guard-Mike" basically rewrote the Saints' rookie record books. He led the team with 92 receptions, 1,137 yards, and 9 touchdowns. You could tell immediately that he and Brees had this weird, telepathic connection.

On the ground, Mark Ingram II finally hit that 1,000-yard milestone, finishing with 1,043 rushing yards and a healthy 5.1 yards per carry. Tim Hightower provided a great veteran presence too, adding over 500 yards. When you look at these names—Brees, Cooks, Thomas, Ingram—it’s wild to think this team didn't win 11 games.

Why the Defense Couldn't Hold the Line

The 2016 New Orleans Saints roster had a glaring Achilles' heel. Well, several of them, actually.

The defense ranked near the bottom of the league, giving up 28.4 points per game. Dennis Allen was in his first full year as defensive coordinator after taking over for Rob Ryan, and while there were "incremental improvements," as Sean Payton put it, the unit was just too thin.

Injuries absolutely decimated the secondary. Delvin Breaux, who looked like a shutdown corner the year before, broke his leg in the season opener. He tried to come back later, but then a shoulder injury ended his season. This forced the Saints to play a rotation of "off-the-street" guys and undrafted rookies like Ken Crawley and De'Vante Harris. They played hard, sure, but asking a rookie UDFA to cover Julio Jones or Mike Evans is a recipe for a long afternoon.

Key Defensive Personnel in 2016

• Cameron Jordan: The lone bright spot on the edge, recording 7.5 sacks and playing like an All-Pro despite the chaos around him.
• Nick Fairley: Signed as a free agent, he actually had a career year with 6.5 sacks before his heart condition unfortunately ended his career later on.
• Sheldon Rankins: The first-round pick. He broke his fibula in training camp, which was a huge blow. He showed flashes when he returned in Week 9, but the defense was already in a hole by then.
• Craig Robertson: Honestly, Robertson was a godsend. Signed as a depth piece from Cleveland, he ended up leading the team with 115 tackles because James Laurinaitis—who was supposed to be the veteran leader—just didn't have any gas left in the tank and was eventually cut.

The Special Teams Disasters

If you want to know why the 2016 New Orleans Saints roster didn't make the playoffs, look no further than a couple of specific special teams plays.

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Remember the Denver Broncos game? The Saints had just scored a touchdown to tie it late. All they needed was the extra point to go up by one. The kick was blocked, returned for two points by the Broncos, and the Saints lost 25-23.

Then there was the Giants game in Week 2. The defense actually played great, holding Eli Manning and OBJ to zero touchdowns. But a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown by the Giants was the difference in a 16-13 loss.

Those two plays alone represent the difference between 7-9 and 9-7. In the NFL, the margins are that thin.

The Draft Class That Changed Everything

While the 2016 season felt like a treadmill, the 2016 NFL Draft was a grand slam. Mickey Loomis and Jeff Ireland absolutely nailed it.

They only had five picks, but look at who they got:

1. Sheldon Rankins (DT)
2. Michael Thomas (WR)
3. Vonn Bell (S)
4. David Onyemata (DT)
5. Daniel Lasco (RB)

Aside from Lasco, every single one of those players became a high-level starter or a key rotational piece for the 2017-2020 run. Vonn Bell brought a physical presence to the safety position that they had been missing since the Malcolm Jenkins days. Onyemata was a raw project from the University of Manitoba who turned into one of the most underrated interior pass rushers in the league.

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What Really Happened with the 2016 New Orleans Saints Roster?

There's a misconception that this team was just "bad." They weren't. They were imbalanced and unlucky.

They had the #1 total offense in the league. They averaged nearly 30 points a game. Usually, when you do that, you're a lock for the postseason. But they were also dead last in pass defense for much of the year.

The locker room never quit, though. You saw that in the way they fought back to beat the Seahawks at home or how they shredded the Cardinals on the road in December. There was a veteran leadership—guys like Jahri Evans, who returned to the team after a brief stint in Seattle, and Zach Strief—that kept the ship from sinking entirely.

Actionable Insights for Saints Fans and Historians

When looking back at this specific era of Saints football, here are the three things you should take away:

• Appreciate the Brees Statistical Peak: We often take for granted how hard it is to throw for 5,000 yards. Brees did it in 2016 with a rotating door at guard and a rookie WR1. It was masterful.
• The 2016 Draft was the Blueprint: This class proved that quality beats quantity. Even with limited picks, finding three or four "blue-chip" starters is how you rebuild a roster in one 12-month cycle.
• Context Matters for Win-Loss Records: A 7-9 record can be a sign of a decaying franchise or a team on the cusp. 2016 was the latter. The "retooling" was working; the results just hadn't caught up to the talent yet.

If you’re researching the 2016 New Orleans Saints roster for a deep dive or just settling a bar bet, remember that this was the year Michael Thomas arrived and the year the "Defense Problem" finally got the serious attention it needed. It wasn't a "failed" season; it was the final growing pain before the 2017 explosion.

To see how this roster transformed, you can compare these 2016 stats to the 2017 defensive rankings where they jumped into the top 10—a leap that rarely happens without the foundation laid during these frustrating 7-9 years.