Why would it be higher than 8.5? We lost a top 10 receiver and in the draft we added 2 offensive positions we really didn't need.
Each NFC south team added a true difference maker, and although we might have one in Lattimore, we probably won't see that this year.
We will be underdogs in our first three games, got an an early bye, and are in a very competitive division. 8.5 seems high to me.

We got rid of a receiver whose value to the Saints offense was diminished by the emergence of a BETTER receiver in Michael Thomas. There are only so many balls to go around. What we received for that player was a pick that could very well turn into a starting RT. With the addition of Larry Warford at RG and Peat entering his second full season at LG our offensive line should be improved over last season and arguably one of the very best in the NFL.

We also added arguably the best free agent RB (Adrian Peterson) and an explosive component in Alvin Kamara that should take the offense to even higher levels. Do not underestimate the importance of an offensive tool like Kamara in Payton's offense. You called it a player that wasn't needed. I beg to differ. It may have been the MOST important addition to be able to bring the offense back to the days of Reggie and Sproles.

As for Lattimore and the defense, it cannot help be VASTLY improved over last year with the return of Breaux, P.J. Williams, Sheldon Rankins, Kikaha and Vacarro who all missed significant portions, or all of last season. Add in veteran defensive players like A.J. Klein, Manti Te'o, Raphael Bush, and Alex Okafor; and highly regarded rookies like Alex Anzalone, Trey Hendrickson and Marcus Williams, not to mention the aforementioned Marshon Lattimore ...

And don't forget the new and improved coaching staff for the LB's, DL and special teams. Those additions can very well be bigger difference makers than any player added to our division rival's rosters.

You cannot discount the fact that Cooks had top 10 numbers last year that we have not replaced. Thomas is an absolute star, but will he get as many open looks with Snead on the other side instead of Cooks? Of course not.

As for the RB's, in your own words there are only so many balls to go around. I can see making one of those moves, but why both when we had and still have defensive needs?

Ramczyk might be a probowler this year, but if so that means we have a very good tackle (Strief) making $5,100,000 on the bench. I'd rather have that money on the field, specifically the defensive side.

We have great potential for improvement defensively, but most of our upgrades other than Lattimore fall under the IF category: If our DB's stay healthy, If the two backups we signed to start pan out, If the new coaches get max results from the younger players.
I would just feel a hell of a lot more optimistic if we had drafted someone to start opposite Jordan and not an OT, safety, or RB

Just because we didn't draft one player you wanted doesn't mean that all of the other notable improvements are nullified. I am VERY optimistic. Do you realize that the Saints had the 4th highest number of QB hits in the NFL last season? They are not as far off from being very good as you think.

And, the Saints DID address the DE position. Just because they didn't do it when you wanted doesn't mean that it hasn't been addressed. Kikaha, Hendrickson, Okafor and Mohammad are all players that were not here last season vying for that job. And I contend that there could very well be a greater degree of improvement on our overall team strength with the addition of Ramczyk rather than any defensive end that was available at the same spot in the draft.

You are so blinded by your disappointment that a certain position wasn't addressed right when YOU wanted it addressed that you are missing the big picture.

As far as Cooks' "top 10 number" being replaced, Brees and the Payton designed offence will easily replace those numbers. Cooks leaving does not create any sort of vacuum. I doubt the offense will miss a beat moving into next season. In fact, I expect it to be improved. Cooks was a great player for us, but Brees makes top 10 players, not the other way around.

You cannot discount the fact that Cooks had top 10 numbers last year that we have not replaced. Thomas is an absolute star, but will he get as many open looks with Snead on the other side instead of Cooks? Of course not.

As for the RB's, in your own words there are only so many balls to go around. I can see making one of those moves, but why both when we had and still have defensive needs?

Ramczyk might be a probowler this year, but if so that means we have a very good tackle (Strief) making $5,100,000 on the bench. I'd rather have that money on the field, specifically the defensive side.

We have great potential for improvement defensively, but most of our upgrades other than Lattimore fall under the IF category: If our DB's stay healthy, If the two backups we signed to start pan out, If the new coaches get max results from the younger players.
I would just feel a hell of a lot more optimistic if we had drafted someone to start opposite Jordan and not an OT, safety, or RB