SmashMouth

The New Orleans Saints made some free-agent acquisitions this offseason to lessen their need to fill certain positions in this week's NFL draft, but coach Sean Payton still sees some areas he wants the team to address.

Speaking after participating in the Zurich Classic's Celebrity Shootout at TPC Louisiana in Avondale on Tuesday (April 24), Payton said the Saints still need to add a defensive end, offensive lineman, tight end and linebacker.



The Saints have made moves at all of those positions this offseason, but long-term needs remain at those spots. Still, because of the additions, the Saints won't be tempted to reach to fill the holes.

"There's a handful of positions that we'll look to address and yet we'll be smart about how they fall," Payton said.

The exact spots Payton listed as needs were a "pressure player." The first time he mentioned this, he said defensive end in the same breath, but anyone who can pressure the quarterback would help the defense. At defensive end, the Saints re-signed Alex Okafor and George Johnson and younger players Hau'oli Kikaha, Trey Hendrickson and Al Quadin Muhammad will battle for playing time, too.

Payton also said sixth offensive lineman without specifying the position. The Saints this offseason lost Senio Kelemete, a versatile backup who played more than 60 percent of snaps each of the past two years. They added Jermon Bushrod who has position flexibility, but that's just a one-year deal.

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