As ever, it’s tough to know what to expect from the men from the Big Easy.

Over the last decade, the Saints have enjoyed their most successful period in franchise history, yet you can’t help but feel that their window is closing – or is perhaps closed already.

The NFC South may be the worst division in the NFL, but it is competitive. Under Cam Newton, it appears that the Carolina Panthers are ready to take up the mantle in the south, as Drew Brees’ career comes to its finale.

Can they have one last hurrah in NOLA?

2014 summary

A record of 7-9 is not terrible by any means, but when you consider that Carolina won the division by going 7-8-1, it’s nothing short of a missed opportunity.

Offense wasn’t the issue in 2014 for that Saints, as Brees threw in typical style, snatching the NFL’s passing crown with 4,952 yards and 33 touchdowns, and Mark Ingram had a solid year on the ground. Plus, Jimmy Graham contributed in usual fashion, cementing his status as one of the league’s premier tight ends with 10 scores and 889 total receiving yards.

Generally, New Orleans were able to put points on the board, but they were always fighting a losing battle.

On the other side of the ball, the Saints were pitiful. The defense was the second-worst in the league over the course of the season, with only divisional rivals Atlanta shipping more yards.

Big wins did occur for New Orleans, with a victory over the Packers being the highlight, but ultimately it was the Falcons that ended their playoff hopes in week 16.

Personnel changes

You know things aren’t looking too promising for a franchise when their major offseason move involved shipping out their best player, but that’s just what happened in New Orleans.

Jimmy Graham is a touchdown machine, and Rob Gronkowski is realistically the only man that can challenge him in the ‘NFL’s best tight end’ debate. But he’s a Seahawk now.

Yes, the Saints did get Max Unger in return, who will certainly strengthen their O-line, but it’s impossible to ‘win’ a trade when you’re losing a player of Graham’s calibre.

With a dire cap situation heading into the season, New Orleans had little room to upgrade, but they did do okay in the free agency period by bringing in some tried and tested veterans.

After cutting ties with Pierre Thomas and Curtis Lofton, the Saints added help to both the offense and defense in the shape of C.J Spiller and Brandon Browner – fresh from back-to-back Super Bowl victories with Seattle and New England.

When the draft came around in April, the Saints moved to provide Drew Brees with an insurance policy in lineman Andrus Peat out of Stanford. Defensive depth followed, with hard-hitting linebacker Stephone Anthony and corner P.J Williams joining the Saints’ ranks.

Perhaps New Orleans’ most intriguing pick came later, as they selected QB Garrett Grayson. Do they see a potential successor to Brees?

Team strengths

Regardless of his age, an offense with Drew Brees is always going to be a good one. Brandin Cooks looks to be on the verge of a breakout year as the Saints’ primary receiver. If he can excel in the role, the passing game will still be successful, even without Jimmy Graham.

Team weaknesses

This may sound like a bit of a cop-out, but is it fair to single out a particular unit of the defense as a weakness? On the whole, the Saints were terrible when they didn’t have the ball in hand last year, and it’s tough to see how that’ll change this season. Their best hope is that Stephone Anthony steps in and becomes a natural leader at ILB, which rallies those around him. But even so, it’s a big ask to turn around the 31st ranked NFL defense in just one offseason.

Best case

Cooks breaks out, the defense finds itself an identity from somewhere, and Drew Brees continues to play like Drew Brees. Plus, the ground game improves through the combined efforts of Ingram and Spiller. A lot of things have to fall into place at the right time, but in the unpredictable NFC South, that may just warrant a playoff berth. 9-7, first in NFC South

Worst case

See all of that above? All those elements that have to come together to make the Saints a winning football team? Well, if they don’t, the 2015 season will be a rough ride for Saints fans. Whether it includes Brees or not, the re-build starts here. 4-12, fourth in NFC South

Prediction

I believe that 2015 will be a respectable year for New Orleans, but nothing more. In researching for this preview, I have seen nothing that makes me think that they can be a better football team this year. I believe they will go into full stagnation mode and just fall short of the magic .500 mark. The franchise will need to be shaking up, and things may get worse before they get better. 6-10, third in NFC South