The Saints are currently getting an odd dose of disrespect
The New Orleans Saints rejuvenated their defensive eline with a youth movement during the offseason. They also added a couple of veterans to provide upside and depth on the unit, too. That being said, they're still catching flak for their DL as a whole from national media outlets. Many folks believe that Marcus Davenport and […]
The New Orleans Saints rejuvenated their defensive eline with a youth movement during the offseason. They also added a couple of veterans to provide upside and depth on the unit, too. That being said, they're still catching flak for their DL as a whole from national media outlets.
Many folks believe that Marcus Davenport and Shy Tuttle are major losses, but that's not particularly the case. David Onyemata is the largest subtraction, but his production and impact declined heavily last season. It's all being blown a bit out of proportion.
Now, Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey slide into intriguing roles as rookies. Not to mention, Carl Granderson had the best season of his carer last year off the edge, and he'll get increased opportunities now. Regardless, Kevin Patra of NFL.com isn't quite a believer as he lists the Saints DL as one of the biggest roster holes in the NFL.
The Saints lost bulk in the middle, with David Onyemata (Falcons) and Shy Tuttle (Panthers) leaving for division rivals. Oft-injured first-round defensive end Marcus Davenport (Vikings) also departed in free agency. Khalen Saunders was a solid signing, but can he be more than the rotational player he was in Kansas City? The Saints hope rookies Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey can help plug the holes. Of course, we've seen New Orleans rookies struggle out of the gate in the past (SEE: Davenport and 2021 first-rounder Payton Turner). For a club out to win the NFC South, the Saints are counting an awful lot on soon-to-be 34-year-old Cameron Jordan to generate a pass rush. — Patra
Patra seemingly underrates the addition of Saunders, who is arguably more effective than Onyemata at this point of their careers. He's just 26 years old and was an underrated DL piece for Kansas City for multiple seasons. Onyemata was declining over the past two years in New Orleans.
Nathan Shepherd steps in as a veteran interior guy to replace Tuttle, and Malcolm Roach can provide similar impact as Tuttle behind those other players. Cameron Jordan hasn't showed too many signs of slowing down, and he can reach double digit sacks once again this season.
The Saints could use another proven talent on their defensive line, but the disrespect for their personnel is a bit out of hand.
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