Saints continue to retool key position with latest signing
The Saints aren’t playing around when it comes to this spot on their roster.
One thing is for certain, the New Orleans Saints have pounded the pavement to make up for losing defensive tackles David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle.
They signed Khalen Saunders to a three-year deal on Wednesday. Shortly afterward, they inked Nathan Shepherd to a three-year contract for $15 million with $10.8 million in guaranteed money.
Shepherd is a native of Ajax, Ontario, Canada, and was a third-round pick by the New York Jets in 2018.
He played in 16 games with 5 starts as a rookie and logged 25 tackles. However, he had a bump in the road before year two.
Shepherd was suspended for six games after violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy in September 2019.
Shepherd was battling a herniated disk in his back and a shoulder injury, plus he had surgery for a sports hernia in the offseason. He admitted to using PEDs to help with his recovery and was reinstated a month later and played in nine games and tallied the first two sacks of his career.
Over the last three seasons, Shepherd has played in 48 out of a possible 50 games (seven starts) and has shown improvement each year. He totaled 33 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 2022.
Shepherd now starts the second phase of his career with the Saints, and they're hoping he and Saunders can help keep them as one of the best defenses in the NFL.
