The New Orleans Saints have brought in a new coach for the new season. Coach Burn has expressed a whole lot about this roster. He loves the fact that the roster has a bunch of veteran guys, however, the concern is the age of the players as well as their contracts. For this first season, he has stated that just because a player is a veteran doesn’t mean they will be the starter. In this article we will break down the starting defensive players.
DL:
LE: Cam Jordan
Jordan is one of the best if not the best player on the Saints defense. He has one of the best abilities in the game and even though he isn’t very fast, he has a knack for getting to the quarterback quickly. He has two years left on his contract, and will go up to becoming one of the highest paid players on the team. As long as he does not regress into nothing given his age, he will be a Saint until he retires.
DT: David Onyemata
He is a star defensive tackle who at 29 is on a one year contract. He is a good pass rusher who will anchor the middle of this defensive line. With the Saints being as cash strapped as they are, he will most likely not be re-signed by the team.
Brandon Williams: Williams is a free agent who was picked up due to the lack of depth at defensive tackle. He is a player who can recognize the play, and blockshed whoever is in front of him. He isn’t a good pass rusher but Burn will only rely on him in run down situations. He will not be back with the team at the end of the season.
RE: Marcus Davenport
Davenport is a young star in the making. He can do it all as a pass rusher and when needed on run downs as well. Burn will put him all over the line in order to exploit a good matchup for him. He is on a one year deal, however, Burn will be looking to find any cap space that he can in order to keep Davenport. According to Burn, “ Davenport is the future of the Saints defensive line.”
LB:
LOLB: Jamie Collins
Collins was a free agent pickup due to the Saints line backing core severely lacking depth and talent. Collins is a one year rental, however, he is a plug in and play player who can do anything that is asked of him. He will be used primarily as the left outside linebacker unless an injury occurs.
MLB:
Demario Davis:
Davis is the anchor in the middle of this defense. He is a superstar who can guard any running back and impact whether or not they catch the ball. Davis is an older player, however, he is on a three year deal and unless he retires he will be on the Saints superstar status or not.
ROLB:
Dont’a Hightower: Hightower is a mentor linebacker who was picked in the free agent draft. Burn knew he had to pick a player who could match with Davis and bring this line backing core into shape. Hightower’s mentor status will be able to bring more experience to the younger players which will help them develop faster. Like Collins, he is a one year rental who wont be on the roster next season.
CB:
Marshon Lattimore:
The Saints cornerbacks are the youngest position on the team. They will be set for the rest of the cycle with these cornerbacks. The leader and only superstar of the group is Lattimore. He is able to line up at any spot on the defense and succeed as well as guard the opponents number one receiver. He still has 5 years left on his contract and will be a Saint for the rest of the cycle.
Paulson Adebo:
Adebo was a rookie last season and played well enough to become a starter. Adebo is a tall and fast corner who can play man and zone. He will need to continue to develop his skills, however, once he does this will give the Saints a pair of young shutdown corners.
Alontae Taylor:
Taylor is a second round draft pick who is a raw player, however, he is very fast and has the ball skills to be a star. He is slotted as the third cornerback for the Saints and even though his skills arent top tier at the moment, he has the speed to run with any wide receiver. Burn will continue to work on his talents, and within a season or two he will be a top tier corner.
FS:
Tyrann Mathieu:
Mathieu is the leader of the entire defense. He is able to do anything that is needed, as well as being able to be slotted anywhere on the field. He can cover in man and zone as well as go and make a tackle. He excels near the line of scrimmage and Coach Burn will utilize his abilities in this fashion in most games. He is an older superstar who has three years left on his deal, which means he will be a Saint for a while.
SS:
Marcus Maye:
Maye is a strong, fast, aging player who will make a hit on an offensive player. Maye will be used exclusively in the strong safety position. Maye has like Mathieu has three years left on his deal and will be on the Saints for a while.
The Saints defense is the key to the entire roster. They have superstars, in every level of the defense. This season will be key to their success going forward as after this season, the entire defense will regress as most players are turning 30 or over 30. Coach Burn has said that this is truly a boom or bust season, so each player will need to step up in order for this entire team to succeed in a tough NFC.
