It’s the start of a new era in the Big Easy and a good time to be a New Orleans Saints fan.
The NFC South division seems up for grabs, and they have a big edge at the quarterback position now that Derek Carr is a part of the team.
But the team still needed to address their major woes at the defensive tackle position, which is why today will go down as a very positive day in recent Saints history.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Saints have made a massive — both literally and figuratively — addition, signing former Kansas City Chiefs star DT Khalen Saunders to a three-year contract.
Another move for the #Saints, adding heft to their defense. https://t.co/xl81LazDxc
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2023
Saunders entered the league as a third-round pick in 2019, slowly but steadily becoming a stalwart on Andy Reid’s team.
He’s coming off a career-best season, staying on the gridiron for nearly 40% of the snaps, 12% of the special team snaps, and logging a career-high 3.5 sacks.
Notably, this isn’t the only DT the Saints signed this morning.
Earlier on Wednesday, Dennis Allen’s team also agreed to terms with Nathan Shepherd, another former third-round pick.
Shepherd had spent most of his career with the New York Jets as a backup.
However, his six sacks in just 12 career starts are a promising stat, and he’s shown glimpses of greatness as a pass-rusher in limited snaps.
The Saints have made it clear that they aim to compete at the highest level this season, so we expect them to be more active in negotiations in the coming days.
