A Free Agency Preview Of Potential Defensive Ends For The New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints defensive ends are coming off an extremely disappointing season. The Saints had only 34 sacks in 2023, fourth fewest in the NFL, along with a meager 76 QB hits. Their defensive ends accounted for only 16 of those sacks and 41 QB hits, along with just 25 tackles for loss. These numbers were even bolstered by a career-best season from DE Carl Granderson, who had 8.5 sacks, 20 QB hits, and 14 tackles for loss.
Future Hall of Fame DE Cameron Jordan will be 35 before the start of next year and dealt with nagging injuries last season, limiting him to only two sacks and six QB hits. Tanoh Kpassagnon is a solid rotational player, but little more. Three of Kpassagnon's 3.5 sacks last season came in a Week 15 win over the Giants.
Former first-round choice Marcus Davenport was largely viewed as a bust and is no longer with the team. Payton Turner, a 2021 first-round pick, has firmly entered bust territory because he's missed 36 of 51 games over his three years because of injuries. A second-round choice last season, Isaiah Foskey did next to nothing as a rookie.
Premium edge defenders rarely hit the free-agent market in the prime of their careers. When they do, they command astronomical salaries. Therefore, the Saints will again likely have to address this position with a high draft choice.
With Carolina applying the franchise tag to Brian Burns, Minnesota's Danielle Hunter is the most accomplished end on the market. Hunter is likely to receive around $20 million per year, so probably well out of range for a Saints team scrambling to get under this year's salary cap.
Nevertheless, there are a few more affordable edge defenders that could attract the interest of New Orleans when free agency officially begins on March 13.
(age and previous team in parentheses)
• Dorance Armstrong (26 - Cowboys)
• Jonathan Greenard (26 - Texans)
• Chase Young (24 - 49ers)
• Josh Uche (25 - Patriots)
• Leonard Floyd (31 - Bills)
• Za'Darius Smith (31 - Browns)
• Bryce Huff (25 - Jets)
• Romeo Okwara (28 - Lions)
• Charles Harris (29 - Lions)
• Derek Barnett (27 - Texans)
Cleveland Browns defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) sacks Arizona Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune (15). Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Za'Darius Smith has spent nine NFL seasons terrorizing quarterbacks, including three Pro Bowl campaigns in the last five years with the Packers and Vikings. At 6'4" and 275-Lbs., he also fits the Saints preferred stereotype for defensive ends. On the back end of his career, Smith showed last year with Cleveland (5.5 sacks, 20 QB hits) that he's still effective in a situational role.
Dorance Armstrong could either be one of the steals of free agency or one that a team overpays for that doesn't prove worthy of a big contract. After doing little in his first three seasons, Armstrong has 21 sacks and 40 QB hits over the last three years. His production increase coincides with the arrival of Micah Parsons. Armstrong feels like a gamble; either someone about to develop into a premier defensive star or a product of Parsons' presence about to become an annual free agent bust.
Speaking of busts, Chase Young could be on the verge of joining that list among high draft choices. The second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft had 7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 10 tackles for loss as a rookie. In the three seasons since, he's had a combined nine sacks, 20 QB hits, and 10 tackles for loss. Young flashed the abilities of that 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, so may command big money on the open market. If instead he's forced to take a one-year ''prove it'' deal, the Saints could swoop in for what would be a minor gamble on a potentially disruptive player.
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is hit by Houston Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard (52). Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Jonathan Greenard could be another sneaky-good addition for a team. He's coming off a career-best 12.5 sacks, 22 QB hits, and 15 tackles for loss. Greenard doesn't quite meet the Saints prototypal size, but is big enough to play a legitimate down lineman spot. He's also expected to command between $12 and $15 million per year.
Every year, several teams overpay for an unproven player after one year of production. Bryce Huff, a four-year pro, could be that candidate this season. Huff, an explosive 255-Lb. edge rusher, had 10 sacks and 21 QB hits in 2023 after a combined 7.5 sacks and 22 QB hits in his first three years.
Charles Harris and Romeo Okwara haven't been top-tier edge rushers, but each have shown that they can be solid complementary defenders. Josh Uche has been one of the few bright spots for the Patriots the last two years. He could be affordable because of a big statistical drop-off last season.
Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) about to sack New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2). Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Leonard Floyd and Derek Barnett are accomplished veterans, but could be on the downside of their careers. As such, each may be agreeable to come in on a relatively cheap one-year deal. Both, but especially Lloyd, are still capable of disrupting opposing offenses.
Several of these available edge rushers are smaller than the usual New Orleans preference at defensive end. This may not be a bad thing, now that the team finally figured out how to use Zack Baun, also a free agent. A more athletic edge rusher would help alleviate struggles that the Saints have had against mobile quarterbacks.
Unless New Orleans shocks the NFL world and juggles the finances to land Danielle Hunter, then they'll likely still target an edge rusher early in the draft. None of the other available free agents are necessarily premier defenders. However, there are still several edge rushers that can bolster the Saints pass rush without causing a huge dent in the salary cap.
