SmashMouth

Roster turnovers are normal in the NFL from season to season, especially if the team in question failed to make the playoffs the prior year.

But for the New Orleans Saints, the defensive makeover certainly falls on the extreme side.

When they face the Arizona Cardinals in their season opener on Sunday, the Saints will likely be playing only four of their 11 defensive starters from one year ago.

Brodrick Bunkey, Junior Galette, Curtis Lofton and Corey White were released in the offseason. Patrick Robinson wasn't re-signed in free agency. Keenan Lewis and Jairus Byrd are currently sidelined with injuries.

If the Cardinals and quarterback Carson Palmer, who is returning from an ACL tear last season, are trying to study Saints film, last season wouldn't be much help to them.

"It's easier when you know who the starters are and what their roles are," said Cardinals coach Bruce Arians. "When you are opening up, there are new faces and injured players on both sides, it's a little bit of a chess game."

With so many new faces, and two injured starters, the lone holdovers from the beginning of last season are Akiem Hicks, Cam Jordan, David Hawthorne and Kenny Vaccaro. It will stay that way until Lewis and Byrd return.

Then there's safety Rafael Bush, who, at this point last season, was a role player who ended up starting seven games after Byrd went down with a knee injury.

Bush also ended up on IR in November after fracturing his fibula, but has had significant experience in the Saints system as a starter and is feeling healthy again.

As for the rest—they'll be learning as they go.



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