Saints could be looking to add to young core on defense instead of going after free agents

SmashMouth · 03-13-2016, 07:14 AM

After months of talk about how the Saints needed to spend the offseason focused on finding ways to improve their defense, the team spent the first week of free agency focused on patching up holes on offense.

The big signing, of course, was tight end Coby Fleener, who joined New Orleans from Indianapolis shortly after Ben Watson fled town and hooked on with the Baltimore Ravens. Further down the list, the team worked to retain guards Senio Kelemete and Tim Lelito and backup quarterback Luke McCown.

The only transaction pertaining to the defense occurred Saturday morning when reserve safety Rafael Bush signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions.

The approach has been surprising. Any list of top needs for the Saints includes defensive tackle, defensive end and linebacker. On offense, guard is considered the biggest need after Jahri Evans was let go, but, to be fair, tight end crept up the list after Watson split.

Still, no one would have guessed the bulk of the limited resources this offseason would be used to maintain the offense. That’s not to say the approach is wrong. Only time will determine how all of these moves work out, and there are more pieces of the puzzle to come.

But with only a little more than $5 million remaining in salary cap space, it’s unlikely New Orleans will go out and make the kind of splash that will satiate fans hungry for defensive improvement.

Saints could be looking to add to young core on defense instead of going after free agents | The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana

03-13-2016, 07:14 AM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 38,477 Blog Entries: 29	Saints could be looking to add to young core on defense instead of going after free agents After months of talk about how the Saints needed to spend the offseason focused on finding ways to improve their defense, the team spent the first week of free agency focused on patching up holes on offense. The big signing, of course, was tight end Coby Fleener, who joined New Orleans from Indianapolis shortly after Ben Watson fled town and hooked on with the Baltimore Ravens. Further down the list, the team worked to retain guards Senio Kelemete and Tim Lelito and backup quarterback Luke McCown. The only transaction pertaining to the defense occurred Saturday morning when reserve safety Rafael Bush signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Lions. The approach has been surprising. Any list of top needs for the Saints includes defensive tackle, defensive end and linebacker. On offense, guard is considered the biggest need after Jahri Evans was let go, but, to be fair, tight end crept up the list after Watson split. Still, no one would have guessed the bulk of the limited resources this offseason would be used to maintain the offense. That’s not to say the approach is wrong. Only time will determine how all of these moves work out, and there are more pieces of the puzzle to come. But with only a little more than $5 million remaining in salary cap space, it’s unlikely New Orleans will go out and make the kind of splash that will satiate fans hungry for defensive improvement. Saints could be looking to add to young core on defense instead of going after free agents \| The Advocate — Baton Rouge, Louisiana Attached Thumbnails