SmashMouth

Typically, NFL players who join new teams in September start off at the back end of the roster, but Jahri Evans and Paul Kruger are not ordinary free agents.

The New Orleans Saints listed Evans and Kruger as starters on their unofficial depth chart for Week 1.

Evans, who re-signed on Wednesday, is slated to return to the right guard spot he's held since the Saints drafted him in 2006.
Kruger, meanwhile, is listed as the right defensive end, taking the job held by Kasim Edebali this offseason. The depth chart projects Kruger to start opposite Cameron Jordan.



Saints coach Sean Payton said after the third preseason game the team's two biggest concerns were the pass rush and offensive line, so the team made two big-name signings shortly thereafter.

Another thing on the depth chart that could be a surprise is rookie wide receiver Michael Thomas being a starter, but Thomas is the best fit for the X-receiver spot long held by Marques Colston. Brandin Cooks is the other starter, and Willie Snead will surely be heavily involved, even if he's not listed as a starter.

The Saints also list Marcus Murphy as the return man for punts and kickoffs.

The Cleveland Browns cut Kruger on Aug. 29, and he agreed to a deal with the Saints on Aug. 31, though it wasn't official until Sept. 5. The 30-year-old had just 27 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2015, but in 2014, he had 53 tackles, 11 sacks and four forced fumbles.




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