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Saints linebackers youngest, fastest in years

Between a new coach and fresh legs in the locker room, Sean Payton has done everything he can to fix the linebacker position.



by John Sigler Jul 24, 2017, 9:59am CDT

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints have struggled to field a good linebacker group. Fans and opposing team know it’s a key weakness of the defense, with tight ends and running backs running free for a couple of years now.

Finally, it seemed like the Saints themselves realized how bare the linebackers room had gotten. Longtime coach Joe Vitt was released from his contract and replaced with Mike Nolan. There has been a ton of turnover on the roster over the last two years under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s watch.

Let’s compare this year’s projected top linebackers to, say, the very mediocre 2014 group in age and 40-yard dash times. The 2014 linebackers featured a top four (Parys Haralson, David Hawthorne, Curtis Lofton, and Ramon Humber) who were each 27-years old or older, and all but Hawthorne timed at 4.79-seconds or slower. That’s not a recipe for success.

In 2017, we’re staring down the barrel of a unit that includes just two linebackers aged 27-years or older (Craig Robertson at 29, Dannell Ellerbe at 32) and just one member who timed slower than 4.6-seconds in the 40-yard dash (Robertson at 4.76). Age and speed aren’t everything in the NFL, but they’re vital measurements for linebackers whose job is to:

A.) see the ball,

and,

B.) get the ball.

Last year, veteran linebackers Craig Robertson (formerly with the Cleveland Browns) and Nate Stupar (who left the Atlanta Falcons just in time to avoid an epic Super Bowl LI meltdown) joined the squad and stuck around, with Robertson winning a war of attrition to enter the starting lineup. James Laurinaitis (a career Los Angeles Rams starter) was signed to much fanfare but just couldn’t run with NFL offenses anymore.

Change has continued this year, with a new middle linebacker signed in Carolina Panthers reserve A.J. Klein. The team spent a third round pick on Florida Gators rookie Alex Anzalone, and Canadian import Adam Bighill has already picked up a strong fan following. One-time Heisman Trophy hopeful Manti Te’o left the San Diego Chargers (who themselves left for Los Angeles) to follow his linebackers coach to New Orleans.

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“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill