Let’s start off by acknowledging the New Orleans Saints probably won’t be big spenders in free agency again this year — they’re currently sitting out the salary cap by more than $57 million, and they’re hard at work trying to figure out how they could fit a $32 million cap hit for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on the books.
But that’s not to say the Saints won’t be active at all. They signed multiple contributors to low-cost contracts last year, and they’ll be on the look for help again in 2023. And that could bring them back to the Kansas City Chiefs. Both of the Saints’ leaders in interceptions last year came from Kansas City: safeties Tyrann Mathieu (3) and Daniel Sorensen (2). With the Chiefs soon kicking off Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles, here are four pending free agents to watch who could fit New Orleans’ needs:
DT Khalen Saunders, No. 99
Saunders has played well in the rotation next to Chris Jones; Pro Football Focus charting credits him with 17 quarterback pressures on just 279 pass-rush snaps, which makes for a modest productivity rate of 6.2 (for context, David Onyemata led the Saints defensive tackles with a 9.0 score last year). He also doesn’t miss many tackles when defending the run. The Saints don’t have any defensive tackles under contract for 2023 who got into games for them in 2022, so they’ll be rebuilding that unit one way or another. Saunders makes sense as a budget-friendly option to add to the line.
WR Mecole Hardman, No. 17
We’re cheating here because Hardman won’t be playing in the Super Bowl after going on injured reserve last week. A Week 9 abdominal injury sidelined him until the conference title game and he’s since been ruled out for Sunday’s big game. But there’s a lot to like about Hardman. He’s only 25 years old and he’s played like one of the most electrifying receivers in the league when healthy; he was coming off of career-highs in receptions (67) and receiving yards (814) a year ago prior to this injury. The Chiefs could re-sign him but their investments at receiver may push him into free agency, where he’s worth a look for New Orleans.
OL Nick Allegretti, No. 73
Allegretti backed up three different spots this year while playing snaps at both left and right guard as well as at center. He started most of the 2020 season at left guard before the Chiefs began making heavy investments to their offensive line. The Saints’ lack of depth inside got exposed last season when injuries whittled down their starting lineup, so Allegretti would make sense as competition for Calvin Throckmorton and Lewis Kidd as the top backup at guard. If they move on from Andrus Peat, he could push for a starting role.
RB Ronald Jones, No. 2
Jones was pushed down the depth chart by Isiah Pacheco, an impressive rookie draft pick, as well as a reliable veteran in Jerick McKinnon — he hasn’t gotten many looks in Kansas City even with an injury to Clyde Edwards-Helaire. And it’s not like he’s been ineffective. Jones gained 70 yards on 18 attempts (3.9 yards per carry) this season and did a good job following his blockers, though he didn’t force many missed tackles or move the pile. But the Saints just need more depth in the backfield. Adding a 25-year-old who ran for 1,100-plus yards just a few years ago would be a good move.
