The New Orleans Saints signed Demario Davis as a free agent in the 2018 offseason; he was a rather unknown player. Throughout his first six NFL seasons, Davis was a very excellent player, but the typical fan was not too familiar with him. He would go on to become one of the greatest players in Saints history as well as the team’s second-best free agent acquisition ever.
Let’s go back six years. In addition to being the center of gravity for the New Orleans defense, Davis is still among the top linebackers in the entire league. But the Saints haven’t done much to surround him with a strong linebacker group. A second-round pick in the 2021 selection, Pete Werner, has performed admirably. This is a dangerously thin squad since, aside from Werner, draft picks like Zack Baun, Kaden Elliss, and D’Marco Jackson haven’t pan out.
As Davis, 35, prepares to embark on his 13th season, the Saints must find a suitable replacement for their incumbent running back. They could accomplish it through the draft, but free agency is a possibility as well. The Saints may be able to sign any of these off-ball linebackers.
(Patents for age and former team)
• Chiefs’ Willie Gay (26).
• Dolphins’ Jerome Baker (27).
• Packers’ De’Vondre Campbell (30)
• Seahawks’ Jordyn Brooks (26).
• Browns’ Sione Takitaki (28).
• Browns’ Anthony Walker Jr. (28).
• Vikings’ Jordan Hicks (31),
• Josey Jewell, a 29-year-old Bronco
Like Davis, Gay has spent his first four seasons as a solid but frequently underappreciated player. He is a quick and strong athlete who can provide strong results as a blitzer (5 sacks, 16 pressures), against the run (17 tackles for loss, 233 total stops), and in coverage (4 interceptions, 19 passes broken up). Gay had a crucial role in the Kansas City defense’s success in winning back-to-back Super Bowls.
It was unexpected when Miami decided to release Baker. In four of the past five seasons, the Ohio State product has recorded at least 92 tackles, including 31 career stops for loss. His 60 pressures and 22.5 career sacks demonstrate his ability to be a destructive blitzer as well. As seen by his five career interceptions and 22 passes broken up, Baker is also more than capable of covering receivers in the passing game.
It was also unexpected that Green Bay released Campbell into the open market. Campbell is a fast-moving, anticipatory player who is constantly close to the ball. In six of the past seven years, he has recorded at least 90 tackles, with 40 of those stops being for loss. Although he doesn’t get much use as a blitzer, Campbell moves really well in coverage.
A physical downhill linebacker who causes havoc at the line of scrimmage is Jordyn Brooks. Prolific against the run, Brooks has averaged 152 tackles over the last three seasons and has 23 career tackles for loss. He lacks fluidity when covering, although he has good zone awareness.
During his nine years in the league, Hicks has shown to be an underappreciated all-around defender. In addition to being a strong pass rusher (14.5 sacks, 33 QB hits), he excels at covering (13 interceptions, 49 passes defensed), and he has outstanding awareness versus the run. Over the past five years, Hicks has racked up over 105 tackles, with an astounding average of 79 solo stops and 47 career tackles for loss throughout that time.
Takitaki is a nice-looking, undersized linebacker with good agility and awareness. For the majority of his career, he has been a situational, part-time starter, but he performs best in a scheme that gives him plenty of room to maneuver. Walker has exceptional coverage awareness and is a formidable tackler. Although he has had several injuries recently, he is an excellent in-the-box defender with sideline-to-sideline mobility when healthy.
Walker was coached by a defensive coordinator from New Orleans for two seasons, and Takitaki for three.
Over his six-year career, Jewell has been a reliable player for a Denver squad that is otherwise terrible. After turning into a full-time starter in 2020, he averaged over 116 tackles in his other three seasons before an injury ended his 2021 campaign. Jewell’s 12 career forced or recovered fumbles show that while he isn’t very good in coverage, his keen awareness of the ball always puts him in the vicinity of the target.
The Saints frequently only use two linebackers, which puts a lot of demands on the position’s instincts and athleticism. In this capacity, Davis has excelled. Werner has limits even if he has had his moments.
An excellent draft class could allow New Orleans to bolster their linebacking corps. Though still conceivable, it is more plausible that the Saints sign a free agent who can make an impact right away. The team would likely choose a slightly younger linebacker who is in the peak of their career and has a high football IQ, as Davis is nearing the end of an incredible career.
