The New Orleans Saints remain quietly active when it comes to the veteran free agency market. With plenty of cap space to make more moves, their staff and front office are not settling for what they currently have on their roster.
Instead, they continue to keep an eye out for competition to add at positions of need. The latest report regarding their interest tin a free agent could be a very smart move.
Saints host veteran DL Jonathan Bullard for visit
According to Mike Garafolo, the Saints are hosting defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard on a visit on Monday. He has started the past three seasons for the Minnesota Vikings.
Defensive line depth is a bit of a need for the Saints, still. They did trade for DT Davon Godchaux earlier in the offseason to try to bolster that, but he will solely be an interior option. Bullard can make plays off the edge for whoever chooses to sign him.
I discussed Bullard's impact for an impressive Vikings unit over the past few years with A to Z's Tyler Forness.
Jonathan Bullard being available at this spot both makes sense and no sense at the same time. Last season, Bullard was an elite run defender for the Minnesota Vikings, pushing the pocket back with consistency and anchoring the league's second-best rush defense. Having that guy who can play anywhere from 0T-4i is a very valuable piece. The reason why the Vikings didn't bring him back is why he's still a free agent: there isn't any pass rush juice anymore. Last season, Bullard had a 2% pressure rate per Pro Football Focus and his pressures came from a straight bullrush, using the same strategy as he does when playing against the run. If you have those expectations when bringing in Bullard, you'll love him.
-- Tyler Forness
Run defense for the Saints
The point that stuck out to me here was the run defense for Bullard. Off the edge, that has been a concern for the Saints in recent seasons, so adding Bullard could turn a noted weakness much more formidable. He has the versatility to play both inside and out.
New Orleans' run defense was one of the worst in the NFC a season ago. That was a strength for them for most of Dennis Allen's tenure, but that production has trailed off over the past two years.
Not to mention, Bullard's time with new Saints DC Brandon Staley certainly gave him an up-close look at his skill set. If he thinks he's the type of addition that New Orleans still needs on the DL, he is probably correct on that front.
The Saints extended edge rusher Chase Young earlier in the offseason, and Carl Granderson remains in the fold. Cameron Jordan has been taking snaps at multiple spots along the defensive line so far in practice, so we could see him shift around for the Saints as well. That may open up some playing time for a veteran addition like Bullard.
No matter what - he is on their radar, and a deal could get done sooner than later between the veteran defender and New Orleans. Only time will tell.
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