The New Orleans Saints defense is expected to see quite a bit of change in the coming years, beginning in just a few days as the new NFL league year begins.
The defensive line, in particular, could be in for a serious shakeup.
With the addition of defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, the Saints are expected to transition to more odd-front and 3-4 looks. While they will still live in the ever-popular 4-2-5 nickel look, this will shift some of the roles on defense.
Standup speed rushers and big-bodied nose tackles highlight expected changes. While that may benefit players already rostered like edge rusher Isaiah Foskey and defensive tackle Khristian Boyd, external additions may be the team’s quickest way to success.
Enter Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa.
The Chargers and Bosa are parting ways, and the Saints are uniquely positioned to potentially be players in his market. Checking in on his availability and contract expectations is certainly something the Saints should entertain at the very least.
Staley coached Bosa while with the Chargers from 2021 to 2023. During their first year together, the pairing looked like a match made in heaven. Bosa totaled 10.5 sacks in his first year with Staley but appeared in only 14 games the following two seasons due to injury.
That is the rub when it comes to Bosa’s market. Injuries have now hampered his trajectory quite a bit. That issue alone may be reason enough for the Saints not to pursue him.
New Orleans has dealt with its own injury problems over the last few years. Adding a player that has proven to struggle to stay on the field may be a less than desirable pursuit depending on Bosa’s contractual ask.
To the Saints’ credit, they navigated a similar situation perfectly just last year. Last offseason the Saints surprised with the free agent acquisition of defensive end Chase Young. The former second overall draft pick was given an incentive-heavy deal that was based on his playing time. He would go on to appear in all 17 games in 2024.
New Orleans could take a similar approach with Bosa, if there’s interest.
However, should that not be a path toward bringing the 2016 No. 3 overall pick to the Big Easy, they could still play an impactful role in how his contract shakes out thanks to their strategic building of the Young deal.
