There are a handful of former Kansas City Chiefs players playing key roles for the New Orleans Saints — starting safety Tyrann Mathieu, of course, but also his former Chiefs teammates Khalen Saunders and Tanoh Kpassagnon along the defensive line. Could more of them be wearing black and gold in 2024?
Saints fans should tune into Sunday’s AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens to get an early look at the upcoming free agent class. Both teams could lose players in the spring, and opportunistic squads like the Saints could pounce. Here are some pending free agents from both sides who may fit what the Saints are looking for this offseason:
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One of Derek Carr’s former teammates with the Las Vegas Raiders, Simpson has held down the left guard spot for Baltimore and is looking to hit free agency in the prime of his career. He could be an upgrade over James Hurst for New Orleans. Pro Football Focus projects a two-year contract for him valued at $5.25 million per year.
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Pete Werner has not developed as hoped and Demario Davis isn’t getting any younger (and top backups like Nephi Sewell are recovering from injury), so the Saints could sign a linebacker or two in free agency. Tranquill has some appeal as an experienced starter who doesn’t miss many tackles and can pressure the quarterback.
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We’re daydreaming here. Madubuike broke out in a big way this season and is poised to land one of the richest contracts in free agency. He’ll almost certainly be out of the Saints’ budget. But if there’s a position for New Orleans to invest in a top-of-market free agent deal, it’s the interior defensive line. It’s one of the few position groups where they aren’t already spending more than the rest of the league.
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An unsung hero in the Chiefs defense, Danna has developed into an effective rotational pass rusher with 11.5 sacks and 80-plus total quarterback pressures the last two years. He fits the athletic thresholds the Saints value at the position. With Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey showing little encouragement to this point in their careers, the Saints may have to sign a free agent to elevate the group.
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The Ravens are hoping Huntley doesn’t play at all — but you never know. He’s impressed before and started a playoff game in 2022. Huntley will be an unrestricted free agent in March and he’s shown enough to warrant attention from teams in need of an experienced backup like the Saints, should they part ways with Jameis Winston.
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Edwards-Helaire hasn’t found his way with the Chiefs but a return to Louisiana could be good for him. He’s a solid passing-down back (he hasn’t allowed a sack in four years picking up the blitz) and his success rate as a receiver has topped 50% in each of the last three seasons. He doesn’t bring the big-play ability the Saints need on the ground but he could be a decent pickup to improve the depth chart.
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Could Maulet return to New Orleans? He first signed with them as an undrafted rookie out of Memphis back in 2017, but he’s played a lot of snaps for several different teams over the years as a nickel corner. He’s enjoyed his best year as a pro with the Ravens and is highly effective in their pressure package as an option to blitz, which Dennis Allen values.