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Much of what the New Orleans Saints accomplished last offseason earned praise and appreciation across the NFL. Over one offseason and with some great performances in the regular season, the Saints became one of the NFL's up-and-coming teams, and now the future is bright in New Orleans.
Still, one of the moves the Saints made last offseason has not had as much success as intended, and at the time, felt like a weird one to make. In free agency, the Saints signed former Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid. The Saints were not believed to be a win-now move, so the signing was a bit confusing, but New Orleans needed another safety, and Reid is a two-time Super Bowl winner.
Having a player with this experience can go a long way for any team and can also lead to great development for young players. With the addition came an expensive contract. Reid was 28 years old and one of the better safeties in the NFL. The Saints paid him around $30 million a year for three seasons.
During his time with the Chiefs, Reid was a real contributor to their postseason success. Yes, it does not hurt to have Chris Jones commanding the defense and Patrick Mahomes leading the offense the entire season. But when Reid was called upon to either make plays or keep the DBs consistent, he stepped up to the occasion.
The Saints' DB room was such an unknown going into last season, so the hope was that Reid could help lead this group into a new scheme and era of football in New Orleans. Did that happen? Not really. Reid definitely helped with rookie Jonas Sanker's development, which was a massive win for the Saints, but Reid himself struggled at times. It's difficult to put much blame on a safety compared to a corner, but missed tackles and miscommunications occurred from Reid.
Still, without him, it would have been much, much worse. Reid's leadership is vital to the defense's success, and with the DB room so young, he can be a voice for these players. In 2026, the DB should be better, which will also take some pressure away from Reid. Now Julian Blackmon is set to play opposite Reid, and Sanker will drop into the slot. Also, with the addition of Martin Emerson, another veteran could help keep the group more consistent.
Is Reid going to be a borderline elite safety? No, but for the Saints, that's perfectly fine, especially with that contract.
Continue reading...
Still, one of the moves the Saints made last offseason has not had as much success as intended, and at the time, felt like a weird one to make. In free agency, the Saints signed former Kansas City Chiefs safety Justin Reid. The Saints were not believed to be a win-now move, so the signing was a bit confusing, but New Orleans needed another safety, and Reid is a two-time Super Bowl winner.
Having a player with this experience can go a long way for any team and can also lead to great development for young players. With the addition came an expensive contract. Reid was 28 years old and one of the better safeties in the NFL. The Saints paid him around $30 million a year for three seasons.
During his time with the Chiefs, Reid was a real contributor to their postseason success. Yes, it does not hurt to have Chris Jones commanding the defense and Patrick Mahomes leading the offense the entire season. But when Reid was called upon to either make plays or keep the DBs consistent, he stepped up to the occasion.
The Saints' DB room was such an unknown going into last season, so the hope was that Reid could help lead this group into a new scheme and era of football in New Orleans. Did that happen? Not really. Reid definitely helped with rookie Jonas Sanker's development, which was a massive win for the Saints, but Reid himself struggled at times. It's difficult to put much blame on a safety compared to a corner, but missed tackles and miscommunications occurred from Reid.
Still, without him, it would have been much, much worse. Reid's leadership is vital to the defense's success, and with the DB room so young, he can be a voice for these players. In 2026, the DB should be better, which will also take some pressure away from Reid. Now Julian Blackmon is set to play opposite Reid, and Sanker will drop into the slot. Also, with the addition of Martin Emerson, another veteran could help keep the group more consistent.
Is Reid going to be a borderline elite safety? No, but for the Saints, that's perfectly fine, especially with that contract.
Continue reading...
