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As the New Orleans Saints opened training camp, they lost defensive lineman Bryan Bresee to what's believed to be an ACL injury which will likely cost him his season. It's a devastating blow to the Saints, as Bresee was expected to be one of the key pieces to their defense. This certainly puts more pressure on rookie second round choice Christen Miller, along with veteran Nathan Shepherd and second-year pro Vernon Broughton. Miller is projected to be the nose tackle, but Bresee, Shepherd, and Broughton were expected to be the end rotation when the Saints play a three-man front.
Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, or Chase Young could now see more action as down linemen. Davon Godchaux and John Ridgeway III will also be factors in the rotation up front. There are also a few remaining free agents that the Saints could take a look at to soften the loss of Bresee slightly.
Ogunjobi is the most productive and perhaps most logical option on this list. He excelled for three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who ran a similar scheme to what coordinator Brandon Staley does in New Orleans. In nine NFL seasons, Ogunjobi has 27.5 sacks with 79 QB hits and 29 tackles for loss.
More of a traditional nose tackle, Jones was an end in a 3-4 system for the first seven years of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Over his 12 NFL seasons, Jones has 20 sacks with 63 QB hits and 34 stops for loss.
Greg Gaines has played his entire career in a 3-4 scheme. For his first two seasons, he played for Brandon Staley when he was the defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams. The Saints know Gaines well, having faced him twice a year for the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gaines has 14.5 sacks with 35 QB hits and 16 tackles for loss in his seven NFL seasons.
A first-round choice in the 2018 NFL Draft, Bryan has been with four teams in his eight seasons and a different team for each of the last five years. However, he could be hungry to salvage his career. Over those eight seasons, Bryan has 24 tackles for loss with 36 QB hits and 12 sacks.
Pennel is the oldest of this list and has never been in a consistent 3-4 system. However, he's been a reliable veteran able to step up whenever asked. Over 12 seasons with six teams, Pennel has 5 sacks, 17 QB hits, and 15 stops for loss.Anyone here is a significant downgrade from Bryan Bresee. The Saints will rely on Broughton, Shepherd, and Miller across their front. However, quality depth was already a question here before Bresee was lost. New Orleans may look at one of these players or perhaps even explore a training camp trade to bolster the quality of their rotation.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 5 NFL free agents the Saints could turn to after Bryan Bresee injury
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Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, or Chase Young could now see more action as down linemen. Davon Godchaux and John Ridgeway III will also be factors in the rotation up front. There are also a few remaining free agents that the Saints could take a look at to soften the loss of Bresee slightly.
Larry Ogunjobi (age 32)
Ogunjobi is the most productive and perhaps most logical option on this list. He excelled for three years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who ran a similar scheme to what coordinator Brandon Staley does in New Orleans. In nine NFL seasons, Ogunjobi has 27.5 sacks with 79 QB hits and 29 tackles for loss.
DaQuan Jones (34)
More of a traditional nose tackle, Jones was an end in a 3-4 system for the first seven years of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Over his 12 NFL seasons, Jones has 20 sacks with 63 QB hits and 34 stops for loss.
Greg Gaines (29)
Greg Gaines has played his entire career in a 3-4 scheme. For his first two seasons, he played for Brandon Staley when he was the defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams. The Saints know Gaines well, having faced him twice a year for the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Gaines has 14.5 sacks with 35 QB hits and 16 tackles for loss in his seven NFL seasons.
Taven Bryan (30)
A first-round choice in the 2018 NFL Draft, Bryan has been with four teams in his eight seasons and a different team for each of the last five years. However, he could be hungry to salvage his career. Over those eight seasons, Bryan has 24 tackles for loss with 36 QB hits and 12 sacks.
Mike Pennel (35)
Pennel is the oldest of this list and has never been in a consistent 3-4 system. However, he's been a reliable veteran able to step up whenever asked. Over 12 seasons with six teams, Pennel has 5 sacks, 17 QB hits, and 15 stops for loss.Anyone here is a significant downgrade from Bryan Bresee. The Saints will rely on Broughton, Shepherd, and Miller across their front. However, quality depth was already a question here before Bresee was lost. New Orleans may look at one of these players or perhaps even explore a training camp trade to bolster the quality of their rotation.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 5 NFL free agents the Saints could turn to after Bryan Bresee injury
Continue reading...
