Former Saints Available in Free Agency

While a reunion with any of them seems unlikely, there are still some intriguing former New Orleans players still available as free agents.

The New Orleans Saints have been extremely active and aggressive on both sides of the ball in free agency this offseason. It obviously starts with Derek Carr, who is expected to be the answer at quarterback that the team has lacked since Drew Brees retired.

Defensive tackles Nate Shepherd and Khalen Saunders, RB Jamaal Williams, and TE Foster Moreau will start or play major roles. Wideouts Bryan Edwards, James Washington, Keke Coutee, and Lynn Bowden, TE Jesse James, C Billy Price, and safeties Lonnie Johnson, Ugo Amadi, and Jonathan Abram will compete for depth. 

Several former Saints are still available on the free-agent market. Most of them are players that were major contributors on four straight division title squads. Here are the notable former New Orleans players still available as free agents. 

OFFENSE 

Dec 30, 2018; New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws to running back Mark Ingram (22) against the Carolina Panthers. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

• QB - Teddy Bridgewater (30)

• QB - Chase Daniel (36)

• QB - Jake Luton (27)

• RB - Mark Ingram (33)

• RB - David Johnson (31)

• RB - Dwayne Washington (29)

• WR - Jarvis Landry (30)

• C/G - Nick Martin (30)

DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS 

Nov 21, 2021; New Orleans Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander (5) against the Philadelphia Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

• DE - Al-Quadin Muhammad (28)

• DT - Jalen Dalton (25)

• DT - Tyeler Davison (30)

• DT - Akiem Hicks (33)

• DT - Taylor Stallworth (27)

• LB - Kwon Alexander (28)

• LB - Vince Biegel (30)

• LB - Jon Bostic (32)

• LB - Chase Hansen (30)

• CB - Eli Apple (27)

• CB - Grant Haley (27)

• CB/S - P.J. Williams (30)

• S - Erik Harris (33)

• S - Daniel Sorensen (33)

• K - Brett Maher (33)

It seems highly unlikely that any of these listed players make a return to New Orleans. Bridgewater would have provided an excellent experienced backup to Derek Carr if Winston had not remained on a restructured contract. In the event that the Saints trade Winston to a quarterback-needy team in training camp, Bridgewater could still be a nice fallback option. 

Ingram is one of the best players in franchise history, but injuries and carries have taken a toll. He'll likely retire to take a media job with a network. Washington was a special teams ace for the Saints, but provided little offensively. Landry had clearly declined and disappeared after a strong 2022 season opener for the Saints.

New Orleans revamped their defensive interior this offseason. It wouldn't be a shock if the team brought in another tackle, but it would probably be a younger player if they did.

One area we could see more activity from the Saints is at linebacker. Second-year LB D'Marco Jackson is a promising player, but there is no proven depth behind Demario Davis and Pete Werner. Kwon Alexander is among a group of intriguing names surprisingly still available and knows this defensive system well. Hansen or Biegel would only be brought in for a special teams role and to fill out the back end of the depth chart. 

Saints defensive back P.J. Williams (26) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Credit: Nola.com

As entertaining as the fan base would be if Eli Apple was back with New Orleans, it would never happen for several reasons. Chief among them is the fact that Marshon Lattimore, Alontae Taylor, and Paulson Adebo are perhaps the most talented trio of corners in the NFL. 

P.J. Williams was a versatile contributor for this defense for seven years. The Saints were also very active at safety by drafting Jordan Howden and bringing in Lonnie Johnson, Jonathan Abram, and Ugo Amadi. Johnson in particular, should be able to match Williams' versatility, while the others are major upgrades over Sorensen and Harris.