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New Orleans Saints Could Bring Back Old Friend to Defense

By Erik Lambert

Dec 7, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Carolina Panthers strong safety Roman Harper (41) breaks up a pass to New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson (82) during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Panthers defeated the Saints 41-10. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; Carolina Panthers strong safety Roman Harper (41) breaks up a pass to New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson (82) during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Panthers defeated the Saints 41-10. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Defense has been the bane of existence for the New Orleans Saints, so much in fact that they’re calling on a familiar face to come back and fix it.

There is no doubt every waking minute for the Saints this off-season has been finding a way to fix their defense, which has sunk to the lowest depths in the NFL doldrums.  It’s a unit that finished 2015 with the 31st ranked overall defense and 32nd in points allowed.  Teams could pass and run on them at will.  The only reason that team somehow won seven games was the ongoing brilliance of future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees.

There is no doubt this team can start winning again, while the window is still open if they can just figure out how to get the defense playing better.  Adding 1st round pick Sheldon Rankins to their pass rush is a good start, but more help is needed on the back end.  NFL analyst Alex Marvez of Fox Sports believes they may look to a familiar face to come in and help steady that young secondary.

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Roman Harper remains a favorite among Saints fans, a two-time Pro Bowler and key playmaker on that unforgettable 2009 Super Bowl championship team.  However, after an injury-plagued 2013 season he was discarded to free agency.  Intent on proving he had plenty left in the tank, Harper signed with division rival Carolina.  In 2014 he helped them win the division title with four interceptions and a defensive touchdown.  Last year he helped them reach the Super Bowl.  All without missing a single game.

It’s also worth noting the New Orleans Saints defense hasn’t been the same since he left.  In 2013 they boasted the 4th ranked unit in the NFL, giving up an average of just 19.1 points per game.  Since they sent him out the door, that number has ballooned to 28.12 points per game.  Former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan even went out of his way to say the move was a bad one.

"“But the truth of the matter is, you let an All-Pro safety walk, Malcolm Jenkins, and lost your two best leaders on the team, him and Roman Harper,” Rob Ryan continued. “We changed the entire style of play. It was strange. But hey, I did the best job I could. And it wasn’t good enough. They should have fired me. They probably should have fired everybody that made that decision to go in that direction. Now I’m going to move my whole family over here to Buffalo for a reason: to go kick everybody’s ass, including theirs.”"

Even at age 34 there is reason to think the New Orleans Saints would be doing the right thing.  Harper would have a stabilizing presence on that unit, getting teammates lined up right and showing them what it takes to play at a high level.  Does it make up for their blunder of letting him go in the first place?  No, but at least they’re correcting it.

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