Sportsnaut
Without a proven starting quarterback, the New Orleans Saints project to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. That’s not a big stretch, considering they finished with a 5-12 record last season, ranking 24th in scoring and 19th in points allowed.
Now that the Saints have fired their defensive specialist head coach Dennis Allen, it’s possible we see the defense take a small step back. Then again, hiring former head coach Brandon Staley to coordinate the defense could provide the exact type of spark that New Orleans needs.
Yet, the Saints may still feel like they need more competition on their defense. Perhaps that’s why they’re hosting defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard for a free agency visit on Monday.
Bullard is not a household name, however he did start all 17 games for the Minnesota Vikings last season, in which they had the NFL’s fifth-best scoring defense. Yet, even that is a bit misleading, as Bullard only played 51% of the team’s defensive snaps.
However, he proved plenty capable of filling a part-time role, which could be what he’s asked to do in New Orleans too. While Bullard posted poor pass-rush grades from Pro Football Focus, grading 217th out of 219 defensive lineman, he was respectable in run defense, grading 45th.
Related: NFL insider speculates on Cleveland Browns trading a QB to the New Orleans Saints
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