Pro Football Rumors
The Saints are trading veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to the Jaguars, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
In exchange, fourth-year center Luke Fortner will be heading to New Orleans, per Pelissero. Though they didn’t match up on the field, both players appeared in the Saints-Jaguars preseason game earlier on Sunday in what turned out to be auditions for their new teams.
Saunders, 29, started 27 games for the Saints over the last two seasons. He was not viewed as a good fit for the 3-4 scheme imported by new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football and Jeff Duncan of The Time Picayune. With plenty of defensive line depth in New Orleans, the six-year veteran was deemed surplus to requirements and sent to Jacksonville to shore up their depth in the trenches. Saunders will join veteran starters DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead in the Jaguars’ defensive line room. He can add some veteran experience to a backup rotation that currently features second-year defensive tackles Jordan Jefferson and Maason Smith.
More to come.
