The New Orleans Saints’ thought process in signing veteran middle linebackerJames Laurinaitis is not completely clear yet.
But I like the move for at least one reason: It shows the Saints have a plan for trying to fix their front seven, which is their most glaring weakness.
The reason the move is a bit of a head-scratcher is because the Saints already have a promising young middle linebacker in Stephone Anthony, the first-round draft pick who started every game last season and called the defensive signals as a rookie. He ranked 20th in the NFL with 112 tackles.
However, the Saints made it a top priority this offseason to bring in an experienced veteran “quarterback of the defense” type. Laurinaitis was the first guy they had for a visit in February after he was released by the Los Angeles Rams, though they kicked the tires on a few other options, as well.
Perhaps the Saints weren’t pleased with the way Anthony was lining guys up or making adjustments — which is entirely possible, considering how badly they struggled on defense in 2015, particularly when it came to pass coverage in the middle of the field.
Maybe the alignment and assignment stuff — or just leadership, in general — was a bigger factor than talent alone.
Or perhaps the Saints just want to free up Anthony to use more of his athleticism and instincts without the burden of running the defense. Whether that will include a move to the strongside linebacker position or even a possible switch to some 3-4 alignments remains to be seen.
Regardless, this is the first bold move the Saints have made so far this offseason toward improving a defense that shattered NFL records in 2015 for most touchdown passes allowed in a season (45) and highest opponents’ quarterback rating (116.1).
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