A Vikings Veteran Defensive Lineman to the Saints?
Any intelligent businessperson will tell you that the best way to beat your competition is to always keep an eye on your competition. When you notice your competitor is doing something, do the exact same thing, adapt it to your company’s culture, and try to make it better. When you become aware of a valuable staff member of your competitor, you attempt to lure them into your ranks with a higher wage, perks, and perhaps more leeway to do their job. However, when you become aware of the departure of a valuable staff member from your competitor, you act quickly by hiring them and putting them in charge of an area of the company where they excel and will improve your profitability. The same strategies are applied to professional sports, specifically when it involves the New Orleans Saints. Aside from continuing to improve their offense, now they need to focus on strengthening their defensive line for the upcoming season. Fortunately, they’ve been keeping an eye on veteran player DL Jonathan Bullard of the Minnesota Vikings.
Mr. Bullard began his NFL career when he was drafted in the third round in 2016 by the Chicago Bears. During his three seasons with the Bears, he started in five of the 46 games he played as a defensive end. In his rookie season, he had 15 solo tackles, three assisted tackles, and one sack. During his 2017 and 2018 seasons, he would go on to add a combined 31 solo tackles, 13 assisted tackles, and one sack. His time in Chicago came to a close at the end of August in 2019 when he was waived during the final roster cuts, and the next day was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals. During the nine games he played and started six of them as a left defensive end, he would have 14 solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, and one and a half sacks.
His time in Arizona would be brief because, in October of 2020, he would sign to the active roster of the Seattle Seahawks as a defensive end. In the six games he played, he would be able to acquire two solo tackles and six assisted tackles. Following that season, Jonathan would be signed to the Atlanta Falcons, where he would play nine games and start four of them as a defensive end. He would go on to acquire eight solo tackles and 13 assisted tackles. In June of 2022, he was signed onto the roster of the Minnesota Vikings, where he currently remains. In his three seasons on their team, he has played 46 games and started 38 of them as a defensive end. Mr. Bullard has an incredible combined 62 solo tackles, 46 assisted tackles, and three sacks. Suffice it to say, after his experiences on five defensive lines throughout his professional football career, this 31-year-old could be a great addition to the Saints.
If he is signed as part of the team in New Orleans, Jonathan Bullard has the potential to drastically improve their run defense. He would have the support of 14-year veteran player DE Cameron Jordan, six-year veteran Carl Granderson, and two-season veterans Khalen Saunders and Nathan Shepherd. As opposed to the young QBs who have recently joined the team, Mr. Bullard won’t feel old among the 28 to 35 age range of his defensive teammates. Although he may be viewed as inconsistent when it comes to the number of teams on which he has played, this is a beneficial aspect of his career. Similar to that executive working for a competitor and then departing from it, the experience and knowledge gained from working for that firm cannot be taken away. DL Jonathan Bullard’s experiences on the Saints’ opposing teams will empower him to negotiate a decent contract, especially if he can remain for several seasons.
