Should the New Orleans Saints Look Into Signing This Free Agent Corner?

Most of the media attention and speculation regarding the New Orleans Saints' offseason this year has been primarily focused on their acquisitions of quarterbacks, yet there hasn’t been a lot of attention on the cornerback role. In 2024, the Saints lost Marshon Lattimore, who had played on the team since 2017 and proved to be an excellent fit for that position. They also recently lost Paulson Adebo in the offseason as a free agent. In order to maintain their reputation in the league of having a stronger defense than their offense, the coaching staff needs to start looking for free agents for the position. There is an intense need for scouts' attention to go to an offensive player for acquisition, starting with Asante Samuel Jr., who has been a CB for the Los Angeles Chargers for the past four seasons.

Samuel Jr. began his professional football career when he was drafted 47th overall by the Chargers in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. In his first two seasons in L.A., he started as a right cornerback in 27 of the 29 games he played, during which he had 81 solo tackles, assists on 19 tackles, and four interceptions. As a cornerback in his 2023 season, Samuel Jr. started in 16 of the 17 games he played, during which he acquired 56 solo tackles, assisted on seven tackles, and had two interceptions. He remained a cornerback for the Chargers going into the 2024 season until a shoulder injury after Week Four put him on injured reserve. Before being sidelined for the remainder of the season, Samuel Jr. had started and played four games and was able to add 11 solo tackles and assists on two tackles to his stats.

If the Saints are hoping to maintain their reputation for having a strong defense, they’re going to need to sign up young and experienced players who can prevent their opponents from scoring. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that the players they have recently recruited are all under 27 years old, which would make 25-year-old Samuel Jr. a prime candidate for this position. After recovering from his shoulder injury, he may be able to again reach the same level of performance as his first three seasons before being sidelined. His stats have probably caught the attention of other teams, which is why the Saints should add Samuel Jr. as soon as possible. His four consecutive seasons with the same team prove that he could remain long-term with a team, which is exactly what the Saints need in their players, particularly those who have experience and are still considered to possess a lot of potential for their remaining years in the league.