METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints have proven they’re willing to trade just about everyone as they aggressively reshape their roster. But there’s a difference between “considering all options” and “actively trying to dump players.” Some players are still vital to the cause going forward.
This is the third in a five-part series highlighting the most valuable players remaining on the current roster -- and attempting to rate their job security.
Click here for Part 1 (the very short list of players that would be shockers if they get traded) and Part 2 (the wild cards).
VITAL IF THEY STAY:
DE Cameron Jordan, S Jairus Byrd, DE Akiem Hicks, S Kenny Vaccaro -- I lumped these four together because they all underachieved last year, but they all have tremendous potential.
Jordan and Byrd, in particular, could rank among the top three players on the entire roster behind only quarterback Drew Brees. Both were Pro Bowlers in 2013 before dropping off along with the rest of the defense last season.
I think the Saints would only trade these four guys if they get significant value in return. Otherwise, they’ll be counting on them to be humbled by last year’s struggles and become a critical part of the rebuilding process going forward.
Jordan, 25, and Hicks, 25, didn’t make my list of players who would be “shocking if they’re traded,” in part because they’re heading into the last year of their contracts (at a hefty price tag of $6.969 million for Jordan). But I can’t imagine the Saints are eager to move on from either guy. If they play up to their potential in 2015, the Saints would probably love to extend them further -- though that’s a double-edged sword since the price tags could skyrocket.
Both Jordan and Hicks dropped off quite a bit as pass rushers last year, which was one of the biggest disappointments on the team. Jordan went from 12.5 sacks in 2013 to 7.5 in 2014. Hicks went from 4.5 to 2.0. But that was part of a system-wide issue the Saints will be intent on correcting this year.
Both are great athletes for their size who also remain stout run defenders and bring versatility as ends and tackles in 4-3 and 3-4 fronts. They’re the two biggest reasons why this position group was the Saints’ greatest defensive strength in 2013 and can be again.
Byrd’s first year in New Orleans was an even bigger disappointment, largely because he missed the final 12 games after tearing the meniscus in his knee in practice. Even before that, Byrd struggled to adjust to a Saints defense that was plagued by missed tackles and assignment breakdowns during an ugly first month. We never got to see him do what he does best -- work the back end of the defense as a ball hawk who intercepted 22 passes in his first five NFL seasons.
Byrd, 28, should also benefit from a system-wide defensive improvement that won’t force him to be making so many open-field tackles.
Vaccaro’s struggles last year were well-chronicled, especially after they led to a brief demotion late in the season. But the Saints still believe in the potential of their 2013 first-round draft pick.
Vaccaro, 24, dealt with a number of issues last year. He struggled to adjust to a permanent role as a strong safety after primarily playing nickel back as a rookie and in college. He also missed a ton of tackles while too many runners and receivers were roaming free in the open field. He was still recovering from a leg injury last summer, then he was battling through a quad injury late in the year. And I think he got caught up in trying to hit too many home runs while admittedly acting before thinking and diagnosing sometimes.
Vaccaro exhibited a lot of classic “sophomore slump” elements that should benefit from a year of experience and humility.