The free agency signing of Willie Gay Jr. elevates the New Orleans Saints linebacker corps. Now that room is led by Demario Davis, Pete Werner and Gay. Impressive room but how often will they all see the field together will be interesting.
The Saints have long used two linebackers and three cornerbacks or safeties on the field as their most common defensive deployment with Dennis Allen calling plays. Is the Davis-Gay-Werner triumvirate enough to change that? It likely won’t become the leading defensive formation but you could see it more than you have in the past.
Not only is it a possibility, it may actually benefit the Saints to roll those three players out together. New Orleans has been porous against the run for the last couple of years. Having a heavier defensive would help strengthen that weakness. Each linebacker also has coverage skills that could make you more comfortable taking the risk of leaving a nickel corner off the field more often.
Kaden Ellis and Zach Baun were more downhill players working at the line of scrimmage. Davis, Gay and Werner can play forwards and backwards. That versatility accounts for covering tight ends.
It’s doubtful the Saints will put three linebackers on the field more than three cornerbacks in 2024. The skillsets of those linebackers, however, could make the Saints more comfortable putting out more three linebacker sets than in years past. It’s something to watch out for when the Saints regroup for training camp in just a few weeks.
