This is good to see. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Friday afternoon that the New Orleans Saints are “closing in” on a contract extension with defensive lineman Tanoh Kpassagnon which would keep him in town for several years. Kpassagnon’s current deal expires on March 5 and would leave behind $1,992,000 in dead money left over from void years written into his contract for accounting purposes.
So it’s in the team’s financial interest to extend Kpassagnon and ensure those resources don’t go to waste. The veteran backup occasionally slid inside but mainly played out on the edge for New Orleans last year, often getting into games ahead of 2021 first-round draft pick Payton Turner. He totaled 356 snaps in 15 games played, having racked up 16 quarterback pressures and 4 sacks in each of the last two seasons, per Pro Football Focus charting.
And it’s in both sides’ interest to keep Kpassagnon on the roster. New Orleans could see an exodus of talent along its defensive line this offseason. The list of free agents from that unit include starters David Onyemata and Marcus Davenport as well as backups like Kpassagnon, Shy Tuttle, Malcolm Roach, and Kentavius Street. They won’t be able to re-sign everyone, so having a position-flexible veteran like Kpassagnon to steady the rotation with Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, and Turner makes sense. It sounds like negotiations are going well, but we’ll keep an eye out for confirmation when pens go to paper.
