Is it a problem that the New Orleans Saints have assembled one of the NFL’s oldest rosters? Maybe so, maybe not. Research from the Philly Voice’s Jimmy Kempski found that New Orleans ranked 29th across the league, with an average age of players on their 53-man roster of 26.8. Only the New England Patriots, Arizona Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked lower based off initial 53-man lineups.
How’s that the case? New Orleans rostered nine players over the age of 30, including starters like Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis (33) plus Tyran Mathieu and James Hurst (30). Other veterans expected to play often include Mark Ingram II and Taysom Hill (32), as well as Bradley Roby (30). There a couple of 30-plus backups, too, in Andy Dalton (34, eldest on the team) and Daniel Sorensen (32). They didn’t factor into this exercise, but two players on the practice squad also passed that threshold — Josh Andrews (31) and Christian Ringo (30).
But don’t panic. Last year, the Saints clocked in at No. 22 with an average age of 26.0. And generally speaking the youngest teams have an average age of 25.0 at the lowest, while the oldest clock in around 27.0. There isn’t that great of a difference between the youngest and eldest squads around the league. As is often the case in this league, what matters is the talent of the players in uniform, not how long they’ve been wearing their jerseys.
