Well this is interesting: the New Orleans Saints hosted free agent pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul for a workout at the team facility on Monday, per the daily NFL transactions wire. Pierre-Paul, 34, recently expressed interest in signing up with a playoff contender — and the Saints, who go on into their bye week on top of the NFC South standings, match that description.
Pierre-Paul fits the athletic prototype the Saints value at defensive end, weighing in at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, and he brings some proven production. He generated 22 quarterback pressures in a part-time role last year with the Baltimore Ravens after posting totals of 29, 65, 44, and 46 in four years with the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He would likely be playing behind Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson in New Orleans (and maybe Tanoh Kpassagnon, too) but both of the young edge rushers the Saints have drafted in recent years are currently sidelined with injuries. It’s worth adding Pierre-Paul to the mix at least until Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner can return to the field, and maybe longer if they can’t outplay him. We’ll have to wait and see if the Saints can reach an agreement with Pierre-Paul, but there’s clearly interest.