If a few things hit, Saints pass rush could feature the kind of depth that creates better matchups for its players
By Nick Underhill -- Advocate
They came in waves.
One group arrived. Another followed. All of them produced. Alex Okafor remembers watching the Super Bowl and being struck by how many pass rushers the Philadelphia Eagles were able to field. The Saints did not have this luxury last season, and that game made it obvious, if it wasn’t already, that New Orleans was in need of better depth.
“They were able to rotate four and then bring in four fresh bodies,” the Saints pass rusher said. “I think that’s what we’re trying to build around here. They laid out the blueprint. We just got to follow it.”
The Saints basically had one wave last season, and they tried to ride it as far as they could. Cam Jordan played 93.2 percent of the snaps, Okafor logged 77 percent of them before suffering an Achilles injury, and Sheldon Rankins checked in at 76 percent. It doesn't sound like the Saints have plans to reduce Jordan's usage greatly, but being able to form multiple waves rides on two things: Okafor getting healthy and rookie Marcus Davenport, who cost New Orleans two first-round picks, making good on his immense potential.
Full Article -- Advocate
By Nick Underhill -- Advocate
They came in waves.
One group arrived. Another followed. All of them produced. Alex Okafor remembers watching the Super Bowl and being struck by how many pass rushers the Philadelphia Eagles were able to field. The Saints did not have this luxury last season, and that game made it obvious, if it wasn’t already, that New Orleans was in need of better depth.
“They were able to rotate four and then bring in four fresh bodies,” the Saints pass rusher said. “I think that’s what we’re trying to build around here. They laid out the blueprint. We just got to follow it.”
The Saints basically had one wave last season, and they tried to ride it as far as they could. Cam Jordan played 93.2 percent of the snaps, Okafor logged 77 percent of them before suffering an Achilles injury, and Sheldon Rankins checked in at 76 percent. It doesn't sound like the Saints have plans to reduce Jordan's usage greatly, but being able to form multiple waves rides on two things: Okafor getting healthy and rookie Marcus Davenport, who cost New Orleans two first-round picks, making good on his immense potential.
Full Article -- Advocate