After New Orleans worked their way to go under the $301.2 million cap with several contract restructures, it opened the door to add veteran talent on defense from free agency.
This off-season, the former Lions linebacker, Alex Anzalone, has entered free agency, while the Saints are seeking additional veteran help for the secondary.
Anzalone could be a tremendous asset to the defense, since the beloved Saints linebacker Demario Davis is set to hit free agency, he would become a key player to lead the defense.
Although it’s hard to replace the leadership Davis had, Anzalone is a nine-year veteran who spent his first four seasons with the Saints and has proven himself in Detroit, recording 395 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two interceptions in his tenure with the Lions.
He looks to be one of the best players New Orleans could utilize, along with another familiar name, some sources believe the Saints should consider, Trey Hendrickson, who also began his career in New Orleans with Anzalone.
Following his departure from Cincinnati, Hendrickson is a defensive player who appears in many conversations about picking up from free agency, but is his performance from the past few seasons worth the price?
Hendrickson spent his first four seasons with the Saints, similar to Alex Anzalone in the Sean Payton era, but his talent really shone through with the Bengals after he finished five seasons with them, racking up 115 solo tackles and 61 sacks.
However, Cincinnati had trouble keeping him due to his lingering core muscle injury and long contract negotiations, which led to his weak performance in the 2025-26 season and being placed on injured reserve in December after appearing in seven games — something that makes some teams hesitant to sign him.
Some other players that were considered for New Orleans to look back into who played for the Saints were Marshawn Lattimore and CJ Gardner-Johnson, but the chances of them coming back to New Orleans are lower than those of Trey Hendrickson.
The team looks to be reshaping in the best way possible, and the answer is yet to be determined. Is there a former Saints player in free agency you would like to see come back?
