The New Orleans Saints are reportedly hot to land free agent linebacker James Laurinaitis, who was recently released by the Los Angeles Rams.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network passed along the team’s interest on Saturday and reported the Saints hope to bring Laurinaitis in for a visit next week to get a jump on signing him.
Many NFL evaluators have noted a decline in the play of the 29-year-old linebacker the past year with the Rams, but he still managed to rack up 109 tackles, one sack, one interception and a safety.
The Saints clearly need help defensively after two miserable campaigns on that side of the ball in which they ranked No. 31 in total defense both years. Adding a veteran leader like Laurinaitis to quarterback the defense would be a smart move, especially given the fact that their best linebacker, Stephone Anthony, is entering just his second campaign.
It is yet to be determined if Laurinaitis sees New Orleans as a good fit. Though, it’s worth pointing out the Saints don’t have a lot of money to spend at this time at an estimated $7.87 million under the cap.
That said, Laurinaitis likely won’t command too much money in the open market, given his age and the fact that other free agent linebackers like Denver’s Danny Trevathan will be more coveted.