Could the Saints transition Alex Armah back to linebacker?

Over the past week, the Saints have signed three players. Two of them were a re-signing of players that were already on their team, and then Alex Armah was an interesting signing as a fullback that came from the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers.

Alex Armah has been with the Carolina Panthers for the last four years. He played fullback for those four years. He had a total of 21 rushes with over five in three seasons and zero in his rookie season. He took those carries for 35 yards and three touchdowns.

After re-signing Michael Burton in 2020, the Saints rode with him until he found himself on IR/COVID list and not re-signed this offseason. Alex Armah could be brought in to replace Burton and be the Saints’ new fullback.

Alex Armah has played fullback all four years in the NFL, but he played linebacker in college. Could the Saints transition him back to defense?

However, Sean Payton might have a brighter future for the NFL fullback. Armah went to college in West Georgia from 2012-2016. While being there, he played tight end on the offensive side of the ball and linebacker on the defensive side of the ball.

While at West Georgia, Armah totaled 188 tackles, 41. 5 for a loss, 17.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Those are pretty good stats for a college linebacker. Who knows if Armah still has that play style in him, but it could be worth figuring it out.

We all know that the Saints are in need of a linebacker. They tried to solve the problem this year with Kwon Alexander, and that project ended up being a bust after he tore his Achilles, sat the rest of the year, and was eventually released this offseason.

This might not be likely, but it could be a very sneaky move to reposition him. The NFL does it all the time — look at the Saints’ job with Taysom Hill. Alex Armah has the potential to play both sides of the ball.

Could Sean Payton envision that?