5 free agents that could bolster New Orleans Saints defense in 2022

4. K.J. Wright

I was banging the drum for the Saints to sign K.J. Wright up until he was signed late in the 2021 offseason by the Raiders. The long-time Seahawk has been praised for his durability throughout his career, only missing a slew of games during his decade-long career in Seattle.

With Las Vegas, he’s still proving to be a talented linebacker, as evidenced by his 70.1 PFF grade. He has tallied 22 tackles (two for loss) during his eight games as a member of the Raiders. He’s only started two games this season but when Wright is on the field, he makes the most of what’s given to him.

The Saints have seen that Zack Baun isn’t the answer at linebacker and they’re fortunate to have gotten stellar play from Pete Werner. Kwon Alexander will be a free agent, however, and if he’s not brought back, Wright could be another option for the team.

The reason I have Wright this low on the list is that New Orleans might not be able to afford him. Spotrac predicts that Wright’s market value will be a two-year deal worth $14 million with an annual salary of $7.1 million. As we know, the Saints aren’t exactly swimming in dough right now, so affording even that reasonable of a deal might not be in the cards for them, unfortunately.