Demario Davis walking in free agency was already a tough pill to swallow, and now fans are being reminded exactly what the New Orleans Saints lost. The NFL Top 100 list is slowly unveiling, and Davis made the list at No. 96, one spot ahead of Saints running back Travis Etienne.
Davis was a free agency loss. Etienne was a free agency addition. Let's just call it a clean swap, although they don't play the same position. Davis' inclusion tells you about the talent that was on the team, while Etienne making the list contributes to the more important conversation of what could be moving forward.
Davis, like all Saints, took a year off the list. He set a career high with 143 tackles last year and earned his way back on. Unfortunately for the Saints, Davis will take that back to New York.
Saints are going to miss Demario Davis on the field, as well his leadership
When discussing the departure of Davis, it's frequently viewed from the lens of his leadership. Even in Davis' video package, the first clip is Tyler Shough speaking about Davis as a vocal presence. He's a phenomenal leader, so this much emphasis on that aspect of Davis makes sense. It's the part you know you can't replace.
It'll be pretty difficult to replace him on the field as well, and this list doubles down on that. The Saints linebacker room is worse without Davis. They picked up Kaden Elliss in free agency. It's a wonderful addition. He elevates the ceiling of this current linebacker room through versatility as a run stopper, pass rusher and in coverage. He isn't replacing Davis in Brandon Staley's offense though.
That honor goes to Pete Werner or Danny Stutsman. It would have cost a lot, but if there was a world where the Saints had a linebacker room of Davis and Elliss, the Saints would have a dangerous combination at linebacker. Davis leaves huge shoes to fill, and Werner or Stutsman are unlikely to fill them.
Davis was getting older, but he was an aggressive, downhill presence that was still effective. He didn't have that same juice from a few years ago, though his run defense was still strong. That was especially true in the hole. Davis was settling in as a true thumper in his mid-30's and will be a tough linebacker and leader to replace.
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