Grading every move Saints made during first wave of free agency

The first week of free agency is over and while it was an explosive week for the NFL, things were relatively quiet for the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans spent the majority of the week getting their cap situation in order and making some lower-level signings. However, all signings are important and could ultimately have an impact on the team.

In the opening days of free agency, the Saints made four signings— one on defense and three on offense. Let’s look over each move and assign a grade to each signing.

LB Willie Gay Jr: A

New Orleans’ first move of the offseason was signing former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. to a one-year deal worth $5 million. The Saints agreed to this deal during the legal tampering period and it was made official once free agency started on Wednesday. Simply put, this was a grade-A signing for New Orleans.

Linebacker depth was an obvious need for the Saints coming into the offseason. New Orleans still has Pro Bowl linebacker Demario Davis and his running mate Pete Werner returning, but the group was thin behind them, with D’Marco Jackson and Anfernee Orji listed as the backups.

Now, the Saints get a starting caliber linebacker added to the rotation. In four years with the Chiefs, Gay played in 57 games, starting 47. In those games, Willie Gay recorded 233 tackles, 17 for a loss, five sacks, and had four interceptions. He’ll bring his versatility to New Orleans, help elevate the defense, and will also have the chance to eventually be re-signed as a Demario Davis replacement.