Many fans are looking for Danny Stutsman to have a bigger role in his second season, and his move to MIKE linebacker could be exactly what he needs to secure a starting spot on the New Orleans Saints defense.
When drafted Stutsman felt like a potential heir apparent for Demario Davis. That thought process went away a bit when the team signed Kaden Elliss in free agency. In an interview with NewOrleans.Football's Mike Triplett, Brandon Staley revealed that Werner and Stutsman will replace Davis as the MIKE linebacker. It's a position change for Werner but not so much for Stutsman.
Stutsman spent his rookie season cross training at MIKE and WILL. When he saw the field, it was in relief of Werner at WILL. The move to MIKE favors Stutsman because it's a greater emphasis on run defense and tackling, which is where Werner struggled last year.
Danny Stutsman vs Pete Werner is Saints' top camp battle
Werner feels like the veteran who fans are tired of but the team continues to keep around. This offseason, however, is shaping up to be Werner's toughest battle since firmly securing the job.
There’s now a young player waiting in the wings. Youth and draft position benefitted Werner in the past. Elliss had a more impressive season in his final year in New Orleans than Werner had in the early portion of his career. Kwon Alexander was the more dynamic player, though there was more variance in his play compared to Werner. Werner had more consistency, while Alexander had higher highs.Â
Werner’s draft position and age likely partially contributed to him being favored in those situations. These are now factors his competitor, Stutsman, has on his side. Stutsman is the younger player, but beyond that, he’s also well suited to play the MIKE.Â
Stutsman is a run and hit linebacker whose physicality was the standout aspect of his game. Most importantly, he was a much better tackler than Werner. Werner missed over 15% of his attempted tackles. Stutsman was slightly over 5% on a smaller sample size.
Stutsman's physicality and tackling seem to give him an advantage, and this remains the most anticipated battle of training camp. We know Elliss will start at one inside linebacker spot, but it'll be interesting to see who is next to him. Werner brings a known commodity, and Stutsman represents potential that you don't know about. It's an interesting battle that should go late into camp.
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