Terrion Arnold’s recent legal woes have made him a free agent. The Detroit Lions chose to cut him and distance themselves after Arnold’s arrest. The New Orleans Saints should keep their distance as well, but it’s more because of Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley than Arnold’s battle with the law.
It’s impossible to ignore that Arnold is up against some serious charges, and that certainly plays a part into not pursuing him. It’s hard to imagine any team pursues Arnold right now, because it’s hard to gauge if he’ll even play.
Last Word on Sports’ David Latham doesn’t agree. He named the Saints as one of three landing spots for the cornerback. He specifically called out the Saints for not having an adequate CB2.
Saints should keep attention on Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley
Rather than spend money on Terrion Arnold, the Saints should look inward. They’re in a really good position at cornerback in 2026. They have a young tandem starting and solid depth behind them.
It’s appealing to grab a former first round pick who’s still young. I get it, however, Arnold hasn’t performed at the level to feel like the Saints just have to grab him.
It comes down to Arnold or Riley. At this point, it’s worth just letting Riley develop and seeing what he could become. He had an inspiring rookie campaign, and Year 2 could be better. The team is also at a point where they can choose to prioritize development of a “sure thing.”
Cornerback is far from solidified long term. Both McKinstry and Riley have something to prove. However, the position should be solidified this year.
If the Saints want to add to the position, then next year is the time to do it. That approach could give them a first round incoming rookie opposed to a former first round pick. The perks in that would be youth, likely a higher ceiling, and more security of the future. Maybe most importantly, it gives the team a year to evaluate their young talent to see if any additions are necessary.
Arnold wouldn’t come in as a depth piece, but the Saints are covered in that department as well. The Saints made additions to the room this offseason. They signed Martin Emerson, and he is a good contingency plan and depth for the present moment. It all just makes signing Arnold feel like an unnecessary gamble.
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