Report: Saints to sign veteran defensive back Brian Poole

Some help for the secondary is on the way: NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that defensive back Brian Poole expects to sign a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints on Monday, July 26. Poole, 28, spent the last two years with the New York Jets, though his 2020 season was cut short with a shoulder injury after nine games.

What’s interesting here is that Poole has primarily defended the slot throughout his NFL career. Per Pro Football Focus, 359 of his 482 snaps (74%) on defense came over the slot; in 2019, that trend continued with 628 of his 749 defensive snaps (83%) starting from the slot.

That’s the alignment where fiery Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson has had the most success, so maybe New Orleans envisions moving Gardner-Johnson around more in his third year with the team — possibly playing out on the boundary opposite Marshon Lattimore. The Saints still don’t have an easy replacement in the building for Janoris Jenkins at the No. 2 cornerback spot, and Gardner-Johnson could be as viable an option as anyone else they have. But what’s clear is that Poole is a slot specialist.

If Poole’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he started his career with the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons. He totaled 196 tackles (145 solo, 11 tackles for loss) in 47 games over three years with Atlanta, also suiting up for five playoff contests. He’s intercepted 7 passes (four with the Falcons, three in New York) while racking up 31 passes defensed in his 70-game career.

What’s interesting is that he’s also been asking to rush the passer often on blitzes, and he’s had some success at it by averaging 7.6 pressures on 26.4 tries per year, with 5 career sacks. For context, Gardner-Johnson bagged 8 pressures on 38 blitzes last season. Poole is a good fit for Dennis Allen’s aggressive style and, if nothing else, should grant the Saints more flexibility in the secondary.

The contract terms are yet to be announced, but it’s unlikely to make a big impact on the Saints’ accounting books. New Orleans has more than $11 million in salary cap space, and the reported one-year deal for Poole shouldn’t be too hefty. As far as scheme fit and finances go, this looks like a smart pairing. We just need to see how his arrival impacts Gardner-Johnson’s responsibilities, if at all, once the Saints kick off training camp next week.

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