Saints Rumors: Dre Kirkpatrick to Visit with NO; Had Met with Patriots in Free Agency

The New Orleans Saints will reportedly host cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick for a visit, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The free agent also recently visited the New England Patriots, per Rapoport.

Kirkpatrick spent eight of his nine NFL seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, starting 62 of his 64 games from 2015-19. He joined the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year deal last offseason and appeared in 14 games (11 starts) while totaling three interceptions and seven passes defended.

The 2012 first-round pick allowed an 80.1 passer rating on the 94 targets against him last season, per Pro Football Reference.

This addition could fill a major hole for the Saints, as ESPN's Mike Triplett noted:

New Orleans released starter Janoris Jenkins in the offseason as part of a salary-cap crunch and did little to replace him, leaving few options at cornerback opposite Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore.

Patrick Robinson could be an option after making four starts in 2020, but the 11-year veteran hasn't played more than 25 percent of defensive snaps in any of the last three years with New Orleans.

Third-round draft pick Paulson Adebo could also be thrust into a major role as a rookie.

Adding Kirkpatrick would take some pressure off the defensive secondary as the Saints look to remain in contention next season.