New Orleans Saints' Top Free-Agency Targets at Cornerback

After a substandard 7-9 season in 2014, the New Orleans Saints will soon be looking to upgrade their 2015 roster with some free-agent additions.

NFL free agency for 2015 officially kicks off March 10, and the Saints must first clear up some salary-cap space if they’re to pursue any targets. New Orleans is currently staring down a dicey cap situation, as the Saints’ total cap number for next season sits at roughly $169 million. 

Fortunately for New Orleans, clearing cap space is nothing new to general manager Mickey Loomis. With the aid of some creative restructuring, New Orleans should be able to get its number down in time to make a run at some free agents come March.

The key question is, what position will the Saints target first?

Second-year coordinator Rob Ryan’s unit finished the 2014 season ranked No. 31 in total defense, and it stands to reason that Loomis and the front office will look to make some major improvements on that side of the ball.

Cornerback was a position that caused Saints fans plenty of heartache this past season, as opposing offenses continually had their way with New Orleans’ feeble pass defense.

No. 1 cover man Keenan Lewis had a fine season, and he answered the bell week in and week out against some of the top receivers in the game. There was a massive drop-off after Lewis, however, as Patrick Robinson, Corey White and Brian Dixon all struggled in the No. 2 outside corner slot opposite Lewis.

If Ryan is to incorporate some aggression back into his scheme in 2015, he’ll need another capable cover man, possibly two, on the outside.

Of course, the Saints could use their first-round pick (No. 13 overall) on a cornerback in this April’s draft. Using such a high selection on a corner is a gamble, however, as many highly drafted cover men simply don’t pan out.

New Orleans would be wise to consider using its first-round pick on a pass-rusher or an offensive lineman while bringing in a polished, proven corner via free agency.

The Saints have already gotten a head start on retooling their cornerback depth chart with the signing of Delvin Breaux out of the CFL. Loomis and the front office will likely be looking to strengthen the position even further this spring by reeling in a potential starter to complement Lewis.

There’s no shortage of quality cover men who are set to become free agents this season, and we’ll now take take a look at which ones are the top candidates to end up in New Orleans.

Kareem Jackson

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New Orleans could exponentially improve its cornerback situation by reeling in Kareem Jackson of the Houston Texans.

The former Alabama standout has dramatically improved since his arrival in Houston as a first-round draft pick in 2010, and he’s now a polished, battle-tested cover man in the prime of his career.

Jackson embodies the physical, press-man style that’s preferred by Rob Ryan in New Orleans, and he showcased his skills this past season with three interceptions and nine passes defended. He also turned in an impressive performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown, who’s one of the game’s top-flight wide receivers.

He may not be as expensive as Darrelle Revis or Brandon Flowers, but Jackson won’t come cheap. If the Saints can clear enough space to make a run at the 26-year-old, they shouldn’t hesitate to try and bring him aboard.

Chris Culliver

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Drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, Chris Culliver is another corner who could provide an immediate upgrade to the Saints secondary.

He got off to a shaky start in 2014, but the former third-round pick rebounded impressively and finished the season with four picks and 14 passes defended.

At 6’0” and 200 pounds, Culliver has ideal height and build for a press-man corner, and he would make for a solid No. 2 opposite Lewis in New Orleans.

Like most of the corners on this list, however, he’ll likely be pursued by a number of teams once free agency kicks off. In order to secure his services, the Saints will undoubtedly have to provide Culliver with a significant pay raise from his $1.4 million 2014 base salary, and they’ll likely have to accommodate him with a long-term deal as well.

Antonio Cromartie

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There’s little doubt that nine-year veteran Antonio Cromartie will be an expensive fish to reel in, but if the New Orleans front office truly intends to upgrade at the cornerback spot, this signing would do the trick.

At age 30, there isn’t much Cromartie hasn’t seen in terms of NFL pass offenses. Before spending the 2014 season with the Arizona Cardinals, he had successful stints with the New York Jets and the San Diego Chargers.

In Arizona, he enjoyed a fine season in 2014 as the Cardinals’ No. 2 corner opposite Patrick Peterson, and he’d be in a similar situation in New Orleans next to Lewis.

The Saints may not be able to offer Cromartie a long-term deal, but his presence in the starting lineup would significantly strengthen the team’s secondary for at least the 2015 season and possibly beyond.

Byron Maxwell

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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell could possibly be the Saints’ top target at the position this year in free agency.

At 6’1” and 207 pounds, he has the frame that's needed to match up with some of the sizable young wideouts found in the NFC South division. These include the likes of Julio Jones, Mike Evans and Kelvin Benjamin, all of whom command the full attention of opposing secondaries.

The fourth-year cover man has played a significant role in the NFL’s top defense for two straight years, and with four interceptions this past season, he’s ready to be rewarded with a long-term contract.

Maxwell won’t command Revis money, but there will be numerous teams coveting his services. If the Saints are to snag him, they’ll most likely have to award him with a contract equal to, or surpassing that of Lewis, who’s set to reel in just under $5 million in 2015.

This could be doable for Loomis, but the New Orleans general manager would have to move some money by executing multiple contract restructures, and he may have to make a couple of cuts as well. A challenging salary-cap situation hasn’t stopped Loomis from luring in free agents in the past, however, and it probably won’t get in his way this year, either.

Tramon Williams

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Like Lewis, Green Bay Packers free-agent corner Tramon Williams is a native Louisianan, and the former Louisiana Tech Bulldog would make for a nice fit in New Orleans black and gold next season.

The 31-year-old has spent his entire eight-year career with the Packers, and he’s racked up a total of 28 interceptions and 115 passes defended during that span.

In the NFC North, Williams frequently dueled with Calvin Johnson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and his experience would be welcomed by a Saints defense that has to face off against similar wide receiver talent on a regular basis.

The 5'11" Williams doesn’t have the size of Maxwell, or the youth of Jackson, but he brings polished technique and plenty of big-game seasoning to the table.

There’s no doubt he’d be an upgrade over what the Saints currently have in the fold at the cornerback position, and the same could be said for all of the aforementioned free agents on this list. Whether or not New Orleans is able to close the deal with one of them remains to be seen.