One Surprise Cut the New Orleans Saints Could Still Make This Offseason
By Michael Luciano
The New Orleans Saints didn't have a ton of draft capital in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they made the most of it by adding studs like Michigan's Cesar Ruiz and Wisconsin's Zack Baun.
That new infusion of talent could lead to some surprising cuts on the defensive side of the ball, with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins firmly on the chopping block.
“Don’t think, don’t hesitate, don’t baby it. … Just cut it loose and go play, and the rest of it will take care of itself.”
— The Athletic New Orleans (@TheAthleticNOLA) August 27, 2019
That's the advice a former teammate gave the #Saints Sheldon Rankins after he tore his Achilles in January.https://t.co/v1DpWFdfZD
Rankins, a former first-round pick out of Louisville, exploded onto the scene in 2018, recording eight sacks while finally starting to look like the elite interior pass rusher his college tape said he was. All the hype was abruptly brought to a halt, however, when Rankins tore his Achilles and barely got on the field in the 2019 season.
The Saints have invested a lot in their defensive line, as the presence of David Onyemata and Malcom Brown would give New Orleans enough meat in the middle of their defense to part ways with Rankins, who is in the last year of his rookie deal and is owed around $7.6 million.
One of the coldest spin moves in the @NFL belongs to a Defensive Tackle...? ?
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) December 18, 2018
Sheldon Rankins is a MONSTER. pic.twitter.com/bDwTJVYiIx
It's sad to see Rankins' ascent to the top get cut short by injury, but the Saints have to consider the reality that signing a defensive tackle like Rankins to a long-term contract given his Achilles injury probably isn't the way to build a champion at this moment in time.