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Well that’s disappointing. NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports that the New Orleans Saints “were eyeing” Dallas Cowboys free agent cornerback Chidobe Awuzie before he reached an agreement to join the Cincinnati Bengals on a three-year deal.
The match would have made sense in New Orleans. Saints secondary coach Kris Richard held the same role in Dallas before joining the black and gold, where he scouted and helped develop Awuzie early in his career. After releasing Janoris Jenkins in a salary cap-minded move, the Saints need a new starter opposite Marshon Lattimore. Awuzie may have been a good fit.
Now they’ll need to explore other opportunities. The Saints have just four corners under contract right now between Lattimore, veteran backup Patrick Robinson, and practice squad holdovers Grant Haley and Keith Washington Jr. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson typically plays the slot in their most-common personnel packages so only two corners are really needed, but as of now, the Saints have just one. Expect some movement here soon now that Awuzie is off the board.