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The New Orleans Saints are facing a tough decision with David Onyemata, a co-starter at defensive tackle the last few years. Onyemata is a pending free agent who will entertain offers from other teams beginning March 16 (though he can’t sign anything until March 18), and it’s unclear whether the Saints will bring him back.
That’s troubling because Onyemata led his position in snaps played per game last season. Here’s how that hierarchy shook out, per Pro Football Reference:
- David Onyemata, 37.7 snaps per game (15 games)
- Sheldon Rankins, 32.2 snaps per game (10 games)
- Malcom Brown, 30.4 snaps per game (16 games)
- Taylor Stallworth, 23.3 snaps per game (4 games)
- Shy Tuttle, 21.3 snaps per game (16 games)
- Mario Edwards Jr., 20.9 snaps per game (14 games)
The Saints have already paid out veteran contracts to teammates like Brown ($6 million salary cap hit in 2020) and Edwards ($3.24 million), with Rankins set to play out his fifth year with the team on a team option valued at $7.69 million. That’s a combined $16.93 million in cap commitments to the defensive tackle position. Even if Onyemata signs a deal comparable to what Brown earned (three years, $15 million), it’ll be tough to fit in another contract for Onyemata.
However, the Saints may already have replacement waiting in the wings. While Rankins would be the logical choice, he’s recovering from another lower-leg injury and isn’t a sure thing to be ready for the season-opener (at least until we get an update from the Saints). That puts Tuttle, the second-year pro, squarely in the driver’s seat to start next to Brown.
But is Tuttle ready for that? He played well for the Saints on a limited basis in 2019, registering two sacks, a knockdown, and two hurries per Pro Football Reference. Tuttle was active at the line of scrimmage, creating four tackles for loss and deflecting six passes (including the playoffs). He was also credited with just one missed tackle on 19 attempts, a rate of 5.3%. And we’d be remiss to not mention his interception of Matt Ryan on Thanksgiving, followed by the most iconic stiff arm in recent Saints history. Tuttle’s a playmaker.
That all projects well to an increased role in 2020, but what may be more encouraging are Tuttle’s grades from the analysts at Pro Football Focus. He was the team’s highest-graded interior lineman in both run defense (73.2) and pass rush (70.5), finishing second in coverage (54.9, not bad for a 300-pounder). His overall grade (75.9) was also the highest on the team. In fact, Tuttle received the 20th-best overall grade among all NFL defensive tackles.
Does this mean that he’s ready to double his workload and play 40-plus snaps per game? Maybe, maybe not. That’s up for the coaches to decide. But Tuttle was a real success story as an undrafted signing out of Tennessee, and he’s been someone Saints coach Sean Payton has been quick to recognize when discussing last year’s rookie class. It’s a safe bet that we’ll see more of Tuttle in 2020, but it’s too soon to guess the extent of his upgraded playing-time.
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