Tag: Khalen Saunders

Khalen Saunders eager to debut his ‘immaculate’ new Saints jersey number

Khalen Saunders is eager to debut his ‘immaculate’ new Saints jersey number. It’s always good to see a player excited to rep the black and gold:

It’s always good to see a player excited to wear black and gold, and Khalen Saunders was eager to announce his New Orleans Saints jersey number. The big free agent pickup from the Kansas City Chiefs shared that he’ll continue to wear No. 99, which he used in two Chiefs Super Bowl victories as well as in college at Western Illinois.

Saunders also wore No. 10 in high school while listed at fullback, but we’re guessing that isn’t in the cards for 2023.

The Saints’ No. 99 jersey was last used by defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, who Saunders is replacing in the lineup for New Orleans. Tuttle left town for a free agent contract with the division-rival Carolina Panthers so fans will continue to see a lot of him in that annual two-game series. Let’s hope Saunders continues to do No. 99 proud.

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What the Saints are getting in two-time Chiefs Super Bowl champ Khalen Saunders

What the Saints are getting in two-time Chiefs Super Bowl champ Khalen Saunders, with some help from Chiefs Wire managing editor @goldmctNFL:

Khalen Saunders was an exciting addition to the New Orleans Saints free agent class, having won a pair of Super Bowl rings with the Kansas City Chiefs and breaking out as a key piece to their defense in 2022. Now he’ll be spearheading the Saints interior line in 2023 and beyond.

But what does he bring to the table? We’ve already explored how Saunders and his fellow free agent pickup Nathan Shepherd compare to the players they’re replacing in New Orleans, but I spoke with Chiefs Wire managing editor Charles Goldman (follow him on Twitter here) to get some further insight and check on how Chiefs fans are handling this departure. Here’s what we learned:

Former Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders pens touching farewell to Kansas City

Saunders took to Twitter to express his gratitude to the #Chiefs and Kansas City’s fanbase after signing with the #Saints | from @TheJohnDillon

When news broke that former Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Khalen Saunders signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints in free agency, many fans in the Kingdom were taken aback by the loss of one of the team’s most beloved linemen.

Saunders took to Twitter to express his gratitude to Kansas City and the Chiefs’ fanbase after four years with the team that saw him win two Super Bowl championships. In his letter to the fans, Saunders made it clear that his time in Kansas City would always be part of his identity as an NFL icon.

The Chiefs have lost several pieces to their defensive line at this point in the offseason, and with only one addition compensating for the attrition so far, the team will need to get serious about building depth up-front in the coming weeks.

Whether they will address the need with a free agent signing or through the upcoming NFL draft is unclear, but the loss of Saunders certainly doesn’t seem to bode well for the unit’s depth ahead of the 2023 season.

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Comparing Khalen Saunders, Nathan Shepherd to Saints DT’s they’re replacing

It didn’t take the New Orleans Saints long to bring in help at defensive tackle, but how do Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders compare to the players they’re replacing?

It didn’t take the New Orleans Saints long to address their top roster need in the early hours of free agency, with the team agreeing to deals with free agent defensive tackles Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders — who will be replacing two departed free agents in David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle.

But who are these guys? Are they upgrades or Band-Aids? How do they compare to the players New Orleans put on the field last year? That’s something we’re going to explore with the help of some advanced stats and each player’s resume so far:

Saints reach agreement with Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders on 3-year contract

NFL Network reports the Saints reached an agreement with Chiefs free agent defensive tackle Khalen Saunders on a 3-year contract:

We’ve got movement: the New Orleans Saints are expected to sign Kansas City Cheifs free agent defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport; Pelissero adds that it’s a three-year deal valued at up to $14.5 million, which is a great value for a key player from the reigning Super Bowl champions’ defense.

Saunders is only 26 years old, but he’s coming off a career-high 511 defensive snaps for the Chiefs last season. He’s listed at 6-foot and 324 pounds but moves really well for a big man, having tallied a career-high 3 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season (totaling 18 pressures as a pass rusher). He’s good for occupying blockers so his teammates at the second level can run through gaps in the line and make plays.

He’s the second defensive tackle to cut a deal with New Orleans before Wednesday’s start to the free agency signing period; the Saints also picked up former New York Jets playmaker Nathan Shepherd. Saunders will likely factor into the compensatory picks formula for the 2024 draft, but because the Saints have lost more players than the maximum picks they can receive, he shouldn’t negate any picks.

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Saints to sign Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders

#Chiefs DT Khalen Saunders is heading to The Big Easy in free agency, per reports

The Kansas City Chiefs are losing another free agent and this time it’s a member of the 2019 NFL draft class.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the New Orleans Saints are set to sign Chiefs free agent DT Khalen Saunders on a three-year deal worth $14.5 million. A St. Louis, Missouri native, Saunders was a third-round pick in 2019 out of Western Illinois University after he turned heads at the Senior Bowl. His early career in Kansas City was disrupted by an elbow injury, but he developed nicely as time went on.

Saunders has spent the past four seasons in Kansas City as a key rotational piece on the defensive line. In 2022, the 26-year-old became a leader and favorite of Chiefs DL coach Joe Cullen. Saunders often had “The Wagon,” making him the de facto leader of the defensive line room. The added responsibility helped him set career-high marks in tackles (48), sacks (3.5) and tackles for loss (3).

The Chiefs added a versatile defensive lineman to the fold on Tuesday night, but this loss means they’ll still have quite a bit of work to do on the defensive line. Saunders had the versatility to play anywhere from nose tackle to 3-technique in Kansas City and was a big, athletic presence on the defensive interior. No play encapsulates that better than Saunders’ sack of Jalen Hurts that held the Eagles to a field goal in the third quarter of Super Bowl LVII. It was pure want-to and hustle, something he’ll be remembered for during his time with the Chiefs.

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7 interior defensive linemen Giants could target in free agency

The New York Giants are expected to scour the interior defensive line market in free agency, and here are seven players they may target.

The New York Giants are in the market for another interior defensive lineman this offseason. They currently have Dexter Lawrence, Leonard Williams, who will both likely get contract adjustments this spring, and D.J. Davidson, Ryder Anderson, Henry Mondeaux, and Vernon Butler in the fold.

They can use one of their nine (or eleven) draft picks on a rookie to fortify the unit or they can go the free agent route. Maybe they’ll do both.

There are several free agent possibilities. Here are seven they might consider.

1 free agent the Saints could target from each AFC West team

1 free agent New Orleans Saints could target from each AFC West team: Derek Carr is an obvious choice, but there are a couple of defensive linemen to watch

Free agency is always an exciting time in the NFL’s offseason calendar, but the New Orleans Saints have a lot of work to do internally before they’ll be ready to start chatting with other team’s players. Still, that isn’t stopping their pro personnel department from taking a look at which free agents could hit the market in March, and we’ll be taking stock of every team’s list to get an idea of who could be on the move.

We’ve already explored the NFC East, so we’ll take our focus to the opposite coast, and the opposing conference: the AFC West. Here are the Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, and Chargers who could be targets for the Saints in just a few weeks:

4 Chiefs free agents the Saints should be scouting in Super Bowl LVII

Defensive tackle Khalen Saunders is among 4 Chiefs free agents the Saints should be scouting in Super Bowl LVII:

Let’s start off by acknowledging the New Orleans Saints probably won’t be big spenders in free agency again this year — they’re currently sitting out the salary cap by more than $57 million, and they’re hard at work trying to figure out how they could fit a $32 million cap hit for Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr on the books.

But that’s not to say the Saints won’t be active at all. They signed multiple contributors to low-cost contracts last year, and they’ll be on the look for help again in 2023. And that could bring them back to the Kansas City Chiefs. Both of the Saints’ leaders in interceptions last year came from Kansas City: safeties Tyrann Mathieu (3) and Daniel Sorensen (2). With the Chiefs soon kicking off Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles, here are four pending free agents to watch who could fit New Orleans’ needs:

Khalen Saunders shows his hilarious impression of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Saunders offered his best Patrick Mahomes impression to comedic effect at the Super Bowl media session this week. | from @TheJohnDillon

Kansas City Chiefs lineman Khalen Saunders has been a fixture on the team’s defense since they drafted him in 2019 out of Western Illinois. His contributions in stuffing the run and getting after the passer are well documented, but he showed a side of his personality at the Super Bowl media availability session this week, offering his impression of Patrick Mahomes’ signature walk to the sideline.

Check out his hilarious antics below, and notice how every detail of the trot and hand motion is meticulously rendered by the 300 pound lineman.

Clearly, Saunders has spent a fair amount of time watching Mahomes on gameday and in practice. The idiosyncrasies of his MVP quarterback haven’t been lost on the NFL’s national audience either, who have long poked fun at the way Mahomes seems to waddle on his way back to the huddle after passing plays.

Kansas City will rely on both Saunders and Mahomes on Sunday as they look to secure their second Super Bowl victory of the Andy Reid era. Chiefs fans will hope that the game plays out in such a way that enables their team to show their personality and have some fun on the sideline, even if it has to be at Mahomes’ expense.

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