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There has been a lot of shuffling of the New Orleans Saints roster over the years, but since 2011 there has been one constant. In CBS Sports’ recent article going over which non-QB player each NFL not afford to lose in 2023, by Cody Benjamin, they spoke about this veteran for the Saints.
That player is, of course, Cameron Jordan. Here is their reasoning for saying the Saints need to hold on to the vet:
Who else is rushing the passer if the longtime veteran goes down? New QB Derek Carr probably can’t afford to lose top WR Chris Olave, either, what with Michael Thomas‘ injury history. But Dennis Allen’s team is still built on stuffing opposing offenses.
Jordan is an all-time Saints great, and will end up on the Mount Rushmore of the franchises’ best players, but I would disagree that he’s the most important player that has to make it through this season. While Jordan is still a great defensive end, it is clear that he doesn’t have his fastball anymore. Five of his eight sacks in 2023 came against just two teams, with three of them coming against a Gardner Minshew-led Eagles team at the end of the season.
The most important non-QB player that needs to make it through this season, is the guy also mentioned in that blurb, Chris Olave. The offense needs his speed and consistency to be able to work. Michael Thomas isn’t reliable and there’s still a question of how much of a workload that Rashid Shaheed can carry. Olave is the most proven that he can provide a great option in 2023 that the Saints have.
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