The New Orleans Saints traded cornerback Marshon Lattimore before the end of last year and lost cornerback Paulson Adebo in free agency this offseason. New Orleans still has corners Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor, also bringing back Isaac Yiadom in free agency.
With the losses of Lattimore and Adebo, some believe that the Saints should address the position through free agency or the draft. The free agent that made the most sense since losing Adebo was Asante Samuel Jr.
Son of former four-time cornerback Asante Samuel, Samuel Jr. was a second-round choice by the Chargers in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Florida State. In his first three years with the Chargers, Samuel intercepted six passes and broke up 35 throws while allowing less than 58% completion percentage when targeted.
The Chargers head coach that drafted Samuel was Brandon Staley. Samuel played for Staley during his first three years. The new defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints is Brandon Staley, making a match between player and team logical.
Samuel, just 25, was expected to be one of the more sought after cornerbacks on the free agent market. It hasn’t worked out that way. Samuel had a visit with the Arizona Cardinals in March, but otherwise has had little reported interest from teams.
Late last week, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network revealed why.
In an interview with the PHNX podcast on April 3, Garafolo was asked why the Arizona Cardinals or other teams haven’t shown more interest in Samuel.
”It’s a medical thing. I’ve heard that from teams. If not, he’d be signed because he’s young and has enough ability. It’s a shoulder/neck issue, but I don’t have the full details. He (Samuel) did mention that at the start of free agency. Certainly, there’s an indication of red flags for teams.”
Samuel played in the first four games, appearing in 98% of the Chargers defensive snaps during those four outings. He suffered a shoulder injury in practice before the team’s Week 5 game and was placed on injured reserve, missing the rest of the season.
During an interview with ESPN in January, Samuel stated that he’d been dealing with stinger issues in both shoulders.
Samuel played in the first four games, appearing in 98% of the Chargers defensive snaps during those four outings. He suffered a shoulder injury in practice before the team’s Week 5 game and was placed on injured reserve, missing the rest of the season.
During an interview with ESPN in January, Samuel stated that he’d been dealing with stinger issues in both shoulders.
