The New Orleans Saints are shaking up their depth chart along the defensive line. Second-year pro Taylor Stallworth was released on Wednesday, as announced by his agent Brett Tessler. Stallworth first signed with the Saints as an undrafted rookie out of South Carolina last year, making the team and appearing in the nose tackle rotation throughout the 2018 season.
He was simply a victim of the numbers game in New Orleans this year. The Saints signed another impactful undrafted free agent this summer in Shy Tuttle, who came out of Tennessee to make plays in both run defense and chipping in pressures as a pass rusher. Tuttle outsnapped Stallworth to 58 to 22 through their first two games to start the season.
Additionally, the Saints received a number of reinforcements up front. Starting defensive tackle David Onyemata returned from his one-week suspension, and free agent acquisition Mario Edwards Jr. recently returned to action after missing time with a hamstring injury. The Saints also promoted rookie defensive end Carl Granderson to the active roster, and anticipate the return of former starter Sheldon Rankins within the next two to four weeks. A defense that already leads the NFL in sacks (9) and ranks second in quarterback hits (17) is about to get even fiercer.
As for Stallworth: he’ll very likely land on his feet, and may end up being claimed off of waivers by another team. He put in quality film for the Saints last year as a rookie backup, and could viably step into nearly any defensive line rotation around the league.
