New Orleans Saints

It is time to unleash Vonn Bell?

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

During the 2014 offseason the New Orleans Saints made a big splash signing Jairus Byrd, who many saw as the best player on the market. Unfortunately the move never worked out for Byrd or the Saints, but they do have a backup plan ready. Should they start to use it already?

We all thought signing Jairus Byrd was a great move from the Saints. They did give up a big chunk of money to one player, but it was exactly the player we needed to take the team over the top.

Now, two years later, the situation is completely different. The Saints have finished 7-9 both seasons and Byrd has been around and the defense has been historically bad. While it’s not all Byrd fault, he surely hasn’t helped this negative development. Since joining the team, he only has one interception and two forced fumbles. This is obviously far from the number both the front office and the fans expected, when he signed a 6-year $54 million contract.

Because of the disappointing play from Byrd, Mickey Loomis and the Saints decided to draft back into the second round in this year’s draft. They did this so, because they could select the playmaking safety Vonn Bell from Ohio State.

Bell didn’t play a single snap in the first game against the Raiders, but was brought onto the field for 58% of the defensive snaps against the Giants. While on the field, he was one of the better players. He played physical at the line of scrimmage and did decent in coverage.

While his snap count dropped to 31% against the Falcons, Byrd has a miserable game and might lose playing time.

Time has come for the Saints to take a decision on whether to continue the Byrd project or go with Bell. They have a young talented player just waiting to come in and take over the spot. Is it finally time to unleash Vonn Bell? We will see today.