Bleacher Report has an interesting pick for Saints’ final free agent target

Are the New Orleans Saints finished bringing in outside help? With the regular season just a week away, it’s a little late to go signing more free agents — but that’s what Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine suggested in a writeup linking all 32 NFL teams to a free agent who could be what they need to get over the top.

And Ballentine sees a need for another veteran linebacker in New Orleans, writing that ex-Philadelphia Eagles pickup Nicholas Morrow (one of Derek Carr’s former Raiders teammates) is an ideal fit on their depth chart:

“Nicholas Morrow went from being penciled in as a starting linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason to looking for work at the beginning of September.

The Eagles deemed Morrow expendable because his contract contained no guaranteed money and they signed fellow linebacker Zach Cunningham during training camp. However, he should be on a roster. He started all 17 games for the Chicago Bears last season, registering 116 tackles, including 11 for a loss.

The New Orleans Saints should be interested in Morrow. Demario Davis has been playing at an elite level, but he’s 34 years old. Zack Baun has yet to break out, and Pete Werner missed a few games with injuries last season.

Signing Morrow would give the Saints a reliable veteran option to spell any of those linebackers or a spot-starter in case of injury.”

But wouldn’t Morrow fit the same niche that Jaylon Smith has laid claim to? He’s the next man up behind Davis and Werner. But there could be room on the practice squad if the Saints want someone with more pro experience to round out the depth chart. Here are the total years, games, and defensive snaps played in the NFL by each Saints linebacker currently under contract (including the playoffs):

• Demario Davis: 10,492 snaps across 182 games in 11 years; 57.6 snaps per game and 16.5 games per year
• Pete Werner: 991 snaps across 27 games in 2 years; 36.7 snaps per game and 13.5 games per year
• Zack Baun: 379 snaps across 47 games in 3 years; 8.1 snaps per game and 15.6 games per year
• Nephi Sewell: 1 snap across 4 games in 1 year
• D’Marco Jackson: None
• Jaylon Smith (practice squad): 4,808 snaps across 91 games in 6 years; 52.8 snaps per game and 15.1 games per year
• Ryan Connelly (practice squad): 204 snaps across 31 games in 4 years; 6.6 snaps per game and 7.8 games per year
• Anfernee Orji (practice squad): None

So there’s just two, maybe three linebackers you could say have much starting experience in the NFL. For his part, Morrow has played 3,505 snaps in 79 games across 5 years — averaging 44.4 snaps per game and 15.8 games per year. Unlike Smith, he’s also played a lot of snaps on special teams, which could give him a shorter road to a roster spot. If he’s willing to sign for the veteran minimum (as he did with Philadelphia), he could be a smart pickup. But the Saints have eight linebackers under contract right now and they just waived a ninth (Ty Summers) who could return after other moves are processed. They likely have other positions they feel a need to prioritize.