The Saints are trading veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders to the Jaguars, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
In exchange, fourth-year center Luke Fortner will be heading to New Orleans, per Pelissero. Though they didn’t match up on the field, both players appeared in the Saints-Jaguars preseason game earlier on Sunday in what turned out to be auditions for their new teams.
Saunders, 29, started 27 games for the Saints over the last two seasons. He was not viewed as a good fit for the 3-4 scheme imported by new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football and Jeff Duncan of The Time Picayune. With plenty of defensive line depth in New Orleans, the six-year veteran was deemed surplus to requirements and sent to Jacksonville to shore up their depth in the trenches.
Saunders will join veteran starters DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead in the Jaguars’ defensive line room. He can add some veteran experience to a backup rotation that currently features young defensive tackles Jordan Jefferson, Maason Smith, and Tyler Lacy.
Fortner, originally a Jaguars third-round pick in 2022, will likely push for the Saints’ backup center job right away with Will Clapp sidelined for the season with a Lisfranc injury. The Saints have been evaluating their options behind Erik McCoy since Clapp went down; undrafted rookie Torricelli Simpkins got the start against the Jaguars with second year lineman Kyle Hergel handling the rest of the snaps. Neither did enough to lock down the backup job, as evidenced by Fortner’s arrival after the game.
Fortner, 25, started every game at center in his first two seasons, but lost his spot to veteran signing Mitch Morse last year. Rather than go back to Fortner, the Jaguars opted to sign former Buccaneer Robert Hainsey in free agency. They also added Patrick Mekari, who is competing to start at right guard but has plenty of center experience from his time in Baltimore. Even if he wins the right guard battle, he can still provide depth at center, as can seventh-round rookie Jonah Monheim.