The New Orleans Saints had a glut of interior defensive linemen.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had one too many interior offensive linemen.
So the teams made a trade.
Sunday’s swap of Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders for Jaguars center Luke Fortner boiled down to the simple premise that both players were on the outside looking in for their former teams ahead of roster cutdowns, and both the Saints and Jaguars had needs where their new acquisition could help. It just happened to be a nice coincidence that the two teams played each other in Sunday’s 17-17 preseason tie.
The Saints wanted a veteran center after Will Clapp went down with a season-ending foot injury. The Jaguars sought a veteran defensive lineman with Arik Armstead and former LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith nursing injuries. The deal made sense for each side, and the risks are minimal for each team if the players don’t work out.
Even after shipping out Saunders, the Saints still face a logjam on the defensive line. The interior is arguably the most crowded position on the roster, and it’s unknown how many players the team will keep at the position.
Of those on the roster, defensive end Bryan Bresee, defensive tackle Davon Godchaux and defensive end Nathan Shepherd have emerged as clear starters in the team’s base 3-4 defense. None of the three played Sunday when the Saints rested their defensive starters, an indication they appear to have locked down their spots.
Behind them, third-rounder Vernon Broughton is steadily in the rotation. Jonah Williams and Jonathan Bullard have familiarity with defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, but is that enough for both to make the roster? Of those two, Williams appears to have gotten more consistent playing time, but it’s been Bullard who has gotten occasional reps with the first team.
If all three backups make it, that already gives the team six interior defensive linemen — and that’s before including a backup nose tackle. Who would fill in if Godchaux went down? Before Sunday’s trade, that appeared to be Saunders. Now? Khristian Boyd made a strong impression in the first preseason game when he sacked Chargers quarterback Taylor Heinicke for a near safety. John Ridgeway is also a big, stout human whom the Saints were willing to trade a draft pick for last year.
It seems unrealistic to think the Saints will keep seven interior defensive linemen — even if New Orleans keeps only four edge rushers. In the last 10 years, the Saints never have kept more than 10 defensive linemen on their initial 53-man roster.
Though the Saints have a lot of sorting out to do before active rosters must be cut to 53 on Aug. 26, Saunders no longer was in the team’s plans.
Saunders, who took a pay cut earlier this offseason, was an awkward fit in the new system. Staley had the 29-year-old playing nose tackle, but Saunders lacked the bullish size needed to plug holes against the run. The coaching staff knew this well before Sunday’s trade, which is why one of the Saints’ first moves of free agency was to trade for Godchaux — a 6-foot-3, 330-pound run-stuffer.
In Jacksonville, Saunders might fit in better under defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. Despite his shortcomings against the run, Saunders was a reliable rotation player over four years for the Kansas City Chiefs. He started a good chunk of his two seasons in New Orleans.
The Saunders trade also affects the offensive line depth. Fortner, a 2022 third-round pick out of Kentucky, started every game for Jacksonville during his first two seasons. Although he was relegated to a backup role in 2024, the Saints saw how important having a viable backup center could be when Erik McCoy missed most of last season because of injuries.
Fortner’s acquisition creates an interesting wrinkle for undrafted lineman Torricelli Simpkins. He seemed to really thrive when moved from guard to center, but does Fortner’s presence move Simpkins back to guard? That remains to be seen. Simpkins also could be the second-team guard and third-team center. Either way, Simpkins has impressed the Saints — with coach Kellen Moore saying the rookie’s aggressive play style is all the team could want.
Still, teams are always searching for offensive line help. And the Saints' depth upfront has been a giant question mark. Fortner might not be a total solution, but he could provide help.
It was a trade that made sense for the Saints.