Overview
- Jacksonville is trading center Luke Fortner to New Orleans for veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, with the swap set to be finalized after Saunders passes a physical in Jacksonville.
- Saunders started for the Saints in their preseason game against the Jaguars earlier that day, marking one of the NFL’s rare same-day player-for-player trades.
- The move addresses Jacksonville’s interior-line crisis caused by preseason injuries to Arik Armstead and Maason Smith and inconsistent play from younger backups.
- New Orleans, shifting to a 3-4 defense under coordinator Brandon Staley, had bolstered its interior rotation this offseason by signing Davon Godchaux and drafting Vernon Broughton.
- A two-time Super Bowl champion with Kansas City, the 29-year-old Saunders has totaled 181 tackles and 6.5 sacks over six NFL seasons.