Oct 6, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga (29) with grass in his helmet after a play against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images
Never say never, but it could be tough for the New Orleans Saints to rationalize some big moves in 2025 free agency. Between needing a new head coach and the salary cap costs of past decisions, they might be better served sitting out another spending cycle to get their books in order.
But that doesn’t mean they won’t sign any new faces. And if they do go after a blue-chip player in free agency, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has a great fit in mind. Knox argues San Francisco 49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga could be just what the Saints defense has been missing:
Injuries have limited Hufanga to a dozen games through 2023 and 2024, though he’s expected to return later this season. The 2022 All-Pro makes plays all over the field with 7 interceptions, 14 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 2 sacks to go with 189 combined tackles (7 tackles for loss). But while he could be a viable replacement for Mathieu as a roving defender who can line up at any depth, he’s played his best football hanging back over the top of the defense. They could coexist.
Still, getting out from under tens of millions of dollars in negative salary cap space will be a challenge. The Saints will need to accomplish that before they can begin looking for help on the free agent market. But when you look at the players they have added recently like Chase Young, Khalen Saunders, and Willie Gay Jr., Hufanga fits the bill as an obviously talented playmaker with a bit of an injury history. Maybe he ends up in New Orleans after all.
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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 49ers All-Pro predicted to cut ties with San Francisco, join Saints
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