The season has yet to start but already the Saints are bearing the brunt of the injury bug. Looking to rebound from a very disappointing season the Saints had one of the most significant roster overhauls. Both the offseason and training camp have been tumultuous.
Here’s a recount of how badly things have gone heading into week one:
- The best pass rusher on the team, Junior Galette, was released for off the field reasons. He since signed with the Redskins and it out for the season with a torn Achilles.
- Starting nose tackle Brodrick Bunkley was released due to slow recovery from injury.
- Reserve rotational pass rushing specialist Glenn Foster was released due to injury.
- Newly acquired free agent Anthony Spencer was just placed on Injured Reserve.
- Newly acquired free agent cornerback Brandon Browner was injured in the first preseason game and hasn’t played since. He expects to be ready for week 1.
- Newly acquired free agent C. J. Spiller had knee surgery and is expected to miss the first two weeks of the season.
- Last year’s top free agent acquisition, Jairus Byrd, remains on the Physically Unable to Perform list and has yet to practice. He will most likely miss the first 6 games of the season.
- Starting cornerback Keenan Lewis will miss 4-6 weeks with hip surgery.
- The Saints traded Kenny Stills to the Dolphins for Dannell Ellerbe (injured and a question mark for week 1) and a 3rd round pick. That 3rd round pick, cornerback P. J. Williams, was just placed on season ending IR.
- Primary backup RB Khiry Robinson is currently not practicing due to an injury which is not believed to be too serious but has held him out of soon to be 2 preseason games.
- Promising 2014 picks Vinnie Sunseri and Ronald Powell were just released due to injury. Sunseri was arguably having the best camp of any defensive player on the Saints.
- Nick Toon, a wide receiver who was in the rotation last season, was released due to a sprained ankle.
That’s a long laundry list of injuries and offseason issues to some very key players. That looks like the injury list of a team half way through the regular season and the Saints have yet to start their official 2015 campaign. It’s going to be hard to rebound with so many guys missing and the team will rely on the aging arm of Drew Brees now more than ever.
