The Saints lost perhaps their best hope for a 3-4 pass-rusher when Victor Butler tore his ACL in OTAs.
Now, the problem may be getting worse.
According to Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, outside linebacker Martez Wilson was injured in practice today, and walked off the field with a trainer holding his left arm.
Butler was a backup in Dallas with coordinator Rex Ryan, but was expected to start and produce, since some of the Saints’ existing parts (i.e. defensive end turned outside linebacker Will Smith) weren’t good fits for the 3-4.
After he went down, Wilson and Junior Galette fell into the next-man-up roles, and losing Wilson would be a blow.
UPDATE 12:51 p.m. ET: Saints coach Sean Payton said Wilson injured his elbow, but didn’t anticipate it being serious. Of course, Payton also downplayed it when Butler blew his knee out, so that’s not necessarily a medically sound diagnosis.