The Saints had the worst defense in NFL history last year.
And it’s hard to argue it’s getting better with each passing day.
The latest blow comes with the news linebacker Jonathan Vilma will go on the injured reserve/designated for return list, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Losing Vilma for half the year because of knee problems will force the Saints to plug David Hawthorne into the starting lineup next to Curtis Lofton, stretching thin a group that wasn’t deep to begin with.
The Saints have already lost outside linebacker Will Smith and defensive end Kenyon Coleman for the year, with outside linebacker Victor Butler a longshot to return from the PUP list.
While Vilma might not have been a perfect fit in a 3-4 defense, he was a solid vet, and a loss they can ill afford for any amount of time.