The Saints retained one of their 26 unrestricted free agents on Thursday, agreed to a deal with tackle Jermon Bushrod.
Bushrod drew some interest from other teams, the Bears were a reported suitor, but chose to head back to New Orleans. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports it is a two-year deal for Bushrod, who started every game for the Saints last season.
There was some talk this offseason about letting Bushrod walk and letting Charles Brown, their 2010 second-round pick, take over the job. Unless the financial terms, unknown at this point, are exorbitant, keeping Bushrod makes sense. He’s not an elite tackle, but he’s done well enough for the Saints to win with him in the lineup and is a known quantity. If Brown outplays him this summer, you can make a change while knowing there’s an experienced backup in case something goes awry.
And, on top of all that, you don’t want to mess with Drew Brees’ blind side unless it is absolutely necessary.