Saints May Wish They Had Malcolm Jenkins Back
PHILADELPHIA, PA (CBS)— It carried a certain sting, though Malcolm Jenkins is too classy to admit it when the New Orleans Saints decided to let him go to "upgrade" the safety position and sign free agent Jairus Byrd.
Jenkins felt a bond to New Orleans. The Saints were the team that drafted him in the first round. It's the organization he won a Super Bowl with.
In May, Saints' general manager Mickey Loomis spoke very highly of Jenkins, his character on and off the field, what he meant to the Saints. But Loomis also said that the Saints had planned to let Jenkins go anyway and to upgrade with Byrd, because they wanted more turnovers. Loomis felt Byrd's ability to intercept passes made him their chief priority in free agency.
After three games, the Saints may wish they hadn't let the 6-foot, 200-pound Jenkins go.
Here's why.
Malcom Jenkins has 2 INTs, 7 assists, 7 tackles, 14 total tackles, 4 passes defended and his two fourth-quarter interceptions led to Eagles' wins.
Compare that to three games from Jairus Byrd, who has 0 INTs, 15 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass defended and the Saints—as a team—have 0 interceptions this season.
If Jenkins gets one more pick, which seems likely in where defensive coordinator Billy Davis is placing him, it will mark a career best for Jenkins for interceptions in a season.
Jenkins even admits that his interception rate is surprising to him. But facts are facts—and the fact is the six-year veteran has been one of the best free agent signings in the NFL so far this season.
The Saints are 1-2, their one victory coming against the scrambled, freefalling Minnesota Vikings, a game in which Byrd made six tackles. In the previous two games, Byrd had a total of nine. He's been helpful to the Saints' defense, but not exactly doing what the Saints expected him to do and that's intercept passes.
Jenkins, on the other hand, has exceeded what the Eagles expected. He was supposed to be a calming influence on what was the worst pass defense in the NFL last year. He wasn't necessarily acquired to pick off passes. The Eagles are still having defensive problems with little pressure being placed on opposing quarterbacks, but the pass defense has come up with two game-winning plays in three games—both made in successive weeks by Jenkins.
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