Saints Will See Some Familiar Faces In 2015 Opponents

S Malcolm Jenkins and RB Darren Sproles (Philadelphia Eagles)

May 28, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins (27) during OTA

Jenkins was another safety like Roman Harper who kinda got the last laugh on his former team who decided not to re-sign him in 2014, the Saints opting to go with supposed “upgrade” Jarius Byrd.

Selected in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, Jenkins was moved from cornerback to safety where he spent his entire career at beginning in 2010.

Considered a vocal leader among not only the secondary but the defense, Jenkins made his presence felt in 2014 with the Eagles where he played over 1,200 snaps and a career season high 3 interceptions.

In ProFootballFocus.com’s safety rankings he was actually rated one spot higher than Seattle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor.

Of course probably as with Harper, the benefit of a new environment as well as a new scheme helped rejuvenate Jenkins somewhat.

While he may not have been an interception magnet, he did have some memorable plays with the Saints such as the Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys in 2010.

Cowboys receiver Roy Williams was threatening to seal the game with a touchdown when Jenkins stripped him of the ball and then recovered it which gave the Saints some life and would win 30-27.

Dec 20, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles (43) carries the ball as Washington Redskins cornerback

(26) defends in the second quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

After being recruited by former teammate and good friend Drew Brees, Sproles became one of those players upon his arrival with the Saints in 2011 that made an immediate impact.

That year the shifty and deceptively fast running back broke the NFL single season all-purpose yards record set by wide receiver Derrick Mason in 2000 with 2,696 yards.

His skills as a kick returner were unmatched and every time he received a kickoff or a punt you just felt he’d take it all the way back for a score.

In 2012, Sproles suffered a fractured hand in November but was able to play in the final six games of the season but only started in one of those games.

His final season with the Saints was in 2013 which wasn’t much of a surprise due to the fact that opposing teams had figured out offensively what Sproles was and wasn’t capable of with a deteriorating offensive line that was showing itself in New Orleans.

Other teams would simply lock onto Sproles and even his speed couldn’t break through the rut of having the lowest numbers of his career since 2007 with 220 yards rushing for two touchdowns and 604 receiving yards for two touchdowns.

Realizing they needed to move on, the Saints traded Sproles to the Philadelphia Eagles for a fifth round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

This drew the ire of Sproles wife who placed the “Compton Curse” on the Saints front office and Who Dat Nation quickly forgot about their once beloved speedy offensive weapon.

The Saints will travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles on October 11th at 12:00 p.m. CDT.

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