Saints Won’t Re-Sign DB Kenny Vaccaro

The Saints do not plan to re-sign free agent defensive back Kenny Vaccaro, sources tell Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com.Kenny Vaccaro (vertical)

Vaccaro is wrapping up his rookie contract (which included an exercised fifth-year option) with the Saints, and he’ll be an interesting free agent given that he has the ability to play both safety and slot cornerback. The 27-year-old graded as one of the NFL’s best run-defending defensive backs in 2017, but ranked as the single-worst coverage safety in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.

Despite that lack of production, it’s still possible Vaccaro meets a solid market given his first-round pedigree and positional versatility. The Cowboys, speculatively, could have interest given that they reportedly attempted to trade for Vaccaro last season. On the open market, Vaccaro will join a list of safeties that includes Lamarcus Joyner, Eric Reid, and Morgan Burnett, while available slot corners include Nickell Robey-Coleman, Aaron Colvin, and Patrick Robinson.

The Saints, for their part, have drafted two safeties — Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams — in the past two years, so their need to retain Vaccaro is lessened. New Orleans is also hoping to get a number of cornerbacks healthy in 2018, so Vacarro wouldn’t have been required in the slot.

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