The Saints are making a move to address a sudden hole on the interior of their defensive line. The team is signing veteran defensive tackle Ziggy Hood, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
David Onyemata was slapped with a one game suspension last month, which left the Saints a bit thin at defensive tackle. Stud tackle Sheldon Rankins tore his Achilles in the playoffs last year, and isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season. With Onyematta sidelined for the first game, the Saints were going to need some defensive tackle help for Week 1.
Hood was the 32nd overall pick of the Steelers all the way back in 2009. He’s bounced around ever since, spending time with five different teams. Hood was a starter for the Redskins in 2016 and 2017, but was relegated to a backup role last season. He was then cut in October, but got swooped up by the Dolphins not long after. This is the first we’ve heard of him all offseason, and he didn’t draw much known interest on the open market.
Hood is 32 now, and ideally the Saints won’t count on him for too much. In his lengthy career, he has 141 appearances and 73 starts under his belt. He’s always been primarily used as a run-stuffer, entering the 2019 campaign with 235 career tackles and 14 sacks.