Kurt Coleman was released by the Panthers on Monday, but he’s already lined up a meeting with another NFC South club. Coleman met with a Saints contingent in Indianapolis today, according to Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com, who adds (via Twitter) Coleman is expected to visit with multiple teams while at the combine.
The Saints — who have historically played a good deal of three-safety looks — aren’t expected to re-sign defensive back Kenny Vaccaro, so Coleman would give New Orleans another option to play in sub packages. He’d also add experience and leadership to a safety group that includes young starter Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams, each of whom entered the league within the past two years.
Coleman, 29, was a solid starter for Carolina in 2015-16, but struggled last season, grading as a bottom-10 safety per Pro Football Focus. That performance wasn’t enough for Coleman to keep his job, especially given that he was scheduled to count for $5.15MM on the Panthers’ salary cap in 2018.
Now that he’s on the open market, Coleman is part of a free agent safety class which also includes Lamarcus Joyner, Eric Reid, Morgan Burnett, Tre Boston, and Vaccaro.
Might as well go join Ted Ginn and AJ Klein
He may have been worse than Vaccaro…