The Jacksonville Jaguars traded center Luke Fortner to the New Orleans Saints for veteran defensive tackle Khalen Saunders. The Jaguars have struggled with the defensive line, leading to this acquisition. Arik Armstead, who was expected to reinforce the line, is sidelined due to a back injury. Second-year player Maason Smith recently came off the PUP list after an earlier injury. DaVon Hamilton has not regained his form after a back infection in the previous season, necessitating this trade for Saunders, a proven player with Super Bowl experience.
Saunders is a six-year veteran who spent the past two seasons with the Saints after spending four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Saunders, who has 6.5 sacks and 181 tackles in his career, won two Super Bowl titles with the Chiefs.
The interior of the defensive line has been an issue for the Jaguars the past two seasons. The team was optimistic that with veteran Arik Armstead's move back inside and second-year player Maason Smith's continued development, they could shore up the tackle spots.
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