I have a hard time believing that the Saints went out of their way to beat every other team to what became a historically slow safety market by a country mile in order to pay a premium for the veteran presence of a backup defensive back. Therefore, you'd have to consider Kurt Coleman's prematurely terminated tenure in New Orleans to be a pretty big failure. It was a signing that was suspiciously bland the second it was made, and - to put it lightly - with the season came not a complimentary seasoning. That being said, he was a well-respected member of the most cohesive and fun secondary/locker room in Saints' history, so - as deep as I have to dig to find them - I will put some shine on the positives of his presence. None the least of which is the fire he presumably stoked under the ass of Vonn Bell, who took massive steps in going from vulnerable to versatile in his third season. The forced 4th quarter fumble against the Steelers was also a noteworthy bright spot, but playing the role of electrician in getting the light to turn on for an inconsistent and underwhelming second round pick will probably go down as his most impactful work in black & gold. You won't find too many people that didn't consider Kurt Coleman expendable heading into the offseason, but his shortcomings in trying to live up to what was a surprisingly sizable contract before the ink even dried on it are only part of the reason he's now looking for employment. The slow but steady development of a young player who finally forced his way onto the field in refusing to be denied playing time simply sealed his fate, though it will be interesting to see if the Saints look go for depth or wealth at the position in the coming months. As the early signing of Kurt Coleman proved, you never really know with Sean Payton.
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