Sources — Saints eye Julian Blackmon to fill free-safety void

The New Orleans Saints are working to sign free agent safety Julian Blackmon as a replacement for the retired Tyrann Mathieu, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

A deal has not been finalized, but the sides have been in talks, sources said.

The Saints have made several additions to their defense this offseason under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley. Safety Justin Reid was the highest-profile addition to date, signing a three-year deal averaging $10.5 million at the beginning of free agency.

A former third-round pick, Blackmon is one of the best safeties still available. He was disappointed in his market this past offseason, returning to the Indianapolis Colts on a one-year deal worth less than $4 million. His hopes were to improve his odds of landing a multiyear deal in 2025 by having a productive season, but he was knocked off course by a torn labrum he suffered in the season opener.

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Blackmon, 26, still managed to play a career-high 16 games, but his performance didn’t meet his expectations. The injury, he said in January, “impacted me greatly.” Even so, with three interceptions and 86 tackles, Blackmon impacted the Colts’ defense and helped bring some stability to a very young and injury-plagued Indianapolis secondary.

Reid and Mathieu were assumed to be the starting safeties in Staley’s defense this season. But without Mathieu, the Saints don’t currently have much experience in the safety room.

Veteran safety J.T. Gray primarily plays special teams, Terrell Burgess was signed in May after the Buffalo Bills waived him from injured reserve last year and Ugo Amadi was re-signed after starting five games last season. Third-year player Jordan Howden started two games last season.

Mathieu’s departure is also part of a new look secondary, which lost cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore (traded to Washington Commanders) and Paulson Adebo (signed with New York Giants) over the past year.

“That’s what the NFL is. It’s about adjustments, whether it’s personnel or schematically,” said Saints coach Kellen Moore on Tuesday. “So you understand that you have plans in place and you have to adjust and I think overall that safety position, we got some younger players, some guys who’ve been there through the whole offseason process that have done just a phenomenal job. We’re excited from those guys and we’ll continue to evaluate the roster acquisition as we go.”

The Saints had $23.8 million in available cap space before Mathieu’s retirement.

Blackmon has shown himself to be a versatile player during his career. He was a cornerback and safety in college, then moved to free safety for most of his first three seasons. But the Colts eventually moved him to strong safety, where he thrived in 2023. Team needs prompted the Colts to move him back to free safety this past season, a spot that can be less impactful in former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s single-high safety system.

Blackmon has 10 interceptions and 300 tackles in five seasons.

ESPN’s Katherine Terrell and Stephen Holder contributed to this report.