It needed to be done and the Saints have finally added some veteran depth to their defensive backfield to compete with Johnny Patrick for the nickel back spot. Joining the Saints on a one year deal is veteran cornerback Elbert Mack, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccanneers. While Mack adds some much needed depth, I don’t think this is a fair trade for the Bucs jacking Carl Nicks from us. Ok, it’s not even close. But it’s always nice to poach from divisional rivals.
Mack has been with the Bucs for 4 seasons prior to this year, has 3 career starts, but has mostly been a special teamer and reserve. Mack did surprise many by…
making the team as an undrafted rookie free agent and staying on the active roster for the entirety of four seasons. He is known for having decent ball skills and he’s notched 5 career interceptions in four seasons, including two last year. He’s only 25 so he should have some good football left in his legs, presumably.
As always I’m happy to share his PFF grading, for whatever that’s worth. He had a positive rating in run defense, which is uncommon for most corners, with a +1.2 rating. He seems pretty solid in that department, which explains his special teams prowess. His pass coverage rating was -2.9, and his total grade with all aspects combined was -1.7. He graded out 139th out of 198 graded corners last year. Johnny Patrick, by comparison, graded 48th.
Welcome to the Saints Elbert!
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