NEW ORLEANS -- That has got to hurt. One of the outgoing free agents that the New Orleans Saints would have loved to have kept in the facility is now headed to the San Francisco 49ers, per reports.
As shared by VaynerSports co-founder AJ Vaynerchuk on social media, the blossoming cover corner is headed to the Bay on a contract agreement with the 49ers. Yiadom was one of the bright spots of the Saints' strongest unit in 2023 - the secondary.
He also had a visit with the Washington Commanders earlier this week. At which time it was noted that several teams had interest in the seventh-year defender.
His 14 pass breakups led him to hold the league's lead in forced incompletion percentage among qualifying cornerbacks per Pro Football Focus. He was also critical in helping the team to manage the loss of star corner Marshon Lattimore whose season came to a premature close due to injury.
Now, the public focus on the Saints will shift to the future of Lattimore and the team's defensive backs group. They were not able to retain Yiadom nor defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. who accepted a one-year deal with the Houston Texans. Both were also key contributors to special teams. The Saints also moved on from starting safety Marcus Maye, which was not much of a surprise.
With those changes, the Saints' secondary could look dramatically different in 2024, especially if the team makes the decision to trade away Lattimore. With a pair of starting-caliber corners in the wings in Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor, there is at least a foundation off of which to build. But one must wonder if creating more need at the area where the team was strongest last year is the wisest choice.
Some may look at Yiadom as a loss that can be overcome. Which is not incorrect, assuming the departures do not keep coming.
However, there is no diminishing his development under defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson. He went from being a special teams contributor to hopefully grabbing a starting role in San Francisco. The glow up is real. For the Saints, however, the questions are mounting. Realistically though, the free agency period is far more than just four days. How they respond to these losses could be critical.
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