The New Orleans Saints released safety Jairus Byrd this offseason, putting an end to one of the biggest personnel blunders in team history. Byrd had actually played much better at the end of the 2016 season; but it was too little, too late for a player that had never come close to living up to his giant contract signing. Byrd's release does thin out a safety position that has struggled to make plays in recent years.
The starters seem set in Kenny Vaccaro and Vonn Bell. The team re-signed an old friend, bringing back Rafael Bush after a 2-year stint in Detroit.