Saints, defensive end Young agree on 1-year contract

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have agreed to terms of a one-year contract with free agent defensive end Chase Young. The contract agreement, announced Monday by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, provides reinforcements to an edge pass rush that often struggled to get pressure last season. Saints defensive ends combined for 14 sacks last season, led by Carl Granderson's 8 1/2, and the club ranked 29th in the NFL in sacks per pass attempt. Young, who turns 25 in April, was drafted second overall out of Ohio State by the Washington Commanders in 2020, when he was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. But he was sidelined by major knee injuries in his second pro season that also kept out for much of 2022. Last season, however, he played in 16 games with the Commanders and San Francisco 49ers, who acquired him in a midseason trade. He had 7 1/2 sack during the regular season and had another in the Niners' Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. The 6-foot-5, 264-pound Young, whose new contract reportedly pays up to $13 million, now joins a position group that also includes Saints all-time sack leader Cam Jordan. Jordan, who has 117 1/2 career sacks, had just two sacks last season, the fewest since his rookie season in 2011. However, Jordan also played through injuries and received high praise from coaches and the front office for his availability and effectiveness against the run. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL