The New Orleans Saints were looking to turn around a defense that was a disappointment in 2014. Injuries are making that turnaround more difficult for the 2015 season. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com media reported that Keenan Lewis had hip surgery on Tuesday. Lewis is expected to miss 4-6 weeks as a result of the surgery, according to Rapoport's sources in the organization.
With the 4-6 week timeline in place, Lewis will likely miss games against the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and the Dallas Cowboys. Lewis could potentially return for an October 11th date with the Philadelphia Eagles assuming his recovery is on schedule.
Lewis is a seven-year pro out of Oregon State. He played his first four seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers before coming to New Orleans. He has played in all 16 games in each of the last four seasons.
Lewis’ injury comes after a number of other issues facing the New Orleans secondary. New addition Brandon Browner has missed time with a leg injury, and safety Jarius Byrd has been on the PUP list with a knee injury. Reports indicate that Byrd could be out for most of the time that Lewis would miss recovering from the hip surgery. Safety Kenny Vaccaro has not played in the last two preseason games. 2015 third-round draft pick cornerback P.J. Williams was placed on injured reserve this week. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will likely rely on Delvin Breaux to replace Lewis in the starting lineup.
The Saints are looking to rebound on defense after a 2014 season where New Orleans ranked 31st in the NFL in total defense. Ryan’s job seems to be getting more difficult this offseason with the departure of linebacker Junior Galette in July amid off-the-field concerns. The team signed former Cowboys Pro Bowl linebacker Anthony Spencer this offseason.
Spencer played for Ryan for three seasons in Dallas and had some of his best years as a pro. Spencer, still trying to fully come back from major knee surgery in 2013, was placed on injured reserve this week with an undisclosed injury. Spencer has been out since the team’s first preseason game. The injuries to the defense will make this defensive turnaround difficult and continue to put more pressure on Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense.