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New Orleans Saints Linebackers 2012 vs. 2013: Did They Improve?

Based simply on the sheer number of players competing for a linebacker spot this season, surely the end result will be better than last year.

By Dave Cariello
Stacy Revere

As we enter into the final weeks of the 2013 off-season and inch closer to the start of training camp, we're examining this year's Saints roster to see if the front office's hard work in free agency and the draft has paid off. So we're going position by position to determine whether the team has improved in 2013 compared to last year.

2012 vs. 2013: Did The Saints Improve?

We continue our series with the linebacker. Here's a look at last year's Saints roster and their current roster as it stands right now.

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2012

Curtis Lofton, Jonathan Vilma, Scott Shanle, David Hawthorne, Will Herring, Jonathan Casillas, Ramon Humber, Barrett Ruud

2013

Curtis Lofton, Jonathan Vilma, Will Smith, Junior Galette, Martez Wilson, David Hawthorne, Chris Chamberlain, Will Herring, Ramon Humber, Rufus Johnson, Chase Thomas, Ray Shipman, Kevin Reddick, Eric Martin

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There's not much I can say about these guys. This unit has been completely transformed this off-season so who the hell knows how this whole thing is going to play out. What we do know is that the Saints went gangbusters this year and fully stocked the linebacker cupboard. You'll notice the sheer amount of players they've got competing this season, including quite a few young rookies. Notably missing is Scott Shanle, and surprisingly present is Will Smith. Surely the end result will be better than last year, or any other year during the Sean Payton era.

The Edge: 2013

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