Demario Davis and Kwon Alexander haven’t gotten matching tattoos, but the quick bond the pair formed over a 7-game stretch last season left a lasting impact.
It might be because they’re both Gulf Coast natives. It might be because they both have a similar approach to the game. It might be because when they're together, they're always trying to one-up each other, like the scene in 'Dude Where's My Car' where Ashton Kutcher and Seann William-Scott are trying to explain what their tattoos say.
"Both of us trying to be the best and competing every day and challenging each other to do it," Davis said, before drawing laughs with his comparison to the 2000 comedy. "I think we both talk a lot of trash. We both like to be flashy and have a lot of fun."
The former LSU star meshed immediately with the Saints after a mid-season trade from the San Francisco 49ers, but his season ended after he tore his Achilles in a Week 16 demolition of the Minnesota Vikings. Davis said he had been checking in on Alexander every day with questions like, "bro, when you coming back?"
Alexander was released early in the offseason as the team shed more than $100 million in salary, but was re-signed to an incentive-laden deal earlier in camp after showing he was back healthy and cleared for action. Alexander spent the first handful of practices working on conditioning, but has been back in team drills of late and the energy has been clear. He made back-to-back plays to shut down the offense at Wednesday's practice.
Davis made his desire to see Alexander return clear to the team, but the feeling was mutual across the board, he said.
“Kwon is a beast. He’s played at a high level in this league for a long time and he came in and made an instant impact. That’s why it was so important for us to bring him back and definitely excited that he’s back," Davis said. "He just brings another level of energy and attention to detail and makes our defense better as a whole. And that’s what our goals are, to be one of the top defenses in the league. And that requires a lot of work and that requires a lot of good players, and we have both."
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Alexander was inactive for the team's first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, but that allowed extra run for second-year linebacker Zack Baun, who flashed early and often, along with Kaden Elliss. With Alexander back in the fold, that group looks to be as deep as they've had in years, despite rookie Pete Werner missing several practices for undisclosed reasons.
Baun rolled up five tackles while also deflecting a pass. Elliss had seven tackles, including one that held the Ravens short on a 4th-down attempt.
"We have a good group of young, hungry linebackers. All of them are athletic. All of them are smart. And so getting a chance to see them all out there flying around was exciting. You know, he played at a high level but that’s not shocking. He’s been putting on good tape in camp. All of them really have. It’s been an interesting group to work with.”
The Saints are next in action Monday when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2 of the preseason.
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