Saints Sign Safety Marcus Ball

So who exactly is Marcus Ball? I’m not going to pretend I have the slightest clue as I’ve never seen the kid play. What I do know is he was a star in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts, and that he helped the “Argos” to a Grey Cup title in 2012. The Saints broke the news on twitter:

#Saints agree to terms with S Marcus Ball on 3-year contract http://t.co/aoJ6tOq1mP #NFLFreeAgency

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 2, 2014

And lucky us, we have some Saints fan intel in Canada. Thanks to @CedricMaxwell21, who is a Saints fan in Canada that keeps close tabs on the CFL and has watched Ball play both in person and on TV, I was able to get this info:

Marcus Ball is listed at 6’1 210 Lbs but seeing him personally id say more about 215 area. Hybrid player who plays both the SS/OLB, personally I see him more as a OLB but might be a bit undersized in the NFL. Incredibly instinctive and very solid tackler. If I had to compare him to someone i’d say think of Roman Harper but much more athletic and a better hitter. Plays in that second level area where he makes most of his plays. Lacks a bit in deep coverage but anything 2nd level down he always finds the ball. Best defender on the Grey Cup Champions Argonauts 2 years ago and possibly the league, should fit like a glove in a 3-4 base defense. Loomis found another gem, he should be great to watch. Hope this helped, attached is a bit of film of his:

He’s another guy that will compete in camp. Judging from his skillset he could be an asset on special teams, and we know Rob Ryan loves his safeties. Currently only Jairus Byrd and Kenny Vaccaro are under contract, with Rafael Bush still tendered but unsigned, so there’s certainly room to add depth at the safety position. I would say Ball is definitely a threat for the 53 man roster if his skills can translate to the next level. Good on the Saints for finding talent in unconventional places, their strong suit. Many thanks to Cedric for weighing in!