The New Orleans Saints have been hit by a rash of injuries on defense this summer. Add Jonathan Vilma to the list.
The veteran linebacker has after seeking a second opinion Wednesday, a source informed of the injury told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. Saints coach Sean Payton Thursday. Vilma will undergo a minor procedure in Philadelphia on Thursday, and likely will miss the rest of the preseason. He's for the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
Vilma, 31, joins a long list of walking wounded for the Saints. In June, pass rusher Victor Butler was lost for the year . Then Kenyon Coleman went down last week with a torn pectoral muscle. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will struggle to replace that duo. Butler was in line to become the team's primary sack threat, while Coleman, a veteran defensive lineman, was imported from the Dallas Cowboys to serve as an on-field teacher of Ryan's 3-4 scheme.
Vilma -- make no mistake about it -- has lost a step. He graded out poorly last season by ProFootballFocus.com and might never reach full health again after dealing with a string of injuries in recent seasons. He'll be replaced for now at weakside linebacker by David Hawthorne for a Saints team that figures to struggle shutting down opposing offenses in 2013.
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