Curtis Lofton joined the Saints as an unrestricted free agent from the Atlanta Falcons in 2012 to shore up the middle. He's started 111 of the 112 career games he's played in and totaled 1,058 tackles (689 solo), seven sacks, three interceptions, 11 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and 38 passes defensed. He again led the Saints in 2014 with a career-high and franchise-record 185 tackles (125 solo), one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and eight passes defensed.

During his seven-year NFL career, Lofton has recorded double-digit tackle totals in 54 games. He did so in seven games apiece in both 2012 and 2013 and reached double digits in 11 of 16 contests in 2014.

Best game: Lofton started at ILB and led the team with 17 tackles (13 solo) while also adding a forced fumble during the Saints loss to the Carolina Panthers. He surpassed the 150-tackle mark (160) for the fourth time in his career.

Coach Payton on Lofton: "He's a thumper when he tackles you. Obviously he's one of the quarterbacks of our defense. He'll get the signals in from the sidelines, communication, all of that. It went very well (on Sunday). He's been very steady (and) healthy and that's important obviously at your Mike linebacker position with what we do defensively. He plays in the nickel as well."