D.J. Swearinger appreciates the “luxury” of Saints’ success

[Hogs]

Getty Images

The Saints were D.J. Swearinger’s third team last season, and he was only there three weeks.

But that was enough for him to sense how the other half lives.

The veteran safety, who signed a new one-year deal with the Saints on Sunday, said he realized quickly last year that New Orleans was the place he wanted to be.

“As soon as I got to New Orleans last year, I felt the culture, I felt the camaraderie, I felt everybody was on one page and one accord,” Swearinger said, via Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I remember telling [tight end] Jared Cook my first day I got to the facility, ‘Man, you guys are living in luxury. … The luxury is winning.’ ”

Swearinger hasn’t always enjoyed such privilege.

He was cut after starting the first four games for the Cardinals last year, went to the Raiders and was cut there after four games, before finding a landing spot late. The former second-round pick has also spent time with the Texans, Buccaneers, and Washington, at times clashing with coaches and wearing out his welcome, but he likes what he saw last year.

“I’ve seen seven, eight different head coaches,” Swearinger said. “I’ve seen seven, eight different locker rooms. . . . I’ve seen the difference from how it looks to the winning side, and of course I’ve been on a bunch of losing teams as well.

“The culture is a winning deal, and I wanted to be a part of that.”

Swearinger has been a productive player in the past, and he’s not going to be counted on for a starting role in New Orleans, but he’s hoping he can fit in and hang around for more than a brief stay.