He misses the rice, potatoes, French fries, fried foods. Couldn't have any of that on his lean-protein, fewer-carbohydrates menu. "All the good stuff that I was on last season to stay around 285 (pounds)," he said.
But it's not so much what New Orleans Saints edge rusher Carl Granderson is missing as it is what he regained while dropping his weight to 272 pounds: He went home, to a position he hasn't visited since 2014, his final season at Grant Union High in Sacramento, Cal.
Back then, "Grando" was a 173-pound outside linebacker, before he went to college at Wyoming and transitioned to a 4-3 defensive end. He played his first six NFL seasons with the Saints at that position before moving to edge this year in New Orleans' 3-4 scheme under coordinator Brandon Staley.
"I just feel like it's back home for me," Granderson said, "We have to be a little heavier for [a 4-3 defense]. You've got outside linebackers and lighter guys playing 3-4."
It likely seemed like old times for him in the season opener against Arizona."I feel like I'm in a perfect position because it's nothing new."
In the Saints 20-13 loss, Granderson picked up 1.5 sacks against the elusive Kyler Murray, defended two passes, had a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit, and totaled six tackles.
His highlight play: A third-quarter chase down of Cardinals running back Trey Benson, officially tracking Benson on a 52-yard gain down the right sideline, that doesn't include yardage accrued from Granderson starting his pursuit from the right (opposite) side of the defense, crossing the field and navigating traffic until he located his mark.
"That shows you the kind of desire and effort that he has," Saints edges coach Jay Rodgers said. "That's the play that really stands out, but there's a lot of plays that don't get noticed that he played really well. He may not have production on a specific play, but he did his job so well [he] enabled somebody else to make a play."
"That's just part of being a vet. Having that heart to want to make every play — even if it's on the back side," Granderson said. "It was just the desire to go chase after the ball and not expect your teammate to make a play, because one guy misses and it's a touchdown. So, if you show up around the ball, good things happen."
More than a few good things happened in his first six seasons (he had five sacks, two forced fumbles and nine quarterback hits as a non-starter in his second year), but his production jumped in his fourth and fifth seasons, as he totaled 14 sacks, 29 quarterback hits, 23 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and 131 tackles.
The numbers dipped last season (5.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits) and he'd decided to drop weight even before the introduction to a new coaching staff and defense.
Turns out, the two appear to be made for each other.
"You have to be a force on the outside in the run, and you've got to have enough athletic ability to be able to drop into coverage, and you want to be able to be four-down pass rusher," Rodgers said, describing the prototype edge. "So, it's the most versatile guy on the defense. We're asking a lot of him, and I felt watching his tape from years prior that he could fit this scheme well."
"You go through this process every year, especially going through the draft. The [most important] trait you would look for is a guy who can rush the passer. So, there's always that plan of, can he do the entire package? And until you put him through it, you don't really know. Once you put him through it then you have a pretty good idea of the level of play that they can play at. He's done that for us."
Granderson said the biggest difference is he now operates in space, mostly freed of the double teams he encountered at defensive end in the 4-3, and totally freed from the responsibility of sliding inside to defensive tackle on certain plays, where bulk was an asset.
"I'm just playing in space and I'm back at home," he said. "That's a big difference. You get more opportunities to win one-on-one to try to go make plays in the backfield. That's a big thing, whereas in a 4-3 you might be doubled. Coming off the edge is a big thing in our defense.
"I really should have been in a 3-4 in college because I was around 240 at that time, playing the 4-3. I was a little lighter and could move – I played receiver in high school as well, I always could move.
"The transition wasn't too bad, but when I first came into the league to a 4-3, I had to put on a lot of weight just to be able to take on some of the double teams and to play inside. But I realized my first two years, I had a lot of production when I was playing around 270, 275."
That's roughly 100 pounds more than he weighed as a high school linebacker and receiver, but his current growth is more mental than physical. The physical part, he has.
"He had a really good game," Rodgers said. "He had pass rush production, he had run production, he had a couple of defensed passes, and I don't think anybody caught a ball on him, either. It doesn't surprise me, because that's the way he's performed in practice through training camp."
Partly, because he returned home.
"It's definitely another challenge because it's a whole new defense," Granderson said. "I've been playing the same defense for six years and to play a whole new defense in a whole new position, it's a challenge.
"But I'm up for the challenge and I'm only going to get better at it."
Check out the 30 best photos of the New Orleans defense in their game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
DE Carl Granderson (96) high fives DE Cameron Jordan (94) following a split sack during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Isaac Yiadom (27) and S Justin Reid (21) make a tackle during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Alontae Taylor (1) sacks Cardinals QB Kyler Murray during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Alontae Taylor (1) celebrates sacking Cardinals QB Kyler Murray during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Alontae Taylor (1) celebrates sacking Cardinals QB Kyler Murray during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Isaac Yiadom (27) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
LB Demario Davis (56) and CB Isaac Yiadom (27) make a tackle during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
LB Demario Davis (56) celebrates during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
S Justin Reid (21) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
S Justin Reid (21) makes a tackle during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
DE Carl Granderson (96) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
S Justin Reid (21), LB Demario Davis (56), and DE Cameron Jordan (94) celebrate during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
S Julian Blackmon (23) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
DE Cameron Jordan (94) celebrates sacking Cardinals QB Kyler Murray during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
DE Cameron Jordan (94) celebrates sacking Cardinals QB Kyler Murray during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
DE Jonah Williams (54) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (4) makes a tackle during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (4) celebrates during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Alontae Taylor (1) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (4) in position during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
LB Pete Werner (20) and LB Demario Davis (56) the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
DE Chris Rumph II (58) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
S Julian Blackmon (23) and CB Kool-Aid McKinstry (4) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
DT Davon Godchaux (92) in position during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
DE Cameron Jordan (94) in action the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
LB Jaylan Ford (53) runs during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
LB Danny Stutsman (28) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
LB Demario Davis (56) and CB Isaac Yiadom (26) in action during the New Orleans Saints game against the Arizona Cardinals for Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 7, 2025 at Caesars Superdome.
