The Saints have re-signed DT Albert Huggins, per source
— John Hendrix (@JohnJHendrix) March 1, 2022
This is a good move: the New Orleans Saints re-signed backup defensive tackle Albert Huggins, who was on track to become an exclusive rights free agent. Huggins’ return was first reported by Sports Illustrated’s John Hendrix.
Huggins, 24, landed with the Saints last summer and finished the season having played the fourth-most snaps among defensive tackles (219). That trailed Shy Tuttle (a restricted free agent), David Onyemata (who is entering a contract year), and Christian Ringo (an unrestricted free agent). Before joining the Saints, Huggins bounced around the NFL a bit after a solid college career at Clemson.
Retaining him is good for depth. Huggins joins a thin position group along with Onyemata, Malcolm Roach (194 snaps played last year), and Braxton Hoyett (just 15 snaps). The Saints should still consider their other options in upgrading the defensive tackle rotation. Onyemata alone produced more quarterback pressures (32) than every other defensive tackle to play for the Saints last year combined (31), per Pro Football Focus play-by-play charting.
As for what exactly an exclusive rights free agent is: these are players with just two accrued seasons behind them, who can be re-signed by their teams at a minimum salary. Unlike restricted free agents, other teams won’t have the opportunity to make them a better offer. New Orleans’ other two restricted free agents to consider are defensive tackle Jalen Dalton, who missed the season with a tough preseason biceps injury, and tight end Juwan Johnson, who created some splash plays after converting from wide receiver.
