The New Orleans Saints brought back several familiar faces to their practice squad ahead of Week 6’s road game with the Houston Texans — adding depth at the skills positions and maintaining structure along the offensive line in the wake of some injuries.
Here’s what you need to know about each pickup:
TE/FB J.P. Holtz
Holtz spent the 2022 season in New Orleans and returned late this summer to compete for a roster spot; he’s lined up both at tight end and fullback for the Saints and his previous teams in the NFL. Starting fullback Adam Prentice has struggled badly in recent weeks with ball security and blocking assignments, but he’s currently on the mend with a knee injury (which kept him out of practice Wednesday). Holtz has a good shot at earning playing-time from the practice squad.
WR/RB Kirk Merritt
Merritt has had an odd career arc. He arrived in New Orleans last summer and quickly endeared himself to fans as a Destrehan native who did everything he could to make the team, including moving from receiver to running back and looking for work on the special teams units. He only appeared in a handful of games late in the season and ran it back this summer, but he didn’t make the cut. He’s back on the practice squad now and was lining up with the receivers at Wednesday’s practice after Shaquan Davis went on injured reserve.
OT/OG Tommy Kraemer
Kraemer joined the Saints in training camp and earned a spot on their practice squad as a backup at guard, lining up at both the left and right sides in preseason. He got his first game action last Sunday against the New England Patriots when the Saints pulled their starters in the fourth quarter, lining up at right tackle for the first time since his sophomore year at Notre Dame back in 2018. The team clearly values him in that role as a versatile backup after signing him to the 53-man roster that game and bringing him back to the practice squad after waiving him earlier this week. Expect him to bounce between the two units often.
