Whew: the New Orleans Saints were required to thin out their roster from 90 players to just 85 ahead of Tuesday’s NFL deadline, but they took it to another level by filing a dozen roster moves with the daily transactions wire. Three players have been signed ahead of this week’s joint practices and preseason game with the Green Bay Packers, while seven others have been waived (two with injury designations), a backup offensive lineman has been placed on injured reserve, and a young defensive back was released with an injury settlement. Here’s instant analysis on each move:
LB Jon Bostic signed to the 85-man roster
Bostic, 31, adds some veteran experience to the group; he was part of the group tryout that first landed Kiko Alonso with the Saints. A former second round draft pick for the Chicago Bears in 2013, Bostic has started 82 of his 107 career games played, including a playoff game back in 2020. He’s suited up for five different teams during his eight-year career.
DE Niko Lalos signed to the 85-man roster
Lalos, 25, was recently waived by the New York Giants who cross-trained him at linebacker. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Dartmouth product will compete for a spot on the practice squad behind Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, and Carl Granderson, though he could impress in preseason and displace someone like Tanoh Kpassagnon or Taco Charlton with a couple of strong weeks this summer.
DT Jaleel Johnson signed to the 85-man roster
Johnson, 28, was let go by the Saints just a week ago after missing several days of practice. Now he’s back in the fold and should continue to push for snaps in the rotation. David Onyemata is probably the only defensive tackle we should consider a lock to make the team, so there’s room for someone like Johnson to carve out a role for themselves.
CB Jordan Brown waived with injury designation
Brown, 26, signed with the Saints a week ago after injuries thinned out their secondary. Now that some players are healing up and roster cuts are approaching, he’s been let go, though Brown may return to New Orleans’ injured reserve list.
LB Isaiah Pryor waived with injury designation
Pryor, 24, joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame earlier this year. Like Brown, he’s been waived with an injury and could land on injured reserve.
DL T.J. Carter waived from the 85-man roster
Carter, 23, was also recently picked up and played a few snaps in the preseason opener with the Houston Texans. The Saints have spent time with him before on their practice squad so they have a good idea of what he brings to the table. They’ll churn the bottom of the depth chart to see if there are better options to fit their needs.
S Jack Koerner waived from the 85-man roster
Koerner, 23, landed in New Orleans as an undrafted rookie from Iowa early this summer, though the Saints waived him after minicamp practices. He was one of several defensive backs signed last week to cover for injuries. Now that the Saints are healing up, he’s back on the waiver wire.
DE Scott Patchan waived from the 85-man roster
Patchan, 25, had some good reps in one-on-one drills at Saints training camp but didn’t stand out in their preseason game. He was a long shot to make the practice squad considering how deep the Saints are at the top, so he’s been replaced by Lalos.
K John Parker Romo waived from the 85-man roster
An undrafted rookie out of Virginia Tech, Romo was a kickoff specialist in college and was given opportunities to showcase those skills in the first preseason game with Houston. But the Saints are in good shape at kicker with Wil Lutz shaking off the rust from last year’s injury, so the 24-year old Romo will be looking for a new NFL opportunity.
WR Easop Winston Jr. waived from the 85-man roster
This was a surprise cut. Winston, 25, spent a lot of time on the Saints practice squad and was in the mix for a spot on the final roster between his efforts on special teams and skills running routes from the slot. He can play in this league. But the Saints are so deep at receiver that they may be letting him go now to give him a shot elsewhere around the NFL.
OL Ethan Greenidge designated to injured reserve
It’s tough to see another season-ending injury for Greenidge, who has brought solid depth to New Orleans at both guard and tackle. This may be the end of the line for the 24-year old with the Saints during a contract year. Greenidge being sidelined with an injury does open up more reps for backups like Forrest Lamp, Landon Young, and Sage Doxtater.
DB Bryce Thompson released with injury settlement
Thompson, 22, spent most of the 2021 season on the Saints practice squad and was drawing a lot of attention in camp after converting to safety from cornerback, at times backing up C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the slot. But he went down with an injury last week and initially landed on injured reserve. This move makes him a free agent and he’ll be eligible to sign with any team upon passing a physical. The door isn’t shut on him eventually returning to New Orleans, but it’s unlikely.
