The New Orleans Saints aren’t just gathering everyone under contract for training camp — multiple veteran free agents are trying out during the three-day series of practice sessions. This was the case last year, too, when the Saints brought in running back David Johnson and some other players who later signed during the season.
Sports Illustrated’s John Hendrix first reported that offensive lineman Pat Elflein and wide receiver Keke Coutee were among the tryouts at Tuesday’s workout, which was confirmed by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. What’s the word on them?
Elflein, 28, is listed at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds and played college football at Ohio State. He’s a career center who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round (at No. 70 overall) in 2017, having also spent time with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers while starting 64 of the 65 games he’s played in the NFL. He was college teammates with several Saints stars like cornerback Marshon Lattimore and wide receiver Michael Thomas.
Coutee, 26, weighs in at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds and was a standout at Texas Tech in college. He was picked by the Houston Texans in the fourth round (at No. 103 overall) in the 2018 draft but played for the Indianapolis Colts the last few years. He was a favorite target of Patrick Mahomes’ in Texas Tech’s wide-open passing attack, but he’s struggled to find much success in the NFL while averaging just 2.6 receptions for 29.3 receiving yards per game in his pro career.
We’ll get a better idea of which free agents the Saints are hosting for tryouts when the daily NFL transactions wire updates on Tuesday afternoon, but this is a good opportunity for veteran players to look for work and for the team to address any lingering holes on their depth chart.
Update: Hendrix and Underhill add that former Kentucky wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. was also in attendance on a tryout basis. The 25-year-old former Las Vegas Raiders third-round pick (No. 80 overall in 2020) is listed at 5-foot-11 and 203 pounds, but has bounced around the league while struggling to find his footing in the NFL. He’s also played for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.
Additionally, Underhill reports that while the Saints are interested in bringing Elflein in for a tryout, he’s biding his time to see if an opportunity to start opens up around the league before settling for a role as a backup.
