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The New Orleans Saints had two transactions listed on the daily NFL wire, designating linebacker Kiko Alonso and cornerback Johnson Bademosi to the physically unable to perform (PUP) list on Saturday. Both players will count against the 90-man roster limit.
Alonso suffered a torn ACL in the Saints’ postseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings back in January, and has spent the offseason recovering from surgery. While there were optimistic reports about his availability to open training camp earlier this summer, the Saints are going to be cautious in working him back onto the practice field. Alonso renegotiated his contract with the Saints, saving them salary cap space and guaranteeing him the opportunity to compete for a job. He played well when healthy last season, filling in as the team’s go-to third linebacker behind Demario Davis and A.J. Klein.
Bademosi re-signed with the Saints after testing free agency; in 2019, he joined the squad near mid-season and was a big part of their success on special teams. But a December foot injury in practice landed him on injured reserve. The Saints have several competitors for their fourth and fifth cornerback spots behind Marshon Lattimore, Janoris Jenkins, and P.J. Williams, so Bademosi has his work cut out for him, once healthy. He’ll have to displace either Patrick Robinson or Justin Hardee on the depth chart, not to mention newcomers like Deatrick Nichols, Keith Washington Jr., and Tino Ellis.
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