#Saints signed DE Jordan Willis to the practice squad. He had five sacks over 19 games for the 49ers over the last two seasons.
— Brooke Kirchhofer (@brookechesney) November 6, 2023
This is interesting: the New Orleans Saints are signing defensive end Jordan Willis to their practice squad, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Brooke Kirchhofer. This pickup comes after news that Saints rookie pass rusher Isaiah Foskey could miss a few weeks recovering from a strained quadriceps muscle.
Originally picked three slots ahead of Alex Anzalone in the 2017 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Willis went on appear in 26 games with the San Francisco 49ers where he bagged 7.5 of his 10.5 career sacks. He’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, falling right in line with the prototype the Saints value at defensive end.
Will he see many snaps in Sunday’s game with the Minnesota Vikings? That’s unlikely. The Saints have given the lion’s share of reps to Cameron Jordan (487) and Carl Granderson (459) through the first nine games, with Tanoh Kpassagnon (196) backing them up and Foskey (69) only getting into games in a reserve role. Veteran backup Kyle Phillips has been a healthy scratch after being promoted from the practice squad after an injury sidelined Payton Turner in the season opener. A corresponding move to Willis signing has not been announced, but the Saints also have preseason standout Niko Lalos on their practice squad.
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