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Another member of the New Orleans Saints’ rookie class is returning for 2021. Cornerback Keith Washington Jr. agreed to a reserve/future contract with New Orleans, per his representatives at Icon Sports Consulting, meaning he’ll be added to the 90-man offseason roster with a chance to compete in training camp. 14 players, many of them former members of the Saints practice squad, also signed reserve/future contracts earlier this week.
Initially signed as an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, Washington impressed last summer — so much so that NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill charted him with six interceptions in just three weeks of practices. But the great depth the Saints enjoyed at cornerback pushed him down to the practice squad, where he spent the entire 2020 season (except for a stint on the COVID-19 reserve list late in the year).
He should get his chance in 2021. Veteran backup Patrick Robinson is a possible salary cap casualty, as is No. 2 corner Janoris Jenkins (though he played well enough to justify bringing back, at the right price). Right now, the only Saints cornerbacks under contract for 2021 are Marshon Lattimore (in the final year of his contract), Jenkins, Robinson, Washington, and Grant Haley (another reserve/future signee). That’s a pretty strong group, but look for the Saints to add more competition as the offseason continues.
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