The New Orleans Saints continued to tweak their roster on Thursday ahead of Week 3’s kickoff with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Per the daily NFL transactions wire, the Saints have promoted linebacker Ty Summers from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, which opened a spot for recently-waived running back Kirk Merritt to return.
Summers primarily plays special teams. He initially signed with the Saints practice squad after roster cuts in August but was let go to facilitate other moves, and the team brought him back after linebacker Ryan Connelly (another specialist in covering punts and kickoffs) went down with an injury. He played the fifth-most snaps in the kicking game last week against the Carolina Panthers.
Coincidentally, Summers is a former Packers draft pick (selected in the seventh round out of TCU in 2019). The Saints signed him off the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad late last year. He now joins Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Zack Baun, Nephi Sewell, and D’Marco Jackson on the 53-man roster. Jaylon Smith and Anfernee Orji are still on the practice squad.
Merritt, a former wide receiver who converted to running back last season, missed most of the summer with an injury and exclusively lined up at receiver on his handful of snaps in Week 1. He was inactive in Week 2 and waived, but cleared waivers to re-sign with the Saints practice squad. He joins Jordan Mims there with Tony Jones Jr. promoted to the 53-man roster with Jamaal Williams (who is managing an injury) and Kendre Miller.
So where does this leave the Saints in terms of numbers? They have now filled 52 of their 53 roster spots with all 16 spaces on the practice squad accounted for. Alvin Kamara is returning from his three-game suspension on Monday, Sept. 25, and the Saints will not have to waive anyone to make room for him. Barring more changes, of course. Stay tuned.
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