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The New Orleans Saints pulled the plug on their experiment with veteran linebacker Nigel Bradham on Monday, releasing the veteran after having signed him to a contract just before training camp started. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the news of Bradham’s release, which was confirmed by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.
Bradham got few looks with the Saints’ first-team defense in practice sessions open to the media, which was due more to the number of quality starting-caliber linebackers the Saints have on the roster. They rarely use more than two linebackers at a time, and All-Pro starter Demario Davis is locked in, leaving just one spot available for either Alex Anzalone or Zack Baun — and then Bradham got thrown in. That’s not including backups the team values highly like Craig Robertson, Kaden Elliss, Joe Bachie, or Kiko Alonso (once he returns from the PUP list).
The ninth-year NFL veteran raised some eyebrows last week when he expressed how eager he was to work with the Saints, a team known for its winning culture; just two years ago, he won a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles, so his comments didn’t exactly sit well with their fanbase.
Maybe releasing Bradham now will allow him to find another NFL opportunity while teams are still practicing daily in training camp. It’s also possible that this could be a procedural move so the Saints can give someone else a shot before bringing him back, but that doesn’t feel likely in this situation. They did recently try out a pair of young cornerbacks after losing rookie Tino Ellis to injured reserve. Still, stay tuned for updates.
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