This could be a good move: the New Orleans Saints signed veteran tight end Jesse James on Wednesday, reinforcing a part of their depth chart which has already seen changes this offseason with the addition of hometown hero Foster Moreau. James has been assigned the No. 81 jersey.
Originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2015, James appeared in 62 games (6 of them playoff games) with Pittsburgh before he spent two years with the Detroit Lions. He’s on his third team in three years by signing with the Saints, having joined the Chicago Bears in 2021 and the Cleveland Browns in 2022, though an injury limited him to just two games.
James has logged over 1,700 snaps as a run blocker in his eight-year NFL career, and that’s likely the vision for him in New Orleans. Juwan Johnson has developed into a real threat as a receiver and Moreau is an every-down asset as a pass-catcher and blocker, but James could be a better fit for the third tight end role than Lucas Krull or Miller Forristall given his experience. He’s also played a lot of snaps on special teams which may give him an edge when it comes time to make these difficult roster decisions.
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