Dennis Allen explains why the Saints cut wide receiver A.T. Perry

Dennis Allen explained why the Saints waived wide receiver A.T. Perry, and what the future may hold for him in the NFL:

The New Orleans Saints surprised many of their fans this week by waiving wide receiver A.T. Perry, last year’s sixth-round draft pick out of Wake Forest. Head coach Dennis Allen was asked about the decision during his regular press conference ahead of Monday night’s road game with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Allen says it was a combination of Perry’s underwhelming fit in the offense and the need for greater depth at other positions that forced their hand. Perry dealt with some minor injuries but was inactive for each of their first four games this season, and injuries had piled up along the offensive line.

“Probably the biggest thing that went into the decision, in terms of healthy inactives and guys we could create a spot with, we signed the offensive lineman (Connor McGovern, from the New York Jets practice squad). That’s really what that boiled down to,” Allen said Saturday.

When pressed, Allen continued: “Sometimes you make some moves because it’s roster management moves. I still think he’s got some ability. So we’ll see what happens, he’ll have to go through the waiver claim, which happens on Monday, and then we’ll go from there.”

Allen added that the Saints would “absolutely” like to re-sign Perry to the practice squad if he clears waivers, so there’s a chance we haven’t seen the last of him just yet. How strong those odds are depends on how the same teams that passed on Perry in the draft last year feel about him now. Everyone needs receivers, and there aren’t many players his size who move as smoothly as he does. He should garner some attention on the waiver wire.

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Full waiver wire order for all 32 teams at NFL roster cuts deadline

Full waiver wire for all 32 teams at NFL roster cuts deadline: Where do the New Orleans Saints stand in waiver priority?

More than 1,000 NFL players will be released, waived, or traded ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s annual deadline, with many of them (but not all) eligible for claiming on the waiver wire. That’s an opportunity for the New Orleans Saints and many other teams to get better by acquiring players who either weren’t good fits in their last spot or who were pushed off the depth chart by offseason upgrades.

But where are the Saints picking? At this point on the NFL calendar waiver wire priority is determined by the 2023 draft order, without any trades, meaning the Saints clock in at No. 10 overall. It will change once games are played and teams begin racking up wins or suffering losses. For now, here is where New Orleans slots in:

Report: 3 different teams filed waiver claims for former Saints RB Tony Jones Jr.

Report: 3 different teams filed waiver claims for former Saints running back Tony Jones Jr.

It’s annoying to see the New Orleans Saints lose a player and get nothing back in compensation, but it’s important to acknowledge this was a risk they were willing to take. And it was reasonable to think a running back with just two carries this season wouldn’t have had a problem clearing the waiver wire.

But that wasn’t the case — ESPN’s Field Yates reports that three different teams filed waiver claims for former Saints running back Tony Jones Jr. when the team let him go earlier this week. New Orleans may have had designs for Jones to return to their practice squad after going unclaimed, but several other teams were waiting for him to become available, and now he’ll be running for another squad.

To be totally honest, it isn’t that big of a loss. Jones was a healthy inactive twice this season before the Saints chose to waive him. He’s logged 59 rushing attempts for 163 yards (2.8 yards per carry) in his three-year NFL career, catching 7 of 10 targets to gain another 41 yards. He wasn’t going to get many snaps behind Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram II, and Dwayne Washington. But it is another hit to a weak area on the depth chart that’s struggled through the first five weeks of the season.

Anyway — here are the teams that submitted waiver claims for Jones:

Saints claim former Bills guard Tanner Owen off of waivers

Saints claim former Bills guard Tanner Owen off of waivers. The former undrafted rookie lined up at left tackle for Northwest Missouri State:

There’s one new arrival for the New Orleans Saints, who claimed former Buffalo Bills guard Tanner Owen off of waivers. The former undrafted rookie lined up at left tackle for Northwest Missouri State but played both guard spots over the summer in Buffalo. He brings some versatility as someone with experience at both guard and tackle, and should help reinforce some weak areas along the Saints offensive line.

It remains to be seen what the corresponding roster move is here, and there will be many moving parts in the hours and days ahead. So stay tuned to see who will be leaving the 53-man roster to make room for Owen.

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Packers claim no players off waivers after final cuts

The Packers claimed no one off of waivers, and no player waived by the Packers was claimed by another team.

The Green Bay Packers were not awarded a single player off of waivers following final cuts around the NFL.

The Packers also had no player cut claimed off waivers, which is good news for general manager Brian Gutekunst if he wants to build his 16-player practice squad primarily with players that spent training camp in Green Bay.

Overall, 27 players were claimed off of waivers around the NFL, per the transaction wire.

It’s possible the Packers put in a waiver claim on a player but were beat by a team higher on the priority list. Green Bay was No. 30, based on last year’s draft order.

The Packers will have a full 53-man roster once the team’s trade for punter Corey Bojorquez is completed. The team can still place players on injured reserve and sign others as needed now that the initial 53-man rosters are active.

With the waiver claim period over, the Packers can now start building the team’s practice. We’ll be tracking those additions here.

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Tracking 2020 Saints practice squad signings, waiver claims

The New Orleans Saints released a wave of players in NFL roster cuts, but have the opportunity to re-sign many of them to the practice squad

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Nearly 900 NFL players had their contracts wiped out with teams at the league’s roster cuts deadline, putting many of them onto the waiver wire.

Some of the players released by the New Orleans Saints have returned to the practice squad, while a few others may get fresh starts with new teams. We’ve collected all of the latest reports and roster moves below, and will continue to update the list as more information becomes available, so check back often.

But first, a quick refresher on how the practice squad rules will look different in 2020. The new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFL Players Association expanded the practice squad from 10 contracts to 12, but the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the NFL to widen it again to 16 members.

Additionally, up to six of those players may be veterans with unlimited NFL experience (in the past, only those with three or fewer accrued seasons were practice squad eligible). Teams must designate four practice squad players as being protected from poaching by other teams each Tuesday during the regular season.

Now that the housekeeping is out of the way: here’s who is waiting in the wings in the Big Easy:

Signed to the Saints practice squad

Quarterback-turned-tight end Tommy Stevens is returning to the Saints practice squad after passing through waivers, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. He’ll get an opportunity to continue to develop while working with familiar coaches.
Undrafted rookie cornerback Keith Washington Jr. is also signing with the Saints practice squad, as announced by his representatives at Icon Sports Consulting. Washington really came on as training camp progressed and could climb the depth chart later this season.
The Saints expect to sign backup offensive lineman Cameron Tom to their practice squad, reports Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Tom is a versatile pro who can play both guard and center, and it’s always good to have players with NFL reps to their credit ready to call up.
NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported that rookie linebacker Joe Bachie is signing with the Saints practice squad. Bachie received more guaranteed money in his contract than any other Saints undrafted rookie, and the coaching staff clearly liked what he showed in training camp.

Former Saints on new teams

Veteran pass rusher Mario Edwards Jr. joined the Chicago Bears, agreeing to a deal overnight. Because he is a sixth-year pro, he wasn’t eligible for waivers and could immediately hear out offers from other teams.

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Lions make zero waiver claims, lose RB Jason Huntley to the Eagles

The Detroit Lions make zero waiver claims after they established their initial 53-man roster, and lose fifth-round running back Jason Huntley to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Detroit Lions made zero waiver claims after they established their initial 53-man roster, and lost fifth-round running back Jason Huntley to the Philadelphia Eagles.

In a typical year, the NFL averages 41 waiver claims after the initial roster cuts. This year, with the COVID-19 pandemic eliminating the preseason and impacting scouts from getting solid reads on bubble players, only 17 players were claimed.

The Lions’, despite having the third overall waiver claim option — which they will carry through Week 3 of the regular season — did not feel the need to add any players to their established roster.

With the Lions planning on adding running back Adrian Peterson to their active roster, they had a crowded running backs room and something had to give. The team elected to waive Huntley and try to pass him through waivers but were unable to make that happen as the Eagles swooped in and snagged him.

Huntley will now be placed on the Eagles active roster and will likely take over their fourth running back role, competing with Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and Corey Clement for snaps.

Saints tried to claim ex-Cardinals, Ravens pass rusher Terrell Suggs off waivers

The Kansas City Chiefs were awarded ex-Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals DE Terrell Suggs, but the New Orleans Saints tried to get him.

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The New Orleans Saints claimed veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins off of waivers from the New York Giants on Monday, but they nearly added a second playmaker in Terrell Suggs. The former Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens pass rusher was claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs after being waived last week, but the Saints were one of four teams to try and pick him up.

As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Saints and Chiefs were joined by the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks in making waiver claims for the experienced sack artist. Because the Chiefs had the worst record of the group at 10-4 (a win percentage of .714), they were awarded Suggs.

He’ll arrive in Kansas City just hours after news broke that former Saints defensive end Alex Okafor, now with the Chiefs, would miss the rest of the season with a pectoral injury. It’s brutal news for Okafor, who recovered from an Achilles injury and bet on himself to play for a new contract with the Saints last year, ultimately earning a three-year, $18 million contract with Kansas City. It’s disappointing to see his year end this way, but at least he’s already secured the bag.

The Saints being interested in Suggs makes plenty of sense, especially in the wake of injuries to defensive linemen Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins. They’ve already added a pass rusher with NFL experience in Noah Spence, but there’s no confusing him for Suggs; the 13-year veteran logged 5.5 sacks and 7 quarterback hits in 13 games with the Cardinals this year, adding to his career total of 138 sacks. It’ll be interesting to see how the Saints adapt to life out on the edge without Davenport starting opposite Cameron Jordan.

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Former Saints TE Dan Arnold claimed off of waivers by Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals claimed former New Orleans Saints tight end/wide receiver Dan Arnold off of waivers ahead of Week 14’s NFL games.

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The New Orleans Saints waived third-year tight end Dan Arnold on Wednesday to make room on the 53-man roster for veteran linebacker Manti Te’o, and they probably expected him to pass through waivers unclaimed and return to the practice squad.

But that won’t happen. The Arizona Cardinals were awarded Arnold off of waivers on Thursday, adding him to their own 53-man roster. Arnold initially signed with the Saints a few seasons back as an undrafted rookie out of Wisconsin-Platteville — and he was known as more of a big, athletic wide receiver than a tight end.

New Orleans attempted to convert him to the new position by putting him through their sports nutrition program and one-on-one tutelage with tight ends coach Dan Campbell, but inconsistencies as a pass-catcher and deficiencies as a blocker kept him off of the field. Now he’ll be making an in-season move to the desert to try and catch on with a new team.

Arnold ultimately logged 212 snaps in 13 games with the Saints, including an appearance in last year’s NFC championship game. He caught 14 of his 24 career targets to gain 175 yards, including a touchdown score over the Atlanta Falcons in 2018. Maybe things will work for him better in Arizona, under first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury in his high-flying offense with electric rookie quarterback Kyler Murray.

In the meantime, Arnold’s departure leaves the Saints with four tight ends on the team, and three on the active roster. That list includes starters Jared Cook and Josh Hill, backup Jason Vander Laan (limited in Thursday’s practice with a vague head injury), and practice squad convert Mitchell Loewen, a former defensive lineman.

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