Tag: Jason Vander Laan

Saints lose tight end Jason Vander Laan to I.R., re-sign Michael Ola

The New Orleans Saints reported two roster moves, losing backup tight end Jason Vander Laan to injured reserve and re-signing Michael Ola.

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The official NFL transactions wire for Friday, Dec. 6 listed two roster moves for the New Orleans Saints: the loss of backup tight end Jason Vander Laan to injured reserve with a vague head issue, and the re-signing of veteran left tackle Michael Ola. ESPN’s Field Yates first reported the news of both changes to the Saints’ active roster.

Vander Laan only played a handful of snaps in two games for the Saints after being called up from the practice squad, standing out as a blocker on running downs. He injured his head in Thursday’s practice and did not participate in Friday’s session before his season ended.

New Orleans waived third-year tight end Dan Arnold on Wednesday to make room on the roster for free agent linebacker Manti Te’o, and he was claimed off of waivers by the Arizona Cardinals, removing him as an option for the Saints. They’re running thin at the position with just two healthy tight ends on the active roster (starter Jared Cook and backup Josh HIll) and a defensive lineman-turned-tight end on the practice squad (Mitchell Loewen).

Ola logged 32 snaps with the Saints last season as a backup to Terron Armstead at left tackle, but a late-season high-ankle sprain ended his year. He recovered and competed for a spot on the depth chart throughout the summer on New Orleans’ 90-man offseason roster, but was released during roster cuts in August. This is his sixth season in the NFL and his eighth playing football professionally, having started out with the Arena League’s Jacksonville Sharks and CFL’s Montreal Alouettes back in 2012.

Armstead is battling his own high-ankle sprain and is officially questionable to suit up for Sunday’s game with the San Francisco 49ers, so Ola’s return gives the Saints some experienced depth at the position. Last week, they started journeyman guard Patrick Omameh in Armstead’s spot, with undrafted rookie Ethan Greenidge as an emergency option behind him.

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Saints shuffle roster posts, lose Austin Carr to injured reserve

The New Orleans Saints sent WR Austin Carr to injured reserve and called up practice squad TE Jason Vander Laan, adding RB Ricky Ortiz.

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The New Orleans Saints shuffled the bottom of their depth chart on Friday in a series of roster moves. Third-year wide receiver Austin Carr was sent to the injured reserve list after missing practice with an ankle injury; in his place, the Saints called up practice squad tight end Jason Vander Laan. The open spot on the practice squad was filled by Ricky Ortiz, who the official NFL transactions wire listed as a running back.

Ortiz’s (6-foot-0, 233 pounds) exact position is a little unclear, though it doesn’t mean much in the bigger picture (teammate Taquan Mizzell, also on the practice squad, is listed as a wide receiver but wears No. 44, a number restricted to running backs and fullbacks). Oritz’s previous NFL experience came as a fullback with the Atlanta Falcons, where he was listed as a fullback and appeared in a dozen games last season, totaling 139 snaps on offense and 89 snaps on special teams.

Vander Laan (6-foot-4, 245 pounds) has been on the Saints practice squad since Oct. 23. His NFL experience has been limited to appearances with the Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, and New England Patriots practice squads. Before that, he played quarterback at Ferris State, where he set the NCAA all-division record for rushing yards (5,953).

With starting fullback Zach Line sidelined by a knee injury and backup tight end Josh Hill returning from a mild concussion, opportunities are there for fresh faces like Vander Laan and Ortiz to make an impression right away. Carr’s loss on offense is minimal; he’s proven to be a capable blocker out of the slot, but struggles to get open or catch the ball when it’s thrown to him. The Saints are working with second-year wideout Keith Kirkwood in his return from injured reserve in the next few weeks. Hopefully he’ll be able to create a spark where Carr couldn’t once he’s back.

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