Tag: Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Former Texas WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey makes the Saints 53-man roster

After many ups and downs in the NFL, Lil’Jordan Humphrey is officially on the Saints’ 53-man roster.

After declaring for the 2019 NFL draft, former Texas wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent. All you need is a chance, right?

It hasn’t been an easy experience in the NFL for Humphrey. He was waived and re-signed three times, while being place on the injured reserve list a total of five times — each of these by the Saints.

In his two years in the NFL, Humphrey made appearances in a total of eight games, where he recorded three receptions for 46 yards and one touchdown. This was quite the opposite volume of stats in comparison to the numbers he put up in Austin. Throughout his collegiate career, he totaled 125 catches for 1,622 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The big-bodied receiver was never the fastest, which could be part of the reason NFL teams were turned off by him, but this preseason was seemingly the year that Humphrey finally broke through.

ESPN’s Mike Triplett reported that Humphrey made the 53-man roster with the Saints to the start the season, which marks the first time in his young professional career that he is doing so.

Humphrey showed up in a big way during the Saints’ two preseason games, catching seven passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

He has an opportunity to solidify a role for himself in a receiver group that is missing Michael Thomas due to injury, and is full of players who have not been consistent contributors in the NFL yet. Marquez Callaway has 21 career catches, Tre’Quan Smith has 80, Ty Montgomery has spent most of his career as a running back, and Deonte Harris had 26 career catches. There very well could be a more prominent role for the former Longhorn this season in New Orleans.

If Humphrey can keep creating separation, and continue coming down with spectacular jump ball catches, he will fit in perfectly with quarterback Jameis Winston, who is known for taking risks at the quarterback position.

Tre’Quan Smith’s continued injury absence puts himself and Saints in a tough spot

What Tre’Quan Smith’s continued injury absence means for him, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Chris Hogan, and upcoming Saints roster cuts:

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It’s been a summer of frustration for Tre’Quan Smith. He spent months working out almost daily with Jameis Winston in preparation for New Orleans Saints training camp, and the fourth-year pro was popularly picked as a breakout candidate with Winston running the offense. But an injury early in camp has sidelined him, and now it’s leading to a cluster of problems for both him and New Orleans.

He first exited training camp practice on Aug. 3 with what NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill described at the time as “an apparent leg injury.” Sean Payton said a few days later that he didn’t anticipate a long absence for Smith, but the receiver didn’t return to work for two weeks. After practicing on Aug. 17, he left early the next day and hasn’t been seen since. That’s a total of 14 practice sessions and two preseason games. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s broadcast team reported that Smith is managing a hamstring injury during the Saints-Jaguars matchup.

Smith could very well return to practice tomorrow and not miss a beat until the Sept. 12 season opener against Green Bay. But that just feels too optimistic given how much time he’s spent out of action so far.

So what’s the ripple effect of his continued absence? In function, it’s meant greater opportunities for similar big-bodied receivers like Chris Hogan and Lil’Jordan Humphrey. Humphrey bounced back from a rough week of practice with a triumphant performance in the second Saints exhibition game. Hogan missed a couple practices with a minor injury and that Jaguars contest before returning. Combining Humphrey’s progress with his heavy snaps count on special teams and he feels like someone safe to make the opening-day roster.

That leaves Hogan and Smith in an odd situation. The Saints can’t put Smith on injured reserve right now and later bring him back to play this year — they must carry him on the roster until Week 1, at which point he can go on I.R. and rest up for at least three weeks before returning. If he’s unavailable and Michael Thomas is still on the mend, rostering Hogan makes sense.

Additionally, teams often release players with four years’ or more experience (“vested veterans”) before Week 1 only to re-sign them soon after as a way of saving a little salary cap space. If those vested veterans are already on the roster for Week 1, their entire salary becomes guaranteed and counts against the salary cap. Hogan only counts $850,000 against the cap right now anyway (well, at this moment he isn’t among their top-51 contracts for the offseason) thanks to the veteran’s minimum salary benefit, but that’s still some pennies the Saints could pinch and stash for a rainy day.

So here’s a possible outcome: Smith makes the initial Week 1 roster over Hogan and is then sent to injured reserve so he can continue healing up for a few weeks, returning as soon as Week 4. Hogan is re-signed at very little cost against the salary cap and continues to push Humphrey in practice every day. By the time the Saints hit their Week 6 bye, both Smith and Michael Thomas (and Deonte Harris, once his anticipated two-week suspension is announced) are back in the fold and the Saints can get to work at full strength.

On the other hand, maybe Smith is responding better to treatment than what we’ve seen from a distance. The Saints could be hoping that he’s able to suit up in Week 1 rather than miss any time on I.R. But after they underestimated how much time Michael Thomas and Marcus Davenport would miss last season, I think it’s justified to hope for a quicker return but prepare for a more sustained absence.

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Saints roster bubble: Which players helped their case vs. Jaguars?

Saints roster bubble: Which players helped their case vs. Jaguars?

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The next wave of NFL roster cuts is just hours away, meaning the New Orleans Saints must continue to whittle down their depth chart from 85 players to just 80. Next week’s final deadline will see teams trim down to the 53-player limit for the regular season, which raises the pressure on players on the roster bubble across the league.

So these preseason games are great opportunities to build a case for a job. And several Saints players on the bubble seized their chance with both hands. Here is who impressed during New Orleans’ win against the Jacksonville Jaguars:

12 players who must impress during Saints’ preseason game vs. Jaguars

12 players needing to impress during Saints’ preseason game vs. Jaguars

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We’re on to the second preseason game for the New Orleans Saints, who will be hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars at Caesars Superdome on Monday night. While this is a meaningless exhibition game, the stakes are higher for some players than others. Some need this opportunity to prove they can handle greater responsibility during the regular season.

Others know their careers could be on the line when they take the field. Dozens of jobs have already been locked in for the 2021 season, but that just isn’t true for everyone. A game (even a preseason game in exhibition play) against another team is just what some of them need to help seal the deal. Here is who needs a big night against the Jaguars: