It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints were not big spenders in free agency. They had to race to reach salary cap compliance from a $100 million deficit, leaving them with little resources to commit to improving their squad. Of the players they did sign only a select few joined the black and gold for more than a minimum salary.
Still, the Saints were able to add a number of new faces despite those financial limitations. Some of them (Tanoh Kpassagnon and Bradley Roby) made a greater impression than others (Austin Reiter and Prince Amukamara), who were only around long enough to get a cup of coffee. Here are how the top 15 Saints pickups have fared at the bye week:
FB Alex Armah Jr.
New Orleans’ very first free agent signing has been serviceable, but he’s played more snaps on special teams (37) than on offense (28). He’s only had two carries, gaining seven yards, but converted a first down on both tries. He’s also run eight routes but has yet to receive a target. It’s about what you’d expect from someone on a veteran’s minimum contract.
WR Kenny Stills
Not counting the 46-yard dime he caught from Jameis Winston from a touchdown, Stills has gone 3-of-8 as a receiver for a mere 34 yards. But he hasn’t dropped a pass and he’s converted two first downs on those looks. His ability and role is clear (his average depth of target is 21.3 yards downfield), and he should benefit once better players return to the top of the depth chart.
WR Chris Hogan
Hogan has given high-effort reps every time he’s gotten on the field, which is really all you can ask from him at this point in his career. He’s caught 4 of the 6 passes sent his way without a single drop, gaining 41 yards and scoring a Week 1 touchdown. He’s logged 25 snaps on special teams against 68 snaps on offense. Like Stills, he’s provided modest return on a minimum salary.
DE Tanoh Kpassagnon
Easily the most impactful player the Saints signed in free agency, Kpassagnon has an argument to make as one of the steals of the summer across the NFL given his contract value (two years, $4.5 million). He’s created a pair of sacks, a batted pass, and 10 pressures across four games while playing all across the Saints defensive front.
DT Montravius Adams
Adams is one of a couple veterans the Saints have worked into their interior line cycle, creating just one pressure and a batted pass through two games. He’s shown better anchor than some of the younger players New Orleans has tried out but he should be supplanted once David Onyemata returns to the lineup in a few weeks.
DT Albert Huggins
Huggins was another bargain-bin pickup back around rookie minicamps, and while he’s been slightly more disruptive than some of his peers he hasn’t done much more than occupy blocks. Right now that’s all the Saints need him to do, but he’ll have to start making plays instead of just creating opportunities for others to hang around.
DE Jalyn Holmes
Signed earlier this season after injuries limited Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner (and, briefly, Kpassagnon), Holmes only saw a dozen snaps in one game but didn’t make much of a case for more looks. He doesn’t play special teams, either, so it feels like his audition will be short-lived once Davenport returns from injured reserve.
S Jeff Heath
Heath signed with the Saints late in training camp and made a quick impression on special teams, where he’s played the majority of his reps in black and gold. Of the 79 total snaps he’s played all but 9 came in the kicking game (in Week 1’s blowout win), and on four different units — kick return and coverage, plus punt return and coverage. He’s been an upgrade over D.J. Swearinger as an experienced reserve.
CB Bradley Roby
So I’ll lump Roby in even though the Saints acquired him in a trade, not as a free agent signing. He’s totaled 84 snaps since joining the team (all but two on defense), rotating in and out of games with Paulson Adebo occasionally but mainly taking P.J. Williams’ role as the dime back. 34% of his defensive snaps have seen him line up over the slot. He’s been thrown at four times, allowing three catches for 32 receiving yards. He’ll get his turn if the rookie hits a skid, but so far the youngster has played well enough to keep a proven No. 2 corner below him on the depth chart.
CB Desmond Trufant
Trufant was the first veteran corner brought in after Ken Crawley’s preseason injury, and he played well on very limited snaps. He was targeted four times and only yielded two receptions for 19 yards, also breaking up another pass. But with the Saints’ improved depth at the position he was released so he could catch on with another squad. There’s a very valid argument in favor of keeping him on the practice squad once Crawley returns, but he may have preferred to go explore other options in search of playing-time.
CB Brian Poole
Poole played well enough in preseason to earn a roster spot and compete for snaps as the dime back, but a last-minute hamstring injury cut his time in New Orleans short. He spent the first five weeks on the injured reserve list before agreeing to an injury settlement and release, which makes him a free agent again. Like Trufant, he can try out for other teams with little opportunities to get on the field with the Saints.
G J.R. Sweezy
The Saints brought Sweezy into training camp on a minimum salary in hopes that he could compete for a backup spot, but he couldn’t hang with younger players like Will Clapp and Calvin Throckmorton. And he opted to remain a free agent after the team cut him and tried to sign him to the practice squad. If he had chosen otherwise, maybe he would have gotten on the field again after injuries sidelined Clapp and Erik McCoy, putting Throckmorton into the lineup. There’s certainly a case for deciding that, if you as a 117-game veteran have to practice and work out and keep your body right, that you should be getting to play on Sundays.
TE Nick Vannett
Vannett landed a three-year, $8 million contract with the Saints but was cut down by a preseason knee injury that kept him out of action longer than expected. Hopefully he will return after the bye week and provide a boost as the primary blocking tight end, replacing Garrett Griffin and freeing up Adam Trautman for assignments better suited to his skills set. Sean Payton has suggested Vannett has upside as a receiver but he’s had little success in that role in the NFL so far.
RB Devonta Freeman
Another veteran’s minimum signee, Freeman didn’t show much during training camp and preseason despite getting a lot of run from the coaching staff. He was released during final roster cuts and eventually landed with the Baltimore Ravens. Signing him was the definition of a low-risk move for the Saints but it just didn’t pan out.
K Brett Maher, Aldrick Rosas, and Cody Parkey
A significantly riskier decision was bringing in a carousel of kickers of dubious provenance, each of whom have either been cut for ineptitude or lost to injuries during pregame warmups. The Saints knew they’d be without Wil Lutz for much of the season’s early months and tried to skirt the issue with bargain bin projects rather than paying up for a better candidate. Hopefully Lutz can return sooner rather than later.
How 15 notable Saints free agent pickups faring after first 5 games - Saints Wire
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