3 biggest surprises from Saints roster cut day

The New Orleans Saints finally have their original 53-man roster for the 2024 season, after cutting a ton of players on Tuesday. This roster will, of course, change all throughout the year— including in the coming days as players clear waivers and make free agency decisions. For now, the Saints have the 53 players they’re planning to enter the 2024 season with.

New Orleans didn’t arrive at this roster without some surprises. There were some things we saw coming, like Kendre Miller being placed on injured reserve, but there were also a few decisions that caught fans and media members off guard.

3. Saints cutting corner Shemar Jean-Charles was a surprise

New Orleans is loaded at the cornerback position, but considering the group has battled injuries throughout camp, many people assumed Shemar Jean-Charles would make the initial 53-man roster. The veteran corner put together a strong training camp and preseason, receiving a lot of reps with Marshon Lattimore sidelined for the majority of camp.

Still, he was cut on Tuesday. If anything, this is good news for the health of the cornerback group. For Jean-Charles, he’ll be a big name on the waiver wire, but if he clears waivers, it’d make sense for the Saints to sign him to the practice team.

2. Saints surprisingly waived offensive lineman Kyle Hergel

For a team that really needs versatile, consistent depth offensive lineman, the waiving of Kyle Hergel was totally unexpected. The undrafted rookie had some promising flashes throughout camp, and considering the struggles on the Saints offensive like, the expectation was that he did enough to make the rosters.

New Orleans either sees things differently, or the team knows it’ll be able to re-sign Hergel to the practice squad. If he does actually clear waivers, that seems likely.

1. Undrafted rookie receiver Mason Tipton makes Saints roster

After about two weeks of training camp, this didn’t seem like it would be a surprise. Mason Tipton was an early breakout player in camp, making big plays every day. Unfortunately, he sustained an injury after his hot start, and had to watch things from the sideline, including the three preseason games he missed.

Typically, an undrafted rookie can’t afford to miss the majority of camp and all of the preseason, if they want to make the team. However, New Orleans saw enough from Tipton in his limited opportunities to keep him on the roster. Now, his first action will come in a real game.

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