Saints practice squad roster: Full list

On Tuesday, the New Orleans Saints cut several players they hoped to keep around. Only able to keep 53 players on the active roster, the team waived a ton of guys, and had to pray they cleared waivers. If they did clear waivers, they’d be able to re-sign with the team as a member of the practice squad.

Fortunately for New Orleans, every player the team waived cleared waivers. That made creating the practice squad easy. The Saints spent Wednesday signing guys they cut a day before to the practice squad. This was the best-case scenario for the franchise, as the team gets to keep some talented players in the building.

Saints practice squad

Each NFL team receives 16 practice squad spots. However, the league allows one additional spot for players in the International Pathway Program. By signing rookie kicker Charlie Smyth to the practice squad, New Orleans is able to carry 17 total players.

The practice squad is more than just a group of guys to serve as a scout team. It’s essentially the reserve for the team. If any of the players on the active, 53-man roster are injured or underperforming, the Saints will be able to elevate a practice squad player to the active roster for a game.

The players New Orleans signed are representative of the problem areas on the team, and are also guys who just had a really good training camp. Kyle Hergel, Shane Lemieux, and Josiah Ezirim will all provide depth to a questionable offensive line. The same goes for Millard Bradford, Johnathan Abram, and Ugo Amadi for the uncertain safety group.

While the cornerback and linebacker rooms are solid, the Saints signed players from both groups to the practice squad, because they looked really good throughout camp, and they can also contribute on special teams.

None of these players are satisfied to be on the practice squad, though. They’ll all be anticipating the moment they get called up, and they’ll do everything they can to make sure it’s a permanent elevation.

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