Treyton Welch is far from a household name. Matter of fact, there was a chance he wouldn't have been on the New Orleans Saints roster once Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau returned from injury. However, Welch not making the initial 53-man roster is the Saints' most surprising move so far.
The Saints are working to trim down their roster from the 90-man limit in the offseason to the 53-man limit for the regular season. Welch shouldn't have been considered a lock for the roster, but there was an expectation he would make it. It was enough of an expectation to be surprised about the cut.
Welch made a couple of standout plays in the preseason. He made an impressive grab over the linebacker versus the Jaguars and was wide open for a big play versus the Broncos. It certainly seemed like he was on his way to solidifying a roster spot.
Saints make the tight end room even thinner than it already was
The Saints waived Michael Jacobson on Monday. That seemed like a clear sign that Welch would make the roster. Letting Welch go means the Saints are currently sitting with Juwan Johnson, Jack Stoll and Moliki Matavao at tight end, at the moment.
Whether this means Matavao is making the roster is unknown. It definitely seemed like Welch was ahead of the rookie, so that would be yet another surprise. There's a chance the Saints cut Matavao and hit the waiver wire for a tight end. You can roll into the season two deep at the position.
The Saints are likely to start the season without Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau. Both of these players are still recovering from injuries from last season. We've yet to get a concrete designation on if either player will start the season on injured reserve or the physically unable to perform list.
Injured reserve rules out a player for the first four weeks of the season at minimum, and the PUP list keeps a player out for at least six weeks. Both allow players to make it past roster cuts without counting against the 53 man roster. It's hard to say which one feels more likely for Hill and Moreau, but both options feel more likely than them making the initial roster.