Saints roster moves: New Orleans made 15 moves on Monday

The New Orleans Saints are settling into their new accommodations for practice at the TCU Horned Frogs’ facilities in Fort Worth, Texas, so they worked quickly on Monday afternoon to make up for lost time. The team reported 15 different roster moves on the daily NFL transactions wire, including a now-completed practice squad of 16 players and several losses to injured reserve. Here’s everything you need to know:

Saints sign DT Montravius Adams

We've expected this addition for nearly a week, so it's good to see the Saints make it official. Adams adds some much-needed experience to the defensive tackles rotation with David Onyemata suspended; right now, he's joined by third-year pro Shy Tuttle, second-year backup Malcolm Roach, and Christian Ringo, a holdover from the 2020 practice squad.

Saints sign WR Chris Hogan

This reunion was reported earlier on Monday, and now it's been formally completed. Hogan played well in training camp after hanging up his lacrosse gear, and he could very well be activated for Week 1. That's troubling considering he couldn't stick with a bad New York Jets receiving corps last year. It says more about the thin depth at the position in New Orleans that they brought him back.

Saints sign QB Trevor Siemian

For now, the Saints are rostering four quarterbacks between Siemian, Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, and Ian Book. Book probably isn't ready to go into a game in an emergency as a rookie mid-round draft pick; Hill is working on bulking up to play his versatile tight end-slot receiver hybrid position again, so the team needs someone with real NFL experience waiting behind Winston.

Saints send Wil Lutz to injured reserve

This was expected after Lutz underwent core muscle surgery early in training camp. The Saints had to keep him on the initial 53-man roster for a few days before designating him to I.R., or else he wouldn't have been able to return this season. Instead he's going on ice for at least three weeks.

Saints send OL Will Clapp to injured reserve

Clapp missed some time late in training camp with an undisclosed injury so this isn't too surprising. He would have been a shoo-in to dress on game days as the backup guard (at both spots) and center, if needed, so the Saints will have to explore other options. He should return once eligible after waiting three weeks. In the meantime, the Saints could use second-year backup Calvin Throckmorton in that role or call up Derrick Kelly from the practice squad.

Saints send TE Nick Vannett to injured reserve

This move was anticipated, too. Vannett and his projected co-starter Adam Trautman were both sidelined by preseason injuries, and while the Saints were optimistic Vannett could return in time for Week 1 they instead will keep him out of action to finish healing up. With him out of the picture, look for Trautman and converted wide receiver Juwan Johnson to get most of the snaps at tight end, with veteran backup Garett Griffin maybe elbowing his way into the lineup on occasion.

Saints sign K Aldrick Rosas to practice squad

This is the first of seven practice additions, so buckle up. Rosas was surprisingly released a week ago though the expectation was he would return to the 53-man roster once Lutz landed on I.R. Instead, the Saints got more creative -- Rosas can be promoted on game days twice before being signed to the active roster, meaning New Orleans can get by for two weeks without rostering a kicker. That buys them some time to audition other players and maintain roster flexibility.

Saints sign CB Ka'dar Hollman to practice squad

Another expected move -- Hollman's arrival was previously reported, and now it's official. He was traded to the Houston Texans from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a 2022 seventh round draft pick, but cut a week later. Now the Saints get a look at him in practice without giving up any draft assets.

Saints sign DE Jalyn Holmes to practice squad

So this is interesting: Holmes is a unique tweener who has mainly played defensive end but with frequent alignments inside at defensive tackle. The Saints can move him around and see where he helps out the most. To little surprise, he was a college teammate of Pete Werner, Marshon Lattimore, and Michael Thomas at Ohio State before the Minnesota Vikings drafted him in 2018.

Saints sign DT Jaleel Johnson to practice squad

Here's another previously-reported move, but with a twist. Johnson ended up signing with the practice squad rather than the 53-man roster, but there's a chance he ends up being activated to help pad out the in-game rotation at defensive tackle. He's got NFL reps to his credit and some playmaking ability.

Saints re-sign G/T Derrick Kelly to practice squad

Kelly initially tried to latch on somewhere else, but he's instead been brought back to the New Orleans practice squad after being waived a week ago. He's listed as a guard on the roster and daily NFL wire but has played almost exclusively at right tackle for the Saints so far.

Saints sign CB Dylan Mabin to practice squad

Like Johnson and Holmes, Mabin is another former Viking and Mike Zimmer project. He hits all the height and length parameters the Saints value at the position, though it wasn't enough for him to last long in Minnesota. Maybe he flashes in practice.

Saints sign CB Jordan Miller to practice squad

Miller previously spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, where mainly played special teams. The Saints have a thin cornerbacks depth chart and he has as good a shot to stand out as anyone else on their practice squad -- a group that includes Miller, Mabin, and Hollman in addition to Marshon Lattimore, Ken Crawley, Paulson Adebo, and part-time free safety P.J. Williams on the 53-man roster.

Saints release LB Wyonton McManis from practice squad

McManis was an early signee to the Saints practice squad after roster cuts last week, so this is a little surprising. Still, his only path to playing in regular season games would have been on special teams, and the Saints have enough candidates for that gig to thin out the group.

Saints release CB Bryan Mills from practice squad

The Saints reported this move on an earlier update to the daily NFL transactions wire, but it's worth lumping in here with everything else. Mills was an undersized rookie brought in for development after washing out with the Seahawks earlier this summer, but the Saints saw enough to bring in other options to try out.

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