Saints veterans reported for training camp on Tuesday, and the team kept busy with a flurry of roster moves before the players get out on the field for the first time.
The Saints signed three players and waived three others, moved announced Tuesday afternoon. Those players break down as:
Players signed:
- RB Malcolm Brown
- C Nick Martin
- DE Scott Patchan
Players waived:
- P Dan Whelan
- OL Derek Schweiger
- CB Jordan Miller
The team also announced that safety Tyrann Mathieu has been excused for the start of camp for a family matter. WR Michael Thomas and DE Marcus Davenport will begin camp on the PUP list.
The moves add some depth at a pair of key positions. Erik McCoy is entrenched at center, but the only other player listed at the position was Cesar Ruiz, who will be the likely starter at guard. Martin adds another camp body who can work in at the position.
Brown also represents intriguing depth at a position the team seems eager to build at, and bears a familiar name. The Saints had a defensive tackle named Malcom Brown, whom they traded to Jacksonville prior to the 2021 season.
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The newly signed Brown is a 7-year NFL veteran, the first six seasons of which he spent with the Rams before spending the 2021 season with the Miami Dolphins. Brown has never held lead back duties, but he's logged 331 carries for 1,313 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career.
Brown has never been a prolific receiver, with 46 catches for 337 yards and touchdown to his credit. That touchdown, though, came at the expense of the Saints back in 2018. The Saints got the last laugh in a wild 45-35 victory at the Superdome, the same game that WR Michael Thomas duplicated Joe Horn's famous cell phone TD celebration.
The RB position will be one of intrigue throughout camp, with the team already having multiple players in for tryouts. Those names include David Johnson, Jordan Howard and Darius Victor. The current room is headlined by Alvin Kamara, whose status could be in doubt if he lands a suspension stemming from an arrest in Las Vegas during last season's Pro Bowl weekend.
The team gets out onto the field for the first official practice on Wednesday, while the first practice open to fans will be on Saturday, July 30. Saints head coach Dennis Allen and GM Mickey Loomis were scheduled to speak to the media Tuesday afternoon.
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