Saints coach Sean Payton referred to outside cornerback as a "must" throughout training camp, and the team made its big splash right under the wire.
The Saints will be trading for Houston Texans CB Bradley Roby, according to a report from Ian Rapaport of the NFL Network. The trade compensation has not yet been specified.
The move comes just hours after the team officially announced the signing of veteran Desmond Trufant, which coincided with the release of veteran running back Latavius Murray. With Roby suspended for the first game of the 2021 season, the final game remaining from a longer suspension midway through last season, the need for a bit more depth until their new cornerback can see the field is clear.
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The position's depth took a hit over the offseason with the release of veteran Janoris Jenkins as the Saints shed more than $100 million to get under the salary cap. Patrick Robinson also opted to retire midway through training camp.
The Saints selected rookie Paulson Adebo out of Stanford in the third round of this year's draft, and Ken Crawley had been the early choice to get the first-team reps across from star Marshon Lattimore. Crawley had impressed, but suffered an injury in the preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
While the Roby trade should solve some of those concerns for the Saints, it won't do anything for Week 1. The 29-year-old must finish out the final game of a suspension handed down midway through last season for a positive test for a banned substance. The Saints will be without defensive tackle David Onyemata for six games for a similar suspension. Saints coach Sean Payton said Wednesday morning that the team is familiar with Trufant, having seen him many times as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, and it'll just be a matter of picking up the system in a short span.
Check back for updates.