Bradley Roby might be joining a new team in the Saints, but that doesn’t mean things are unfamiliar.
After arriving via trade with the Houston Texans days before the season-opener, the 29-year-old cornerback was greeted by familiar faces, many of whom he works out with over the offseason. That includes Marshon Lattimore, Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. And of course, he joins the much-discussed core of former Ohio State players that includes Lattimore, Thomas and six others currently on New Orleans' roster or practice squad.
“It’s dope to me. It makes it an easier transition,” Roby said when asked about all the Buckeyes on his new team. "I could’ve gone to a team where I didn’t know anyone, and it would have been a little weird but coming to this team and knowing a lot of guys already seems like a seamless transition. I feel like I already fit in. We have high standards at Ohio State, and nothing changes.”
But it’s more than just the players in town. It's the atmosphere that has Roby excited for his new surroundings. He was out for Week 1, the final game of a suspension handed down during the 2020 season, but the 38-3 Saints victory exemplified the high standards and goals he’s eager to be a part of.
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"As soon as I heard it was the Saints, I was like 'man, what a blessing,’ " Roby said, "because we’re playing for something here.”
He was quick to point out that Houston, of course, has high goals of its own. It’s just a “different level” at this point, he says. The Texans landed an impressive Week 1 victory of their own over the Jacksonville Jaguars team whose stadium the Saints used as their temporary home on Sunday. But it’s a group with significant questions at quarterback and along the roster, has shed stars in Deandre Hopkins and JJ Watt in back-to-back seasons and fired coach Bill O'Brien just a quarter of the way into a 4-12 season.
With all that in mind, Roby was more than happy to land in New Orleans with much clearer title aspirations ahead.
"As soon as I heard it was New Orleans,” Roby said. "I was like 'hell yeah, let’s go.’ “
And Roby brings some experience in that regard. He won a Super Bowl as a member of the Denver Broncos in the 2015 season, and has seen action in seven playoff games throughout his career. In his career he’s logged action in 99 regular season games with 311 tackles, 10 interceptions and 75 passes defensed. He also profiles well into the Saints’ scheme which prioritizes heavy man-to-man work on the outsides. Saints coach Sean Payton has termed adding to that position as a “must” throughout the offseason following the departure of veteran Janoris Jenkins in free agency as the team shed more than $100 million to get under the salary cap.
But the Saints’ path to the postseason will have some hurdles of its own, most notably in the form of some questions up and down its roster. His arrival will help answer one of the bigger questions in depth at cornerback. That issue didn’t appear as big as it seemed going in to Week 1, with rookie Paulson Adebo stepping in as a starter across from Lattimore and intercepting Aaron Rodgers in his first career game. But Lattimore reportedly suffered a hand injury that required surgery. Should he miss time, Roby’s quick turnaround in learning the defense and getting into the action could prove vital. The Saints also signed veteran Desmond Trufant, who saw action in the win over the Packers just days after joining the team. Roby wasn’t able to participate in practice until his suspension was over, meaning his first time on the field with the Saints came this week.
"I was like a fly on the wall,” Roby said. "I couldn’t go out to practice, but I tried to soak up as much as I could and get to know guys as much as I could when I was around to make it easier this week now that I get to play with those guys.”
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And he won’t have long to wait until he sees the field for the first time since Week 11 of last season. The Saints hit the road for a date with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and he’ll almost certainly be in on the action.