The New Orleans Saints were busy with roster moves on Tuesday, releasing Tre'Quan Smith from injured reserve and signing QB Jake Luton off the Panthers practice squad.
The quarterback move seemed inevitable, with the Saints in need of a backup with Derek Carr expected to miss time due to a shoulder injury. Luton spent a good chunk of the 2022 season with the Saints before signing with the Panthers this offseason and should already have a grasp of the offense.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen said this week on WWL Radio that Taysom Hill's role in the offense was not expected to change even if Carr missed time and Jameis Winston started, which necessitated the need for another backup on the roster. Rookie quarterback Jake Haener is suspended three more games for a violation of the league's policy on performance enhancing substances.
Luton was a 6th round pick of the Jaguars in 2020 and has also spent time with the Seahawks and Dolphins.
The release of the WR Smith is a bit more puzzling. He was on injured reserve due to a hamstring injury and was not taking up a roster spot. He would not have been eligible to return to the active roster until Week 5 at the earliest. The move is an indicator that the team is satisfied with its WR depth, with Michael Thomas, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed leading the way, along with Keith Kirkwood, A.T. Perry and Lynn Bowden Jr. on the active roster.
Smith was the last remaining player from the Saints' 2018 draft class. His Saints career ends with 131 receptions for 1,764 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Saints (2-1) face off with the Bucs (2-1) in a key divisional game on Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.
