A familiar name is back with the Saints, and his name is Swilling.
Tre Swilling, that is, the son of the Dome Patrol legend Pat Swilling. Tre has been signed to the practice squad in New Orleans, news first reported by Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network.
Tre Swilling is a defensive back who had starred for Georgia Tech before going undrafted and latching on with the Tennessee Titans as a UDFA. He saw action for Tennessee in the preseason before being cut. Swilling was one of several players that the Saints had in for tryouts this week, but he's the only one that left with a deal.
Pat Swilling was also a standout for the Yellowjackets and still holds the program record for sacks in a season (15). He starred as a member of the vaunted New Orleans defenses in the late 80s and early 90s, and also played for the Detriot Lions and Oakland Raiders before retiring. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year as a member of the Saints in 1991 when he led the league with 17 sacks, and is a member of the team's hall of fame.
The 16-man practice squad was already full for the Saints, so the signing will likely include a corresponding move through either a cut or a player being signed to the active roster. That's already happened once in the form of linebacker Chase Hansen, who was initially signed to the practice squad before being signed to the 53 prior to the regular season opener.
