The New Orleans Saints are keeping around multiple players after rookie minicamp tryouts, including a veteran wide receiver who impressed at rookie minicamp.
The team has agreed to contract with Donovan Peoples-Jones, a former 6th round pick of the Browns who spent the last two seasons with the Lions. The 26-year-old last appeared in a game during the 2023 season.
The veteran WR was one of 16 tryout players that got on the field along rookies, UDFAs and handful of signed veteran players this week at the Saints facility. He wore 19 during this week's practices, but will have to choose a new number with that currently assigned to kicker Blake Grupe.
“[Peoples-Jones has] been a really productive player and just a couple years ago he had a ton of catches, a ton of production in Cleveland and so certainly a guy that when he went through the draft process he was highly thought of and you want to keep an eye on those guys as you kind of go through this journey and give them a chance to compete," new Saints head coach Kellen Moore said after Saturday's practice. "I thought he went out there and did an excellent job today.”
The Saints have also signed tryout DB Terrell Burgess (Utah) and have released RB Jordan Mims and DB Millard Bradford. The team announced the moves Monday afternoon.
The Saints also intend to sign former JUCO quarterback Hunter Dekkers, a source has confirmed to WWL Radio. That deal has not been yet been reported by the team.
The 6'2" Peoples-Jones fills what appeared to be a need for this Saints roster in the form of a bigger-bodied WR. The position group is expected to be led by Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks, who also signed as a free agent this offseason.
Peoples-Jones has appeared in 58 games, logging 122 catches fof 1,895 yards and 8 touchdowns. His best year came with Cleveland in 2022 when he appeared in all 17 games and caught 61 passes for 839 yards and three TDs.
The Saints will next be on the field later in May when they start the first of three OTA sessions.
