The NFL’s roster cuts deadline has passed, and the initial 53-man roster has been set. The New Orleans Saints are currently in the process of picking up players for the practice squad and some for the active roster. There were some shocking moves. Leave it to the roster cut deadline to create surprise. We take a look back at some of those surprising moves and the most impactful decisions. These are the five biggest decisions from the roster cut deadline ranked one to five.
1
Cutting Bradley Roby
Roby being released was most surprising because it was rumored earlier in the day that teams were expressing interest in trading for him. This move was the most monumental because it solidified Paulson Adebo as the starting outside corner and pushes Alontae Taylor into the slot. The Saints will now have their young triumvirate of corners all on the field at once. Ugh Amadi will likely backup Taylor at that spot.
2
Trading Wil Lutz
Blake Grupe is your new starting kicker, and Lutz is now a Denver Bronco. He joins former coach Sean Payton as he continues accumulate former Saints on the roster. Those are the biggest takeaways from this move. Lutz and Grupe were in a close race for the starting kicker. Grupe won and as we predicted Lutz was a trade candidate.
3
Releasing Jaylon Smith
There might not have been a more surprising move than the release of Jaylon Smith. The veteran linebacker quickly gained the praise of the fan base after the preseason game versus the Los Angeles Chargers. Many people assumed he’d be the player who would replace Demario Davis or Pete Werner in case of injury. Dennis Allen did say special teams was required for Smith to make the team, so he must not have found a role in that facet of the game. Smith was signed to the practice squad, however.
4
Retaining Jameis Winston
In the past week, the idea of getting rid of Jameis Winston started gaining steam as a talking point. It was less about performance and more about the amount of quarterbacks on the roster. The Saints haven’t had their starting quarterback play a full season since 2018. They know the value of a good backup. Retaining Winston, however, says Haener isn’t there yet. It also dispels the notion of Taysom Hill could focus on quarterback, even in a backup capacity.
5
Waiving Shaquan Davis
Heading into the deadline, one could argue there was no player Saints fans were watching more intently than Davis. It was well known he was on the bubble, but he was picking up steam late in camp. He made standout plays and was a topic of conversation multiple days in a row. It made many wonder if he made a strong enough push for New Orleans to keep a sixth wide receiver. Though he was waived, the Saints were able to bring him back on the practice squad.
