We’ve come out of the New Orleans Saints bye week to find some minor shuffling on their 53-man roster, with veteran running back David Johnson signed from the Saints practice squad and offensive lineman Josh Andrews waived to make room. Both of these roster moves may be related to injuries for other players.
Backup running back Mark Ingram II is likely done for the year after suffering another knee injury in Week 13’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so Johnson is stepping into a bigger role in his absence. Ingram has missed time earlier this season with MCL issues, but this injury is more serious, and it’s unlikely he’ll recover in time to play again this season. Johnson has only logged two touches with the Saints this season: he lost 4 yards on his lone rushing attempt but gained 11 yards on a single reception.
As for Andrews: he initially started at center in Erik McCoy’s absence but was demoted in New Orleans’ last game. Cesar Ruiz moved to center (his college position) with his backup Calvin Throckmorton stepping into the right guard spot. McCoy should be eligible to return from injured reserve soon, though, so if the Saints expect McCoy back soon it makes sense to waive Andrews in hopes of him returning to their practice squad.
We’ll see more changes in the weeks ahead as the Saints finish out their season. Expect them to audition players in different roles to see who should be in the plans for 2023 and beyond. It’s a shame that this is what their 2022 campaign has been reduced to, but the Saints still need to make the most of it.
