That would be @SmokeMonday in a Drew Brees jersey pic.twitter.com/Fpt0rZZ4sW
— Maddy Hudak (@MaddyHudak_94) May 1, 2022
The New Orleans Saints brought in former Auburn Tigers safety Smoke Monday on an undrafted free agent contract, and the NFL rookie didn’t waste any time embracing the team’s rivalry with his hometown Atlanta Falcons.
“Y’all gotta see me two times a year buddy, good luck. Y’all gotta see me two times a year,” Monday said in a video shared to his Instagram account, celebrating his joining the Saints with some drive-by trash talking at the Falcons’ Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Saints made it clear that Monday was a priority UDFA by giving him a contract guaranteeing a $100,000 base and a $20,000 signing bonus. That is a fairly large commitment for an undrafted rookie.
Monday was certainly considered a draftable talent by most analysts. As a safety he certainly has some technical inconsistencies, but that comes with flashes of talent as well. He had 171 tackles in his career with 17 coming for a loss, along with 6 sacks and 5 interceptions. He had three pick sixes during his time his time at Auburn, including one he took for 100 yards.
His best attribute early on will be the fact that he was a core special teamer for Auburn during his four-year career there. He could find his way onto the roster by outperforming some of the other special teams focused defensive backs on the roster such as Justin Evans, Dylan Mabin, or Jordan Miller.
He has to prove himself to the coaches, but Monday has already endeared himself to Saints fans, though, by donning a Drew Brees jersey after reaching an agreement with New Orleans. He’ll fit in just fine.
Talk your shit @SmokeMonday🔥⚜️ pic.twitter.com/hxM7vCROt2
— Lᴇᴇ⚜️ (@_225Lee) May 1, 2022
