Help is on the way at cornerback with the New Orleans Saints re-signing Shemar Jean-Charles to their practice squad, as first reported by Nola.com’s Luke Johnson. The Saints had a spot open up when the Cleveland Browns signed linebacker Khaleke Hudson from their practice squad. Jean-Charles was let go during roster cuts in August and was initially expected to sign with the Saints’ practice squad, but that deal fell through. Now he’s back in the building.
And he should be expected to play on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. All five cornerbacks on the Saints’ 53-man roster were active and on the field last week, and with Marshon Lattimore nursing a new hamstring injury Jean-Charles would be next in line. Here’s how each of them fared in the season opener:
- Marshon Lattimore: 32 snaps
- Paulson Adebo: 54 snaps
- Alontae Taylor: 46 snaps (plus 7 on special teams)
- Kool-Aid McKinstry: 28 snaps (plus 9 on special teams)
- Rico Payton: 7 snaps (plus 17 on special teams)
Jean-Charles is the only corner on the practice squad right now so he’ll likely play right away as a game-day activation. The Appalachian State product spent last December on the Saints practice squad before being elevated to the 53-man roster in January, and he more than held his own throughout the subsequent offseason. If Payton hadn’t excelled so well this summer Jean-Charles probably would’ve made the team instead.
So the Saints still have impressive depth at cornerback. There’s plenty to criticize about the ways Dennis Allen and Mickey Loomis have built and managed this team, but with Allen running the defense they’ve consistently developed reliable players in the secondary.