The Saints are expected to sign DT Jaleel Johnson, according to veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson (via Twitter). The Texans released Johnson as part of final cutdowns last week.
Though Johnson signed a modest one-year, $1.3MM pact with Houston this offseason, his ouster came as something of a surprise given his generally strong performance in training camp and the preseason. Texans GM Nick Caserio elected to go in a different direction, and New Orleans was quick to pounce.
The Saints will be without DT David Onyemata for the first six games of the season due to a PED suspension, and the club lost fellow D-lineman Jalen Dalton — who had been having a good summer as well — to a season-ending injury. That opens the door for Johnson, a run-stuffer who appeared in all 48 games for the Vikings over the past three seasons (including 16 starts in 2020) to come in and compete for snaps.
Montravius Adams is also hoping to carve out a role for himself in the Big Easy. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported (via Twitter) that the Saints are signing the former Packers third-rounder, who signed with the Patriots in March but who could not crack New England’s final roster.
Adams entered the league with tantalizing raw ability and physical tools, but he played in less than 600 snaps over the course of four seasons in Green Bay. Last year, he was limited to eight games due to a sprained toe, and he did not do quite enough this summer to stick with the Pats.
With Onyemata sidelined, Adams and Johnson will jockey for playing time alongside Shy Tuttle, Malcolm Roach, and Christian Ringo.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
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