Now that the Saints have made their final cuts and trimmed their roster down to the league minimum 53 players, their next decision is to decide who they will sign to their practice squad.
Teams may begin signing practice squad players at 12pm EST Sunday. A released player MUST clear waivers before being signed to a team's practice squad.
There are a few new rules for NFL practice squads this year. Teams are allowed to have ten players on their practice squad this year, which is two more than teams were allowed last season. Another new rule is that teams can have two players on their practice squad with two accrued seasons, as opposed to just one season.
In order to be considered practice squad eligible, a player must not have a single accrued season in the NFL or must have been on a team's 45-man active roster for less than nine games during any "accrued seasons" he has earned. A player may be on a practice squad for only two years, but may be eligible for a third season if the team has at least 53 players on their active/inactive list for the duration of that player's tenure with the team.
A practice squad season is accrued by a player when he is on a team's practice squad for six regular or postseason games in the first two practice squad seasons, or one regular or postseason game during the third practice squad season.
At any time, a practice squad player is allowed to be signed to another team's active roster. The only restriction is that he may not sign a contract with the next opponent of his current team after 4:00 pm EDT six days before the game (10 days during a bye week).
Another salary nuance is that if a player is signed off one team's practice squad to another team's 53-man roster, that player will receive at least three weeks salary of his contract at the 53-man roster minimum salary level, even if he ends up being terminated before that time.
The minimum weekly salary for practice squad players in 2013 is $6,300, although teams do have the option to pay more than this amount.
Practice squad contracts do count against the salary cap.
So which former Saints players that were just cut are eligible to be on the Saints practice squad? Here's your list:
Rookies
QB Logan Kilgore
WR Brandon Coleman
WR Seantavius Jones
TE Nic Jacobs
RB Derrick Strozier
T Tavon Rooks
T Marcel Jones
C Matt Armstrong
S Pierre Warren
S Ty Zimmerman
LB Todd Davis
NT Lawrence Virgil
DE George Uko
Eligibile Non-Rookies
WR Charles Hawkins
T Manase Foketi
T Marcel Jones
T Ty Nsekhe
T Jason Weaver
CB Terrence Frederick
CB Derrius Brooks
CB Rod Sweeting
DE Rufus Johnson, Jr.
LB Kevin Reddick
K Derek Dimke
Special Exemptions (two accrued seasons)
CB Trevin Wade