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To begin with, RB Kendall Hunter ended the season by being placed on IR and RB Toben Opurum was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.
Signed to futures contracts on 1/5/2016 were:
Bryan Witzmann # T
Height: 6-7 Weight: 311 Age: 25
Born: 6/16/1990
College: South Dakota State
Experience: 2nd season
Originally signed by the Houston Texans, Bryan was waived due to injury. No games played stats to date. Bryan was on the Practice Squad and was signed to a Futures contract.
Chris Manhertz #86 TE
- Height: 6-6 Weight: 225: Age:23
- College: Canisius College
- Hometown: New York, NY
- Experience: 1
- Chris was on the Saints Practice squad for 2015 and was signed to a reserved futures contract. Manhertz originally signed with the Buffalo Bills. He also another basketball player converted to TE.
- Ashaad Mabry DT
- Height: 6-3 Weight: 315 Age: 23
- College: Texas-San Antonio
- Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
- Experience: 1
- An UDFA, Mabry is another practice squad player signed to a futures contract.
- Mabry originally signed a letter of intent to play for OK State but due to his mother's health left the school after only 1 month and signed with the University of Texas at Antonio, to play in the very first and subsequent 3 seasons, of their new football program. He graduated in 2014 and went undrafted in 2015.
- Signed by New Orleans to a reserve/futures contract, 1/5/16…Signed by New Orleans to the practice squad, 9/8/15…Waived by New Orleans, 9/6/15…Agreed to terms with Saints as an undrafted free agent on a three-year contract, 5/4/15…Started 28 of 46 games he played in over a four-year career at Texas-San Antonio, recording 134 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one pass defensed and one fumble recovery…Started all 12 games he played in as a senior and recorded 49 tackles (18 solo), six tackles for loss and one sack and was an honorable mention All-Conference USA selection…Started 10 of the 12 games he played in as a junior and tallied 41 tackles (12 solo), 0.5 sack and 2.5 tackles for a loss…Posted 24 tackles (four solo), 0.5 tackle for a loss and a blocked kick as a sophomore…Majored in multidisciplinary studies…A second-team All-Area pick by the San Antonio Express-News at MacArthur (San Antonio, Texas) HS, following a season that saw him help lead the squad to a 12-2 record and spot in the Class 5A Division II State Quarterfinals…Finished the senior campaign with 75 tackles and three sacks…Born Nov. 4, 1992.
Cyril Lemon G
Signed to reserve/futures contract, 1/5/16; Placed on practice squad/injured list, 10/21/15; Signed to practice squad, 9/6/15; Waived, 9/15/15; Agreed to terms with the Saints as an undrafted free agent on a three-year contract, 5/4/15…Just the fifth player in school history to earn all-conference honors four straight seasons…Made 49 consecutive starts in his four-year career, was named to the Outland and Lombardi Watch list in 2014, and was a two-time first-team All-Conference-USA selection…Prepped at Marble Falls (Texas) HS, where he was a three-year starter and in his senior season blocked for an offense that average 27 points a game, earning District 25-4A first-team honors…Born Jan. 8, 1993 in New Orleans, La.
Brandon Dixon DB:
Another PS player signed to RF contract:
Originally a sixth round draft pick of the New York Jets in 2014, Dixon spent his rookie season on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster, where he played in 14 games and in 2015 had stints on the Saints, Patriots, Colts and Seahawks practice squads. The twin brother of Saints cornerback Brian Dixon, Brandon will compete for a roster spot in 2016.
Alden Darby S:
Another PS player signed to RF contract.
Signed by Saints to reserve/futures contract, 1/4/16… Signed to Saints practice squad, 9/16/15…Waived by Pittsburgh Steelers, 9/5/15…Signed by Steelers to reserve/futures contract, 1/9/15…Waived by San Diego Chargers, 8/30/14… Originally signed by the Chargers as an undrafted rookie free agent, 5/10/14. Played in 50 games with 28 starts over his four-year career at Arizona State...Registered 217 tackles (155 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, 26 passes defensed, 10 interceptions, three forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries…In 2013, his senior year, named a team captain and earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors after starting all 14 games, finishing the season with 72 tackles (54 solo), two tackles for loss, four interceptions, one interception return for a TD, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a team-high 13 passes defensed...Named second-team All-Pac-12 by Phil Steele and Athlon Sports...In 2012, earned All-Pac-12 second team honors after starting all 13 games, ranking fifth on the team with 80 tackles (53 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, seven passes defensed, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, three interceptions, one returned for a TD...Played in 12 games in 2011 with two starts, tallying 51 tackles (40 solo), one tackle for loss, six passes defensed, one fumble recovery and three interceptions...Saw action in 11 games in 2010, finishing his true freshman season with 14 tackles (eight solo)… Majored in interdisciplinary studies…Played at Millikan Senior (Long Beach, Calif.) HS…Finished his three-year career with 86 tackles, 143 rushing attempts for 862 yards and 12 touchdowns and 94 receptions for 1,074 yards and nine touchdowns…As a senior, tallied 38 tackles (30 solo), 15 passes defensed, four interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery…Also completed 54-of-119 passes for 593 yards and seven touchdowns, carried the ball 124 times for 702 yards and 11 touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 149 yards.
Reggie Bell WR: PS to RF contract:
Signed by the Saints to a reserve/futures contract, 1/5/16…Signed to the New Orleans practice squad, 10/7/15…Waived by the Redskins, 9/5/15…Signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent, 5/7/15…Played collegiately at San Diego from 2010-14, finishing his career ranking fourth all-time in school history in receiving yards (2,729) and seventh in receptions (172) and TD receptions (24) in 44 games played...Earned second-team all-conference from the Pioneer Football League as a senior in 2014 after catching 40 passes for 779 yards with seven TDs...As a junior in 2013, hauled in a team-best 65 receptions for 1,050 yards with nine TDs, earning the Toreros’ Offensive MVP award and All-PFL First Team honors...Appeared in 10 games with seven starts in 2012, ranking second on the team with 47 receptions for 736 yards with a team-high six TDs...Redshirted in 2011... Appeared in all 11 games as a freshman in 2010, recording 20 receptions for 159 yards…Majored in marketing…Attended Manteca (Calif.) H.S., where he was named all-area, all-league, all-section and all-district as senior in addition to garnering Comcast State Player of the Year honors...Recorded 1,090 all-purpose yards with nine receiving TDs and five punt returns for scores as senior...Also lettered in basketball...Born May 6, 1992.
Shane Wynn WR: Shane, our last PS player signed to a RF contract on 1/7/2016
As a freshman, Wynn lead the Hoosiers with 1,249 all-purpose yards. Most of his production was on kick returns, as he returned 48 kicks for 1,015 yards and a touchdown. His kick return and all-purpose yardage totals were Indiana true freshman records. In 2012, Wynn received honorable mention All-Big Ten from the media. He returned just eight kicks all season, but led the Hoosiers in receptions (68) and was second on the team in yardage (660). in 2013 Wynn finished second in the Big Ten (and 19th nationally) with 11 receiving touchdowns. In the season-opener against Indiana State, Wynn scored two touchdowns on receptions and a third score on a punt return. He scored three receiving touchdowns to close out the season in a rivalry win over Purdue. His fourteen total touchdowns are tied for sixth most in school history. His Senior year Wynn was elected one of the team captains (alongside Tevin Coleman, Collin Rahrig and Bobby Richardson). He recorded a career high 708 receiving yards, scoring three touchdowns and adding two more scores on the ground. He averaged 96.6 all-purpose yards per game, which ranked second on the team behind All-American Coleman. Wynn capped off his college career with another win over Purdue in the Old Oaken Bucket Game. He was once again named honorable mention All-Big Ten, this time by both the coaches and media.
Wynn was originally signed as an UDFA by the Falcons and spent time with the Browns, Jets, and Chargers before landing with the Saints.
Phillip Hunt DE: Signed to RF contract on 1/8/2016
Height: 6-1 Weight: 258 Age: 30
Born: 1/10/1986 Fort Worth , TX
College: Houston
Experience: 3rd season
Hunt was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns in 2009 and released. He then spent 2 years in the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bomers. He was signed by the Eagles in 2011 but tore his ACL in their 1st preseason game. He failed to make the Colts roster in 2014 and spent 2014 as a FA. He then signed a 1 year contract with the Lions. He was cut in October of 2015 and signed with the Saints in November of 2015.
Of note: WR R.J. Harris reportedly signed by the Saints according to our local media on Twitter, but the NFL transaction wire shows he was signed by the Falcons on 1/8/2016.