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Saints Add Veteran Linebacker Matt Shaughnessy

The New Orleans Saints continue to try to find some hidden gems and/or comeback players to reverse their football fortunes in 2016. This time, they signed veteran linebacker Matt Shaughnessy who was out the league last season.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The move was reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and then confirmed around social media.

Interestingly, Shaughnessy reportedly worked out for the Saints back in May, but the team did not sign him then. It's clear however, that the Saints staff had kept tabs on the veteran player.

Shaughnessy, 29, last played for the Arizona Cardinals in 2014, a season in which he appeared in only eight games due to injury (he started seven of them) and recorded a meager total of 17 tackles.

In 2012 and 2013, playing for the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals respectively, he was a serviceable role player, appearing in all 32 games in those regular seasons, while starting 28. He had a combined 67 tackles and 6.5 sacks these two years.

Shaughnessy (6 ft 5 in, 285 lb) figures to be a camp body for the Saints, who will be a long shot to make the team unless he shows that he can be useful depth as a rotating player on Dennis Allen's defense.

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