A glimpse at the 2016 New Orleans Saints roster

Here’s a look at the unofficial roster for the 2016 New Orleans Saints after factoring in the team’s final cuts made on Saturday.

Offense (24)

Quarterback (3)

• Drew Brees
• Luke McCown
• Garrett Grayson

Thoughts: No shockers here for the Saints, but the fact that Grayson made it is something. It’s still frustrating that the team has to slot three quarterbacks.

Running Back (6)

• Mark Ingram
• Tim Hightower
• C.J. Spiller
• Daniel Lasco
• Marcus Murphy
• John Kuhn

Thoughts: Marcus Murphy gets the nod over Travaris Cadet, but also he made the team after being in Sean Payton’s doghouse. Daniel Lasco deserved to make this team after impressing in training camp and the preseason, and John Kuhn’s veteran experience carries him over Austin Johnson.

Wide Receiver (5)

• Brandin Cooks
• Willie Snead
• Michael Thomas
• Brandon Coleman
• Tommylee Lewis

Thoughts: Undrafted rookie free agent Tommylee Lewis can be an interesting weapon for Drew Brees if active on game day, and clearly Brandon Coleman did enough to warrant a final roster slot.

Tight End (3)

• Coby Fleener
• Josh Hill
• Chris Manhertz

Thoughts: Michael Hoomanwanui was placed on season-ending injured reserve, according to Nick Underhill. The Saints do have something special in Chris Manhertz, so it will be interesting to see what kind of looks he gets.

Offensive Line (7)

• Max Unger (C)
• Terron Armstead (LT)
• Zach Strief (RT)
• Tim Lelito (G)
• Andrus Peat (G)
• Senio Kelemete (G)
• Landon Turner (G)

Thoughts: This is a group that I could still see some changes from, but Landon Turner did a lot of good things to make the final roster. I don’t think they’re done, however.

Defense (26)

Defensive End (4)

• Cameron Jordan
• Kasim Edebali
• Paul Kruger
• Obum Gwacham

Thoughts: The shocking cut of the group was arguably Bobby Richardson, but that’s one I predicted happening with Paul Kruger being signed.

Defensive Tackle (6)

• Sheldon Rankins
• Nick Fairley
• Tyeler Davison
• David Onyemata
• Ashaad Mabry
• John Jenkins

Thoughts: The biggest shock of this group was Ashaad Mabry, but he did make some strong plays in preseason. He was one of those under the radar players.

Linebacker (6)

• Dannell Ellerbe
• James Laurinaitis
• Stephone Anthony
• Nathan Stupar
• Craig Robertson
• Michael Mauti

Thoughts: No surprises out of this group, as it looks to be one of the most solid groups for Dennis Allen’s defense.

Cornerback (5)

• Delvin Breaux
• P.J. Williams
• De’Vante Harris
• Ken Crawley
• Cortland Finnegan

Thoughts: Despite a poor showing in the final preseason game, undrafted rookie free agent Ken Crawley makes the roster. Veteran Cortland Finnegan also gets in, which was something I expected.

Safety (5)

• Kenny Vaccaro
• Roman Harper
• Jairus Byrd
• Vonn Bell
• Erik Harris

Thoughts: It was the easiest position group to pick for the Saints other than quarterback.

Special Teams (3)

• Kicker: Kai Forbath
• Punter: Thomas Morstead
• Long Snapper: Justin Drescher

Thoughts: I’m not too thrilled with Forbath winning over Connor Barth, and I see this being a major deficiency for this team.