FanPost

Saints 2018 Practice Squad

IRecently I’ve been reflecting on the wealth of talent that the Saints have on their roster for this upcoming season. That got me thinking how many good players are going to end up on the practice squad.

I didn’t know much about the practice squad until very recently. Seven hours ago, in fact. But now that I know the criteria that a player must meet to be eligible for the practice squad, I’m going to project the players who are going to make the practice squad. For the purpose of this exercise, let’s treat Deuce’s most recent 53-man roster projection as gospel. He is a reverend, after all. Some players who make the roster in his projection may end up on our real-life practice squad, and some who end up on my practice squad may make the club’s roster.

There are two types of practice squad spots. You’re eligible for the standard spot if you have zero prior accrued seasons—six or more games on the 53-man roster, the PUP, or on the IR because of a football-related injury—or have never been on a game day roster more than eight times in any of your prior accrued seasons, and have not used up their three years of practice squad eligibility. To use up the first two years, you must be on a practice squad for six or more regular season games.

Then there are special spots, that you can only have 4 of at most. You are eligible for this if you don’t have more than two accrued seasons to your name. If you knew all that already, then you’re ahead of me.

Here are the list of players who didn’t make Deuce’s projected roster and are eligible for the practice squad. By September 1st, the day each team must have cut their roster down to 53, we may have cut a few players on this list and added a few who also apply to it. That’s not even to mention that some of them might actually make the roster. But this article was written in the now, not in September 1st.

Anyway, here are the players:

J.T. Barrett (standard)

Tommylee Lewis (special)

Austin Carr (standard)

Deon Yelder (standard)

Rick Leonard (standard)

Cameron Tom (standard)

Nate Wozniak (standard)

Mitchell Loewen (standard)

Taylor Stallworth (standard)

Al-Quadin Muhammad (standard)

Henry Mondeaux (standard)

Woodrow Hamilton (standard)

Alex Jenkins (international player exemption)

Colton Jumper (standard)

KeShun Freeman (standard)

Natrell Jamerson (standard)

Kamrin Moore (standard)

J.T. Gray (standard)

Linden Stephens (standard)

Rickey Jefferson (standard)

Now let’s assemcle a practice squad of 11 players.

Alex Jenkins gets a spot, obviously.

i feel like Leonard, Jamerson, and Moore get spots just on the strength of being draft picks this year, which puts them above most of these other guys.

That leaves seven spots. I doubt any of Jumper, Freeman, Gray, Stephens, or Jefferson will make the squad, which leaves 11 people.

The next wave of people I’m leaving off are Hamilton and Wozniak.

Lewis makes it because he has NFL experience and is probably miles ahead of these guys. Barrett makes it because of his leadership and because Sean Payton seems to like him. Yelder is in because he could realistically be a factor for the future of our tight end position.

I’m going to have to cut Mondeaux. He’s been outperformed at his own position by Loewen and Stallworth, who I think I can put on the list. Tom seems to factor into the Saints’ plans at center, providing Will Clapp with competition as Max Unger’s replacement, so he’s in, as well.

That leaves two spots. Muhammad or Carr? I’m having trouble choosing, so I’ll leave it up to you guys. Muhammad is a year removed from leading the preseason in sacks. He’s proven he can produce, but will he? Carr must have looked good enough to survive in a crowded receiver room.

As a last notice, any of these guys could be swooped up by another team. I expect at least one of them will be, with how talented they are.

If you want to, tell me why you chose what you chose between Carr and Muhammad in the comments, as well as if you disagree with one of my omissions. And, hey, if I got anything wrong about practice squad eligibility, tell me that too.

This FanPost was written by a reader and member of Canal Street Chronicles. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CSC and its staff or editors.

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