New Orleans Saints Make Interesting Decision at WR

The New Orleans Saints cut their roster down to 53 players recently, which finally gave us an answer at WR. The Saints were likely going to go into the season with six receivers, but the Jordyn Tyson injury changed that. To begin the season, Tyson will be out for the first four games, and hopefully he can come back soon after. To pivot, the Saints then decided to bring five WRs instead. 

Those WRs were Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, Barion Brown, Bryce Lance, and Kevin Austin Jr. This was the expected group since the Tyson injury and was basically confirmed once Bub Means was released by the team. Austin Jr. was the favorite for the job most of the offseason due to the chemistry he has built, his consistency, and contested catch ability that made him a sure thing for the young QBs. But just a day after, something shocking happened. 

Any 53-man roster is pretty fluid until the regular season starts, so changes were always going to be made, and the Saints made some additions. Two new players were signed, so that meant two other players already on the roster had to be moved on from. One of those players ended up being Austin Jr., and many were shocked. 

First, Austin Jr., being one of the players cut, was confusing because of why he was even brought on to the roster, and the other reason was because of the WR room. Already dealing with injuries, this WR room needs to have at least 5 players, but as of now, there are only 4. The Saints have some options on the practice squad, but having another player before the season starts is a must. One more injury to this group could be catastrophic. 

The Saints should probably look to add a veteran in that 5th spot. That could be elevating Trey Palmer from the practice squad, which would make sense, or signing someone like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who was just released by his team. Valdes-Scantling was a former Saints receiver in Klint Kubiak's offense, and during his time with the team, he had some really great moments. He is definitely not a receiver the Saints will be able to rely upon every snap, but as a potential big play waiting to happen, he threatens opposing defenses when an offensive coach knows how to utilize him. 

No matter what, a WR must be brought up or added to the 53-man roster.