The final preseason game for the New Orleans Saints is on the way with the team preparing to travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys.
With some players having already made a strong impression, others have seen the conversation around them start to cool down. Friday’s matchup with Dallas will provide an opportunity for those players to finish strong and make a lasting impression with roster cuts soon to follow.
The NFL’s roster cut deadline is set for Sunday, Aug. 30 at 5:00 p.m. CT. These are some of the players that are trying to avoid bad news approaching that deadline with a strong performance to close out the exhibition season.
EDGE Mike Heldman
After a strong two-sack performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, undrafted rookie edge rusher Mike Heldman has faded from the spotlight. Another standout performance from the rookie might remind the team’s decision makers that he could be viewed as a surprise roster candidate.
DL Khristian Boyd
With defensive linemen Bryan Bresee out for the year, and John Ridgeway III currently managing a lower-leg injury, Khristian Boyd has a path to the 53-man roster.
While Boyd is mostly regarded as a run-stopper, he had some flashes as a pass rusher this offseason. The key for him, though, will be consistency. If the Saints keep five interior defenders, Boyd could be fighting for the No. 5 spot until Ridgeway makes his return.
WR Kevin Austin Jr.
With the top of the wide receiver room still set, options behind Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, Bryce Lance and Barion Brown could still be vying for a spot should rookie Jordyn Tyson start the year on sort-term Injured Reserve or should the Saints decide to carry a sixth wideout on the roster.
Wideout Kevin Austin Jr. is among the most experienced in the system and with the team. He’s highly respected by his coaches and the receivers around him. But he still has to fend off competition with the preseason set to close.
K Daniel Carlson and RB Zamir White
Because both of these players are joining the Saints so late in the offseason, they’ll be grouped together here. Kicker Daniel Carlson and running back Zamir White each have basically a practice and a preseason game left to make an impression, which are very competitive for roles and a roster spot.
For Carlson and White, the end of the preseason is their only chance to prove themselves and therefore, they cannot waste the opportunity to have a strong close.
