NEW ORLEANS – The first news of roster cut day has dropped for the New Orleans Saints, but it is not a trim to the roster just yet. Per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, Saints defensive tackle Khalen Saunders is expected to miss “a couple of weeks” with his calf injury.
Head coach Dennis Allen alluded to the injury during his post-game press conference after the preseason finale on Sunday. Saunders had a solemn demeanor about him after the final Friday practice which took place in front of fans at the Caesars Superdome. Perhaps reading too much in it, but it seems the two events could be related.
With Saunders expected to miss time, he could still be carried on the initial roster. If he is expected to miss less than four weeks, placing him on Injured Reserve (IR) and burning one of the either return designations each team gets just would not be good business. But if he is expected to miss at least four games, it could be a good use of the mechanisms. NFL teams can now place two players on IR at roster cuts without ending their season, but can also carry players to their active roster and move them afterwards.
This will open opportunities for rookie defensive tackle Khristian Boyd who has been very impressive throughout the offseason and preseason. Also depth players at the position like Jack Heflin and Kendal Vickers should look to get called upon to assist while Saunders is out with injury.
The Saints’ depth along the defensive line has shown improvement this offseason compared to last and it looks like they will be testing it out early. Saunders preaches consistently that there should be no drop-off from starter to depth across the line. Now, the Saints will have to put that philosophy to the test.
