Saints tight end Dallin Holker is in an unusual position for an undrafted rookie in training camp: Working with the starters.
Holker, who wasn’t drafted despite a strong season at Colorado State last year, is getting time with the first-string offense while tight end Juwan Johnson recovers from offseason foot surgery, and Holker has looked good on the practice field, according to Luke Johnson of NoLa.com.
“He’s got football awareness and football intelligence,” head coach Dennis Allen said of Holker. “That allows him to find soft spots in zones and things of that nature. He’s really good when the picture changes. For a young guy, to be advanced in that way from a football intelligence standpoint, is pretty impressive.”
Holker said he’s trying to do everything asked of him as a blocker and receiver to earn a roster spot.
“I just come out here and try to practice as hard as I can to be able to make a spot on this team and help us win,” Holker said.
Johnson’s injury left the Saints without much depth at tight end, so the emergence of Holker in training camp could be a major boost to the offense in New Orleans.
Saints Clips
The Browns announced a few roster moves on Sunday.
They have signed safety Faion Hicks to the 90-man roster and they have waived safety Dyshawn Gales. They also released center Brian Allen from injured reserve after placing him on the list last month due to a calf injury.
Hicks was a 2022 seventh-round pick by the Broncos. He played 30 special teams snaps in two appearances as a rookie and he spent last season on the practice squad in New Orleans.
Grant Delpit, Juan Thornhill, Rodney McLeod, Ronnie Hickman, D’Anthony Bell, and Brady Breeze are also on the safety depth chart in Cleveland.
The Saints made several moves involving tight ends on Saturday.
The team announced that they have signed Kevin Rader and Mason Fairchild to the 90-man roster. They waived Jesper Horsted and placed Tommy Hudson on injured reserve as well.
In addition to the tight end moves, the Saints waived wide receiver Jermaine Jackson with an injury designation.
Rader has appeared in 35 games and made four starts for the Steelers and Titans. He has made three catches for 14 yards and recorded 19 special teams tackles in those appearances.
Fairchild was undrafted out of Kansas this year. He caught 82 passes for 1,111 yards and ten touchdowns while with the Jayhawks.
The Saints have had a winning record in two of the last three seasons, but all three campaigns have ended in Week 18 of the regular season.
The current playoff drought comes after four straight division titles and safety Tyrann Mathieu said that the team is taking a new approach to ending it this season. During an appearance on NFL Network, Mathieu called himself “highly motivated” to make it back to the playoffs and said the entire roster is going to play in a similar way.
“Oh, we’re gonna have way more attitude,” Mathieu said. “We’re gonna have way more attitude this season. I think it’s personal, not just for us, I think for our coaches, as well. We want to put a good product out there. We gonna get back to that old nasty, just playing with an attitude.”
If the attitude adjustment doesn’t do the trick, next offseason could bring more expansive changes to the Saints so it will be interesting to see if Mathieu’s approach proves to be a winning one.
Saints quarterback Jake Haener has been practicing since getting diagnosed with skin cancer recently, but he is set to miss a day next week.
Head coach Dennis Allen told reporters at a Friday press conference that Haener is expected to have a procedure on Monday. Haener said last month that he was hoping to have the procedure after the preseason, but that he would see doctors this week to determine the best course of action.
Allen said Haener is expected to miss one day of practice before rejoining the team in Irvine, California on Wednesday.
Haener and fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler are competing to back up Derek Carr this season. Nathan Peterman was also on the roster before being released on Friday.
Nathan Peterman’s time is up in New Orleans.
The Saints announced Peterman’s release on Friday. They also announced the signing of wide receiver Samson Nacua.
Peterman signed with the Saints in March after spending the last two seasons with the Bears. He started one game in Chicago and he started four games for the Bills during his first two NFL seasons.
The move leaves the Saints with Jake Haener and fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler behind Derek Carr. Haener was recently diagnosed with skin cancer, but has been practicing with the team.
Nacua is the younger brother of Rams wideout Puka Nacua. He transferred from Utah to BYU in 2021, spent time with the Colts after going undrafted in 2022 and caught 11 passes in the UFL this season.
The Saints have taken some hits at wide receiver, with Cedrick Wilson Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown and rookie draft pick Bub Means missing Wednesday’s practice with injuries. They replenished at the position Thursday, bringing back a familiar face.
The team announced it has signed receiver Marquez Callaway.
In a corresponding move, the Saints waived tight end Tommy Hudson with an injury designation.
This marks Callaway’s third stint in New Orleans, first joining the team as a rookie free agent in 2020. He left in free agency in 2023, following Sean Payton to Denver.
But after the Broncos and Raiders waived him last year, he returned to the Saints’ practice squad on Nov. 21.
Callaway signed a futures contract with the Steelers in January, but they cut him Tuesday.
He has appeared in 45 regular-season games with 17 starts for New Orleans, his only career action, and has 83 receptions for 1,069 yards and seven touchdowns. Callaway also has returned 14 punts for 149 yards (10.6 average) and four kickoffs for 94 yards (23.5 average).
Chase Young signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Saints this offseason, but most of his money is tied to per-game roster bonuses, meaning he has to be on the active roster each week to get it. Which means it’s good news for Young that his head coach sounds optimistic about his ability to contribute this season.
Young had offseason neck surgery, but Saints head coach Dennis Allen says there’s no indication that his health will be a problem.
“He’s certainly ahead of where we thought he was going to be at this point in time and so, I think the ramp up for him is just every day, you’re going to see a little bit more,” Allen said, via the team’s website. “Now, what’s a little bit more? Well, it may be a couple more reps each period until finally, we’re ready to fully incorporate him into the whole deal. I haven’t seen any limitations at all out of him, other than its really kind of been a while since he’s really been playing real football. Just trying to get his football legs up under him a little bit, and I like the progress. I would say he’s exceeded my expectations to this point. . . . He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do, the way we’ve asked him to do it, never has there been any sort of kickback on anything. I’ve been really pleased with that part of it. And I think as you watch practice, I think you can feel it when he’s out there.”
Young was the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year in Washington in 2020, and he looked like he was going to be one of the best defensive ends in the league for years to come. It hasn’t worked out that way, and injuries have been a major problem for him. But a healthy season from Young could be a big boost for the Saints’ defense — and a lucrative year for Young.
The Saints announced Wednesday they will induct former offensive guard Jahri Evans into the club’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony in the Nov. 17 game against the Browns.
“During his 11-year playing career as a Saint, Jahri Evans established himself as one of the greatest Saints of all-time, and we are thrilled to add him to the Ring of Honor,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. “Jahri was a true professional, a student of the game and a phenomenal teammate who led our team and our historic offense with his excellence along the offensive line. The battles that Jahri won up front played a pivotal role in us celebrating some of the most memorable moments in our franchise’s history. We look forward to celebrating his legendary career in November in front of our fans in the Caesars Superdome.”
The Saints made Evans a fourth-round draft pick in 2006 out of Bloomsburg, and he developed into an anchor for one of the most dominant offenses in NFL history during his tenure with the Saints.
Evans started all 169 regular-season games he played and all 10 postseason games at right guard. He was a member of the 2009 Super Bowl XLIV championship team.
He is a five-time All-Pro, a six-time Pro Bowler and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2010’s All-Decade Team.
Evans was a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist in 2023 and finalist in 2024.
He began his coaching career as an offensive assistant for the Saints in 2023.
“From the moment we drafted Jahri Evans in 2006, he was an immediate contributor and integral part of our football team,” Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis said. “Jahri quickly became a mainstay on our offensive line and was one of the most dominant guards in the National Football League. His contributions throughout the week and on gameday were crucial to our team’s success on offense and as a whole during that time. I have been fortunate to have a chance to be around some Hall of Fame offensive lineman during my NFL front office career and Jahri ranks right in that group. We are extremely proud to have Jahri join the Saints Ring of Honor.”
Evans becomes the eighth member of the team’s Ring of Honor, joining owner Tom Benson (2018), kicker Morten Andersen (2016), linebacker Rickey Jackson (2013), quarterback Archie Manning (2013), linebacker Sam Mills (2021), tackle William Roaf (2013) and defensive end Will Smith (2019).
Saints linebacker Demario Davis injured his hamstring during individual drills Wednesday, Matthew Paras of nola.com reports. Davis did not participate in team drills.
Saints coach Dennis Allen did not offer additional details on Davis’ injury.
Davis joined the Saints as a free agent in 2018 and has not missed a game in five seasons in New Orleans. He has earned first- or second-team All-Pro after each of the past five seasons.
The Saints did see the return of receiver Chris Olave, who left practice early Tuesday after landing on his hip.
