Velus

Jones

Holani will likely see RB2 reps — at least some of them — behind Kenneth Walker against the Rams on Sunday. He’ll be an interesting DFS punt. Velus Jones and Cam Akers are also on the roster, and one of them will probably be inactive on Sunday if Holani is up.

Macdonald’s phrasing suggests Holani, not RB Cam Akers nor RB Velus Jones, would operate as the team’s No. 2 running back behind Walker, with former No. 2 RB Zach Charbonnet sidelined by a season-ending ACL tear. Macdonald adds that it is “realistic” for Holani to play this week. He has a chance to take on pass-protection duties while chipping in as a rotational ballcarrier.

Rice, the son of NFL Hall of Famer and former Seattle Seahawk Jerry Rice, was most recently on the Patriots’ practice squad. The Seahawks add him to their practice squad as depth to the pass-catching corps. The 23-year-old Rice appeared in three NFL games for the Chargers last season, but has not recorded a target on offense. The Seahawks also added RB Velus Jones to the practice squad.

Jones was waived to make room for recent signee, TE Zaire Mitchell-Paden, formerly of the Ravens. Mitchell-Paden caught 1-of-2 targets for three yards this year. He entered the league as a 2022 undrafted free agent but had not taken any live receiving snaps until now.

With Kendre Miller down for the year with a torn ACL, Estime looks like the replacement back between the tackles. Devin Neal is set up to have the first run behind Alvin Kamara, but it’s possible that Taysom Hill gets so many of the carries and gadget plays that Neal has no real ceiling. No need to rush out and claim Estime, but if he impresses the Saints in their building, perhaps he’ll get a shot later in the season. New Orleans re-signed Velus Jones to their 53-man roster as a direct replacement for Miller, but Jones is just a kick returner at this point.

The Saints released Jones just two days ago. His presence on the practice squad gives them an emergency option for backup running back and kick return duties. He is not fantasy-relevant.

Jones received two offensive snaps in five games with the Saints, operating as a returner. He’ll likely look to continue his career on a practice squad elsewhere.

Miller added one kickoff return for 36 yards. It was an uninspiring performance as no Saints back averaged more than Miller’s 2.5 yards per carry. He notably surrendered two snaps on the opening drive to WR-to-RB convert Velus Jones. Jones rushed once for minus-one yards, caught 4-of-4 targets for 16 yards and returned two kickoffs for 73 yards.

Bouncing around after his disastrous Bears stint, Jones Jr. spent sections of last year with the Jaguars and Panthers while touching the ball on offense a total of four times in three active games. Entering his age-28 season, Jones Jr. is essentially a gadget player on offense and shouldn’t threaten for much playing time with the Saints if he makes the 53-man roster.

With Jonathan Brooks and Raheem Blackshear both injured — Brooks for the season — the plan behind Chuba Hubbard in the Carolina backfield is shifting. Mike Boone will probably get some elevations and be the main secondary running back. Jones Jr. might take Blackshear’s spot on the roster as a returner if Blackshear gets sent to injured reserve.