NFL teams are allowed to promote up to two players each week from their practice squad to expand game-day rosters to 48 from the usual 46, and the New Orleans Saints went with a pair of familiar names for Week 2’s tilt with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Wide receiver Bennie Fowler and defensive lineman Margus Hunt were each called up in Week 1, and they’ll be doing so again per ESPN’s Field Yates. Both practice squad members made an impact on special teams in the season opener against Tampa Bay, with Hunt blocking a field goal while Fowler recovered a fumbled kickoff to seal the win.
In total, Fowler appeared on 19 snaps last week (12 of them on special teams), while Hunt handled a heavier workload with 25 snaps played (just 4 of them on special teams). Hunt should get more looks at defensive end with Marcus Davenport inactive due to injury.
However, this is the last time the Saints can call up either of them unless they are signed to the 53-man roster, where their spots are secured for several weeks (barring an injury). Players may only be promoted twice in the 2020 season before teams have to make that longer commitment, preserving some separation between the active roster and the practice squad.
If either Davenport or star wide receiver Michael Thomas are going to miss much more time, it shouldn’t shock anyone if the Saints end up signing Hunt or Fowler to keep them around. They clearly value those veterans’ contributions.
But with Thomas expected to be out just two to four weeks and Davenport not placed on the short-term injured reserve to start the season, these may simply be band-aids for New Orleans until their starters are back in action.
