The New Orleans Saints completed a series of roster moves ahead of their Sunday Night Football game with the Green Bay Packers, including the call-ups of both defensive lineman Margus Hunt and wide receiver Bennie Fowler Jr. from the practice squad.
Each veteran dressed out for the Saints in the first two weeks (as is allowed by the new CBA, in a shift from previous practice squad rules) before getting promoted to the 53-man roster, so it isn’t a shock to see them get full-time deals. The Saints ruled out wide receiver Michael Thomas again in Week 3 and could be without defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Marcus Davenport (both listed as questionable on the final injury report), so their presence is welcome.
To help make room, the Saints waived backup offensive lineman Will Clapp, who was active in Week 1 before sitting out Week 2, once the Saints activated rookie guard/center Cesar Ruiz.
Additionally: running back Ty Montgomery, who appeared on the injury report for the first time on Friday with a hamstring issue, was designated to injured reserve. Teams do not have to declare whether players on the injured reserve list are out for the season or expected to return within three weeks of inactivity (another adjustment to established rules, this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic), so it’s possibly he isn’t finished.
That leaves a pair of open spots on the 16-man practice squad, though it isn’t clear who could fill them. The Saints brought cornerback Ken Crawley (who started a number of games in New Orleans from 2016 to 2019) in for a free agent visit, and he’s practice squad-eligible with Hunt and Fowler on the active roster. But if he is re-signed, there would still be one vacancy.
