The New Orleans Saints secondary suffered a series of hits on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Reserve safety and special teams ace J.T. Gray exited the game early with a lower-leg injury, and veteran backup cornerback Patrick Robinson followed him to the trainers’ table minutes later after hurting his hamstring. To top it off, starting cornerback Eli Apple didn’t finish the game after injuring his knee; the Saints reportedly believed it to be a minor hyperextension, but he’s undergoing further evaluations on Monday.
Additionally, starting nickel corner P.J. Williams is suspended another week for an offseason DUI charge, leaving them with just a handful of defensive backs on the roster, and just two experienced cornerbacks: Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley. That’s not ideal. So it’s clear that the Saints could use some help on the back end.
To that end, they’re hosting free agent cornerback Kayvon Webster on a visit, per a report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Webster spent the summer with the Saints after signing a successful tryout early in training camp but was released during roster cuts on Aug. 30. New Orleans was his fourth team in four years, following stops with the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams that ended with injuries. Before that, Webster helped round out the depth chart on Wade Phillips’ defenses with the Denver Broncos.
Even if Webster doesn’t play often on defense, he’d provide valuable experience on special teams, filling in for other injured players. If Apple’s full diagnosis confirms the initial belief of a simple hyperextension (recoveries normally take two to four weeks), he might be able to return as soon as Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, after the Saints’ bye. The Saints have started worse players than Webster before, who’d only be a band-aid midway down the depth chart.
Meanwhile, the team next on New Orleans’ schedule is working out running backs. The Arizona Cardinals have found something special in second-year pro Chase Edmonds, who has filled in admirably for David Johnson while the starter manages an ankle injury. But they’re looking to beef up the rotation with a free agent like former Kansas City Chiefs runner Spencer Ware (per Rapoport), or ex-Philadelphia Eagles running back Jay Ajayi (per Adam Schefter of ESPN). The Saints defense hasn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 32 consecutive games, but the Cardinals clearly want to test them next Sunday.
