New Orleans Saints Announce Reserve/Future Deals, Per Team Report

With the New Orleans season now over, the team announced the signing of reserve/future contracts on Monday.

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Josiah Ezirim (72) against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints had their 2024-25 season end with a 27-19 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.  New Orleans finished with a record of 5-12, missing the postseason for a fourth straight year.

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On Monday, Executive Vice President and General Manager Mickey Loomis announced that the following players have been signed to reserve/future deals by the team.

• Ryder Anderson, DT

• Millard Bradford, S

• Ben DiNucci, QB

• Josiah Ezirim, OT

• Travion Fluellen, DB

• Michael Jacobson, TE

• Charlie Smythe, K

• Xazavian Valladay, RB

• Treyton Welch, TE

* player information provided by New Orleans Saints team website

Ryder Anderson

Defensive Tackle, Indiana (6-6, 280): Originally signed by the New York Giants as a rookie free agent in 2022 out of Indiana, the Katy, Texas native appeared in seven games with two starts for the Giants as a rookie, recording eight tackles and two sacks. He spent the 2023 campaign on the Giants practice squad and after competing in the 2024 preseason for New York, joined the Saints practice squad at midseason.

In five collegiate seasons with the University of Mississippi (2017-20) and Indiana (2021), Anderson played in 50 career games with 27 starts, recording 147 tackles (66 solo), 11 sacks, one pass breakup, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Millard Bradford

Safety, TCU (5-10, 191): Bradford was signed as a rookie free agent in 2024 by New Orleans out of TCU. As a rookie, the Helotes, Texas native spent 14 weeks on the team's practice squad and played in three games and recorded three special teams tackles, including two coverage stops in Sunday's season finale at Tampa Bay.

A two-time Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection (2022-23), Bradford finished his five-year Horned Frog career with 231 stops (175 solo), 16.5 tackles for loss, one sack for a nine-yard loss, four interceptions, 21 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Ben DiNucci

Quarterback, James Madison (6-2, 215): DiNucci was originally a seventh round (231st overall) draft pick of the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 out of James Madison, joining the Saints practice squad for the final month of the season after spending part of the preseason with the Buffalo Bills.

As a rookie in 2020, the Gibsonia, Pa. native played in three games with one start for Dallas and threw for 219 yards on 23-of-43 passing. After earning a spot for the 2021 season on the Cowboys practice squad, DiNucci joined the Denver Broncos in 2023, spending three contests on their active roster.

Prior to signing with Denver, he started all ten games for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL in the spring of 2023, where he completed 242-of-374 passes (64.1 pct.) for 2,671 yards with 20 touchdowns.

DiNucci attended the University of Pittsburgh (2015-17) and James Madison (2018-19), where he played in 41 games (35 starts) and completed 570-of-854 passes (66.7 pct.) for 6,823 yards with 51 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. In his final season, he was named an AFCA first-team All-American, the Colonial Athletic Association Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-CAA after completing 266-of-378 (71.0 pct.) of his passes for 3,441 yards with 29 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

Josiah Ezirim

Tackle, Eastern Kentucky (6-6, 320): Ezirim was the team's seventh round pick (239th overall) in 2024 out of Eastern Kentucky and spent his rookie season on the team's practice squad.

After converting to the offensive line from defensive tackle midway through his college career, the Hilliard, Ohio native started all 11 games at right tackle in 2023 and was selected as an Associated Press third-team All-American, contributing to the Cougars' achievement of having the top offense in the United Athletic Conference (437.4 ypg.).

Travion Fluellen

Defensive Back, Middle Tennessee State (6-2, 210): Fluellen spent the last five weeks of the 2024 season on the Saints practice squad after playing three seasons at Middle Tennessee State, where in 36 games, he recorded 197 tackles (113 solo), 7.5 stops for loss, one sack, five interceptions and 16 pass breakups.

As a senior in 2023, he ended the season ranked third on the team with 64 tackles, including 2.5 stops for loss, a team-high three interceptions and three pass breakups.

Tight end Michael Jacobson (86) during training camp with the New Orleans Saints / NOLA.com

Michael Jacobson

Tight End, Iowa State (6-7, 244): Jacobson has spent the last two seasons on the Saints practice squad after originally signing with the Seattle Seahawks during 2021 training camp, spending parts of his rookie campaign on the Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts practice squads.

The Waukee, Iowa native played basketball at Nebraska (2015-17) and Iowa State (2018-20). He started 123 games during his college basketball career with his best season coming in 2018-19 at Iowa State, where he averaged 11.1 points per game and a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game.

Charlie Smythe

Kicker, International Player Pathway Program (6-4, 210): Smyth, a native of Newry, Ireland, spent the entire 2024 season on the Saints practice squad as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) Program. In the preseason, he booted a game-winning field goal in the team's opener at the Arizona Cardinals. Smyth was selected to the IPP after playing Gaelic football, a mix between soccer and rugby, since the age of four.

Xazavian Valladay

Running Back, Arizona State (6-0, 198): Originally signed by the Houston Texans as a rookie free agent in 2023 out of Arizona State, the Chicago, Ill. native appeared in one game for the New York Jets as a rookie in the team's season finale after spending the first 17 weeks of the campaign on their practice squad.

After spending Week One of 2024 on the Jets practice squad, he joined the Saints practice squad in Week Ten. Valladay spent his final college season in 2022 at Arizona State, transferring for his graduate campaign from Wyoming. He carried 215 times for 1,192 yards (5.5 avg.) with 16 touchdowns and recorded 37 receptions for 289 yards with two touchdowns, leading the Pac-12 in rushing touchdowns.

Treyton Welch

Tight End, Wyoming (6-4, 240): Originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as a rookie free agent in 2024 out of Wyoming, Welch spent the entire regular season on the Saints practice squad. In the preseason, he finished with seven receptions for 53 yards for Cleveland.

The Buffalo, Minn. native appeared in 49 games with the Cowboys over five seasons (2019-23) and recorded 77 receptions for 874 yards and nine touchdowns. In 2023, Welch caught 31 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns, earning Pro Football Focus first-team All-Mountain West.