Saints Roster Decisions: Potentially Surprising Moves

There could be a few potential surprises when the Saints make their major personnel moves by Tuesday

New Orleans Saints running back Jamaal Williams (21) against the Arizona Cardinals / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Preseason throughout the NFL concludes this weekend. By 4pm Eastern Time on Tuesday, August 27, all NFL teams must cut their active roster down to 53 players. After splitting their first two preseason contests, the New Orleans Saints return home to face the Tennessee Titans in their finale.

The Saints have just returned to their facilities in New Orleans this week after spending training camp in Irvine, California. It was a productive training camp by all accounts, as the Saints look to return to the playoffs this season for the first time since the 2020-21 campaign. Firstly, head coach Dennis Allen and staff must settle on a roster to start the regular season.

Every year in the NFL, there are surprising cut throughout the league. New Orleans will not avoid this either, as several established veterans are considered on the roster bubble. Here are a few vets that most consider safe but could be among the eyebrow raising moves throughout the league.

Johnathan Abram, S

New Orleans Saints safety Johnathan Abram (24) intercepts a ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Abram, 27, came into the NFL as a first-round choice in the 2019 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State with the Oakland Raiders. He's entering his second year with the Saints after making the team as a free-agent acquisition last season.

In 2023, Abram appeared in nine games for New Orleans and started three. He had one interception while recording 26 tackles, including one for loss, while playing 35% of the defensive snaps and getting extensive work on special teams.

Abram is well-liked by the coaches. However, he's most effective at the line of scrimmage and can be a liability in coverage. His spot on the team should be safe. With the emergence of young corners like Rico Payton, Rejzohn Wright, and Shemar Jean-Charles, Abram's job security could be in some jeopardy.

New Orleans may decide to keep an extra corner. Doing so could also result in a roster limitation at safety, where the Saints could elect to go with better coverage options than Abram.

Isaiah Foskey, DE

New Orleans Saints defensive ends Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner (98) during training camp drills / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Foskey isn't an established veteran. But a second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft would certainly be considered a surprise cut before his second season in the league. It also wouldn't be without just cause.

As a rookie, Foskey dealt with some nagging injuries early on. Worse yet, he was a complete non-factor when he did see the field. Over 10 games, Foskey played in only 83 defensive snaps and had just nine tackles without a single sack, pressure, or stop for a loss.

Heading into his second training camp, much more was expected from the former Notre Dame star. Foskey has shown some decent pass rush potential, but not consistently. Also, he's looked completely lost against the run, showing little instinct and getting caught out of position constantly.

Foskey's spot should be safe assuming New Orleans keeps five defensive ends. Even that could be temporary if Tanoh Kpassagnon recovers from his Achilles injury before mid-season. Foskey could also be in jeopardy if the Saints just keep four ends and decide to use the extra spot at another position.

Jamaal Williams, RB

New Orleans Saints running back Jamaal Williams (21) runs the football against the San Francisco 49ers / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Williams was a productive complementary back with the Packers and Lions during his first five years as a pro from 2017 to 2021. He had a breakout campaign with the Lions in 2022, rushing for a career-best 1,066 yards and NFL-high 17 touchdowns.

Williams was considered a key free-agent addition to the Saints last season. After being sidelined by an ankle injury early on, he was never really able to get on track. Over 13 games, Williams managed only 306 yards on the ground and an abysmal 2.9 yards per carry with an equally disappointing 3.4 yards per catch on 18 receptions.

During training camp and preseason this year, Williams has looked far more decisive as a runner. In two preseason contests, he's run for 52 yards on 11 carries. While most effective as an inside runner, Williams has also been solid on off-tackle zone reads.

Williams, 29, will again likely be the second back behind starter Alvin Kamara. It's also important to consider that Jordan Mims and James Robinson have also been effective this preseason, along with the explosive potential of injured second-year RB Kendre Miller.

Jamaal Williams is easily the most reliable and experienced backfield option for the Saints outside of Kamara. Because of that, it's hard to envision the team parting ways with him. There's also the possibility that offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak might opt to gamble on the more explosive upside of Miller (if he can finally stay healthy) and Mims going into the season.

Landon Young, OT

New Orleans Saints offensive tackle Landon Young (67) blocks against the Arizona Cardinals / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

A sixth-round draft pick in 2021, Young is one of just four holdovers in the same position out of last year's offensive line group. He's started just seven games in three years, but can play either tackle spot and is coming off a career-best 213 offensive snaps played last season.

Young, 27, has clear limitations if pressed into long-term duty. However, his ability to fill in at multiple positions makes him a valuable commodity for an offensive line that has had issues with injuries.

This offensive line has had other issues. Namely, overall performance by nearly the entire unit. The group performed much better against a rugged San Francisco defense last week. That included Young, who filled in for injured rookie first-round pick Taliese Fuaga at left tackle.

Landon Young probably clinched an already likely spot on the roster with his performance against the 49ers. On a line that still has major questions and concerns, however, few jobs outside of Fuaga and C Erik McCoy should be considered secure.

This is not to suggest that Young, Williams, Foskey, or Abram are in great danger of being released. As stated above, all four should be relatively safe. At least on the initial roster cuts. A trade of any of these four also shouldn't be ruled out. Three of these players have considerable NFL experience that could be valued if they aren't a fit on this year's New Orleans roster.

That said, it would be a mild surprise if all four aren't still with the Saints after the major moves are made on Tuesday afternoon. As we've seen throughout the NFL every year, there are surprising personnel moves with nearly every team annually.