Saints Sign 8 to Reserve/Future Contracts

The Saints locked up several players on reserve/future deals Monday, all of whom spent time on the practice squad in 2021.

John Hendrix | Jan 11, 2022

As disappointing as it was to see the Saints season end on Sunday, they have started some necessary work on next season. Monday saw the team sign eight practice squad players to reserve/future deals. Here's the full list from the transaction report.

WR Kawaan Baker
LB Sharif Finch
OT Jerald Hawkins
DT Braxton Hoyett
DB Dylan Mabin
DB Jordan Miller
DB KeiVarae Russell
WR Easop Winston

All of these players were with the team in 2021 on the practice squad, with some being on there longer than others like Baker. This has been a very important piece of the team, especially with the effects of COVID-19.

New Orleans utilized practice squad players frequently in their regular season, whether it was through standard elevations or as COVID replacements. Naturally, it comes with some risks, as players like Alex Armah and Josiah Bronson were added by other teams after their call-up. Conversely, when the Saints were in a bind in some situations, they poached players like Brian Johnson (Bears) and Devine Ozigbo (Jaguars) from other team's practice squads.

Look for more moves to come through, as players like Ethan Wolf, Malcolm Roach, and Bryce Thompson could be names added by the team. Of course, some players may want to find other opportunities elsewhere.

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Published Jan 11, 2022

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net