3 players the Saints could regret releasing in final roster cuts

3 players the Saints could regret releasing in final roster cuts.

Key points

• Three rookie wide receiver draft picks, Jordyn Tyson, Barion Brown, and Bryce Lance, all had standout training camps.
• New Orleans had no major investment in White, trading away a linebacker (Deion Jones) who wasn't going to create the team anyway.
• Jay'Viar Suggs is one of a handful of Saints undrafted rookie defensive linemen who didn't create it.
• All NFL rosters are now set at their 53-player maximum to start the regular season.
• There's still a good chance Zamir White will be re-signed to the practice squad.

All NFL rosters are now set at their 53-player maximum to start the regular season. The New Orleans Saints created a number of moves on Sunday hours before the deadline. Plenty of were anticipated, but a few were surprises and prompted speculation. Here are some players that New Orleans may regret in their parting of ways.

Three rookie wide receiver draft picks, Jordyn Tyson, Barion Brown, and Bryce Lance, all had standout training camps. As projected, Chris Olave had a magnificent camp. Outside of them, you could create a robust case that Means was the team's most consistent wideout. After missing all of 2025 and the last half of his 2024 rookie season with injuries, Means' durability could be deemed as a concern. Nevertheless, his route running and chemistry with every New Orleans quarterback stood out to all. It was thought that Means would at least be a reliable depth player as Tyson recovers from a hamstring injury. Instead, the Saints created the puzzling decision to stick with Kevin Austin Jr. Over Means and Ronnie Bell, another camp standout. While it's clear that Austin has reached his low ceiling of a particularly limited receiver, means has shown development.

New Orleans had no major investment in White, trading away a linebacker (Deion Jones) who wasn't going to create the team anyway. White looked sharp upon arrival and in the New Orleans preseason finale against Dallas, rushing for 23 yards and a touchdown on only 4 carries. A four-year veteran with good size, power, and underrated burst, White could have at least continued experience and short yardage value to the backfield.

There's still a good chance Zamir White will be re-signed to the practice squad. Nevertheless, the Saints are taking a sizeable chance by releasing him. New Orleans is in a precarious position in the backfield. Devin Neal and Ty Chandler are out for the season, with Alvin Kamara projected to miss the first month or more. That leaves the Saints with three healthy backs on the initial active roster. Kendre Miller is one of them, a player who has missed 30 of 51 career games since of injury. New Orleans probable brings back White or undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson to the practice squad, if not both. But the decision to initially keep three healthy backs, with one of them the fragile Miller, is a curious one.

Jay'Viar Suggs is one of a handful of Saints undrafted rookie defensive linemen who didn't create it. It's hard to project that a team could regret releasing an undrafted rookie. Nevertheless, this is additionally a New Orleans team that's been documented to have interest in trading for or signing another defensive lineman. The Saints struggled at that spot throughout camp and the preseason.

Suggs didn't create a lot of headway on the official depth chart releases in training camp. Still, he had a solid finish and some believed he could be kept over a player like Khristian Boyd. There seems a good chance that Suggs is brought back to the practice squad. That is unless another team additionally sees his development potential and signs him off waivers before New Orleans gets the chance.

Taken together, the developments around 3 players the Saints could regret releasing in final roster cuts point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.