The New Orleans Saints hope to bounce back in 2024. They barely missed out on the playoffs last year with a 9-8 record. They tweaked their roster to help avoid that fate again, adding pass rusher Chase Young in free agency, among others, and selecting Oregon State offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga. However, they have to finalize their roster first.
The Saints have to find players who shine during the preseason to make their 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season, and Equanimeous St. Brown and Jesper Horsted are a couple players who need big performances to make the cut.
Room for Equanimeous St. Brown?
The Saints' wide receiver room is a question mark for them this preseason heading into the 2024 NFL season. Chris Olave is one of the best players at that position in the NFL. Rashid Shaheed is a big play waiting to happen. But outside of those two, that room is largely unproven.
They signed Cedrick Wilson Jr. this offseason, but he's registered just 34 receptions in the last two seasons. They've also drafted a couple of wideouts on Day 3 of the previous two drafts in A.T. Perry and Bub Means. However, they have only 12 receptions between them. With those two as unproven as they are, another veteran could be handy to have around.
That could come in the form of Equanimeous St. Brown. St. Brown, the brother of Detroit Lions star receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, has bounced around the league for a little bit. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 2018 and made a name for himself on special teams. He also caught 37 passes for 543 yards and a touchdown in the four years he was in Wisconsin.
St. Brown left Green Bay for their bitter rival Chicago Bears in 2022, where he had arguably his best season as a pro. He caught 21 passes for 323 yards and a touchdown along with 54 yards rushing.
St. Brown can serve as a field stretcher down the field and does great work on special teams. That should be enough to carve a path onto the Saints' 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season. But he'll have to prove it during camp. If he does, that should be enough to earn himself a spot on this team.
A path for Jesper Horsted?
One position the Saints have plenty of firepower in is at tight end. They already have three capable tight ends in Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, and the ever-versatile Taysom Hill. However, their strength at that position could make a player like Jesper Horsted expendable.
Horsted was a member of the Las Vegas Raiders last year and was relied upon primarily as a run blocker. That's been the case for the majority of his four-year NBA career but he flashed some pass-catching prowess during his time as a Bear. The 6-foot-3 227-pound tight end caught three touchdowns in 13 games with Chicago.
Horsted's path to making the Saints' roster is a bit murky with the depth they have at that position, but he does have an opening. Juwan Johnson has been on the sideline for the start of training camp while tending to a foot injury. It's expected that he will be available for the start of the 2024 NFL season for the Saints, but he is expected to miss preseason action.
At a minimum, Horsted has a chance to work with the Saints' primary contributors on offense during the preseason. He can showcase his skills and prove to the team he's worth keeping around. But Horsted will have to bring it day and day out. Whether or not he does will be worth watching.
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