The New Orleans Saints are going to give former Baltimore Ravens safety and first-round pick Matt Elam a tryout at their rookie minicamp this weekend, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin reports.
Elam, 26, was drafted No. 32 overall by the Ravens in the 2013 draft. He played in 41 games in four seasons for Baltimore, making 26 starts and recording 130 total tackles with one interception, one forced fumble, and 0.5 sack.
Elam’s form declined steadily since his rookie year and is generally regarded as a first-round bust. He wasn’t helped by a torn biceps which saw him miss the entire 2015 season. He was also limited to just nine games in 2016 due to a knee injury which saw him land on injured reserve.
In 2017, Elam was arrested for marijuana possession, although charges were later dropped. Nevertheless, the Ravens indicated that they were moving on from him, in large part due to his poor play.
A couple of months later, he was also arrested on battery and theft charges after a dispute with his girlfriend over an iPhone, but those charges were also dropped. Still, those legal troubles may have contributed to him not signing with any team in 2017.
The Saints are still looking for another veteran safety after deciding to move on from free agent Kenny Vaccaro. Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams are currently slated as their starters, and they signed veteran Kurt Coleman earlier in the offseason to serve as a backup.
Elam is set to compete with a couple of rookie safeties in Natrell Jamerson, whom the Saints drafted in the fifth round, and undrafted free agent pickup J.T. Gray.
