The New Orleans Saints are still making moves ahead of their season opener against the Arizona Cardinals, and they made a surprising release recently, letting go of safety and special teamer J.T. Gray, according to reporter Nick Underhill.
Gray had missed most of training camp and preseason after dealing with a hamstring injury, and it seems like the Saints wanted to go in a different direction. He's been with the team since 2018 as an undrafted rookie and has played a total of 153 defensive snaps, but has made his biggest impact on special teams.
His contributions on special teams have led him to earn first-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and second-team honors in 2019 and 2024.
With Gray's release, the Saints now have an open roster spot, and they can pick somebody up from the waiver wire or elevate a player from the practice squad. For Gray, there's a good chance that somebody will pick him, but he may want to recover from his hamstring injury before signing.
The Saints will be going in a different direction than in years past this season, as head coach Kellen Moore came in during the offseason and instilled a new system. On offense, Spencer Rattler will be the starting quarterback, and he will have some solid options to work with, such as Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Alvin Kamara. There have been questions about whether Rattler is the answer at quarterback, and as the season progresses, he should be able to find a rhythm in the offense.
On defense, they have some key players, but it's uncertain how the unit will play together. They have a mix of veterans and young players, and the hope is that they can improve as the season goes on as well.
For now, the Saints will look to get their season started against the Cardinals, and it'll be interesting to see what they do with the final roster spot.
