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Former Colts defensive lineman Josh Williams was amongst a number of veterans who were still hoping to get a shot with an NFL team this season, even though training camps were in full swing. Late this week he got some good news.

Josh Williams, the 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive tackle who was released earlier this year by Indianapolis has been added to a New Orleans Saints defensive line that has been recently hit hard by injuries. Amongst the players who have been limited by injury are projected starters Willie Whitehead (ankle) and Rodney Leslie (knee).
Back in February, the Colts cut their ties to Williams after a difficult year in 2005 where he only saw action in four games. The team's fourth-round selection in the 2000 draft out of Michigan had sports hernia surgery last year, forcing him to miss training camp and start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Williams was activated to the roster in mid-November and he finished the season with just five tackles.

Over six seasons with the Colts, Williams appeared in 161 games, tallying 106 solo tackles, 55 assists, 8 sacks, forced 3 fumbles and recovered four. Statistically, Williams' best season was his second year in which he made 68 tackles, 3 sacks, and recovered a fumble.

Earlier this year, Williams' contract threatened to eat up too much cap space for the Colts with a base salary of $2.5 million and a roster bonus of $600,000 due. The team saved a projected $1.3 million against the 2006 cap by cutting him loose, but took a $2.4 million hit for the remaining prorated portion of a $3.6 million signing bonus they paid him in 2004. Over the first two seasons of that new contract, Williams made just 39 tackles and didn't register a sack