Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
Doug Miller, NewOrleansSaints.com
Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 3:38 PM

The New Orleans Saints have signed seven players to their practice squad, it was announced by Head Coach Sean Payton following today’s practice.

The players signed were guard Tim Duckworth, fullback Kevin Dudley, defensive end Willie Evans, linebacker Marvin Mitchell, quarterback Tyler Palko, cornerback Anwar Phillips and safety Chris Reis.

Below is a brief thumbnail of each player:

Duckworth is a rookie out of Auburn who signed with New Orleans just before the opening of the preseason. The 24-year-old guard saw action on offense and on special teams during the team’s summer slate.

Dudley first came to the Saints as a practice squad signee during the 2006 postseason after previously spending time with the Atlanta Falcons. The fullback from the University of Michigan had a productive preseason for the Saints, carrying the ball five times for 15 yards and catching eight passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

Evans signed with Saints in January and was allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europa. The former Mississippi State defensive end made eight tackles in the preseason, including three sacks against Miami in the preseason finale.

Mitchell was the selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the NFL Draft this spring after playing collegiately at the University of Tennessee. The rookie linebacker played in all five preseason games and recorded nine tackles on defense and another on special teams.

Palko was a rookie free agent signee out of the University of Pittsburgh. The left-handed passer saw extensive playing time in three games this preseason, completing 27 of 48 passes for 271 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. He also showed some play-making ability, gaining 59 yards rushing on nine attempts.

Phillips was in training camp with the Saints for the second time in 2007. The former Penn State defensive back first came to New Orleans as an undrafted free agent a year ago and spent the 2006 season on the team’s practice squad. He played in all five games this preseason, recording three tackles and a pass defense.

Reis signed with the club as a free agent in January and was allocated to the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europa, where he earned all-league honors. The former Georgia Tech defensive back tallied 13 tackles in preseason action and picked off two passes against Miami in the finale.

NOTES: RB Antonio Pittman, who was waived yesterday, was claimed off of waivers by the St. Louis Rams … RB Jamaal Branch was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to their practice squad, and CB David Jones was claimed off of waivers by the Cincinnati Bengals.

New Orleans Saints - Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad

I do not know about you guys but I am more than a bit disappointed in the loyalty shown to more than 1 player on the list. With all the FA out there we made no moves at all. I was hoping for at least two new faces. Explain to me the logic. Camp and the system does not cut it for the PS. x(
All can do is hope for something to happen more positive to happen soon. Maybe there are a few hold outs out there.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

The coaching staff knew who they wanted. It takes a long time for someone just walking in to become familiar with the Saints and their system. I like Dudley, Evans, Reis. Palko and Phillips. My first thought was damn we got talent on the practice squad. Dudley is a killer and Palko will develop into the backup for next year.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

Duckworth and Phillips surprise me as well! The others were, IMHO, almost a given.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

I don't see anything wrong with the practice squad. Who are you disappointed in? Of course i'm still in a bit of shock with Fred Thomas still being on the roster, but maybe he was hurt last year when he was being beat like a drum. It does seem like I remember that being said at one time last year. Something to do with his hip. Oh well. I have to trust in the Saints brain trust. They've done well so far. I guess I can trust them again. I am surprised at Anwar Phillips making it, he was a favorite of mine last year but I didn't think he did to much in preseason.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

agreed

and how about Palko's loyalty? First Payton calls him during the draft and says, "we're not drafting you, but want you to sign with us." Now he gets cut and signed to the PS. He's got heart- I hope he ends up on the active roster at some point and gets some mop up time. If we are up by 30, I'd rather see him than Martin

Anybody know the exact rules of the PS? Can these guys be activated at any time? If a team tries to sign them, do we get a chance to match?

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

Here is a link to the Collective Bargining Agreement as it pertains to Practice Squads.

http://www.nflpa.org/cba/cba_pdf/Art...ice_Squads.pdf

It is in PDF form and I could not copy it.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

First question you need to ask yourself...
Will Jones or Pittman ever come back to hurt us?

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

Mitchell and Phillips. i think we could have done better. followed by Duckworth

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

I don't think Jones or Pittman will hurt us. Pittman went to the Rams, now has to play behind one of the premier backs in the NFL and a second rounder in Brian Leonard. Plus, if he does play, Bulger better watch out.

Jones signed with Cincinatti and is a project, but not someone this staff was willing to wait on with a spot on the 53 man roster. I still don't understand why we kept 4 tight ends

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

4 tight-ends is a bit puzzling.
I didn't watch Jones in the pre-season but from what I read he was playing well in practices.

I am eager to see what becomes of Reis. I'm very happy that he made the Saints PS.

Dudley too. He looked like a madman in the games I was able too see. I wish he was one of the four tight-ends.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

OIC! Maybe so, but Mitchell did ok on special teams I thought. Phillips, I must admit, I was disappointed in. Never really paid to much attention to Duckworth. Lot's of you probably know more about him than I do.

As far as Pittman goes, if he ever quits playing touch football(he goes down whenever he's touched) he might, but I doubt it. Jones is to much of a project for right now and as i said in another thread, I think we have enough projects right now. Especially if we want to make the big game. We need experience and that we have.


Oh, and one other thing. As far as picking up someone else after the cuts from other teams, sure we might have picked up a fair to good linebacker for a backup but then you have to consider the money angle too. Someone like Hartwell one of the other "big" names would cost us to much maybe. Hell we cut one that I thought we'd keep in Jones. Like someone else said though, looked like he never caught on to the scheme.I sure did like him though. He was a great clubhouse teammate.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

http://blackandgold.com/forums/new-o...round-nfl.html

Check out the waivers. That list has more than 3 players of better caliber than the three I pointed out. We must be sitting on our wavier position for something.
The others I like. Ries just makes it. he seems to be a ball player.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

I hope pittman gets a lot playin time when we play them,,,, BRING DA HOUSE!!! Actually, just one extra blitzer. LOL

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

I wish we sign David Jones, that was a bummer. I wonder what they see in Anwar ???

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

I understand what you're saying, i'm just wondering if it might be money. I'm not sure where we stand cap wise. Plus, having been to sick to go to training camp this year I missed the inside scoop on what was going on there. I'm with you also on Ries, he looked like a player to me too. Seems, the coaching staff really likes him.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

To me, Jones was to much of a project player to keep and as i've said in many other threads, we've got enough projects. I'd rather have Young as my project. He seems to have more upside and more to work with. As for Anwar, i'm a bit surprised by them keeping him another year but that might be the reason they did keep him. Because he has a year in the system already. I know that in camp last year they were high on him. He has showed some promise. I was however diasppointed in his play this preseason.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

I'll do the honors:

Section 1. Practice Squads:

(a) The League may elect in any League Year in accordance with this Article to establish practice squads
not to exceed eight players per Club. The League's election in any one season shall not determine or affect
its election in any subsequent season.

(b) [International player. Cut for brevity.]

Section 2. Signing With Other Clubs:

(a) Any player under contract to a Club as a practice squad player shall be completely free to negotiate
and sign a Player Contract with any Club at any time during the League Year, to serve as a player on any
Club's Active or Inactive List, and any Club is completely free to negotiate and sign such a Player Contract
with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation
between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period, except that such player shall not be
permitted to sign a Player Contract with another Club to serve as a practice squad player while under contract
as a practice squad player.

(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) above, a practice squad player may not sign an NFL Player Contract
with his Club's next opponent later than 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the sixth day preceding the game
(except in bye weeks, when the prohibition commences on the tenth day preceding the game).

Section 3. Salary:

Minimum salary for a practice squad player shall be $4,700 per week for the 2006-07
League Years, $5,200 per week for the 2008-10 League Years and the 2011 League Year if it is an Uncapped
Year, and $5,700 per week for the 2011 League Year if it is a Capped Year and the 2012 League Year,
including postseason weeks in which his Club is in the playoffs.

Section 4. Eligibility:

(a) The practice squad shall consist of the following players, provided that they have not served more
than two previous seasons on a Practice Squad: (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL
experience; and (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games
during their only Accrued Season(s). An otherwise eligible player may be a practice squad player for a third
season only if the Club by which he is employed that season has at least 53 players on its Active/Inactive List
during the entire period of his employment.

(b) A player shall be deemed to have served on a Practice Squad in a season if he has passed the club's
physical and been a member of the club's Practice Squad for at least three regular season or postseason games during his first two Practice Squad seasons, and for at least one regular season or postseason game during his
third Practice Squad season. (A bye week counts as a game provided that the player is not terminated until after
the regular season or postseason weekend in question.)

Section 5. Active List:

If a player on the Practice Squad of one club (Club A) signs an NFL Player Contract
with another club (Club B), (1) the player shall receive three weeks salary of his NFL Player Contract at the 53-player Active/Inactive List minimum even if he is terminated by Club B prior to earning that amount, and (2)
Club B is required to count the player on its 53-player Active/Inactive List for three games (a bye week counts
as a game) even if he is terminated or assigned via waivers to another club or is signed as a free agent to another club's 53-player roster or another club's Practice Squad prior to that time. If the player is terminated from Club B's 53-player roster and signed to Club B's Practice Squad, he shall continue to count on the club's 53-player Active/Inactive List but shall not count against the eight-player Practice Squad limit until the three-game requirement has been fulfilled. If a player is terminated prior to the completion of the three-game period and is signed to Club B's Practice Squad or is signed or assigned to another club's 53-player roster or Practice Squad, any salary (as that term is defined in Article XXIV, Section 1(c)) that he receives from any NFL club applicable to the three-game period shall be an offset against the three weeks salary that he is entitled to receive from Club B.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

So what ever happened to Matt Baker? Did another team sign him? I really liked what I saw in that kid for no more time than he was on the team.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

i honestly think it has to do with what payton was talking about regarding keeping the 53 best players on the roster. it just so happens 4 of them are TE's.

Re: Saints Sign Seven to Practice Squad
 

Thanks fellow Georgian-

So, these guys can sign with any team as long as they get signed to the 53 man roster, not the PS.

They also make about $235, 000 per year.