SmashMouth

The majority of the tryout players at New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp this weekend will be hoping to earn their first NFL job, but at least one participant will be trying to have a career renaissance.

Safety Matt Elam, a first-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, is trying out for the Saints this weekend, according to a league source. The Boston Globe first reported the tryout.



The 26-year-old Elam spent four years with the Ravens. He missed all of 2015 with a torn biceps, and when he played in 2013, 2014 and 2016, his playing time and production decreased each season.

The Ravens declined his fifth-year option for 2017, and he became a free agent last year. Elam was also reportedly arrested twice in 2017, but the charges were dropped both times. Still, he remained unsigned all of last year.

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K Major

I could be wrong but coaches aren't sold on Vonn Bell at safety.

voodooido

I would not exactly say that just because a guy join a rookie minicamp. His agent probably asked and they complied. Why not allow him? Could be a special teams ace or provide depth

K Major

We are heading into year 3 for VB & he has yet to develop the way most would have hoped ... especially considering the Saints traded UP to get him in round 2. Factor in we signed another rookie safety in later rounds .Why sign Kurt to a big money deal ?

VB needs to be pushed & I'd welcome a Elam signing. The pedigree is there.

Rugby Saint II

I don't know about the coaches but I'm not sold on him. I feel like we could use an upgrade.

DA would love to have two free safeties instead of the traditional strong/free safety approach. According to the article Elam is a strong safety with limitations......kinda' like Vaccaro but he never had even one good season compared to Vaccaro's exciting rookie year.

hitta

This has the potential to be incredibly sexy.

darksoul35

I'm not sure if I'm sold on him

saintfan

hitta

I'm not convinced that Bell is going to be a bust. His overall play over the last few years hasn't been that impressive. I still think it's very possible that the light may just turn on for him. I've seen flickers of good play from him, but he has been very inconsistent. Early struggles for safeties isn't exactly an uncommon thing in the NFL though. Safeties have to have a better grasp of the big picture than corners do, and sometimes it just takes a bit of time for all the layers of being in an NFL defense to sink in.

Hunting for talent at the position just in case isn't a bad idea. Still, I think he could wind up being a good player.

darksoul35

I just hope it doesn't take him until the last year of his rookie contract.