SURPRISES: New Orleans Saints' Initial 53-Man Roster Has Some Unexpected Twists

The New Orleans Saints’ initial 53-man roster brings real surprises, especially (for some) at wide receiver, where Kevin Austin Jr. made the cut over Bub Means and Trey Palmer. Rookie Jordyn Tyson landed on short-term injured reserve, guaranteeing at least four missed games and likely a longer recovery from his hamstring injury. The Saints also kept only eight offensive linemen, waived backup center Torricelli Simpkins III, and chose versatile defensive back Mike Reid over Isaac Yiadom.   New Orleans also ended its offseason kicking competition by signing Daniel Carlson, pairing the veteran kicker with punter Ryan Wright and long snapper Zach Wood. Charlie Smyth will likely continue developing on the practice squad and eventually got another shot at the job in 2027.   Injury decisions involving Mike Heldman, Devin Neal, and Jaylan Ford reshape the depth chart, while Terrell Burgess’s release may be temporary. The Saints could still pursue help at linebacker, cornerback, defensive tackle, safety, and offensive line.   00:22 Saints 53-Man Roster Surprises 11:00 Saints Kicker Decision 19:41 Injury-Driven Roster Decisions   Photo Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images   BECOME A LOCKED ON SAINTS ALL-ACCESS MEMBER: https://lockedonsaints.supercast.com/   Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-saints/   Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More 🎧https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nfl/   LouisianaSports.Net's Ross Jackson hosts the Locked On Saints Podcast keeping the Who Dat Nation up-to-date with everything you need to know about your beloved New Orleans Saints.   And follow Ross on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New Orleans Saints and talking with fans. On Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RossJacksonNOLA   Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! PrizePicks Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL and use code LOCKEDONNFL and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup!   KALSHI For a limited time,Download the Kalshi app and use code [LOCKEDON] to get $10 when you trade $10.   Gametime Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.   FanDuel College football Saturdays are already packed with reasons to get excited, and this season, FanDuel is giving fans even more ways to get in on every matchup. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) BECOME A LOCKED ON SAINTS ALL-ACCESS MEMBER: https://lockedonsaints.supercast.com/ Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…🎧https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-saints/ Locked On NFL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft & More🎧https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nfl/ LouisianaSports.Net's Ross Jackson hosts the Locked On Saints Podcast keeping the Who Dat Nation up-to-date with everything you need to know about your beloved New Orleans Saints. And follow Ross on Twitter, where he’ll be sharing the latest news about the New Orleans Saints and talking with fans.On Twitter: https://twitter.com/RossJacksonNOLA Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.