The NFL free agency period officially opened on Monday and the New Orleans Saints have been busy reshaping their roster.
Saints Executive Vice President and General Manager Mickey Loomis and the front office began by freeing up salary cap space by restructuring deals of players already under contract. That included center Eric McCoy, quarterback Derek Carr, linebacker Demario Davis, defensive linemen Nathan Shepherd and Khalen Saunders, right guard Cesar Ruiz, defensive end Carl Granderson, linebacker Pete Werner, and safety Tyrann Mathieu.
Below are the free agents the team has signed, as well as players the franchise has re-signed and one who has left in free agency.
FREE AGENT ADDITIONS
NAME: Brandin Cooks
POSITION: Wide Receiver
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 5-10, 189 lbs.
2024 TEAM: Dallas Cowboys
CONTRACT: 2-year, $13 million
BACKGROUND: Coming out of Oregon State, Cooks began his career with the Black and Gold, playing in New Orleans from 2014-2016. Cooks was then traded that offseason to the New England Patriots before spending two years with the Los Angeles Rams and three more as a member of the Houston Texans. Since then, the 31-year-old has spent the previous two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, putting up over 900 yards in his time in Big D. Cooks has eclipsed the 1,000 mark in six seasons in the NFL.
CAREER STATS: 710 catches, 9,532 yards, and 60 touchdowns in 11 seasons.
NAME: Velus Jones Jr
POSITION: Wide Receiver/Punt Returner
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-0, 201 lbs.
2024 TEAM: Chicago Bears & Carolina Panthers
CONTRACT: One-year deal
BACKGROUND: Jones joined the league in 2022 and spent the majority of his career with Chicago before heading to Carolina on December 10th of this past year to play with the Panthers. The former Tennessee Volunteer has been mainly used as a gadget guy and in the return game on special teams.
CAREER STATS: (Receiving) 12 receptions, 135 yards, 1 touchdown
(Rushing) 20 attempts, 165 yards, 1 touchdown
(Returns) 5 returns, 35 yards
NAME: Jonah Williams
POSITION: Defensive End
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-5, 275 lbs.
2024 TEAM: Los Angeles Rams
CONTRACT: One-year deal
BACKGROUND: In his five years in the league, Williams has played in 80 games for the Rams since 2021. Williams spent all four of his college years at Weber State from 2016 to 2019 before going undrafted and getting signed by Los Angeles.
CAREER STATS: 80 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 pass deflection
NAME: Justin Reid
POSITION: Safety
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-1, 207 lbs.
2024 TEAM: Kansas City Chiefs
CONTRACT: 3-year, $31.5M
BACKGROUND: The Prairieville native returns home after playing the last three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, helping them win two Super Bowls. The former Stanford star was selected in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
CAREER STATS: 580 tackles, 46 pass deflections, and 10 interceptions in his seven-year career.
NAME: Jack Stoll
POSITION: Tight End
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-4, 247 lbs.
2024 TEAMS: Philadelphia Eagles & Miami Dolphins
CONTRACT: One-year deal
BACKGROUND: Yet, another player that is very familiar with new Saints head coach Kellen Moore, as he spent most of last season on the roster of the Eagles. He ended the season with the Dolphins but was strictly a practice squad player.
CAREER STATS: In 61 games, Stoll has recorded 22 receptions for 193 yards and zero touchdowns.
NAME: Isaac Yiadom
POSITION: Cornerback
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-1, 188 lbs.
2024 TEAM: San Fransico 49ers
CONTRACT: 3-year deal
BACKGROUND: The seven-year veteran defensive back returns to the franchise that he played for between 2022-23. Yiadom was selected by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He has bounced around the league since then playing for five different teams since then.
CAREER STATS: He has 204 tackles and 32 pass deflections, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles in seven seasons.
NAME: Will Clapp
POSITION: Center-Guard
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-5, 311 lbs.
2024 TEAM: Buffalo Bills
CONTRACT: One-year deal
BACKGROUND: The former LSU Tiger returns to the franchise that drafted him in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Clapp started 11 games for the Los Angeles Chargers during the 2023 season when new Saints head coach Kellen Moore served as offensive coordinator.
CAREER STATS: Has played in 66 games with 22 starts in seven seasons.
FREE AGENT RE-SIGNINGS
NAME: Juwan Johnson
POSITION: Tight End
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-4, 231 lbs.
2024 TEAM: New Orleans Saints
CONTRACT: 3-year, $30.75M
BACKGROUND: Johnson went undrafted out of Oregon but found a home in New Orleans transferring from wide receiver to tight end. Johnson has shown flashes of his big-play potential but has never been consistent.
CAREER STATS: 146 receptions for 1,622 yards and 18 touchdowns in five seasons — all with the Saints.
NAME: Chase Young
POSITION: Defensive End
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-5, 264 lbs.
2024 TEAM: New Orleans Saints
CONTRACT: 3-year, $51M
BACKGROUND: The No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft appeared to be on his way to being a dominant pass rusher after being named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and earning a Pro Bowl honor. An ACL tear slowed down his career, and he was traded to San Francisco during the 2023 season. He then signed a one-year with the Saints last season and made an impact with 31 total tackles and 5.5 sacks.
CAREER STATS: In 60 games, Young has recorded 131 tackles, 22 sacks, and 7 forced fumbles.
NAME: Nephi Sewell
POSITION: Linebacker
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-0, 228 lbs.
2024 TEAM: New Orleans Saints
CONTRACT: N/A
BACKGROUND: Sewell went undrafted out of Utah in 2022 but developed into playing on special teams in 2023, appearing in 16 games. He spent the majority of last season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list due to a torn ACL. Sewell has served as Demario Davis’ backup in the middle.
CAREER STATS: In 27 games, Sewell has recorded 26 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 1 sack.
NAME: Dante Pettis
POSITION: Wide Receiver
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 6-1, 195 lbs.
2024 TEAM: New Orleans Saints
CONTRACT: 1-year deal
BACKGROUND: Pettis was a consensus All-American at Washington and was selected in the second round in the 2018 NFL Draft by San Francisco. Pettis never developed into a reliable pass catcher for the 49ers and has since bounced around the league, playing for the New York Giants, Chicago Bears, and the Saints. After being on injured reserve for 2023 and then the early part of 2024 for the Bears, Pettis was signed to the Saints’ practice squad in October. He appeared in eight games catching 12 passes for 120 yards and one touchdown.
CAREER STATS: Has 83 receptions for 1,104 yards and 13 touchdowns.