The Saints cleared a handful of roster spots on Tuesday, letting go of three veterans. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Saints released kicker Cody Parkey, defensive back Brian Poole and cornerback Desmond Trufant.
Parkey had a brief stint as the Saints starting kicker before suffering a groin injury that landed him on IR earlier Tuesday. Ultimately, the veteran was released with an injury settlement, allowing him to sign elsewhere (instead of being sidelined for three weeks before inevitably getting released). During New Orleans’ win over Washington the other day, Parkey didn’t attempt a field goal while converting three of his five extra-point tries.
The kicker will be replaced by kicker Brian Johnson, who was signed off the Bears practice squad today. The Saints will continue to rotate through options at the position as they await Wil Lutz‘s return.
Trufant, a Pro Bowler during his time with the Falcons, joined the Saints in early September. He saw time in only two games for the Saints, collecting three tackles. The veteran hadn’t seen the field since Week 2, and he was pushed down the depth chart following the Bradley Roby acquisition. Now, the 31-year-old will have an opportunity to find work elsewhere.
Poole landed on injured reserve before the season, which meant he wasn’t going to see the field for New Orleans during the 2021 campaign. Like Parkey, he’ll be released with an injury settlement, allowing him to immediately find work elsewhere. Poole started 17 games for the Jets between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, collecting 103 tackles and three interceptions.
Besides the addition of Johnson, the Saints used one of their open roster spots to sign defensive tackle Christian Ringo.
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