Saints Add Receiver Help to Active Roster

Aug 02, 2026; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper (85) during training camp at Ochsner Sports Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Saints Add Receiver Help to Active Roster

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Doug Joubert | Last updated Sep 26, 2026 6:00 PM ET

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In preparation for Sunday's kickoff against the Las Vegas Raiders, the New Orleans Saints made a pair of roster moves to shore up the wide receiver corps.

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Rookie receiver and returner Barion Brown is out for the game with a bum hamstring. Brown missed practice all week. No word as to when he could return. Head coach Kellen Moore said this week the return game will be handled "by committee."

Expect cornerback Jayden Price and wide receiver Bryce Lance to get some reps. Price already has one kick return for 18-yards, though he is listed in the Saints unofficial depth chart as the backup punt returner to Brown. Lance is listed as a backup to Brown in the kick return game, but has yet to log a return on a kickoff or a punt. Add to that one of the two who are moving up from the practice squad to get a chance in the return game.

The team made two moves on Saturday to get the wide receiver room a little deeper.

A Pair of Receivers Added to Roster for Sunday: Austin, Cropper

As expected, Kevin Austin Jr has been elevated from the practice squad in advance of Sunday's 3:25 p.m. kickoff in the Caesar's Superdome. He has already played in both games the Saints have played this season. He wasn't targeted agains Detroit. On his one target against Baltimore on Sunday, Austin had a receptions for 7-yards. Austin was involved in six snaps on special teams in the first two weeks of the season, including being sent back for a punt against the Lions.

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Practice squad wide out Jalen Moreno-Cropper is no stranger to the NFL. Cropper signed with the Cowboys in 2023 as an undrafted free agent, spending that year on their practice squad. He played in seven games in 2024-25 combined, returning three punts for an average of 9-yards per return while bringing back a pair of kickoffs for 38-yards. Cropper joined the Saints in 2026, playing in the preseason for the team, finishing with five receptions for 83-yards. He also returned three kickoffs in the preseason for New Orleans for a 27.7-yard average.

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This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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