We’re halfway through the process of building this year’s New Orleans Saints team. With roster cuts being finalized on Tuesday, dozens of former Saints players — and hundreds more throughout the NFL — are going on waivers, giving other teams around the league an opportunity to snatch them up. And in some cases, players who are not claimed on waivers will have a chance to return to the team that just let them go by signing with the practice squad.

So watch this space often for updates on who’s back, and who’s been added. Most of the Saints practice squad will be filled out by guys who have been here all offseason. But there will be a few new faces added to the mix. We’ll have instant analysis on every reported signing:

Saints re-sign wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. to the practice squad

Per WWL Radio’s Jeff Nowak. Austin has had some nice moments here and there but he hasn’t been able to string together enough plays to earn a larger role. Still, he’s good depth to hold onto at wide receiver. A complicating factor is that Austin only has one accrued season, and the Saints have already met their limit. So unless they’re using the International Player Pathway exemption for kicker Charlie Smyth (which prohibits him from playing this year), they’ll have to let one of their previously-reported signings go to make room.

Several Saints players change role at Wednesday practice session

Saints head coach Kellen Moore said after practice that wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. and tight end Jack Stoll were both released in procedural moves and will sign with the practice squad later this week; because they are vested veterans, they don’t have to test the waiver wire.

Additionally, several young players were spotted on Wednesday after returning to the practice squad: offensive lineman Easton Kilty, edge rusher Fadil Diggs, safety Elliott Davison, and cornerback Jayden Price. That puts the Saints at 14 players out of their 16-man allotment for the practice squad. They have maxed out the 10 slots for players with two or fewer accrued seasons, so they can add a couple of veteran pros to round out the group.

Irish kicker Charlie Smyth re-signs with Saints practice squad

Per NFL Ireland’s Michael McQuaid. We’ll see if the Saints decide to use the International Player Pathway exemption on Smyth or not; doing so would mean he doesn’t count against the 16-man practice squad limit, but it would restrict from actually playing in any games this year if the team needs him. They opted not to use it last season in case something happened to Blake Grupe.

Chiefs practice squad signs ex-Saints RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Per Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick. This is a big loss; Edwards-Helaire enjoyed playing for his hometown team, and he was arguably the team’s best passing-down back after Alvin Kamara. But instead of sticking around on the Saints’ practice squad, he’s leaving for a reunion with the team that drafted him. Read more here.

Tight end Treyton Welch re-signs with the Saints practice squad

Via Nola.com’s Matthew Paras. Welch was one of the few really surprising roster cuts earlier this week, with eight of the nine media 53-man roster projections including him on the team. So it’s a relief that he gets to stick around for more evaluation on the practice squad. NOF’s Nick Underhill reports that Welch turned down offers from other teams to stay in New Orleans.

Veteran safety Terrell Burgess re-signs with Saints practice squad

Per NewOrelans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Burgess suffered a minor injury at a major time, and he missed most of the preseason while competing for a roster spot because of it. So it’s good that he’s able to return to the practice squad and reenter the fray. He’s one of a couple of experienced pros who have done well in the secondary this summer.

Saints re-sign veteran linebacker Nephi Sewell to the practice squad

Per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Sewell is a good player on special teams and he was competing with Danny Stutsman to be the next man up if either Demario Davis or Pete Werner miss time, so it’s good that the Saints were able to hold onto him. He’ll get into some games this year.

Third-year QB Jake Haener re-signing with Saints practice squad

Per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Haener was someone the Saints invested two fourth-round picks (and a seventh rounder) to go get, but he hasn’t looked like he belongs in the NFL through his first few years. Maybe more time on the practice squad helps him, but it feels redundant.

Waiver claims: Saints add two new players, lose two of their own

Two of the Saints’ recent roster cuts were picked up by other teams: Rico Payton, a second-year cornerback, is going to the New York Giants while D’Marco Jackson, a third-year linebacker and former fifth-round draft pick, is reuniting with Dennis Allen on the Chicago Bears. That’s the risk you take when waiving guys. At the same time, the Saints added two new players to their 53-man roster (which means two more cuts are coming as corresponding moves). One of them is former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Trey Palmer, a 6-foot-1 speedster who played college football at Nebraska and LSU. The other is Denver Broncos rookie offensive lineman Xavier Truss, who lined up at right tackle this summer but saw action at both guard and tackle on each side of the line at Georgia. Read more here.

Rookie CB Dalys Beanum signing with the Saints practice squad

Per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Beanum was guaranteed just $25,000 of his rookie contract as a free agent out of South Dakota State, but he made a good impression on the coaching staff and is getting a longer look. He’ll have some opportunities to develop and earn a role on game days with Rico Payton getting claimed on waivers by the New York Giants.

Rookie QB Hunter Dekkers signing with the Saints practice squad

Per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. The Saints already signed, waived, and re-signed Dekkers a couple of times this summer, so it’s not much of a surprise for him to return. The lefty will get some more opportunities to watch and learn at practice, and he could eventually be a viable backup in New Orleans. We’ll see if Jake Haener returns or if another veteran is signed, but Kellen Moore is beginning to fill up the QB room with his own guys.

Veteran DT Jonah Williams signs with the Saints practice squad

Per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Williams is a vested veteran with four years of experience, so he didn’t have to go on the waiver wire. And he’s staying in New Orleans. He brings some versatility as a player who can line up all over the defensive front, and he can rush the quarterback; his 8 pressures tied nose tackle Khristian Boyd for the team lead in preseason. He’s a good pick to come up from the practice squad for a few games early in the season. Read more here.

When are waiver claims processed?

We’ll find out who goes where at 11 a.m. CT.

Which Saints players are going on waivers?

We got into the details here, but this is the list:

QB Jake Haener (2 accrued seasons)RB Marcus Yarns (0 accrued seasons)TE Treyton Welch (0 accrued seasons)TE Seth Green (0 accrued seasons)TE Michael Jacobson (0 accrued seasons)OT Josiah Ezirim (0 accrued seasons)OT Jonathan Mendoza (0 accrued seasons)OG Kyle Hergel (1 accrued season)OG Easton Kilty (0 accrued seasons)G/C Mike Panasiuk (0 accrued seasons)WR Kevin Austin Jr. (1 accrued season)WR Roderick Daniels (0 accrued seasons)WR Moochie Dixon (0 accrued seasons)P James Burnip (0 accrued seasons)K Charlie Smyth (0 accrued seasons, IPP exemption)DE Jasheen Davis (0 accrued seasons)DE Fadil Diggs (0 accrued seasons)DE Isaiah Foskey (2 accrued seasons)DE Jeremiah Martin (0 accrued seasons)DT Jayden Peevy (0 accrued seasons)DT Omari Thomas (0 accrued seasons)LB D’Marco Jackson (3 accrued seasons)LB Nephi Sewell (2 accrued seasons)LB Tyreem Powell (0 accrued seasons)SF Elliott Davison (0 accrued seasons)CB Dalys Beanum (0 accrued seasons)CB Rico Payton (1 accrued season)CB Jayden Price (0 accrued seasons)Where do the Saints stand in waiver claim priority?

At this time of the year the waiver wire priority is identical to the 2025 NFL draft order. This means the Saints are picking ninth:

Tennessee TitansCleveland BrownsNew York GiantsNew England PatriotsJacksonville JaguarsLas Vegas RaidersNew York JetsCarolina PanthersNew Orleans SaintsChicago BearsSan Francisco 49ersDallas CowboysMiami DolphinsIndianapolis ColtsAtlanta FalconsArizona CardinalsCincinnati BengalsSeattle SeahawksTampa Bay BuccaneersDenver BroncosPittsburgh SteelersLos Angeles ChargersGreen Bay PackersMinnesota VikingsHouston TexansLos Angeles RamsBaltimore RavensDetroit LionsWashington CommandersBuffalo BillsKansas City ChiefsPhiladelphia Eagles