It was a busy day for the New Orleans Saints on Monday. The Saints made an announcement early in the day that they will be wearing their new ”Gameday Gold’‘ alternate jerseys for the regular season opener against the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday. New Orleans also held workouts for eight different players during the day. In a surprise move during the afternoon, the Saints also released longtime special teams star safety J.T. Gray.
Out of their tryouts, the Saints added linebacker Eku Leota and defensive tackle Coziah Izzard to their practice squad, coach Kellen Moore said. New Orleans now has a full complement of players on their practice squad, but do now have an opening on their active roster after Gray’s release.
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Leota, 26, was with the Pittsburgh Steelers to end last year and this year’s training camp. He began his career as an undrafted rookie with the Carolina Panthers out of Auburn in 2023. Over two years with the Steelers and Panthers, Leota has appeared in 11 games with one start and has a sack to go along with 6 tackles for loss.
Izzard, 23, is an undrafted rookie from Penn State. A 6-foot-3 and 305 pound defensive tackle, Izzard spent training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs and had four tackles in three preseason games. During his collegiate career with the Nittany Lions, he had 9 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss among 78 total tackles in 51 games.
Tommy Mellott is another rookie addition. A sixth-round choice in this year’s draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, he was among that team’s roster cuts last week. Mellott was a collegiate quarterback at Montana State that was converted to wide receiver this offseason. His athleticism dazzled scouts during pre-draft workouts, running a 4.39 in the 40 and turning in a 41″ vertical leap and 10’4″ broad jump. The 5-foot-11 and 200 pound converted quarterback will now compete for a role as a New Orleans wide receiver from the practice squad.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints announce roster signings on Monday