METAIRIE, La. -- Fans of the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots must be a little jealous of the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The Saints just claimed two of their favorite preseason breakout stars off waivers.
New Orleans claimed former Packers QB Taysom Hill and former Patriots WR Austin Carr -- two undrafted rookies who generated big-time buzz this summer.
Hill, a dual-threat QB from BYU, completed 14 of 20 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns in the preseason, while running 10 times for 71 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown.
Carr, a record-breaking receiver from Northwestern, led the Patriots with 14 catches for 153 yards and two TDs in the preseason.
To make room, the Saints released two veterans in fullback John Kuhn and defensive end Darryl Tapp -- but both moves could be temporary. Kuhn is expected to be re-signed within a day or so when a roster spot opens up. The Saints are expected to place cornerback Delvin Breaux on short-term injured reserve, which is one way they could open up a spot. It's also possible the Saints plan to bring back Tapp either this week or after Week 1, when his salary would no longer be fully guaranteed for the entire season.
It makes sense for teams to release veteran players who would be willing to re-sign, since they aren't exposed to the waiver wire.
Hill is a 27-year-old rookie who arrived late to the NFL because of a Mormon mission and a series of injuries during his BYU career. But the 6-foot-2, 221-pounder flashed both his arm strength and his athleticism throughout the summer with the Packers.
ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky predicted that Green Bay would want Hill back on its practice squad if he made it through waivers. But the Packers also have another developmental QB they like in second-year pro Joe Callahan – whom the Saints also signed during last season to evaluate for a few weeks.
It's unclear if the Saints will now part ways with former third-round draft choice Garrett Grayson, who spent last year on their practice squad before being released on Saturday.
ESPN Patriots reporter Mike Reiss also predicted the Patriots would want Carr back on their practice squad if he passed through waivers.
New Orleans had room for Carr since it only has four receivers on the active roster while Willie Snead is serving a three-game suspension. It’s unclear if the Saints will consider throwing Carr into the active lineup right away, or if they’ll go with the quartet of Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr., Brandon Coleman and Tommylee Lewis while taking time to evaluate Carr in practice.
Carr (6-foot-1, 195) is capable of playing both inside and outside, like Snead does. He set the single-season school record at Northwestern as a senior with 1,247 receiving yards and tied the school record with 12 receiving touchdowns on 90 catches.
