What Will This UFL Cornerback Bring to the New Orleans Saints?
The New Orleans Saints continue to shake up their list of players with less than three months before their first official regular season game. Recently, they waived 26-year-old RB Xazavian Valladay and released cornerback Travion Fluellen from their roster. It’s no secret they’ve secured their QBs, but the concern is now directed at cornerbacks. The Saints lost Marshon Lattimore, who had played on the team since 2017 and proved he was excellent for that position, and Paulson Adebo departed in the offseason as a free agent. In a surprising move to recruit potential talent, head coach Kellen Moore went outside of the NFL and signed several players from the UFL, a.k.a United Football League. Among the three players he signed was now-former cornerback of the Arlington Renegades, Jayden Price.
Price could perhaps be considered an “under-the-radar” player due to his football record. His only action in the NFL was being signed by the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 as an undrafted free agent after that year’s draft. He did attend their training camp and played in the preseason games, during which he led his team with seven tackles against Miami. Unfortunately, before he could play a regular season game, he was released at the roster cutdown date. This wasn’t enough to deter him from playing football, which likely resulted in him joining the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats to appear in one game and then starting all 10 games for the Arlington Renegades.
As the Saints continue to rebuild their offense, they’re going to need young and experienced players who can score. Regardless of whether those players’ experience comes from other leagues, playing on the field is still experience on the field. Those starts on the field haven’t gone unnoticed, which makes Price a welcome addition to the team. Perhaps his playing style in the other leagues will make him an invaluable addition to a team that has proven to be open to ideas brought in from other players. He may have been discouraged by being cut by the Falcons, but that discouragement may give him an advantage. He will be able to prove himself to the coaching staff this season, particularly when the Saints play two games against the Falcons.
