Roderic Teamer‘s Saints audition has proven to be a success. The veteran safety has a deal in place with his hometown team, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football reports.
Teamer joined wideout Russell Gage in working out with the Saints last week. The latter remains unsigned at this point, but the former will now have the opportunity to carve out a depth role during training camp and the preseason. Teamer has 40 games and 11 starts to his name dating back to his time with the Chargers and Raiders.
The Tulane alum saw part-time defensive duties with Vegas in 2021 and ’22, and he matched his career high with 40 tackles during the former campaign. Last season, he made six appearances before a DUI arrest led to his release. Teamer was previously suspended four games for a substance-abuse policy violation in 2020.
Since his single season with the Bolts, the former UDFA has primarily seen the field on special teams. That will likely be the case in New Orleans if Teamer manages to survive roster cutdowns. The Saints have Tyrann Mathieu in place to reprise his starting duties in 2024, although the team released Marcus Maye in February. That has paved the way for Jordan Howden to take on an increased workload, but a depth spot could be available for Teamer.
The Saints have a number of options in place regarding special teams contributors, including J.T. Gray and Jonathan Abram. Teamer’s third phase performance over the summer will thus be a critical in determining whether or not he lands a roster spot. New Orleans entered Thursday with just over $12MM in cap space, so this deal (which will no doubt be worth the veteran’s minimum) should not drastically impact the team’s financial outlook.