• 

Well, Who Dat Nation, this is the part of preseason where football becomes a business.

Friday night against Dallas, we watched a bunch of guys get one final opportunity to convince Kellen Moore and his staff that they belonged on this football team.

Some played well.

Some made plays.

Some probably walked off that field thinking they’d done enough.

And some of those same guys still got the phone call nobody wants.

The Saints officially made the moves Sunday to get down to the NFL-mandated 53 players. And after looking through what they did, I’ve got some things I like, a couple that surprised me, and one that still has me asking:

Wait…we just traded for that dude.

The Saints announced the final round of moves Sunday afternoon after already waiving 10 players Saturday night.

THE GOOD: Daniel Carlson Made One Hell of a First Impression

If you’re going to bring in a veteran kicker six days before roster cuts, you might as well find out immediately whether he can handle pressure.

Daniel Carlson gave the Saints a pretty good answer.

New Orleans signed the former two-time All-Pro on Monday. Friday night against Dallas, Carlson hit a 38-yard field goal, an extra point and then a 53-yard field goal that ultimately won the game, 27–24.

Then Sunday, the Saints waived Charlie Smyth.

I’m not going to declare anything permanent because NFL rosters can change quickly this time of year.

But come on.

Signed Monday.

Game-winner Friday.

Still standing Sunday.

If Carlson was looking for a way to introduce himself to Who Dat Nation, I’d say he found it.

THE GOOD: Some Young Guys Made the Coaches Think

One of the things I wanted to see against Dallas was whether some of these younger players would actually do something with their opportunities.

Barion Brown did.

Brown got two carries and turned them into 19 yards and a touchdown, including a seven-yard scoring run on a jet sweep.

Spencer Rattler also responded when he got his opportunity, completing 8 of 10 passes for 79 yards and running for an eight-yard touchdown without throwing an interception.

That’s what preseason is supposed to be.

Give the coaches something to think about.

THE SURPRISE: Ronnie Bell

Here’s your reminder that one good preseason game doesn’t guarantee you anything.

Ronnie Bell led the Saints in receiving against Dallas with six catches for 65 yards.

Then Saturday night, the Saints waived him.

That’s a tough one.

Bell did exactly what you’d tell a player fighting for his job to do: when the ball came his way, make something happen.

He did.

And it still wasn’t enough.

That’s the NFL.

Sometimes you’re not just competing against the guy across from you.

You’re competing against numbers.

You’re competing against special-teams needs.

You’re competing against contracts.

You’re competing against what the coaching staff thinks the roster needs two weeks from now instead of what happened Friday night.

Bell’s performance wasn’t enough to save his roster spot.

ANOTHER SURPRISE: CJ Donaldson

I was curious about CJ Donaldson, too.

The rookie running back got plenty of work against Dallas: nine carries for 33 yards, plus two receptions for 25 yards.

Sunday, the Saints waived him.

With everything we’ve watched at running back, I thought Donaldson had at least given the coaches something to consider.

Apparently, not enough.

But here’s something to remember:

That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re finished seeing him.

The Saints can begin establishing their practice squad Monday.

Donaldson is exactly the kind of young player I’ll be watching to see whether New Orleans tries to bring him back.

THE SHOCKER: Zamir White

All right.

This is the one.

If there’s one move that made Tony look at the screen and say, “What the hell are we doing here?”, it’s Zamir White.

And I checked the timeline because it sounds strange.

On August 24, the Saints acquired White from the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for linebacker Deion Jones.

Four days later, White suited up against Dallas.

He carried the ball four times for 23 yards and scored an 11-yard touchdown.

Then Sunday, August 30, the Saints terminated his contract.

So yes:

Trade for him Monday.

He scores Friday.

Release him Sunday.

Six days.

Now, I’m not sitting in Mickey Loomis’ office. There could be roster mechanics or another move coming that makes the whole thing make more sense.

But looking at it strictly as a Saints fan?

That one surprised the hell out of me.

You don’t see many guys arrive by trade and leave six days later after scoring a touchdown in their only game.

I’m going to be interested to see whether there’s another chapter to that story.

THE VETERAN SECONDARY TOOK A HIT

White wasn’t the only veteran whose contract was terminated Sunday.

The Saints also moved on from defensive backs Terrell Burgess, Michael Davis and Isaac Yiadom.

That’s some experience walking out the door.

Davis entered camp with 10 years of NFL experience, Yiadom with nine and Burgess with six.

Maybe the Saints simply believe they have younger players ready.

Maybe they’re planning another move.

Whatever the reason, that’s a position group I’m going to keep an eye on before Detroit.

SOME NAMES ARE MISSING FOR A DIFFERENT REASON

This is important because there’s a difference between getting cut and getting moved to an injury list.

The Saints placed Dalys Beanum, Mike Heldman, David Long Jr., Devin Neal and Barry Wesley on injured reserve.

They also placed linebacker Jaylan Ford and rookie receiver Jordyn Tyson on injured reserve with designation to return.

That’s a very different situation.

Those two can potentially come back.

Mason Tipton was placed on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, while rookie receiver Brock Rechsteiner was placed on Reserve/Suspended by Commissioner.

So don’t look at every name missing from the active 53 and assume that player simply lost a roster battle.

There are several different things happening here.

AND DON’T GET TOO ATTACHED TO THIS 53

Here’s the other thing Who Dat Nation needs to remember:

This is the initial 53.

It isn’t necessarily the exact group we’re going to see against Detroit.

There are going to be waiver claims.

There may be other veterans signed.

And beginning Monday, the Saints can start putting together their practice squad.

So if you’re looking at today’s roster and thinking, “Wait, we’re thin over there,” give it another couple of days.

Mickey Loomis probably isn’t finished.

TONY’S BOTTOM LINE

Here’s where I am tonight.

I liked seeing Daniel Carlson answer the call immediately.

I liked seeing young guys like Barion Brown make something happen when they got the football.

I hate seeing a guy like Ronnie Bell catch six balls for 65 yards Friday and still get cut Saturday, but that’s life on the edge of an NFL roster.

I’m interested to see whether CJ Donaldson gets another opportunity on the practice squad.

And I’m still trying to figure out exactly what the Saints saw — or didn’t see — during the six-day Zamir White era.

That one is going to take me a minute.

But here’s the bigger picture.

The preseason is over.

The cuts have been made.

The first version of the 2026 New Orleans Saints is here.

And now we’re two weeks away.

The Saints open the regular season Sunday, September 13, at Detroit. Kickoff is noon Central at Ford Field. That’s straight from today’s official Saints roster announcement.

No more preseason.

No more auditions.

No more “the score doesn’t matter.”

The next one counts.

Detroit is waiting.

And so is Who Dat Nation.

WHO DAT! ⚜️

— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank

That’s it. Two weeks from today, the preseason talk is over and the Saints walk into Detroit for Week 1.

But first, there’s some tough business to finish.

The final 53 is being decided TODAY.

Some guys played their way onto this football team Friday night. For others, the phone call nobody wants is coming. By this evening, we’ll have a much better idea of who we’re taking into the 2026 season.

Then it’s time to turn the page.

Saints. Lions. September 13.

We’ve waited long enough.

Two more weeks, Who Dat Nation.

WHO DAT! ⚜️

— Tony from the Westbank

Who Dat Nation, last week I said forget the score.
Well, after watching us get beat 34–0 by the Rams, that was a little easier said than done.
This week?
We’ll take that win.
The Saints closed out the preseason Friday night with a 27–24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, and while nobody is hanging a banner for a preseason win, I liked the way this team responded.
More importantly, with the Saints about to cut this roster down to 53, a few guys took advantage of one final opportunity to make their case.
And that’s what Friday night was really about.
Spencer Rattler Did What He Needed to Do
Rattler didn’t need to throw for 300 yards. He needed to look comfortable, protect the football and move the offense.
He did that.
Rattler finished 8-of-10 for 79 yards and added two carries for nine yards, including an 8-yard touchdown run. He didn’t throw an interception, and the Saints scored touchdowns on two of the three drives he directed.
That’s a pretty good night’s work when you’re trying to convince the coaching staff you deserve a spot in that quarterback room.
Did he settle everything?
Probably not.
But he certainly didn’t hurt himself.
Barion Brown Gave Them Something to Think About
This is exactly what you want from a young player in the final preseason game.
Give the coaches a reason to keep talking about you.
Brown only had two rushing attempts, but he turned them into 19 yards and a touchdown, scoring from seven yards out on a jet sweep.
Two touches.
Nineteen yards.
Six points.
That’s called making your opportunities count.
And with roster decisions coming, Brown showed something every offense needs:
Explosiveness.
And Then There’s Daniel Carlson
This might have been the biggest roster statement of the night.
The Saints brought Carlson into a kicking competition late in camp, and Friday night he got his opportunity.
He didn’t waste it.
Carlson hit from 38 yards, made his extra point and then stepped onto the field late in the fourth quarter and drilled a 53-yard field goal that gave New Orleans the 27–24 lead.
That ended up being the game winner.
You want to win a kicking competition?
That’s one hell of a way to make your argument.
Tony’s Three Guys Who Helped Themselves
If I’m looking at Friday night strictly through the eyes of somebody trying to build the final 53, these are my three:
Spencer Rattler. Barion Brown. Daniel Carlson.
Different positions. Different situations.
Same result.
When their opportunity came, they did something with it.
And that’s what preseason football is supposed to be about.
Now Comes the Hard Part
The Saints have seen enough.
Training camp. Joint practices. Three preseason games.
Now Kellen Moore and his staff have to decide who stays and who goes.
There are going to be some tough decisions.
There always are.
But Friday night gave the coaches a few more things to think about — and that’s exactly what some of these guys needed.
The preseason is over.
Now the real games start.
Arizona comes to the Superdome on September 7.
No more auditions.
No more “it’s only preseason.”
Now they count.
And after what we saw against the Rams last week, I’ll gladly take ending August with a win.
27–24. Saints.
We’ll take that one.
We win together. We lose together. We complain together.
And we come back together.
That’s Who Dat Nation.
WHO DAT! ⚜️
— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank

Who Dat Nation, here we go. One preseason game left.

After getting punched in the mouth 34–0 by the Rams last week, I don’t need anybody telling me, “It’s only preseason.” We know it is.

But we also know what we saw wasn’t good enough.

Friday night against Dallas isn’t about the preseason record. It’s about finding out who deserves to be on this football team when the games start counting.

And apparently, Kellen Moore feels the same way.

The Starters Have Done Their Work

Moore says most of the Saints starters will sit against Dallas. He’s seen enough after 145 snaps in three joint practices, and he likes where that group is mentally and physically.

That means Friday belongs to everybody else.

Guys fighting for the last roster spots. Guys trying to make the practice squad. Guys who might be playing for their next NFL opportunity.

We’ve been asking all preseason:

Who’s ready to play?

Friday night, some guys are going to give us their final answer.

And Now We’ve Got a Kicking Battle

Just when we thought the kicking competition between Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown was going down to the wire, the Saints brought in veteran Daniel Carlson.

And we’re not talking about some random camp leg. Carlson is a former two-time All-Pro, has made 86.9% of his career field goals, and has connected from as far as 60 yards.

At Wednesday’s Tulane practice, all three got eight attempts. Brown went 8-for-8 while Smyth and Carlson each missed once. Moore says the competition continues into the Dallas game.

Tony’s opinion?

Good. Make somebody earn the damn job.

Forget 34–0 — But Don’t Forget What Caused It

We don’t need to carry that Rams game around all season.

But we better learn from it.

Protect the football. Cut down the penalties. Finish drives. Win some battles up front.

And when an opportunity presents itself, take it.

That’s what I’m watching against Dallas.

Not the final score.

I’m watching the guy who knows this might be his last chance and plays like it.

I’m watching the backup who makes the coaches reconsider their depth chart.

I’m watching which kicker steps onto the field with the job on the line and knocks it through the uprights.

Tony’s Take

Friday night isn’t really about beating Dallas.

It’s about answering one final question before the regular season:

Who belongs?

We’ve had a whole training camp.

We’ve had three joint practices.

We’ve had two preseason games.

Now everybody fighting for a job gets one more chance to show us something.

So show us.

Because after Friday night, preseason is over.

And then?

Detroit is waiting.

We win together. We lose together. We complain together.

And we come back together.

That’s Who Dat Nation.

WHO DAT!

— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank
WhoDatNation.com

• 

Who Dat Nation, last week I said:

“Forget the score. Show me who’s ready to play.”

Well… 34–0 is a little hard to forget.

There’s no dressing this one up. We got beat. Bad. The Rams controlled the game, we couldn’t put a single point on the board, and there were enough mistakes to keep the coaches busy all week.

But that’s why we play these preseason games.

We’d rather find the problems now than discover them when Detroit comes around and the games actually count.

There were still a few guys who gave us something to watch. CJ Donaldson made plays when the offense desperately needed something. Bryan Bresee brought some pressure up front. Moliki Matavao made the most of his opportunities.

But overall?

Not good enough.

And Tony isn’t giving anybody a participation trophy after a 34–0 loss.

Last week we asked “Who came to play?”

This week the better question might be:

So… who showed up?

Because there weren’t enough of them.

Now we’ve got one preseason game left. Forget excuses. Forget that the games don’t count in the standings.

Show us improvement.

Show us some fight.

Show us that when September 13 gets here, we’re ready to play football.

And yes, I said WE.

Because around here, it’s always been WE.

We win together. We lose together. We complain together. And every damn Sunday, we come back together.

That’s the Who Dat Nation.

WHO DAT! ⚜️

— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank
WhoDatNation.com

• 

Who Dat Nation, preseason Game 2 is here.

The Saints head west to take on the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium, and after what we saw in the opener, my question hasn’t changed much:

Who’s ready to play?

Last week, guys like Zach Wilson, Bub Means and Michael Heldman answered that question. They took advantage of their opportunities and gave the coaches something to think about.

Now comes the harder part.

Do it again.

One good preseason game can get our attention. Two good games start making a case for a roster spot.

That’s what I’m watching against the Rams.

I want to see who builds on last week. Who cleans up the mistakes? Who looks more comfortable? Who makes the coaches notice him again?

And after the work we’ve seen from this team in practice, I want to see that carry over when they’re lining up against somebody else.

We’re getting closer to the regular season now. Every snap matters a little more, and there are only so many roster spots available.

Somebody is going to take advantage of this opportunity.

Somebody else might watch his opportunity disappear.

Forget the preseason record. Show me progress. Show me competition. Show me who’s ready.

Saturday is another chance to find out.

Saints at Rams. Preseason Week 2.

WHO DAT! ⚜️

— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank
WhoDatNation.com

Well, Who Dat Nation, this isn’t the news anybody wanted.

Jordyn Tyson is reportedly expected to miss roughly two months with the hamstring injury he suffered during the joint practice with Jacksonville.

Let’s not sugarcoat it.

This hurts.

The Saints didn’t draft Tyson eighth overall to have him watching September football from the sideline. He was having an impressive camp, and the idea of putting him alongside Chris Olave was one of the things that had me excited about this offense.

But here’s the good news:

The season isn’t over because one rookie receiver got hurt.

And maybe this is where some of that depth we’ve been talking about starts paying off.

Somebody Else Just Got an Opportunity

Chris Olave is still the guy at the top of the receiver room.

Behind him, the Saints have players like Devaughn Vele, Kevin Austin Jr. and rookies Bryce Lance and Barion Brown who now have an opportunity to earn more work while Tyson recovers.

And remember what we said before the Jacksonville game:

“Forget the score. Show me who’s ready to play.”

Well, that question just became even more important.

Tyson’s absence means somebody else is going to get those practice reps.

Somebody else is going to get those targets.

And somebody else has an opportunity to make the coaches say, we need to keep this guy on the field even after Tyson comes back.

That’s football.

Don’t Rush the Kid Back

This might be the most important part.

He’s 22 years old.

He’s the eighth overall pick.

Hopefully he’s going to be catching passes in New Orleans for a long time.

So don’t turn a two-month injury into something worse because everybody wants him back two weeks early.

Get him healthy.

Really healthy.

If that means we don’t see Jordyn Tyson until October, so be it.

I’d much rather have him healthy for the second half of the season than spend the entire year watching that hamstring become a recurring problem.

Tony’s Take

Am I disappointed?

Absolutely.

But I’m not panicking.

We wanted the Saints to build a deeper roster instead of depending on a handful of players to carry everything.

Now we’re about to find out whether they actually did.

Let the other receivers compete. Let Tyler Shough build chemistry with them. Find out who belongs.

Then hopefully sometime in October, you add Jordyn Tyson back into the mix.

And if this offense is already clicking when he returns?

That’s when things could get interesting.

Get healthy, rook.

We’ll be waiting.

WHO DAT!

— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank
WhoDatNation.com

Before Saturday’s preseason opener, I said one thing:

“Forget the score. Show me who’s ready to play.”

Well, the Saints lost 24–20 to Jacksonville.

And you know what?

I’m still not worried about the score.

This was preseason football. Most of the starters weren’t playing, the coaches were evaluating the bottom half of the roster, and winning the game wasn’t nearly as important as finding out who deserves to be here when September arrives.

And we got some answers.

Zach Wilson Made People Pay Attention

Let’s start with the obvious one.

Zach Wilson looked good. Really good.

Wilson finished 11-of-16 for 145 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers, posting a 118 passer rating. More importantly, he looked comfortable. He pushed the ball downfield, made some impressive throws and showed some of the arm talent that once made him the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

I’m not about to start a quarterback controversy after one preseason game.

Tyler Shough is the quarterback we’re building around.

But every NFL team needs a backup capable of walking into a game and keeping the offense alive.

If this version of Zach Wilson is what the Saints are getting?

That’s a pretty nice problem to have.

Bub Means Answered the Call, Too

With Jordyn Tyson sidelined, I asked before the game:

Who is going to take advantage of the extra opportunities at receiver?

Bub Means was one of the guys who answered.

The Saints themselves listed Wilson, Means and Michael Heldman among the players who stood out in the opener.

That’s exactly what preseason is supposed to produce.

Somebody gets hurt. Somebody else gets more snaps.

Then you find out who is ready.

There Were Problems Too

Let’s not pretend everything was perfect just because we’re excited football is back.

The Saints led 20–6 at halftime and then watched Jacksonville score 18 unanswered points in the second half. Jacksonville’s depth eventually took over, including 78 rushing yards and the winning touchdown from undrafted rookie J’Mari Taylor.

That’s something coaches will notice.

Spencer Rattler also had a rougher afternoon. He completed 8 of 11 passes for only 42 yards and lost a fumble deep in Saints territory that handed Jacksonville a scoring opportunity. To his credit, Rattler acknowledged afterward that he should have thrown the ball away.

And Charlie Smyth missed a 52-yard field goal in the second half.

Those things matter when guys are fighting for jobs.

But Here’s Why I’m Leaving the Dome Feeling Pretty Good

We didn’t see the Saints team that’s going to line up against Detroit on September 13.

We weren’t supposed to.

What we saw were players competing for jobs.

And some of them made the coaches’ decisions a little more difficult.

That’s a good preseason game.

Would I rather win 24–20 than lose 24–20?

Of course. I’m still a Saints fan.

But nobody is hanging a banner for preseason victories.

What matters is finding players who can help you when the real games start.

Saturday we found a few.

And the biggest surprise might have been Zach Wilson.

So after Game 1, I’m sticking with exactly what I said before kickoff:

Forget the score. Show me who’s ready to play.

Some guys did.

Now let’s see who can do it again next week.

WHO DAT!

— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank
WhoDatNation.com

From the Westbank: Forget the Score — Show Me Who’s Ready to Play

Who Dat Nation, football is back in New Orleans.

The Saints open the preseason today against Jacksonville in the Dome, but this isn’t one where I’m worried about what the scoreboard says when the clock hits zero.

Forget the score. Show me who’s ready to play.

With Tyler Shough and several starters expected to sit, this game is about the next group of guys getting their opportunity.

That starts with Spencer Rattler, who is expected to start at quarterback. Here’s his chance to show what he can do with meaningful preseason snaps. I want to see command of the offense, good decisions and somebody taking advantage of the opportunity in front of him.

Unfortunately, we won’t get the look at Jordyn Tyson we were hoping for. Our first-round receiver suffered a hamstring injury during Thursday’s joint practice with Jacksonville. In August, I’m perfectly fine being cautious with that one. Get him healthy. We need Tyson when the games actually count.

But his absence creates opportunities for somebody else.

Who steps up at receiver? Who makes the coaches notice him?

I’m also interested in seeing Oscar Delp. Tight end could be an important part of this offense, and preseason is exactly where a young player like Delp can start showing whether he’s ready to contribute.

Then there’s the defense.

I want to see the young defensive linemen, the secondary and especially the guys fighting for those final roster spots. Preseason games aren’t always pretty, but somewhere on that field today there’s probably a player most Saints fans haven’t talked much about who has a chance to make us remember his name.

That’s what today is about.

Not the final score.

Execution. Effort. Competition.

Show me who’s learned the offense.

Show me who can tackle.

Show me who wants that roster spot.

And show me some signs that this young Saints team we’ve been talking about all offseason is headed in the right direction.

The games don’t count yet.

But the evaluation starts today.

It’s Game Day in New Orleans.

WHO DAT!

— Anthony “Tony” from the Westbank
WhoDatNation.com

• 

When Drew Brees arrived in New Orleans in 2006, he quickly discovered that this city doesn’t just welcome people with words—we show up with food.

In his Pro Football Hall of Fame speech, Drew recalled neighbors bringing crawfish étouffée to his new home. The next day it was jambalaya. Then came gumbo.

“It was the perfect representation of what New Orleans is all about,” Drew said.

In honor of Drew’s induction—and the neighbors who helped make New Orleans feel like home—we’re sharing three respected Louisiana recipes for the dishes he remembered.

🦞 Crawfish Étouffée — Emeril Lagasse
Crawfish tails smothered with butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, bay leaves and Louisiana seasoning, then served over hot rice.
See Emeril’s recipe

🍚 Seafood Jambalaya — Chef Paul Prudhomme
A deeply seasoned Louisiana jambalaya combining seafood, tasso, vegetables, rice and layers of spice.
See Chef Paul’s recipe presented by Chef Kevin Belton

🥘 Chicken and Sausage Gumbo — Chef Isaac Toups
Chicken thighs and smoked sausage simmered in a dark roux with the Louisiana trinity, garlic, stock and a splash of amber beer.
See Chef Isaac Toups’ recipe

Three dishes. Three neighbors. One unmistakably New Orleans welcome.

Congratulations, Drew—and thank you for reminding the world what Who Dat Nation is all about.

⚜️ Read Drew Brees’ complete Hall of Fame speech:
NOLA.com transcript

WhoDatNation.com