The Saints have reached agreement with free agent offensive lineman John Greco, a source tells Joel Erickson of the Advocate (Twitter link).
Greco, at first glance, appears to be a depth signing for New Orleans, who already boast Larry Warford and Andrus Peat as its starting guards. Veteran right tackle Zach Strief will be sidelined for at least eight weeks after being placed on injured reserve earlier today, but Greco doesn’t play tackle, and first-round pick Ryan Ramczyk is expected to take over on the right side when left tackle Terron Armstead presumably returns to the field following the Saints’ Week 5 bye.
If Armstead doesn’t come back in the next few weeks (he’s recovering from a torn labrum), the Saints could hypothetically reshuffle their front five with Greco now in tow. Peat, the club’s left guard, also plays tackle, and could conceivably shift to right tackle to create space for Greco at guard. That’s entirely speculation, however, and all reports have indicated Armstead is progressing quickly.
Greco, 32, was released by the Browns earlier this year after injuries forced him to miss six total games from 2015-16. When he’s been healthy, however, Greco has been a solid starter, and he graded as the league’s No. 18 guard among 75 qualifiers last season, per Pro Football Focus. All told, Greco offers 111 games — and 70 starts — worth of experience.
Before signing with the Saints, Greco also auditioned for the Giants, Bills, and Lions.