4:19pm: Linebacker Todd Davis has also been waived by the Saints, tweets Triplett. That should make room for Morgan and leave the team with the standard 53 players.
1:38pm: The Saints have placed rookie safety Vinnie Sunseri on injured reserve, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. While that could be the corresponding move for Leonard’s signing, the team will have to subtract one more player from its roster to also accommodate the return of suspended receiver Joe Morgan, whose roster exemption expires today.
11:29am: After working out for the team yesterday, free agent running back Brian Leonard appears set to sign with the Saints. Agent Mike McCartney announced today, via Twitter, that he’s “excited” for his client to join the club.
A seven-year veteran, Leonard has appeared in 87 games for the Rams, Bengals, and Buccaneers since being selected in the second round of the 2007 draft. Last season in Tampa Bay, the veteran back carried the ball 47 times for 182 yards, adding 29 receptions for 179 yards.
Running backs Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson have been out of the Saints’ lineup in recent weeks, and while the two backs were thought to be on the road to recovery, the addition of Leonard suggests they aren’t ready to return to the field quite yet. Backup running back Edwin Baker also left Sunday’s game with a concussion, further thinning out New Orleans’ backfield.
The Saints will need to make a corresponding roster move to make the signing of Leonard official.