The New Orleans Saints have signed wide receiver Cedric Tillman to their practice squad after his release from the Cleveland Browns over the previous weekend. The Saints needed depth at receiver after the injury to prospect Jordyn Tyson during training camp. Tyson is expected to miss the first couple months of the season after a hamstring injury. The Browns drafted Tillman in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
With the Browns, Tillman has accrued 833 receiving yards and five touchdowns across 38 games with the franchise. Yet, injuries and a lack of playing time have prevented Tillman from breaking through the roster. With the Browns adding several wide receivers during the offseason, Tillman had an uphill battle making their roster. However, he originally received plenty of hype through his first few years in the NFL.
PFF has given him an average grade of 58.3 through his first three years in the NFL, making him a replacement level player. Yet, he was highly touted as a prospect. PFF also ranked him as the 61st best player of the 2023 class. They called him “the most physical receiver of the class.” Now outside of Cleveland, maybe a change of scenery can unlock his potential as a possession receiver.
The New Orleans Saints Sign Wide Receiver Cedric Tillman to the Practice Squad
With Tillman now added to the practice squad, the Saints have solidified their wide receiver room for the first part of the season. Excluding Tyson, the Saints have four wide receivers on their 53-man roster. All Pro Chris Olave leads the room with Devaughn Vele, Bryce Lance, and Barion Brown. There should be a decent chance Tillman gets a role to begin the season as a call up to the roster on gamedays.
The Saints have a young receiver room with multiple roles being divided among rookies. Lance and Brown should also have good opportunities to be successful early the year. Vele is really the only other veteran option, but he is perhaps more like Tillman than others would really admit. Overall, this room is going to live and die by Olave’s contributions for the first weeks of the season. The Saints offense should look similar to how it ended the 2025 season.
Health Could Harm Tyler Shough’s Development Early In 2026
The New Orleans Saints made huge investments into their offense this offseason to see if quarterback Tyler Shough can make a sophomore leap in his development. However, the injuries to the offense could make his early performances too similar to that of 2025. That being said, if he can uplift the supporting cast members of this offense, then the Saints could possibly have their signal-caller of the future. With the options limited at receiver currently, the New Orleans Saints will need to see more from Shough.
New Orleans Saints WR Joins Practice Squad From Cleveland Browns