Saints sign experienced cornerback after injury to star rookie

The big news from the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday was the activation of tight end Juwan Johnson from the physically unable to play list. New Orleans also made two other transactions during the afternoon.

The Saints have signed veteran cornerback Joejuan Williams, reporter Nick Underhill reports. To make room for Williams, the Saints released C Sincere Haynesworth due to injury.

Haynesworth, an undrafted rookie out of Tulane, was injured in the second half of Sunday's preseason game at San Francisco. If he makes it through waivers, Haynesworth could be placed on the club's injured list.

Rookie CB Kool-Aid McKinstry of New Orleans, a second-round pick, also suffered an injury against the 49ers. McKinstry injured his knee early in the game. Saints coach Dennis Allen said the injury does not appear to be serious and McKinstry should be ready for the regular season opener on Sept. 7 against the Carolina Panthers. The signing of Williams adds depth to an already thinly-deployed position.

Williams, 26, was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots out of Vanderbilt. In his first three years with the Patriots, he appeared in 36 games, primarily as a special teams player. As a defensive lineman, he broke up eight passes without intercepting a pass, but he was only able to successfully complete 50% of his passes despite being targeted 36 times in coverage.

Williams would miss the entire 2022 season due to injury. Last season, he signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings. After being released in training camp, he was signed by the Chicago Bears. He appeared in four games with the Bears before being released and finishing the year back with the Vikings, again primarily on special teams.

Despite McKinstry's injury, the Saints are extremely well-positioned at cornerback. Starters Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo missed the entire preseason due to injury, but will be ready to start the season. Alontae Taylor had an excellent training camp at the start of his third year.

Undrafted rookie CB Rico Payton and second-year CB Rejzohn Wright are both pushing hard for roster spots with great training camps and two strong preseason games.

The Saints will end their preseason training camp on Sunday with a game against the Tennessee Titans. All NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players by Tuesday, August 27.