Saints sign former Steelers tight end Jesse James

The New Orleans Saints made several roster moves on Wednesday, putting them at the 90-man roster limit. Saints signed fullback Jake Bargas and tight end Jesse James, while waiving rookie kicker Alex Quevedo.

James, a former fifth-round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is now with his fifth team as he enters his ninth year in the league. Last season, the 28-year-old signed with the Cleveland Browns but did not record a catch as he played with the third string.

A former standout at Penn State, James joined the league in the 2015 NFL Draft. He has totaled 157 catches for 1,522 yards and 12 touchdowns across his career.

In 2021 with Chicago, where he appeared in 14 games with nine starts, he caught seven passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.

James’ most productive seasons came early in his career with the Steelers. Across a three-year span from 2016-18, he made 112 catches for 1,133 yards and caught eight touchdowns.

After his rookie contract ran out with the Steelers, James signed the most lucrative deal of his career with the Detroit Lions. He inked a new deal for four years and $22.6 million. They released him after two seasons with 30 catches and two touchdowns.

Fullback Jake Bargas was an unsigned rookie free agent in 2020 out of North Carolina. He spent two seasons with Minnesota before moving to Chicago briefly, and then to Miami. The 26-year-old hasn’t recorded stats in the league thus far.

Foster Moreau hits Saints practice field following cancer diagnosis

Former Raiders tight end Foster Moreau made his Saints practice debut on last Tuesday as a full participant on the first day of OTAs.

Moreau received a cancer diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in March during free agency. Although New Orleans wasn’t sure what his diagnosis would mean for his ability to play this season, it didn’t scare them off.

The former LSU standout garnered the Saints’ interest even after the organization discovered his illness. He signed a new three-year deal worth $12 million, which is the biggest of his career so far.

Moreau wrapped up the best year of his pro football career in his 2022 campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders, hauling in 33 catches for 420 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

During his four years in the NFL with Las Vegas, he has pulled in 91 total catches for 1,107 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.