Despite a report from ESPN that the Saints could potentially be in trouble for how they handled a roster move earlier in the week, the NFL on Sunday said New Orleans did not run afoul of any regulations.
“The Saints have been in compliance with league rules regarding (the waiver of backup linebacker) Todd Davis,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora said in an email.
New Orleans cut Davis from its 53-man roster Wednesday and hoped to place him on the practice squad, but he was claimed off the waiver wire on Thursday by the Denver Broncos.
Before the Saints lost to Cincinnati 27-10 on Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the NFL was gauging whether the team had “illegally stashed” Davis at the practice facility after waiving him.
According to Schefter, it was potentially problematic that Davis continued to attend meetings and was treated as a member of the team after being released. And since Davis was with the Saints on Thursday, the Broncos were unable to reach him after claiming him off waivers, which pushed back his arrival to town by a day.
Schefter reported the league was looking into the facts and New Orleans could’ve faced a large fine if they were found to have violated league rules.
News that the Saints were cleared in the matter circulated right as the Bengals put the finishing touches on their victory Sunday, which dropped New Orleans to 4-6.
The Saints are in second place in the NFC South after Atlanta beat Carolina on Sunday to improve to 4-6 — the Falcons own the tie-breaker over New Orleans at the moment because they triumphed in the teams’ only encounter so far this season. The Saints host Atlanta on Dec. 21.