New Orleans Saints Announce The Signing Of Free Agent Offensive Lineman Olisaemeka Udoh
The New Orleans Saints announced that they had signed free agent offensive lineman Olisaemeka Udoh on Tuesday. New Orleans also announced that they had re-signed S Ugo Amadi.
Udoh, 27, played collegiately at Elon Phoenix in North Carolina. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He appeared in just seven games combined between the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
In 2021, Udoh played in a career-best 17 games, starting 16 of those contests at guard. Udoh played in 94% of the offensive snaps for the Vikings that season. He'd again play in all 17 contests in 2022, but made only one start and played in just 11% of Minnesota's offensive snaps.
Udoh suffered a quad injury in the second game of the 2023 season. The injury would sideline him for the entire season.
So far in free agency, the Saints have signed the following players.
• Willie Gay Jr., LB
• Zander Horvath, FB
• Nathan Peterman, QB
• Cedrick Wilson, WR
• Stanley Morgan Jr., WR
• Chase Young, DE
• Oli Udoh, G/T
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) is blocked by Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Olisaemeka Udoh (74) and guard Ezra Cleveland (72). Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Oli Udoh will compete for a spot on a New Orleans offensive in need of an upgrade. The Saints allowed 35 sacks last season and ranked just 21st in rushing production, with their 3.6 average per run finishing second to last in the NFL.
To date, New Orleans has not re-signed free agent offensive linemen Andrus Peat, Trai Turner, or Max Garcia. Trevor Penning, a 2022 first-round choice, is coming off a year where he was benched after six games.
The 6'6" and 320-Lb. Udoh was drafted as a tackle. Over his first five seasons, he's shown the versatility to play both tackle and both guard spots. His 16 starts in 2022 came at the right guard position.
New Saints offensive assistant coaches Klint Kubiak and Rick Dennison were both assistants on Minnesota's offensive staff from 2019 to 2021, Udoh's first three years in the league.
