The New Orleans Saints have signed defensive back Tra Fluellen, per Pro Football Newsroom's James Larsen, citing Fluellen's representatives at TRI Sport Agency. Fluellen wasn't drafted by the NFL after turning pro out of Middle Tennessee State, but he was selected by the Houston Roughnecks in this year's UFL College Draft. He'll have an opportunity waiting in the spring league if things don't work out in New Orleans.
While it wasn't immediately clear whether Fluellen was signing with the Saints practice squad or their 53-man roster, he's probably starting out on the practice squad. New Orleans had two open spots on their practice squad after signing wide receivers Kevin Austin Jr. and Dante Pettis to the 53-man roster over the weekend, so there's room for Fluellen to step in right away.
Fluellen didn't complete athletic testing before this year's draft while recovering rom an ACL injury he suffered last November, but he weighed in at 6-foot-1/2 and 212 pounds with 31-inch arms. That's an impressive frame for a defensive back, and he put his size to good use at the college level. He was credited with 104 combined tackles in 2022, 57 of them solo. He also intercepted five passes and deflected 11 more in his 36-game career. Middle Tennessee State has sent great players to the NFL before like Kevin Byard, a two-time All-Pro safety for the Tennessee Titans.
So it's worth bringing him in for a look through the last month of the season. If Fluellen can run with NFL talent in practice and make an impact on special teams (where he played 541 career snaps in college), he could earn a reserve/future deal to stick around in 2025. That's his best path forward in chasing his NFL dreams.
