The New Orleans Saints have signed linebacker Jon Bostic and defensive end Niko Lalos, re-signed defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, waived/injured defensive backs Jordan Brown and Isaiah Pryor, waived defensive lineman T.J. Carter, defensive back Jack Koerner, defensive end Scott Patchan, kicker John Parker Romo and wide receiver Easop Winston Jr., reached an injury settlement with defensive back Bryce Thompson and placed tackle Ethan Greenidge on Injured Reserve, it was announced today by Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis.
Bostic, 6-1, 245, is a tenth-year veteran who was originally selected in the second round (50th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears out of Florida. The Wellington, Fl. native has played in 106 career games with 81 starts with Chicago (2013-14), New England (2015), Indianapolis (2017), Pittsburgh (2018) and Washington (2019-21) and has recorded career totals of 555 tackles (343 solo), 9.5 sacks, three interceptions, 15 passes defensed and two fumble recoveries. In 2021, Bostic started four games for Washington before suffering a season-ending pectoral injury and recorded 22 tackles (12 solo).
Lalos, 6-5, 270, was originally signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Dartmouth in 2020. As a rookie in 2020, he played in six games and posted five tackles (two solo), one interception, one pass defense and one fumble recovery. The Akron, Ohio native spent the 2021 season on the Giants practice squad. As a senior for the Big Green, he was named first-team All-Ivy League, recording 35 tackles with a team-high 10 stops for loss and 5.5 sacks, as well as seven passes defensed and an interception, which he returned 22 yards for a touchdown.
Johnson, 6-3, 316, originally signed with New Orleans in the offseason and has spent the bulk of the preseason with the club. Originally a fourth round draft pick (109th overall) of the Minnesota Vikings out of Iowa in 2017, Johnson has played in 65 regular season games with 20 starts for the Vikings (2017-20) and Houston Texans (2021), posting 110 tackles (54 solo), 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. In 2021, after going to training camp with the Texans and spending the first week of the season on the Saints practice squad, he appeared in 12 games for Houston and recorded 23 tackles (11 solo) and a fumble recovery. The Lombard, Ill. Native, played four seasons at Iowa (2013-16) after redshirting his freshman season and 2012) and earned first-team All-Big Ten as a senior when he totaled 55 tackles (29 solo), ten stops for loss and eight sacks.