New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Tuesday that restricted free agent center Brian de la Puente has signed his tender offer.
de la Puente first joined the Saints practice squad in the middle of the 2010 season and the following season took over the club's starting center duties, opening 28 regular season games and two postseason contest since. Originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent out of California in 2008, de la Puente spent part of his rookie season on the active roster of the Kansas City Chiefs and also was a member of practice rosters in Seattle and Carolina before coming to New Orleans. The 6-3, 306-pounder opened all 16 games at center for the first time in 2012, as part of an offensive line that surrendered only 26 sacks, tied for the third-lowest total in the NFL, while blocking for an offense than ranked second in the NFL in total net yards.
