In a surprise move, the New Orleans Saints promoted rookie running back CJ Donaldson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. It's surprising in the sense that no one would have predicted Donaldson would be the only member of New Orleans' undrafted free agent class to make it to the active roster. And with Alvin Kamara returning from injury in Week 2, there are fewer snaps to go around in a backfield crowded by Travis Etienne Jr. and Kendre Miller.
But good for him. Donaldson signed with the Saints as a rookie free agent out of Ohio State, receiving just $90,000 in guarantees. That ranked fifth in the Saints' class behind offensive linemen Alex Wollschlaeger ($277,500) and Alan Herron ($272,500) as well as defensive end Michael Heldman ($267,500)
and tight end Cody Hardy ($170,000). Wollschlaeger and Herron re-signed to the practice squad while Heldman was released from injured reserve, and Hardy wasn't brought back after roster cuts.
For Donaldson, it's a big raise. He was earning the NFL minimum at $13,750 per week on the practice squad. He's still qualifying for the minimum on the 53-man roster, but that number goes up to $49,167 each week. Just sticking around for two weeks would equal what he got to sign with the Saints in the first place. That's a real difference-maker for someone at the bottom of the depth chart.
And from a football perspective? The Saints may have found something with Donaldson. He's no Taysom Hill substitute (no one could be) but he had some success working as a fullback and moving around the formation in Sunday's season-opener with the Detroit Lions. Whether he's working as a lead blocker, motioning out of the backfield, or lining up at tight end before shifting to fullback so he can take a handoff on a dive, he's quietly carving out a role for himself.
Donaldson takes a place on the 53-man roster that was vacated by the Saints sending long snapper Zach Wood to injured reserve. They signed veteran long snapper Scott Daly to the practice squad to handle that job on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Surprise: Saints promote UDFA from practice squad to 53-man roster
