The Saints have started culling the roster a bit as the ebb and flow of roster spots continues in the wake of the NFL Draft. Today’s adjustments came with the waivings of backup quarterback Kellen Mond and backup lineman Tommy Kraemer, per ESPN’s Field Yates.
Mond was a third-round selection for the Vikings out of Texas A&M. He was the seventh passer taken in a draft that led off with a franchise QB in Trevor Lawrence but otherwise stumbled out of the gates with Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Mac Jones, Kyle Trask, and Mond following. As the third-string passer in Minnesota as a rookie behind Kirk Cousins and Sean Mannion, Mond made one appearance in garbage time during a late-season loss to the Packers, completing two of three passes for five yards. He has failed to appear in an NFL game since, spending time on rosters or practice squads for the Browns, the Colts, and, most recently, the Saints since then.
Kraemer was an undrafted lineman out of Notre Dame in 2021, initially signing with the Lions. He started the year on the practice squad in Detroit but would eventually get promoted to the active roster and start three of nine game appearances as a rookie. Thanks to a back injury, Kraemer didn’t end up seeing the field at all in 2022, and he signed with the Saints during camp last year. He went back and forth from the practice squad to the active roster in 2023, appearing in four games for the Saints, mostly playing on special teams.
Mond became superfluous with fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler joining last year’s fourth-round pick Jake Haener on the depth chart behind starter Derek Carr. The team also has utility man Taysom Hill still under contract, as well. Likewise, the team’s recent additions of depth linemen like Shane Lemieux, Justin Herron, and Oli Udoh meant less space on the roster for Kraemer.