Sean Payton proves he just can’t help himself after latest transaction with former Saints All-Pro
The former Saints coach loves players who used to wear black and gold.
The New Orleans Saints will see one of their former All-Pro talents head to Denver once again. After an offseason where plenty of former depth pieces for the black and gold joined Sean Payton, he is making that sort of move once again. This time, J.T. Gray is the player involved in the Broncos transaction.
Sean Payton’s Broncos add J.T. Gray for special teams ability
According to reports, Payton has brought back one of his former key players while in New Orleans. Special teams star J.T. Gray has signed to Denver’s practice squad, amid some concerns on that side of the gridiron. Of course, the Broncos’ special teams unit is coached by former Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi.
“‘The big return they had, there’s contact made,” Payton said after the game. “Still, we kind of knew going in they were in the top ten in kick return yardage. Even when we doubled the jammer, you should be able to win a look, and they’re splitting it or beating us.’” — The Denver Post
Gray was released from the Saints just before the start of the season and joined the Baltimore Ravens practice squad shortly after. For whatever reason, the Ravens moved on, so Gray became available once again. His connection with Payton was clearly strong enough to spark some interest from the two sides, and the veteran HC surely called on his front office to make the move.
It remains to be seen how much playing time Gray will get with the Broncos, but it is nice to see him get another opportunity for a potential playoff team. Gray’s time in New Orleans was a consistent tenure, and fans always appreciated his effort on special teams.
Adam Trautman, Lucas Krull, Michael Burton, Calvin Thockmorton, Malcolm Roach, Wil Lutz, among others, are all players who have played for the former Saints HC in Denver. Not to mention, a bulk of Payton’s staff is former Saints coaches as well.
With the Saints organization, Gray was named a first-team All-Pro once and a second-team All-Pro two times.
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