Examining the roster ties between Patriots, Saints ahead of Week 3

When the New Orleans Saints visit the New England Patriots on Sunday, so will former members of the active roster and practice squad.

Those connections currently flow one direction. No former Saints players reside on the other side of Week 3 aside from assistant running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri, who arrived in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft out of Alabama.

But here’s a glance through the on-field familiarity leading up to the 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium

NEW ORLEANS

Chris Hogan, wide receiver — Hogan put his run as a midfielder in the Premier Lacrosse League on hold as training camp commenced in July, signing with the Saints following a workout. The veteran wideout then re-signed following the league’s roster deadline and caught touchdown from quarterback Jameis Winston in his Week 1 debut. He added one catch for 16 yards last Sunday. New Orleans marks the eighth team for Hogan since going undrafted by way of Penn State and Monmouth one decade ago. New England would be among the previous for the the 33-year-old. That stop brought a pair of Super Bowl rings as Hogan caught 141 passes for 2,193 yards and 16 touchdowns. He had landed in Foxborough as a restricted free agent from the Buffalo Bills on a three-year, $12 million offer sheet in 2016. A total of 49 games were played as a Patriot, including postseason.

Caleb Benenoch, guard — On the practice squad for New Orleans stands Benenoch, who entered the league as a fifth-round pick out of UCLA in 2016 and made a pair of subsequent stops with New England. The initial stop came after his release from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in September 2019. It spanned two weeks on the 53-man roster. The 27-year-old offensive lineman later reconvened with the Patriots as part of the practice squad to begin 2020. Benenoch served as a standard elevation on one occasion last season before being placed on the injured list. He did not reach a futures contract with New England as the calendar turned to January, and was with Buffalo for a portion of the summer before heading to the Saints.

Montravius Adams, defensive tackle — Adams signed a one-year deal worth up to $2.5 million with the Patriots as free agency opened in March. The 2017 Green Bay Packers third-round pick from Auburn would be released as the locker room reduced from 80 to 53 at the end of August. Adams had played 98 snaps during the preseason with New England, totaling six solo tackles and five quarterback hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. The 26-year-old defensive lineman signed with the Saints’ active roster in the subsequent days. Adams re-signed after the season opener against his former Packers. He was inactive for Week 2.

Albert Huggins, defensive tackle — In December 2019, the Patriots claimed Huggins off waivers and released kicker Kai Forbath in a corresponding move. The undrafted defensive tackle out of Clemson had previously been a member of the Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles. And an Eagle he became again after five days on New England’s 53, joining the practice squad to close his rookie campaign. Stints with five clubs have transpired since then for the 24-year-old Huggins. He agreed to terms with the Saints during organized team activities in May, and now finds himself on the active roster after beginning the fall on the scout team. Huggins has recorded five tackles and a quarterback hit thus far into 2021.