This free agency, the New Orleans Saints have added a ton of depth players but not many big-name players. The Saints added quarterback Kellen Mond and wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown on Friday, continuing that. Both veterans will contend for their spots on the depth chart and can be viewed as depth signings.
With Mond, New Orleans has added a second quarterback this summer. Nathan Peterman was one of the team’s first free agent signings. Fans weren’t very excited about Peterman’s signing, but given his past interactions with new quarterback coach Andrew Janocko, there is some thought that he could be a part of the coaching staff going forward.
In any case, Mond might be the Saints’ backup quarterback to Derek Carr after Jameis Winston was traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Saints acquire Kellen Mond, a quarterback
The Minnesota Vikings selected Kellen Mond in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. That year, he had the opportunity to work with Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for New Orleans, who was also the offensive coordinator for Minnesota. Regretfully, Mond was waived by the Vikings prior to the start of his second campaign.
The Cleveland Browns ended up claiming him, but he was released a year later. Following that, he was a member of the Indianapolis Colts practice squad until joining the Saints in New Orleans. After all of that circling around, Mond has played in just one game throughout the regular season. That was with the Vikings in 2021. He only attempted three throws during the game, two of which were completed for five yards.
Mond is now in a room with Nathan Peterman, Jake Haener, and Derek Carr. Although Carr is undoubtedly the team’s best quarterback, New Orleans lacks a clear QB2 in Carr, unlike when Jameis Winston was available. We’ll find it out throughout training camp and the offseason.