The New Orleans Saints were recently faced with the task of figuring out who to replace Karen Sanders with a calf injury that could sideline him for several weeks. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Saints have added another player to their roster after acquiring defensive tackle John Ridgway III in a trade with the Washington Commanders.
Adam Schefter told ESPN that the compensation would be a pick swap: The Saints' 2025 sixth-round pick would go to the Commanders in exchange for Ridgway and a 2025 seventh-round pick.
Ultimately, Ridgway was a solid signing, as he played 31 percent of the Commanders' defensive snaps in his first two seasons (280 and 356 snaps per year) and 18 and 21 percent of the special teams snaps. He's also very big for the position, standing 6-foot-5, weighing 321 pounds with 33 3/8 inch arms.
Ridgway was originally a fifth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2022 NFL Draft, but was waived and instead joined the Commanders. He started six games and played in 32 games, primarily in run-blocking packages, with Pro Football Focus grading him with 29 run stops and 12 quarterback pressures over his first two years.
The coming weeks will tell us if he gets significant playing time, with Brian Bressey, Christian Boyd and Nathan Shepherd also clamoring for extra minutes. Depth will change, but as of now the Saints also have Kendall Vickers on the 53-man roster.
