Decamerion Richardson Barely Played 13 Defensive Snaps and The Saints Are Betting Big on Him Anyway

Okay, so the Saints just swooped in and grabbed cornerback Decamerion Richardson off waivers, fresh off being cut by the Raiders on Monday. The dude is 25 years old, and honestly, this move has me scratching my head a bit, but hey, maybe New Orleans sees something nobody else did. This is the kind of early season roster shake-up that tells you who’s really looking for a diamond in the rough.

A Rollercoaster Start for the Young Corner

Think about it: Richardson was a fourth-round pick for the Raiders back in 2024. That’s not chopped liver, right? As a rookie in 2024, he actually started seven games. Seven! That’s real playing time, proving he could hang. But then last season, 2025, it all just fell off a cliff defensively. The man barely sniffed the field on defense, getting a measly 13 snaps. Thirteen! What even happened there? His career totals currently sit at 57 tackles and three passes defensed. It’s not a huge body of work, especially when you consider that massive drop-off.

Special Teams Ace or Defensive Project?

Now, it wasn’t all bad news for Richardson in 2025. He did get on the field for 204 special teams snaps last season. So, he’s got experience there, no doubt. The question is, what are the Saints really getting here? Are they banking on him being a special teams contributor who can maybe, just maybe, rediscover that defensive form he showed in his rookie year? Or is this a purely special teams pickup, and that’s it? It’s a calculated gamble, snagging a former draft pick who’s clearly got some physical talent but just couldn’t crack the defensive rotation with his old squad. You gotta wonder if the coaching staff in New Orleans thinks they can unlock something the Raiders couldn’t.

So, Richardson is heading to New Orleans, hoping for a fresh start. With the regular season already kicking off, every team is looking to fine-tune their roster. It’ll be interesting to see how the Saints integrate him and if he can carve out a role beyond just special teams. This is a big moment for him, and for the Saints, it’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward play they are hoping pays off.

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Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.