Due to a gruesome injury at Week 2, the New Orleans Saints have placed P.J. Williams on the team's injured reserve list. His absence could force the Saints to sign a free agent to their roster, such as former Denver Broncos cornerback John Tidwell.
Williams' ordeal happened during the Saints' game against the New York Giants last Sunday. During the match, he was knocked unconscious after taking knees to the head from teammate Craig Robertson and Giants tight end Larry Donnell while making a tackle.
Following the hits, Williams remained on the ground for about 10 minutes before he was carted off the field. Before being placed on injured reserve, Saints coach Sean Payton said that Williams' condition was improving.
"We'll keep you posted, but I think he's doing better," he said. "Any time there's an extended injury timeout, I think it's difficult for both teams. Credit both teams for waiting, and obviously the medical people handling it with the proper protocol."
However, it seems Williams will not be returning to the field any time soon after it was confirmed that he's been placed on injured reserve.
It is not yet clear what the Saints intend to do with their current lineup but they could consider bringing in a new cornerback to maintain the depth in their roster. One of the likely candidates is Tidwell.
Tidwell is a rookie cornerback who came from Sioux Falls and was part of the Broncos roster last year. He was released by the team earlier this month while the Broncos trimmed down their final roster.
Although lacking in professional experience, Tidwell can still serve as the Saints' insurance policy just in case something happens to their veteran cornerbacks.
But then again, the Saints also have the option of looking into their own practice squad to promote someone to the active roster. This could be Taveze Valhoun, Jordan Williams-Lambert or Brian Dixon. It seems appointing someone as a temporary cornerback is a necessary move for the Saints especially since Williams is the fourth CB placed on the team's injured reserve list.
