By Mike Triplett, The Times-Picayune
October 12, 2009, 5:00PM
The New Orleans Saints waived rookie quarterback Chase Daniel on Monday to make room for kicker Garret Hartley, who returned from a four-game suspension. Team spokesman Greg Bensel confirmed the roster move.
Chances are, the Saints will try to re-sign Daniel to their practice squad if he clears through waivers.
It’s not clear what role Hartley will play with the Saints now that he’s back. The Saints are set with veteran kicker John Carney handling field goals and extra points, while rookie punter Thomas Morstead has excelled on kickoffs.
Most likely, Hartley will be de-activated on game days, at least in the short term.
The Saints don’t want to cut ties completely with the strong-legged 23-year-old, who made all 13 of his field-goal attempts as a rookie last year. But it would be foolish to switch from the steady Carney now, especially considering the struggles Hartley was having in the preseason.
“I think John Carney has done a great job. He brings a lot to the table with his experience,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said last week of Carney, 45, who has made six of seven field-goal attempts, with the only miss being blocked in Week 1 against Detroit.
Hartley learned of his suspension this summer. He said he tested positive for the banned stimulant Adderall, which he said he took to stay awake on a drive from Dallas to New Orleans earlier this year.
Daniel, who turned 23 last week, began this season on the Saints’ practice squad, but he was activated before their Week 2 trip to Philadelphia to serve as the emergency third quarterback.
The Saints needed Daniel because their usual fail-safe option at the quarterback position is receiver Lance Moore, who went down with a hamstring injury in Week 1. Moore should be fully recovered by now, though, after returning on a limited basis two weeks ago against the New York Jets.
In fact, the Saints’ entire roster should be close to full health after the Week 5 bye. They returned to practice Monday, but the session was closed to the media. The players will take their usual day off today, before resuming their normal practice schedule Wednesday in preparation for Sunday’s showdown against the New York Giants at the Superdome.
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