Veteran strong safety Roman Harper has signed a contract with the New Orleans Saints, which signifies his return to his original NFL team. This is a momentous move by the Saints since Harper played a crucial role in the team's Super Bowl 9 win.
News about Harper's contract-signing with the New Orleans franchise was announced by his agency and was then confirmed by the team, NOLA reported. Details about the contract are still unknown but according to various sources, the 10-year veteran has been brought in by the Saints to build up the team's defensive plays. More specifically, he will act as the leader of the team's younger safeties.
Harper officially debuted in the NFL after he was drafted by New Orleans in 2006. Although he was immediately put on injured reserve during his first season with the team, he was able to make up for this through the next few years.
In fact, in 2009, he was a major factor in the Saints' Super Bowl 9 win against the Indianapolis Colts by leading the team with eight tackles. However, after spending eight years with the team, he was released in 2014 which then allowed the Saints to save salary cap space of about $2.18 million.
A month later, he signed with the Carolina Panthers after accepting their two-year deal worth $4.5 million. He remained with the team until the 2015 season, also known as the team the Panthers went head to head against the Denver Broncos.
Harper started strong in the match and was able to compete two tackles. However, these were not enough to stop Denver, which eventually won the championship with the final score of 24-10. As the 2015 season ended, Harper was released by the Panthers.
Now, Harper is officially back with the Saints and even attended their organized team activities on Tuesday. It also served as a reunion for him and former teammates Thomas Morstead, Zach Strief and Drew Brees. His return was made possible after the team waived linebacker Dominique Tovell's contract, which allowed to team to create enough salary space, according to the New Orleans Saints website.
