New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis announced Tuesday that the club has signed free agent cornerback DeMario Pressley/Marcus McCauley.aspx">Marcus McCauleyand waived cornerback Chris McAlister. The club also placed linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbaron injured reserve.
McCauleyis a third-year player who originally entered the NFL as a third-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings (72nd overall) in 2007. The 6-1, 203-pound Fresno State product has played in 27 career regular-season games – all but one of them with the Vikings – with 10 starts, and has tallied 66 tackles, 10 passes defensed and five tackles on special teams.
The 26-year old Rancho Cordova, Calif. native has also played in one career postseason game, making one tackle on special teams. He was waived by the Vikings at the conclusion of the 2009 preseason and has subsequently had stints with the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, playing in one game for Detroit.
McAlister was signed by the Saints as a free agent November 18 and played in two games with the club, making four tackles with a forced fumble that he also recovered. The 11-year veteran defender spent his previous 10 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
Dunbaris a second-year player who has played in nine games this season with three starts, making 16 tackles on defense and adding 12 more stops on special teams. He suffered hamstring injury in the Saints' victory at Washington Sunday that will end his 2009 season.
