The New Orleans Saints parted ways with a couple of fan-favorites at linebacker this week, namely former special teams captain Michael Mauti. Mauti, a New Orleans native and son of former Saints special teamer Rich Mauti, joined the team in 2016 as a roster cuts poaching from the Minnesota Vikings. He made a strong impression quickly by scoring a touchdown off of his own blocked punt in a 2016 Monday Night Football victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Since then, Mauti has been a key special teams contributor and reserve linebacker despite struggling with a serious medical condition that made it almost-impossible to make playing-weight.