Nick Toon Released by Saints: Latest Comments and Reaction

A little more than a week after he suffered a high-ankle sprain that was expected to linger into the regular season, the New Orleans Saints released Nick Toon on Sept. 1.

Kristian Garic of WWL 870 AM and Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate reported the news. Toon, 26, suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 of the preseason and was expected to miss up to three weeks, according to Ross Jones of Fox Sports.

After Toon cleared waivers, the Saints placed him on injured reserve, as noted by Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com on Sept. 2. On Sept. 8, the two sides agreed on an injury settlement, clearing the way for his official release, via Garic.

The former fourth-round pick's departure had come as part of New Orleans' 75-man cuts on Sept. 1. All NFL teams had until 4 p.m. ET to trim their rosters from the previous maximum of 90 players, eventually cutting down to 53 following Week 4 of the preseason.

With Toon being unavailable for that contest, it made more sense for the Saints to cut bait and give playing time to another player on the roster bubble.

Toon had a career-high 17 receptions for 215 yards and a touchdown in 2014, but injuries have marred his career. The Wisconsin product has appeared in only 16 games since being drafted in 2012, missing his entire rookie campaign while playing in eight games apiece the last two seasons.

Given his past, he acknowledged last month that he was not guaranteed a roster spot. 

"No, I don't have any more security," Toon said, via Woodbery. "It's one of those things, whether you're an undrafted free agent or the first pick in the draft, you can never get complacent in this field. There's always someone coming in, looking to compete for your job. Complacency will cut your career short. You can never be complacent in this industry."

The Saints have instead chosen to move on with a depth chart that includes veteran Marques Colston, second-year speedster Brandin Cooks and a whole lot of unproven talent.

Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com also noted how little success the Saints had drafting in 2012:

With Jimmy Graham departing this offseason via trade without an obvious replacement, quarterback Drew Brees will have perhaps his most difficult time building an elite offense since joining the franchise. Toon probably wasn't going to develop into a star, but his departure leaves even fewer players with whom Brees has a rapport.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.