Griffin Neal to Saints: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

The New Orleans Saints bolstered their quarterback depth by agreeing to a deal with Griffin Neal, who spent last season playing for the Hildesheim Invaders in Germany.  

ESPN.com's Mike Triplett reported on New Orleans' acquisition on Saturday, which came courtesy of a chance encounter while Neal was helping out with Tulane's pro day last month at the Saints' practice facility.

Friday marked New Orleans' own local pro day, and the team extended an invitation to Neal. After witnessing him work out, the Saints offered him a three-year contract that day.

Neal spoke about the serendipitous opportunity to play in the NFL, per the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead's Jeff Kolpack (h/t Triplett):

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This day has obviously been a dream come true. [...] I'll do my best to stick around. I'm going to use this month to work really hard and learn the playbook to the best of my ability and perform well.

[...] I showed up there and nobody knew who I was. But the fact I was in the same facility as some key decision makers, I was in the right place at the right time and I had a great day. I was just hoping for any opportunity, now I have it and hopefully I can take advantage of it.

"

The signal-caller flew under the NFL's radar since he attended Concordia College, where he was a three-year starter and threw for 5,614 passing yards and 47 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,331 yards and 22 scores, per Triplett, and is listed at 6'4" and 220 pounds.

Concordia College head coach Terry Horan spoke about Neal's unconventional career path, per Kolpack:

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There were many times he was ready to say it was time for me to move on. He goes to Germany just thinking it will be his last hurrah, tour and play. He ended up doing well against competition that is probably in the middle of the MIAC pack with most teams. Still, he stayed fresh. He was just one of those unknowns—known in our area—and it's just so incredible for him.

"

According to Kolpack, Neal said training with Rudy Carpenter in Arizona this past winter helped him get the Saints' attention. Carpenter reacted on Friday to the Neal's contract:

Although New Orleans already has a superstar in Drew Brees, a veteran backup in Luke McCown and Brees' potential successor in 2015 third-round pick Garrett Grayson on the roster, it did make a considerable commitment to Neal.

The duration of Neal's contract seems to speak to how highly the Saints view his skill set. His odds of making the roster may thus be shorter than many perceive, and McCown is expendable, having never proved to be more than an NFL backup.

Neal's potential is yet to be evaluated, but learning from someone like Brees and Saints head coach Sean Payton, who's lauded as an offensive guru, will help his development.

Even if Neal isn't ultimately a part of New Orleans' future plans, he will certainly garner attention from other NFL teams. The Saints have more QB depth than most, so it speaks volumes Neal got the opportunity in the first place. Neal will do himself a lot of favors just by remaining on the roster into training camp.