Saints Sign Will Clarke to Practice Squad

The New Orleans Saints added a veteran NFL defensive lineman to their practice squad on Thursday.

The team added defensive end Will Clarke, a 5-year veteran who last played in the 2018 season, to its practice squad.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Clarke played collegiately at West Virginia, where he earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior in 2013, setting single-season career highs in tackles (49), tackles for loss (17), and sacks (6).

The 6-foot-6, 275-pound Clarke was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft, with whom he played three seasons (2014-2016), appearing in 35 games, compiling 22 tackles, including 4.5 sacks.

After being released by the Bengals prior to the 2017 season, Clarke joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, playing parts of two seasons with them, accumulating 15 tackles, including 2.5 sacks over 18 games.

Clarke signed with the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL in December of 2019, before that league suspended operations in April of this year.

Over parts of five NFL seasons, Clarke has appeared in 53 career games, totaling 37 career tackles, including seven sacks.

The Saints didn't need to release any player from their practice squad to make room for Clarke, as there was an open spot on it after cornerback Ken Crawley was signed off the practice squad, and to the active roster, ahead of the Week 5 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Saints return to action on Sunday afternoon when they play host to the Carolina Panthers in a match-up of NFC South Division rivals at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

Kickoff time is slated for noon.