METAIRIE (AP) — Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt says the club has placed rookie right tackle Bryce Harris on injured
reserve, ending his season.
Harris made his first start against San Francisco on Sunday, but left in the first quarter with a broken bone in his right
leg.
He played because regular starter Zach Strief was not ready to return from his left groin injury, and Strief's primary backup,
Charles Brown, hurt his right knee a week earlier. Vitt declined to say whether Strief would return at Atlanta on Thursday
night, saying only that the possibility "looks good."
Strief practiced on a limited basis on Tuesday, as he did last week. If he cannot play, William Robinson, who was signed last
week and stepped in from Harris against the 49ers, would start.
"Our right tackle situation is going to fine
in this game," Vitt said. "There are a lot of ways that we can help
that position.
There are a lot of ways that we do help that position. We have the
next-man-up theory that we have always gone to. There is
not going to be any built-in excuse for us not to try to play our
best football."
The Saints filled the open roster spot with tight end Michael Higgins from their practice squad. He could fill in for David
Thomas, who was limited with a knee injury.
Those missing Tuesday's practice included
Brown, defensive tackle Tom Johnson with a sore back, defensive end
Junior Galette
with a left ankle injury, kick returner and receiver Courtney Roby
with shoulder and ankle injuries and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus.
Cornerback Corey White returned to practice on a limited basis from his left knee injury.