Running back Ladell Betts officially signed his one-year contract Tuesday, then joined his New Orleans Saints teammates for a two-hour practice at the Superdome.
Betts didn't wear shoulder pads and was held out of team drills as he continues to work his way back from surgery to repair torn left knee ligaments. Saints coach Sean Payton said Betts will not play against the Houston Texans in a Saturday night preseason game.
"He is coming off an injury, so we need to monitor and be smart about how we practice him, especially in the first couple of weeks back with his ACL," Payton said. "His experience was something that we valued and his workout was good."
Hamilton cleared waivers and was placed on injured reserve Monday. The Saints then gave Betts a deal that includes a $755,000 base salary, a $50,000 signing bonus and a chance to earn a about $1 million total with incentives, a league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora on Monday.
"They basically wanted to see how my knee would hold up during the workouts, planting and cutting," Betts said. "I'm assuming they like what they saw. I was able to get in and out of my cuts. They said, 'You look pretty good,' so they decided to bring me on."
Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas are firmly entrenched as the Saints' top two running backs, but the team carried four last season. Hamilton, who primarily played on special teams, was in position to become the third back after Mike Bell signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent during the offseason.
"Those guys are established," Betts said. "They've been here. They helped this team win (the Super Bowl) last year. I'm just trying to fit in wherever I can. I like to consider myself a between-the-tackles runner. Hopefully once the coaches see what I can do, they'll use me to my strengths."
Betts, a nine-year veteran who turns 31 on Aug. 27, joins second-year pro P.J. Hill and undrafted rookie Chris Ivory in the race to back up Bush and Thomas.
A second-round draft pick in 2002, the 5-foot-11, 224-pound Betts had spent his entire career with the Washington Redskins before being released March 4. In eight seasons, he rushed for 3,176 yards and 13 touchdowns and caught 165 passes for 1,505 yards and three touchdowns. His best season came in 2006, when he accounted for 1,599 all-purpose yards and scored five touchdowns.
"He is a veteran player, a good all-around football player," Payton said of Betts. "He is someone who we think has pretty good balance and understands protections well."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
