Moving to shore up their quarterback depth chart, and to add veteran insurance in the event that starter Drew Brees is unable to open the season, the New Orleans Saints have signed veteran Jamie Martin to a two-year contract.
Financial details of the deal were not immediately available, but it is believed the contract includes base salaries at about the league minimum for a player of Martin's tenure. Martin, 36, visited with officials from Cincinnati, Seattle and Miami during free agency but did not receive a firm offer from any of them.
A 12-year veteran, Martin will be joining his sixth different franchise. He previously played with the Rams in both Los Angeles and St. Louis (1993-96, 2001-02, 2004-05), Washington (1997), Jacksonville (1997, 2000), Cleveland (1999) and the New York Jets (2003).
The former Weber State standout has appeared in 34 games and started eight times and has completed 339 of 517 passes for 3,606 yards, with 19 touchdown passes, 20 interceptions and a passer rating of 81.9. He started five games for the Rams in 2005, when Marc Bulger was sidelined by a shoulder injury, and had a 4-1 record, while completing 124 of 177 passes for 1,277 yards, with five touchdown passes and seven interceptions, for a quarterback rating of 83.5.
St. Louis signed veteran Gus Frerotte in the offseason to serve as Bulger's primary backup.
The acquisition of Martin comes amid rumors that Brees, who underwent offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum and partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder, might be having a more difficult rehabilitation than was originally anticipated. The former San Diego starter likely will not throw at full velocity until training camp. Saints officials have been adamant that Brees will be fully recovered for the beginning of the season, but there remain some skeptics.
The other two quarterbacks on the New Orleans depth chart are journeyman Todd Bouman, a nine-year veteran, and second-year pro Adrian McPherson. The team's fifth-round pick last year, McPherson did not take a single snap as a rookie. Bouman, 33, started three games after the Saints benched Aaron Brooks and he completed 68 of 122 passes for 722 yards, with two touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
For his career, Bouman, acquired by the Saints from Minnesota in a 2003 trade, has six career starts. The addition of Martin could put his job in jeopardy.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.