Category: Former Saints

Several former Saints players called up from 49ers practice squad before TNF

Former Saints players Willie Snead IV and Jackrabbit Jenkins are playing for San Francisco, while Tony Jones Jr. and Al Woods are suiting up for Seattle on Thursday night:

A couple of former New Orleans Saints players will be on the field for Thursday night’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. Or ghosts of Saints’ Christmases past: wide receiver Willie Snead IV and cornerback Janoris Jenkins were both on the 49ers practice squad, but they’ve each been elevated for this Week 15 game, the team announced.

Snead, 30, has appeared in two games for San Francisco this season, totaling 26 snaps on offense and 13 reps on special teams, though he has yet to catch a pass. His career hasn’t gone as hoped since leaving the Saints back in 2018; after averaging 3.6 receptions for 48.1 yards per game in New Orleans, Snead has managed just 2.3 receptions for 26.1 yards per game in stops with the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, and 49ers. He’ll have opportunities with Deebo Samuel out for several weeks with an injury.

Jenkins, 34, is set to make his 49ers debut on Thursday night. He started 13 games for the Tennessee Titans after leaving the Saints last season and bided his time until a spot for him opened up on a title contender’s roster, and now he’s looking to get into games for a Super Bowl dark horse. His exact role with San Francisco is to be determined, but we’ll see how “Jackrabbit” performs against one of the NFL’s better receiving corps.

But they won’t be the only former Saints players on the field Thursday night. Several of them are on the Seahawks’ roster, including running back Tony Jones Jr., wide receiver Easop Winston Jr., and defensive tackle Al Woods. Woods deserves a lot of credit for the career he’s had — a 35-year old native of Jennings, La who was drafted out of LSU by the Saints back in 2010, he was cut by New Orleans before he ever played a down for them. He’s gone on to start 76 of the 153 games he’s played in the NFL and earn more than $24.3 million in contracts with seven different teams. Seriously, good for him.

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Ravens sign former Saints scout team QB Brett Hundley

The Ravens signed free agent QB Brett Hundley after an injury to Lamar Jackson. Hundley recently saw work as Jackson’s proxy on the Saints scout team:

Here’s a new opportunity for a former New Orleans Saints quarterback. The  Baltimore Ravens re-signed free agent Brett Hundley after an injury to Lamar Jackson left them with just Tyler Huntley on their 53-man roster; Hundley will join the practice squad. He spent time with Baltimore over the summer, giving him some familiarity with their playbook.

Hundley recently saw work as Jackson’s proxy on the Saints scout team; while they may have had the right idea, New Orleans didn’t achieve the desired results. Jackson went 12-of-22 for 133 passing yards and a touchdown while gaining 82 rushing yards on 11 attempts, though the Saints defense did come away with 3 sacks. Speaking of Jackson, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Sunday that this isn’t a season-ending knee injury, and they’re optimistic he can return in a matter of days or weeks.

Baltimore has a narrow lead on the AFC North title race at 8-4, so this is a big opportunity for Tyler Huntley to lead them down the stretch. Four of the Raven’s five remaining games will be against division rivals, including a regular season finale with the Cincinnati Bengals on the road (who are also 8-4 right now). Huntley will be a restricted free agent in 2023, meaning Baltimore will have some options in retaining him, but this is a real audition for him with quarterback-needy teams like the Saints watching. If Jackson misses extensive time, it’ll be Huntley filling in for him and Hundley backing him up.

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Eagles’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson ‘out indefinitely’ with injury, may miss Saints game

C.J. Gardner-Johnson is ‘out indefinitely’ with an injury similar to what’s sidelined Marshon Lattimore for 7 games. He might miss a revenge game against the Saints:

Woah. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported that Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson is ‘out indefinitely’ with an injury similar to what’s sidelined Marshon Lattimore for seven games. Gardner-Johnson suffered a lacerated kidney in Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers in addition to the rib injury that he was officially listed with; the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane confirmed the news, adding that Gardner-Johnson is likely dealing with a rib fracture.

That puts Gardner-Johnson’s status in jeopardy for Week 17’s game with his old New Orleans Saints team on Jan. 1. This injury isn’t expected to end his season, but as we’ve seen with Lattimore it can linger for weeks. If he were to go on injured reserve and return after the minimum four weeks, he’d arrive just in time for a revenge game with the Saints. But there’s no guaranteeing that he’d be ready to play, so this is very much a wait-and-see situation.

Gardner-Johnson has excelled with the Eagles after the Saints sent him packing in a preseason trade, playing safety full-time rather than the slot role he filled in New Orleans. He’s the current NFL leader for interceptions (6) with 8 passes defensed and 60 tackles (55 solo) on the year, setting him up nicely for a contract extension the Saints weren’t willing to pay him. We’ll see if he’s able to suit up when the Saints visit the Eagles on New Year’s Day.

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Former Saints QB Trevor Siemian injured in warmups, Nathan Peterman could start for Bears

Former Saints QB Trevor Siemian injured in warmups, putting Nathan Peterman in line to start for the Bears with Justin Fields unavailable:

Trevor Siemian can’t catch a break. The former New Orleans Saints quarterback was tabbed to start for the Chicago Bears on Sunday with Justin Fields out of action due to a shoulder injury, but they may have to go in a different direction against the New York Jets. Siemian suffered an oblique muscle injury while warming up at MetLife Stadium which opened the door for third-string quarterback Nathan Peterman to step into the lineup. Running back David Montgomery was tabbed to be the emergency quarterback.

Siemian started 6 games for the Saints last season, logging more pass attempts (188) than both Jameis Winston (161) and Taysom Hill (134). He wasn’t exactly impressive outside of two clutch wins against division opponents, stepping in after Winston was injured against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to manage a 36-27 win and closing out the year in relief of Hill to beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-20. But Siemian showed he can play in this league and it won him this opportunity with Chicago.

So it’s a shame to see him lose this shot to bad luck with an injury. Peterman has thrown a dozen interceptions against just 3 touchdown passes across 10 games in the NFL (4 starts), whereas Siemian has scored 41 touchdown passes while throwing 27 interceptions during his 34-game career (29 snarts) with four different teams. So if all things were equal and both players were healthy, he would be the easy choice here. Bears media relations say it’s going to be a game-time decision as to whether Siemian or Peterman starts against the Jets, so stay tuned for an update.

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Giants sign former Saints tight end Nick Vannett to their practice squad

The Giants signed former Saints tight end Nick Vannett to their practice squad, head coach Brian Daboll confirmed Tuesday:

Good for you, Nick Vannett. The former New Orleans Saints backup tight end landed on his feet with the New York Giants, having been waived by New Orleans prior to their Week 11 tilt with the Los Angeles Rams. Vannett was spotted at Giants practice on Tuesday; afterwards, Big Blue head coach Brian Daboll confirmed that he had signed with their practice squad. So he goes from a 4-7 Saints outfit to a 7-3 Giants team chasing their first playoff berth since 2016.

It’s a fresh start for Vannett, who had been buried on the Saints’ depth chart behind breakout pass-catching threat Juwan Johnson and third-year pro Adam Trautman. He was often a healthy scratch in recent months after agreeing to a pay cut before the season started. The Saints needed roster spots with so many injuries sidelining players at other positions, so it made sense to let him go. It’s just a shame they couldn’t cut a deal with someone at the NFL trade deadline.

His contract may have been a factor. The Saints were on the hook for a $3.4 million salary cap hit in 2023, which a new team would have had to absorb. But since he was released at this point, he leaves just $300,000 behind in dead money for New Orleans’ 2023 accounting and is free to pursue other opportunities. He’s not making much with the Giants practice squad, but it’s probably a better situation than the one he just left. We’ll wish him well.

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Jahri Evans is a first-ballot semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023

Legendary Saints right guard Jahri Evans is one of five first-ballot semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023:

Now this is cool. Jahri Evans left his mark on pro football in 11 years at right guard for the New Orleans Saints, and his accomplishments have earned him recognition as one of five first-ballot semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. He’ll advance to the next stage of voting on finalists in December, with the Class of 2023 announced in February.

And it’s a star-studded group. Evans is joined by iconic pros like former left tackle Joe Thomas, cornerback Darrelle Revis, defensive lineman Dwight Freeney, and linebacker James Harrison as semifinalists who got this far in their first year of eligibility. The other 23 semifinalists have made it to this stage before, and many of them will ultimately make the cut.

Evans has a strong shot at going the distance after earning six consecutive Pro Bowl nods in his playing career, as well as four straight appearances on the Associated Press All-Pro first team list from 2009 to 2012. If his bid is successful, he’ll have become the first player from the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV-winning squad to be selected for the Hall of Fame. With his old quarterback Drew Brees a sure thing to get in once he’s eligible in 2026, the Saints contingent enshrined in Canton looks to grow in the years ahead.

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Here are the 13 former Saints players who were selected in the 2023 XFL draft

Some familiar faces could be playing in the XLF next year. Here are the 13 former Saints players selected in the 2023 XFL draft, from RB Abram Smith to TE Alize Mack:

The XFL will be back in 2023, prompting the spring league to launch its draft in Las Vegas this week. A draft pool of 1,700 players from a wide array of backgrounds were available in the three-day event, with the XFL’s eight teams ultimately selecting hundreds of prospects hoping for their big break.

And there were quite a few former New Orleans Saints players in the mix, including some NFL draft picks and even a couple of players currently signed with the Saints practice squad, meaning they may have to choose between a flyer contract with New Orleans or this XFL opportunity after the 2022 season concludes.

A total of 13 former Saints were picked throughout the XFL draft. Here’s a quick recap:

Eagles reached out to Malcolm Jenkins before trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson

Eagles general manager Howie Roseman reached out to Malcolm Jenkins before trading for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, his former Saints protégé:

So this makes sense. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane says that the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t blind to the tight relationship between C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the subject of their big preseason trade, and his New Orleans Saints mentor Malcolm Jenkins — a fan-favorite who won a Super Bowl in Philly before returning to New Orleans, where his pro career started. McLane reports that Eagles general manager Howie Roseman consulted with Jenkins before finalizing the Saints trade, and that it may have not happened without Jenkins’ input.

“A lot of people judge him by his cover,” Jenkins said of Gardner-Johnson’s mouthy on-field persona. “That’s like his secret weapon.”

Gardner-Johnson always backed up his tall-talking in New Orleans with a comprehensive understanding of the game, but he’s playing even better with the Eagles. He currently leads the league with five interceptions. He’s been a big part of Philadelphia’s unbeaten streak to start the season. Jenkins saw so many similarities between the two of them (they even share the same birthday, ten years apart) that he couldn’t help but take the fiery young defender. It’s only fitting that Gardner-Johnson ended up following in his footsteps from New Orleans to Philadelphia.

Of course this is painful for Saints fans to cope with. The team made a bad deal after contract talks broke down with Gardner-Johnson and his relationship with coaches became frayed. New Orleans originally drafted Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round, having spent a fifth rounder to trade up for him. He’s since gone to the Eagles along with a 2025 seventh rounder in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a sixth rounder in 2024. It’s almost impressive that the Saints managed to get less for Gardner-Johnson than they spent to acquire him in the first place after he put up three strong years’ worth of tape in the NFL. Almost.

Anyway, back to Jenkins. He told McLane before the season started that “Philly’s going to love him,” and that “He’s going to check every single box.” We’re halfway through the regular season, and it sure looks like that prediction is coming true. We’ll see what Gardner-Johnson has in store when his Eagles host the Saints in Week 17 later this season.

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Former Saints safety Marcus Williams reacts to his Ravens teammates’ big game

Former Saints safety Marcus Williams reacts to his Ravens teammates’ big game

Twist the knife, Marcus Williams. The longtime New Orleans Saints safety left in free agency for a lucrative contract with the Baltimore Ravens, and he left without much goodwill from Saints fans — whether it was his missed tackle in the Minneapolis Miracle or other flubs in high-leverage situations, his relationship with New Orleans frayed with time.

So it’s not too surprising to see Williams celebrating his new team’s big win over his old team. With the Ravens rumbling along up 27-6 midway through the fourth quarter, Williams sent out a rare tweet shouting out his Ravens teammates; he’s never been very active on social media, posting once every two weeks or so, so it’s telling that he made time during Monday night’s beatdown.

Williams was inactive for this game while recovering from an early-season wrist injury, but he’s one of several former Saints safeties to have intercepted more passes this season than their old team put together. He didn’t get to return to the Caesars Superdome on Monday but he’ll be back some time this year.

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Former Saints WR Kawaan Baker signs with the Packers after serving 6-game suspension

Former Saints WR Kawaan Baker signed with the Packers practice squad after serving his 6-game suspension:

A couple of former New Orleans Saints wide receivers found new teams this week. Kawaan Baker finished serving his 6-game suspension for an offseason PEDs policy violation and ended up signing with the Green Bay Packers practice squad following a group tryout.

Baker, 24, was selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft out of South Alabama but struggled to find snaps in the rotation despite a wave of injuries hitting the position in each of his two years in black and gold. Now he’s wearing No. 82 in Green Bay.

If there’s anything positive to take away here, it may be that the Saints feel optimistic about Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry getting off of the injury report soon. With Chris Olave back in the lineup, Baker would have been hard-pressed to get into games ahead of Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood, Rashid Shaheed, and practice squad receivers Kevin White and Kirk Merritt. Green Bay’s receiving corps is banged-up and talent-poor, so there are better opportunities for him up north.

And the Seattle Seahawks picked up former Saints wide receiver Easop Winston Jr. after a group tryout. A former Washington State Cougar, Winston spent most of the last year on New Orleans’ practice squad but was waived late in the summer during roster cuts. He’s on the Seattle practice squad closer to home after pursuing a couple of different opportunities as a free agent.

Quite a few former Saints players tried out for other teams this week. Here’s the full list, per the daily NFL transactions wire:

  • WR Kawaan Baker (Green Bay Packers-signed)

  • WR Easop Winston Jr. (Seattle Seahawks-signed)

  • WR Dai’Jean Dixon (Seattle Seahawks)

  • CB DaMarcus Fields (Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers)

  • CB Tre Swilling (San Francisco 49ers)

  • CB Ken Crawley (Tennessee Titans)

  • RB Abram Smith (Miami Dolphins)

  • OL Sage Doxtater (Arizona Cardinals)

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