Former Saints WR Emmanuel Sanders announces his retirement — as a Bronco

Former Saints wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders announces his retirement — as a Bronco, going out with the team that he won a Super Bowl with:

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Hey, this is cool. Emmanuel Sanders is stepping away from the NFL on his own terms. The former New Orleans Saints wide receiver announced his retirement on Wednesday after 12 years in the NFL, in which he suited up for five different teams, winning a Super Bowl title and earning several Pro Bowl nods. And he’s chosen to retire as a Bronco.

That’s no slight to the Saints or any of Sanders’ other teams (including the Bills, 49ers, and Steelers). He had his best years in Denver, won a championship there, and clearly loves the area — his family has continued to live there while he’s gone on to play for a couple of different franchises. It makes a lot of sense for him to put the navy and orange on one last time. And, yeah, Sanders made sure to thank New Orleans and every other organization that’s given him a chance in his announcement.

So good for him. Sanders made an immediate impact on the Saints as a veteran presence during the, ah, tumultuous 2020 campaign and stepped into a larger role than he initially signed up for after Michael Thomas went down with a Week 1 injury. He set a new personal record for receptions in a single game and shared some fun memories with Sean Payton. Sanders also brings great energy on the mic and on camera, and should have his pick of media jobs now that his playing days are behind him. We’ll keep an eye out for which outlet makes a smart hire here, but for now let’s just wish him well in retirement.

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Sean Payton predicts the Saints will win the NFC South in 2022

Sean Payton sees the Saints winning the NFC South in 2022, likes their chances in two-horse race with Tampa Bay:

Here’s a good look at Sean Payton-as-media analyst. The former New Orleans Saints coach accepted a position with FOX Sports on their studio panels for the 2022 season earlier this summer, and he made an appearance in this new capacity on the “Up & Adams Show” with Kay Adams to share his thoughts on the NFL and his old team before the season starts.

“I think D.A. is extremely bright, he’s been a head coach. I think it’s a great situation he’s coming into,” Payton said, echoing Allen’s past comments on the ready-to-compete roster and the support from Mickey Loomis as the NFL’s longest-tenured general manager. He added, “They’ve got a team I think that wins the South this year, not Tampa. I think defensively you’ll see one of the better defenses in our league this year.”

When asked for his response on NBC Sports columnist Peter King predicting the Saints will win the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, Payton zeroed in on the two-horse race in the division. “Tampa [or New Orleans], it’s gonna be one of those two teams. … Any time those two teams play, New Orleans believes they can win that game. And I think that’s pretty powerful, when you have that confidence. So I’m sure it’ll be a close race and we’ll follow it closely.”

That’s a safe diagnosis. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are both in the middle of rebuilds and shouldn’t be competitive this year, leaving the always-feisty Saints and upstart Buccaneers on top of the standings. Payton built a strong roster in New Orleans before choosing to walk away from it, and the Saints have made a point to build off of his blueprint in the months since he stepped down as their head coach. We’ll find out very soon whether or not that was the right approach.

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Sean Payton predicts the Saints will win the NFC South in 2022

Sean Payton sees the Saints winning the NFC South in 2022, likes their chances in two-horse race with Tampa Bay:

Here’s a good look at Sean Payton-as-media analyst. The former New Orleans Saints coach accepted a position with FOX Sports on their studio panels for the 2022 season earlier this summer, and he made an appearance in this new capacity on the “Up & Adams Show” with Kay Adams to share his thoughts on the NFL and his old team before the season starts.

“I think D.A. is extremely bright, he’s been a head coach. I think it’s a great situation he’s coming into,” Payton said, echoing Allen’s past comments on the ready-to-compete roster and the support from Mickey Loomis as the NFL’s longest-tenured general manager. He added, “They’ve got a team I think that wins the South this year, not Tampa. I think defensively you’ll see one of the better defenses in our league this year.”

When asked for his response on NBC Sports columnist Peter King predicting the Saints will win the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, Payton zeroed in on the two-horse race in the division. “Tampa [or New Orleans], it’s gonna be one of those two teams. … Any time those two teams play, New Orleans believes they can win that game. And I think that’s pretty powerful, when you have that confidence. So I’m sure it’ll be a close race and we’ll follow it closely.”

That’s a safe diagnosis. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are both in the middle of rebuilds and shouldn’t be competitive this year, leaving the always-feisty Saints and upstart Buccaneers on top of the standings. Payton built a strong roster in New Orleans before choosing to walk away from it, and the Saints have made a point to build off of his blueprint in the months since he stepped down as their head coach. We’ll find out very soon whether or not that was the right approach.

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Jonathan Vilma assigned to Saints-Falcons broadcast on FOX in Week 1

Legendary former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been assigned to their Week 1 FOX broadcast against the Falcons:

A familiar voice will be on the call when the New Orleans Saints kick off with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday: FOX Sports has assigned legendary former Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma to its Week 1 broadcast of the game, along with his usual booth partner Kenny Albert on play-by-play and sideline reporter Shannon Spake checking in from the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. His old coach Sean Payton was hired by FOX Sports earlier this year, joining their in-studio pregame show.

Vilma has done well on the mic for Saints games in the past, sharing some insightful commentary and anecdotes from his playing career. And while most of his old Saints teammates have moved on (he last played in 2013; of that year’s Saints team, only Cameron Jordan remains after Malcolm Jenkins’ retirement with Thomas Morstead and Terron Armstead joining the Miami Dolphins) he does share a history with first-year head coach Dennis Allen.

Allen was the Saints’ secondary coach when Vilma arrived in New Orleans through a 2008 trade with the New York Jets, and they won Super Bowl XLIV together. Maybe he’s got some fun stories to share from their time together. We’re sure to get some great memories from Vilma’s experience in the storied Saints-Falcons rivalry — New Orleans went 9-3 against Atlanta when he was calling defensive plays for them.

We’ll be tuning in to find out what Vilma has in store for us. The Saints are scheduled for a 1 p.m. ET/noon CT kickoff from Atlanta United FC’s big soccer stadium, which also hosts sparsely-attended Falcons games, on Sunday, Sept. 11. It’s an ideal environment for the Saints to begin their 2022 regular season, playing against their little-brother rivals in front of a lot of visiting fans and with a friendly broadcast crew on the call. Let’s see if Allen’s Saints tenure starts off with a bang.

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WATCH: Reggie Bush, Drew Brees reminisce on their early days as Saints teammates

WATCH: Reggie Bush, Drew Brees reminisce on their early days as Saints teammates and break down Bush’s biggest hit in the NFL

Reggie Bush has put together a nice career for himself in television on the FOX Sports college football pregame show each week, and on Thursday night he was on the scene in West Lafayeete, Ind. for a season-opening tilt between the Purdue Boilermakers and the visiting Penn State Nittany Lions. And who would be in front of cameras with him if not one of Purdue’s most famous NFL alums: Bush’s old New Orleans Saints teammate Drew Brees?

The pair chopped it up in previewing the game and reminiscing on their time together in New Orleans, with Bush getting a dig in at Brees’ expense for one of the most infamous moments in his NFL career. That was when he was  absolutely bulldozed by a Philadelphia Eagles defender in their 2006 divisional round playoff game, resulting in an incomplete pass on the Saints’ opening drive and a very painful collision for the then-rookie running back.

And Brees owned up to it, crediting Bush for bouncing back from such a tough hit to not only stay in the game, but later give as good as he got with some highlights, scoring a critical touchdown run in the tight 27-24 contest. He was all smiles in looking back on how the defense, for once, got the better of him.

Brees broke down the play, gushing about its design and execution — and taking the blame for not responding as he should have, saying, “Alright Sheldon Brown (on the hit), right? Great corner. (Then-Eagles defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson, they brought zone pressure but they rolled the cloud corner behind it. So I didn’t see that. Our hot answer was the wide route.”

He watched Bush get leveled by the tackle again on replay and grinned, “Boy, you took it like a champ, look at you.” Then he and Bush shifted gears to bring up another play later in the game when Philadelphia went back to that same pressure look — but this time Brees burned them, going vertical instead of horizontal to pick up a first down. Bush added that the drive ended in a score, and the two former pros exchanged a dynamite high-five in recapping their playoff victory.

Honestly it’s everything we wanted to see out of Brees in his brief stint with NBC Sports last year. He was energized, insightful, and comfortable sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with his old teammate. Maybe, like their former coach Sean Payton, he’s best suited to work in a more casual setting like this than the buttoned-up NBC studios. It’s certainly an interesting contrast from the at-times hesitant Brees we saw providing color commentary in games a year ago. His next career move remains unclear (he was reported to be in talks with Amazon’s NFL coverage team earlier in the summer), but bright moments like this should continue to keep No. 9 on broadcasters’ radar.

Eagles claim former Saints QB Ian Book off of waivers

The Eagles claimed former Saints backup quarterback Ian Book off of waivers. Every other player waived by New Orleans cleared the process:

Well that’s interesting. The Philadelphia Eagles claimed former New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Ian Book from waivers on Wednesday, meaning he’ll back up Jalen Hurts and Gardner Minshew on their 53-man roster. Book, 24, was a fourth-round draft pick by New Orleans last year out of Notre Dame but was let go after struggling to improve over a tough rookie performance. Every other player waived by New Orleans cleared and is eligible to sign with the practice squad.

So that chapter is closed. Book will compete for the opportunity to hang on with Philadelphia, while the Saints keep focus on Jameis Winston as their starter. Veteran backup Andy Dalton has looked confident and comfortable in the No. 2 spot behind him over the summer. Taysom Hill is an option as an emergency QB, but look for the team to add another passer to their practice squad. They could bring back K.J. Costello, who joined them late in training camp, or former reserve Blake Bortles who has yet to find a new team upon being granted his release early this year.

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C.J. Gardner-Johnson following Malcolm Jenkins’ footsteps to Philadelphia

C.J. Gardner-Johnson following in Malcolm Jenkins’ footsteps to Philadelphia with Saints-Eagles trade:

Don’t look now, but C.J. Gardner-Johnson is following Malcolm Jenkins in Tuesday’s stunning Saints-Eagles trade. Jenkins, of course, started his career as a highly-touted slot corner and won a Super Bowl with the New Orleans Saints. When things soured after he struggled in a new role as the team’s starting free safety, the Saints opted to part ways with him. He went to the Philadelphia Eagles and won another Super Bowl, earning a lot of love from the fans in Philly, too.

Gardner-Johnson’s story so far kind of looks like what Jenkins may have experienced on Earth-2 or some other alternate universe. He landed in New Orleans as a mid-round pick, loved by draftniks but overlooked by most teams, and it took some time before he elbowed his way into the lineup and took Jenkins’ old spot covering the slot. He came awful close to winning a title or two with the Saints, too, but his biggest win was ascending to household name status among the fanbase.

Now he’s been traded to the same team that once signed Jenkins, where he’ll likely play the same role as a starting safety in the Eagles defense. Whether or not Gardner-Johnson finds as much success remains to be seen. It’s also unclear whether he’ll someday return to New Orleans. That feels unlikely given everything involved, both the money Gardner-Johnson is seeking that the Saints aren’t willing to pay as well as the emotions that go into these decisions, but you never know. Mark Ingram found his way back to the Saints after moving on to a couple of different teams.

So did Jenkins. The next time fans see Gardner-Johnson he’ll be wearing an Eagles uniform. But it’s far too soon to say that it’ll be the last they seen of him. In any case, it’s a cool parallel between two one-time teammates who shared so much in common while seeing such different experiences.

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Proof of Saints’ upgraded WR corps can be seen on other teams

Proof of the upgraded Saints WR corps can be seen on other teams. The Patriots like Ty Montgomery and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, while Easop Winston Jr. was just picked up by the Browns:

Don’t look now, but some familiar names are making noise around the NFL. A couple of former New Orleans Saints wide receivers have endeared themselves to New England Patriots fans after traveling up north in free agency, with receiver-running hybrid Ty Montgomery earning rare praise from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick spoke highly of Montgomery at practice this week, telling Patriots.com’s Mike Dussault that, “Ty’s been a wonderful kid to have around. He’s a very smart, multi-skilled, multi-talented player. Looking forward to working with him throughout the course of the year on the team in multiple roles. I think there’s a lot of different things he can do, we’ll have to figure out how to combine him with other players on the field. It’s nice to be able to work with him.”

Montgomery played the most snaps on special teams in his career to hang on with New Orleans last season (totaling 180 reps in the kicking game), eventually working his way into the largest workload he’d seen on offense since the 2017 season (playing 300 snaps as a runner and receiver). Putting all of his skills on tape helped him secure a free agent contract with the New England Patriots, where he’s established a quick rapport with second-year quarterback Mac Jones while elbowing his way into New England’s running backs rotation.

But Montgomery isn’t the only former Saints receiver showing out in New England. His former teammate Lil’Jordan Humphrey also signed with the Patriots over the summer and made the most of his opportunity in their first preseason game, bagging 6 receptions (off of 8 targets) to gain 62 yards with a 20-yard touchdown catch to his credit. He’s got more work to do before securing a roster spot, but that’s as good a start as anyone could hope for.

And like Montgomery, Humphrey was a big part of the Saints’ depth at receiver. They kept him on the practice squad for several years and dressed him for 10 games last season. But after adding so much talent to the top of the roster, they’ve positioned themselves to look elsewhere for backups while these guys try their hand with new teams.

It’s still happening. Easop Winston Jr. was a surprise release during the first wave of roster cuts this week, and he immediately landed with the Cleveland Browns as a waiver wire pickup. Like Humphrey, Winston spent time on the Saints practice squad in recent years, and like Montgomery he had been playing on special teams to help his case for a roster spot. And just like them, the numbers game pushed him out of the picture, but he’s landed on his feet. He’ll have a chance to impress the Browns through their next two preseason games.

So look for this trend to keep up in the weeks ahead, with more roster cuts deadlines and exhibition games to navigate. The Saints won’t be able to keep everyone. It’s a safe bet that Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Chris Olave, and Deonte Harty are each locks to make the Week 1 squad, but things look dicey even for established receivers like Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway after that — to say nothing of players on the roster bubble like Kirk Merritt, Kevin White, Kawaan Baker, and undrafted rookies Dai’Jean Dixon (Nicholls) and Rashid Shaheed (Weber State). After a few years in the wilderness, the Saints are finally running so deep at receiver that other teams envy them.

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49ers announce they’ve signed former Saints cornerback Ken Crawley

The San Francisco 49ers announced that they have signed former New Orleans Saints cornerback Ken Crawley:

He’s back: former New Orleans Saints cornerback Ken Crawley signed with the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday, the team announced, as a corresponding move with safety Leon O’Neal Jr. going to injured reserve. San Francisco needs more defensive backs ahead of the preseason, and Crawley ended up signing with them after trying out for the Baltimore Ravens earlier this week.

Crawley has appeared sporadically in New Orleans’ lineup since his debut in the 2016 season, having signed with them as an undrafted rookie out of Colorado, averaging 507 defensive snaps through his first three years with the team as a part-time starter. He’s only totaled 98 snaps on special teams against just 27 reps with the defense over the last three years with the Saints improving their depth in the secondary, steadily pushing him further down the depth chart. Good for him on earning this opportunity to continue his NFL career.

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Watch: Sam Mills’ bronze bust presented at Hall of Fame ceremony

Watch: Sam Mills’ bronze bust presented at Hall of Fame ceremony, Jim Mora Sr. presents the legendary Saints linebacker

This is really cool: the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted legendary New Orleans Saints linebacker Sam Mills on Saturday, with longtime broadcaster Chris Berman introducing the iconic “Field Mouse” and his old coach Jim Mora Sr. leading the presentation. Mills, who died of cancer in 2005, was represented by his wife Melanie and their family at the enshrinement ceremony.

It was a terrific moment for all involved, remembering Mills’ legacy as a fan-favorite standout on the Saints’ “Dome Patrol” defenses who later ended his playing career with the Carolina Panthers, where he started his coaching career. Both franchises pay him tribute and are represented in his commemorative locker at the Hall of Fame.

But maybe the most touching dedication came from Mills’ son Marcus, who shared a letter written to his late father on behalf of their friends and family, embodying the legacy that Mills has left behind. See it for yourself:

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