Category: Latest Saints News

Saints designate three more players to return from injured reserve

Saints designate three more players to return from injured reserve

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More help is on the way for the New Orleans Saints with three more players designated to return from injured reserve on Thursday, all of whom practiced with their teammates for the first time in weeks. Saints head coach Sean Payton said this was coming during his morning media availability session, and now we know exactly which players are working their way back.

While there’s a chance they could play on Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks, that shouldn’t be our expectation. Designating them to return only opens a window in which they can practice. If they’re able to play so soon, get excited. But don’t expect that and then feel let down.

New Orleans previously designated a list of starters including kicker Wil Lutz, linebacker Kwon Alexander, defensive end Marcus Davenport, and wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith to come back from injuries. Here’s who joined them:

Report: Saints explored trade for Colts RB Marlon Mack

The New Orleans Saints made ‘preliminary inquiries’ into a trade for Indianapolis Colts RB Marlon Mack, per USA TODAY’s Josina Anderson:

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It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints have wanted to improve their depth at running back. They’ve brought in three different players after losing promising second-year pro Tony Jones Jr. to an injury, adding Devine Ozigbo to the 53-man roster behind Alvin Kamara and Dwayne Washington while signing free agents Ryquell Armstead and Lamar Miller to the practice squad.

But they might have swung a trade for another player, if the price was right. USA TODAY’s Josina Anderson reported Thursday that the Saints were among a group of teams that made “preliminary inquiries” in a trade for Indianapolis Colts backup Marlon Mack. Playing behind the uber-talented Jonathan Taylor and capable change-of-pace backs Nyhiem Hines and Taylor Wilkins (while recovering from a 2020 Achilles injury), Mack tumbled quite a bit down Indianapolis’ depth chart.

Now 25 and playing out the final year of his contract (which carries a miniscule salary cap charge for any team that acquires him), Mack has totaled 564 carries for 2,480 rushing yards and 20 touchdown runs in the NFL. He’s also caught 57 of 84 career targets for another 448 receiving yards, catching a pair of touchdown passes. He’s been effective when healthy and given opportunities.

It’s easy to see why the Saints and Colts couldn’t reach an agreement, though. With so many other competitors in the mix they weren’t able to add Mack on the cheap (like, say, in exchange for a seventh round pick in 2022). It’s unlikely they’ll end up cutting a deal now after bringing in so many other running backs, but you never know. The expect return of many players from injuries and suspension these next few weeks will create salary cap flexibility for the Saints ahead of the NFL’s Nov. 2 trade deadline.

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Erik McCoy says he’s ‘mentally, physically, emotionally’ ready to play

New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy said he’s ready to return from his Week 1 calf injury in an interview with The Spun’s Chris Rosvoglou:

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The New Orleans Saints offensive line has struggled to get going without their starting center, but it sure sounds like he’s close to returning. The Spun’s Chris Rosvoglou interviewed Erik McCoy about his injury situation and his outlook on the 2021 season, and found that he’s eager to get back on the field.

What’s a little confusing about McCoy’s situation is that he never landed on injured reserve. After exiting Week 1’s win over the Green Bay Packers early on with a calf issue, the team chose to keep him on the 53-man roster for the next six weeks. That’s something they didn’t have to do considering the NFL modified its injured reserve rules to allow players to return to action after three weeks of rest.

“I’ll tell you right now I’m feeling really good about coming back. I don’t know really much about the I.R. thing, that’s a little out of my tax bracket,” McCoy joked. “But I’m feeling ready to come back. Mentally, physically, emotionally, I’m ready to.”

McCoy added that the return date he’s circled on his calendar is Oct. 25 — New Orleans’ road game with the Seattle Seahawks. He’ll still need to go through practice sessions this week before getting cleared to play, but if he’s checked all those boxes as he’s said he has, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be snapping the ball to Jameis Winston on Monday night.

He only missed six snaps (all in one game) out of the 2,332 plays the Saints ran on offense since drafting him, including the playoffs, so this extended absence has been unprecedented for him. He’s rightfully as excited as any fan to get back in the lineup and continue playing at a high level. Hopefully we’ll see just that in this week’s Seahawks game.

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Shawn Hochuli, NFL leader in penalty flags thrown, assigned to Saints-Seahawks

No NFL officiating crew has thrown more flags than Shawn Hochuli’s, who will work Monday night’s game between the Saints and Seahawks:

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Ah jeez. The New Orleans Saints will exit their bye week by kicking off against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football this week, visiting Lumen Field for the second time in three years. And they’ll be working with (hopefully not against) referee Shawn Hochuli and his crew, which has thrown more penalty flags (87) than any of their peers this season.

Now, to be fair, penalties per game would be a better metric — several crews have already taken a bye week, while Hochuli’s staff have managed six games in as many weeks. In that case, Scott Novak’s crew ranks first (with 16 fouls per game) and Hochuli falls all the way to … second place (14.5 per game). At least he ranks third in total penalty yards (734) and penalty yards per game (122.3).

The good news for New Orleans is that Hochuli has been harder on home teams than visitors, tossing 48 fouls for 421 penalty yards on hosts against 39 flags for 313 penalties on visiting teams. Maybe that trend holds throughout their prime-time game. Another unfortunate trend, however, is that the Saints are 1-2 with Hochuli on hand since he was promoted to referee in 2018 — including their playoff elimination loss to the Buccaneers in January this year.

Either way, the Saints have to play well enough for the officiating to not matter. New Orleans goes into this game with the fifth fewest penalties called against them (30) while also seeing the fewest beneficial fouls (22). Seattle isn’t too far behind with 35 fouls against them and 29 beneficial penalties. The less face time Hochuli gets on Monday night’s broadcast, the better.

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Why does the Saints offense rank last in the NFL in explosive plays?

Why does the Saints offense rank last in the NFL in explosive plays?

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The New Orleans Saints offense hasn’t quite lit up the scoreboard like we expected it to once Jameis Winston took over. Winston has largely played it safe, avoiding turnover-worthy plays and hesitating to pull the trigger on passes deep downfield. It’s helped the Saints achieve a 3-2 record but it’s also limited the offense by compounding with some other issues.

Let’s focus on the passing game first. The Saints played their first five games without their two best wide receivers, which limited what they could get going downfield. That hurt Winston’s confidence in the weapons he had to work with, which led to him passing on some potentially big gains.

It’s taken some situations where the receiver was just too obviously open (see: Deonte Harris scoring a touchdown reception from 72 yards out) or the down-and-distance was too desperate (both of Winston’s interceptions against the Carolina Panthers come to mind, but so does Marquez Callaway’s Hail Mary touchdown catch) for Winston to air it out routinely.

Of the nine explosive plays New Orleans has created through the air (defined as receptions of 20-plus yards), Harris and Callaway have each caught two, while wide receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Ty Montgomery, tight ends Adam Trautman and Juwan Johnson, and running back Alvin Kamara have each accounted for one.

Getting better players back from injuries — effectively rebuilding the top of the depth chart — should do a lot to help. Michael Thomas had 13 such grabs last season despite his injury and Taysom Hill filling in for Drew Brees. Tre’Quan Smith had 14 under similar circumstances.

As for the pair of explosive runs (gaining at least 15 yards): Kamara found one on a 23-yard touchdown dash, while Jameis Winston scrambled for 15 yards. The Saints have picked up 629 rushing yards on 156 attempts at a good, not great, pace of 4.03 yards per carry. It’s made for tough sledding while Erik McCoy, Terron Armstead, and at times Andrus Peat have been out of the lineup. Getting everyone back to good health and paving the way should help New Orleans get back to their usual standards, where they’ve averaged 4.6 and 4.3 yards per attempt the last two years.

But it isn’t just that the Saints aren’t creating enough yards before contact at the line of scrimmage. They’ve cultivated athletes who excel at getting out to the perimeter and paving the way for stretch runs and tosses to spring runners into the open field, and so far those guys haven’t been available. Neither have valuable second-level blockers like tight end Nick Vannett, who was explicitly brought in for that role.

Hopefully the offense gets back to full strength soon — or, well, finally comes close to full strength. We really haven’t seen it in action this year. Maybe that’s what Winston needs to really shift gears and command the offense with greater success.

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Did Deonte Harris burn Landon Collins so bad he’s moving to linebacker?

Did Deonte Harris burn Landon Collins so bad he’s moving to linebacker?

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Well, no. Deonte Harris abusing Landon Collins in coverage for a 72-yard touchdown reception isn’t the only reason the Washington Football Team is considering moving a prize free agent acquisition to a different position. But seeing the diminutive New Orleans Saints speedster streaking past a safety earning $14 million per year, on top of other issues Collins has had in the role, has to leave Ron Rivera pondering his options.

A potential switch from safety to linebacker has been floated for Collins almost ever since he landed in Washington, with Rivera positing it himself earlier this year. Collins just doesn’t have the range to keep up with elite athletes like Harris deep downfield, so his coaches have explored other options up to and including a reduced snap count, given Collins’ hesitancy to learn a new position in the prime of his career.

It’s a tough move to pull off, but the conversion from safety to linebacker is something others have done before. Keanu Neal did it this summer after following fired Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn to the Dallas Cowboys. Jamal Adams, Tyrann Mathieu, and Fred Warner are some other “positionless” players who have handled the mixed assignments well.

Maybe Collins can do it too, if he’s up for it. The Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala reported Wednesday that Rivera emphasized how strongly he believed Collins could thrive as a downhill linebacker, which is something. Collins hasn’t formally changed positions yet, but at least if he does he won’t have to pick a new jersey number. Maybe the Saints were right to pass on him when he last became available.

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Raiders sign ex-Saints cornerback Desmond Trufant

The Raiders signed ex-Saints corner Desmond Trufant, while Brian Poole is trying out for the Patriots. A position that was once a weakness has turned into a strength for New Orleans:

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One former New Orleans Saints player is landing on his feet: cornerback Desmond Trufant signed with the Las Vegas Raiders after the Saints released him last week, his agent Doug Hendrickson announced. Trufant joined the Saints in training camp and played well enough to make the opening-day roster, starting Week 2’s game with the Carolina Panthers after an injury sidelined Marshon Lattimore.

He held his own as a backup — totaling 57 snaps in two games, only allowing 2 of 4 passes thrown into his coverage to be completed for 19 yards. Bradley Roby’s arrival pushed him down the depth chart as a healthy inactive on game days, and with Ken Crawley expected to return from injured reserve in the next few weeks, the Saints granted his release so he could pursue opportunities like this one with the Raiders.

Interestingly, Las Vegas tried out a couple of other notable free agent cornerbacks in D.J. Hayden and Darqueze Dennard after signing Trufant, so they’re obviously looking for help at the position.

And Trufant isn’t the only former Saints corner to earn a shot with another team this week. Brian Poole was also released a week ago (from injured reserve) and has scheduled a tryout with the New England Patriots on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported. On Tuesday, second-year pro Keith Washington (who spent his rookie 2020 season on the Saints practice squad) worked out for the Indianapolis Colts.

A position that was once a serious vulnerability for the Saints is now so strong that players who couldn’t catch on with them are getting looks around the league. That speaks really well to how New Orleans has built its depth chart and what’s in store for them as the season continues.

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Saints steady the ship in Week 7 NFL power rankings

New Orleans Saints steady the ship in Week 7 NFL power rankings

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You wouldn’t expect the New Orleans Saints to see much movement in this week’s NFL power rankings after resting during their bye, but their standing has actually improved across the league media landscape. Jameis Winston’s team has risen from a 12.8 average ranking a week ago to 12.1 after other squads across the NFL competed, which is their second-best spot of the season (trailing only Week 2’s 8.1 rating, fresh off an unexpected dismantling of the Green Bay Packers).

Here’s where the Saints slotted in for various NFL power rankings going into Week 7:

PFF’s top 5 Saints players through first 5 games of 2021

Pro Fooball Focus: Top 5 New Orleans Saints players through five games

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Which New Orleans Saints players have impressed you the most? Coming out of the bye week after five games, the analysts at Pro Football Focus have their take in listing the five best members of the black and gold for the season so far.

While I could have just gone with the highest-graded players regardless of playing time, I wanted to better reflect the players who are most often on the field — so I set the qualifiers to those who have played at least half the snaps on offense (146) or defense (171).

That cut out highly-graded players who have seen limited action like wide receiver Deonte Harris (89.8 grade on 102 snaps), quarterback Taysom Hill (75.6 grade on 109 snaps), tight end Juwan Johnson (81.4 grade on 58 snaps), and running back Tony Jones Jr. (78.0 grade before an injury sidelined him after 56 snaps), as well as promising rookie linebacker Pete Werner (76.5 grade on 157 snaps).

Let’s get to the top five who did qualify:

Saints try out multiple free agent linebackers, offensive linemen

The Saints tried out multiple free agent linebackers and offensive linemen on Monday:

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So this is interesting. With an extra day of preparation ahead of them before next Monday’s kickoff with the Seahawks, the New Orleans Saints stepped out of their bye week and invited seven free agents for a group tryout. The group is split on pretty clean lines between three linebackers and four offensive linemen. None of them have been signed just yet.

So what’s the deal? We know that linebacker Kwon Alexander is close to returning from injured reserve after hurting his elbow back in Week 1, and the team will need to open a roster spot to make room for him. There are other players who could be on the move at different positions like wide receiver and defensive back but there’s help coming there, too, so the Saints may have to keep their focus limited at linebacker.

Of the linebackers currently healthy and under contract, Demario Davis and Pete Werner dominate defensive snaps while Kaden Elliss gets in on certain packages. Zack Baun waits in reserve and Andrew Dowell really only plays special teams (a role in which he’s excelled, by the way). Baun won’t be exposed to waivers after being drafted highly last year, making Dowell the unfortunate odd man out. If he ends up being claimed by another team, the Saints probably want to know their options in replacing him on the practice squad, which explains these workouts.

As for the bevy of offensive line tryouts: there’s no clear and obvious reason for the interest. The Saints are expected to get starting center Erik McCoy and All-Pro left tackle Terron Armstead back soon to reassemble their starting five. Their backups (James Hurst and Landon Young at tackle, Will Clapp and Calvin Throckmorton at guard) haven’t embarrassed themselves when asked to start. But great teams are always keeping an interest in churning the bottom of the depth chart, and it makes sense to look for better options than Jordan Mills and Caleb Benenoch on the practice squad.

Here’s a quick look at the seven free agent tryouts from Monday: