Category: Saints on Social Media

Watch: Drew Brees, Zion Williamson welcome Cesar Ruiz to New Orleans

New Orleans Saints first-round draft pick Cesar Ruiz received messages from two of the city’s sports icons: Drew Brees and Zion Williamson.

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The New Orleans Saints selected Michigan center Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and it didn’t take long for several big names in the local sports scene to reach out and welcome the rookie to the city.

One of Ruiz’s first teammates to contact him was someone he’ll become very well acquainted with once the Saints gather for training camp: quarterback Drew Brees. Brees interrupted a videoconference call between Ruiz and NFL Network’s Jane Slater, who shared the quarterback’s message on Twitter.

Sporting what appears to be a “quarantine beard,” Brees strolled into camera and excitedly greeted Ruiz, emphasizing how eager he is to get to work. See it for yourself:

If you’re wondering why Brees awkwardly staggered into view at the start of the clip, well, it’s him pulling a dad move. Brees was mimicking the dance moves Ruiz showed off on Thursday night when he learned that the Saints were picking him, which Saints coach Sean Payton joked, “This is what sealed it!”

But Brees wasn’t the only New Orleans sports icon to reach out to Ruiz, though. New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson, the face of the franchise, also shared a message to Ruiz — “from one first-round pick to another.”

Interestingly, Williamson echoed the same advice that Brees shared with him after the Pelicans drafted him last summer: if you show New Orleans love, it’ll love you back.

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Of course Zack Baun has a very good dog, with a big Instagram following

New Orleans Saints draft pick Zack Baun is an advocate for adopting dogs, and his own pet “Chance the Yapper” is an Instagram influencer.

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Many New Orleans Saints fans were clamoring for the team to pick a linebacker in the 2020 NFL Draft, and their hopes were fulfilled when the Saints traded up in the third round, targeting Wisconsin prospect Zack Baun.

Baun can play at a very high level. He’s disruptive at the line of scrimmage, and has the skills to make an impact in coverage. Most importantly, he’s the proud father of a very good dog: Chance, a three-year-old golden retriever.

Sidelined during the 2017 season with a torn Lisfranc ligament in his foot, Baun and his girlfriend Ali decided to adopt a dog to help keep his spirits up during recovery.

“When I got injured, I thought it really helped me coming home to a dog everyday,” Baun told SB Nation’s Badgers blog. “It helped my emotional side.”

Baun continued: “Chance, he’s a registered emotional support animal, so he’s just kind of calm and it’s just relaxing to have a dog and a companion that’ll always be there even when things aren’t going so well.”

Named after Chicago-based musician Chance the Rapper — Baun was often listening to his 2016 mixtape “Coloring Book” at the time — the newest addition to their familiar is arguably the most popular. Baun’s girlfriend is a photographer, and their dog is incredibly photogenic, so the logical next step was to create an Instagram account dedicated to him.

Except things got a little out of hand, and now Baun risks getting swarmed by Chance’s fans whenever they visit the local dog park. The account rapidly grew in popularity and now counts more than 3,600 followers.

“Oh my God, it’s ridiculous,” Baun said. “Especially when he was a puppy, not so much now, but nowadays since his Instagram page is getting more popular, people will come up to us and be like,’ Is that Chance the Yapper?’”

So maybe we’ll see Chance — with his family in tow — out and about in New Orleans later this year, once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided and families can start visiting the city’s parks safely again. How’s that for some added star power to the Saints locker room?

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🧀🍺🏈WI

A post shared by Chano (@chancelortheyapper) on

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Watch: Alvin Kamara debuts his wildest workout yet

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has gone viral for his challenging workouts before, but his new technique is the wildest yet.

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When you’re a special athlete like New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, you have to get creative to train and condition yourself to play at a high level.

Last year, Kamara’s offseason workout routine featured a unique challenge centered on catching batons while balancing on a medicine ball. The summer before that, he spent his time preparing for the NFL hauling a squat rack and his Jeep uphill.

Now, Kamara’s leveled up again. The running back went viral in a video showing him working out on a basketball court, but he wasn’t there to hoop. Kamara tied a pair of kettlebells to a barbell and took staggered steps from one end of the court to the other. Not something you see every day.

The point of this workout is to challenge Kamara’s core strength — one of his best athletic traits. Kamara’s ability to stay balanced through contact (in other words, remaining upright with someone runs into him) is very rare, and it’s something he’s cultivated through hard work like this. The shifting weights stress his body laterally, making his muscles put in extra effort to keep steady.

With social distancing measures in effect around the nation, Kamara probably can’t visit his usual gyms and clinics. So he’ll be working out with maybe-unusual techniques like this until the coronavirus pandemic is behind us. Hopefully it pays off after a down year in 2019.

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Watch: Saints pick Cesar Ruiz honors his late father, offers “virtual hugs”

New Orleans Saints draft pick Cesar Ruiz celebrated his big day by remembering his late father and offering Roger Goodell a “virtual hug.”

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Getting selected by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft was a huge moment for Cesar Ruiz, the Michigan Wolverines center picked 24th overall. It was the culmination of a lifetime of work on the practice field, in the weight room, in classrooms, and at home, and he was grateful to be able to share that moment with his family.

But not all of Ruiz’s family was there to see it. He lost his father as a child, the victim of a hit-and-run accident when his father pulled over to help another driver in distress. That senseless death drove Ruiz to work hard and insure that his father’s legacy would live on through him and his name.

Now on the biggest stage of his young life, Ruiz took a moment to celebrate and remember those that he’d lost. It’s easy to see why he was so deeply affected by this moment under the NFL draft’s spotlight.

Still, Ruiz was eager to seize the joy in the occasion, offering commissioner Roger Goodell a “virtual hug” through their teleconference. It’s sort of admirable to see such a large person, capable of great violence on the football field, so willing to embrace his emotions and involve everyone he could in such a bright moment in his life.

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Twitter reacts to the Saints picking C/G Cesar Ruiz

The New Orleans Saints selected Michigan Wolverines center Cesar Ruiz early in the 2020 NFL Draft, leading to divisive Twitter takes.

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The New Orleans Saints shocked the NFL world by picking Michigan offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz with the 24th pick in the first round of this year’s draft, and reactions were predictably split. Here’s how fans, media personalities, and observers from around the league reacted to the move:

Cameron Jordan throws shade at Bucs after Tristan Wirfs trade

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan took aim at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after their 2020 NFL Draft trade for Tristan Wirfs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t waste any time in getting some help for Tom Brady, trading up one spot in the 2020 NFL Draft to select Iowa Hawkeyes left tackle Tristan Wirfs.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan wasn’t impressed, asking for someone to clarify something for him — whether or not the Buccaneers paid their offensive tackles last season or not. They did pay out a three-year extension for Donovan Smith, the incumbent left tackle, and picked up the 2019 contract option on right tackle Demar Dotson (who has not re-signed for 2020).

Of course, he knew that answer. What Jordan really wanted to know was what happened after those contracts were handed out. That answer would be two losses by Tampa Bay to the Saints, in which Jordan’s defense racked up a combined eight sacks. Jordan accounted for 2.5 of those.

It’s going to be a challenge for Wirfs to do much better. Jordan is an annual Pro Bowler, one of the game’s All-Pro caliber talents, and he’s beaten linemen who are more experienced and more athletic than the rookie. He’s certainly looking forward to testing his new division rival.

This sort of draft-day trash talk isn’t new to Jordan. He also took aim at the Atlanta Falcons last year, laughing off their reinforcements along the offensive line. On Thanksgiving, he backed up those barbs with four sacks in prime time, a new career-high. He’s not afraid to chirp at his competition. But unlike many tall-talkers, Jordan is ready to back it up.

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Terron Armstead, Cameron Jordan share their Saints draft-day wish lists

Cameron Jordan wants the new Orleans Saints to trade up in the 2020 NFL Draft for Isaiah Simmons, while Terron Armstead is more conservative

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Who do you want the New Orleans Saints to select in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft? Some current Saints standouts have their own takes on the subject, which isn’t totally surprising — with little else to do and no organized offseason program to keep them busy, they’re probably watching highlight reels on YouTube and firing up mock draft machines just like the rest of us.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan and left tackle Terron Armstead chatted about their different draft opinions on Twitter earlier Wednesday, with Armstead advocating for several prospects once the Saints go on the clock at No. 24.

LSU Tigers wide receiver Justin Jefferson and linebacker Patrick Queen were each high on Armstead’s list, as was Alabama wideout Henry Ruggs III.

“No insider trading,” Armstead joked, “That’s just my opinion.”

Jordan responded with his own hope for a Saints draft-day haul, though his goal was considerably loftier: Clemson dynamo Isaiah Simmons, a versatile defender who has played both linebacker and safety at a high level. If it takes this year’s first-round pick and next year’s selections in the third and fourth rounds to make it happen, Jordan said, so be it.

“With a staff like ours (particularly the head coach) you never know,” Armstead replied, referencing Sean Payton’s tendency to trade up. The Saints have made a move up the board in every draft Payton has conducted, except for his first back in 2006.

“But I think we stay put this year,” Armstead said.

Still, Jordan pressed on, explaining his vision of a Simmons and first-team All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis defending the middle of the field together. Add another trade up into the second round for a wide receiver to round out the group of Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, and Emmanuel Sanders, he argued, and you’d be set on both sides of the ball. But if the Saints end up not moving so boldly, well, he’d be content to add an electric receiver at No. 24.

It’s awesome to see these conversations happen in real time; while players have probably always speculated privately on who their new teammates might be, it’s something else to see them chopping it up so publicly. Maybe Armstead and Jordan can sneak their way into the Zoom-within-a-Zoom teleconference setup the Saints front office has assembled for a long draft weekend, and lobby Payton directly. Check out their full exchange where we’ve embedded it below:

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Emmanuel Sanders reveals his Saints jersey number

New Orleans Saints free agent pickup Emmanuel Sanders announced his new jersey number in a post shared from his official Instagram account.

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Well, that question’s answered. When Pro Bowl wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders first signed with the New Orleans Saints as an urnestricted free agent, everything about the move made sense and was easy to explain. The veteran runs some of the best routes in the NFL and has made a living catching passes from some very bad quarterbacks, so his addition to the Saints as an accomplished number-two threat opposite Michael Thomas checked all the boxes.

The only puzzle left to solve was which number Sanders would wear on his jersey. Every number he had previously worn in the NFL or in college was already claimed by his new teammates, and while he could have easily asked to swap with one of them he also had a precedent of choosing a new designation after changing teams.

But that won’t be the case after all. Sanders announced Wednesday that he will wear No. 17 for the Saints, which was previously used by rookie free agent Emmanuel Butler (the training camp darling out of Northern Arizona who spent the 2019 season on the practice squad). Sanders included a glossy photo edited to show him celebrating a big catch in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, featuring a very crisp No. 17 on his jersey. It’s a great look:

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Did Sean Payton follow Yannick Ngakoue on Twitter after dust-up with Jaguars?

The New Orleans Saints could use another pass rusher, and disgruntled Jaguars star Yannick Ngakoue might have caught Sean Payton’s eye.

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Well, here’s something interesting: New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton recently began following Jacksonville Jaguars pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue on Twitter, though an exact time can’t be pinned down. Ngakoue was issued the non-exclusive franchise tag by the Jaguars earlier this offseason, following his rejection of an offer guaranteeing $50 million last summer and repeated verbal breakups with Jacksonville. He’s made it clear he won’t play another snap in teal and gold.

Now, Payton choosing to follow a young star player in the NFL from his private Twitter account is hardly unusual. He also follows Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, for example. But this might be something to watch given Ngakoue’s repeated exchanges with Jaguars management on social media, including Tony Khan — the owner’s son who was promoted to a more prominent role in the organization after Tom Coughlin was fired last year. Ngakoue wants out of Jacksonville, and maybe Payton is taking an interest in the situation.

It hardly carries the drama of Julian Edelman unfollowing and re-following Tom Brady on Instagram after Tuesday’s Rob Gronkowski trade, but it’s something. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported this week that trade talks for Ngakoue have been quiet, with teams loathe to part with the draft picks needed to acquire Ngakoue on top of the contract he’ll demand. Something close to Khalil Mack’s blockbuster trade to the Chicago Bears wouldn’t be surprising.

But it would be a shock if the Saints helped Ngakoue change the teal on his jersey to black. They’ve made bold moves before, but giving up multiple high draft choices and paying out a huge contract to Ngakoue — even as young and productive as he is, having created 37.5 sacks before his 25th birthday — would be stunning. The Saints could use another defensive end to spell Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport, and Ngakoue’s quick-twitch athleticism is a quality no one in their stable shares right now. So we probably shouldn’t read too deeply into this, if at all.

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Cameron Jordan has a request if Saints join the wave of new NFL uniforms

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan sees other NFL teams with new uniforms, and he has a humble request: bring back gold jerseys

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It almost feels like a different NFL team is announcing new uniform changes each week this offseason. It’s a move the New Orleans Saints could maybe get involved with; we’ve already made our stance clear, advocating for the popular “Color Rush” gold-on-white alternates to be promoted as the team’s full-time away jerseys.

Other suggestions have ranged from reviving the old-school black and gold throwbacks to introducing black helmets instead of gold, as well as seldom-seen logos like the Louisiana Saints patch that once decorated jersey sleeves. But if you were to ask All-Pro Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan to share his take, he has a creative request: bring back the gold jerseys.

Now, Jordan doesn’t want to give up his current threads (he cleared that up in a follow-up tweet, blaming a typo), but he would like to redeem the ill-fated gold jerseys. The Saints last wore them in 2002, during a loss to the Minnesota Vikings, and Jordan would love the opportunity to make up for that defeat while wearing such a unique look. What do you think? Should the Saints take his advice?

 

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