Category: Saints on Social Media

Sean Payton shares a look at his home battle station for the 2020 NFL Draft

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton showed off his battle station for the “virtual” 2020 NFL Draft, with multiple screens and laptops.

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The NFL’s requirement that all team personnel work remotely from home ahead of this year’s draft has led to creative solutions around the league, with New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton putting together a multi-screen battle station in his living room.

Complete with multiple monitors, two different laptop computers, a wide-screen television, and a phone for conference calls, Payton appears to be locked in and ready for the “virtual” 2020 NFL Draft.

Payton responded to a fan’s conversation with NFL Network’s Kay Adams, who was asked whether she would want to be a fly on the wall while Payton works the upcoming draft. Adams has been a champion for the Saints in recent years, doing her part to include them in conversations about the NFL’s best teams.

So of course, Payton joked that he’d be happy to add her to his team — but, “Only if she’s tech savvy!” See the exchange and Payton’s setup for yourself:

We’ve written about the Saints’ plans before, noting that they will have two conversations on teleconference going on simulatenously on draft day. One stream will feature Payton and the rest of the Saints braintrust, including general manager Mickey Loomis, assistant G.M./college scouting director Jeff Ireland, and salary cap guru Khai Hartley. Another channel will include those four shot-callers and the rest of the team’s scouts and assistant coaches, who will be listening on unless called upon to share their insight on a prospect.

Payton’s “war room” setup here might reflect that, with a different monitor dedicated to each teleconference call flanking his television. He’ll be able to pull up scouting reports and the team’s big board with the computers at his desk, and call in the team’s picks with the phone — or check in with another team about making a trade.

The many digital wallpapers featuring the Saints logo are a nice touch, and the miniature logo on the phone’s screen definitely earned some kudos for the Saints I.T. staff (as does their very effective cord management strategy). And you’ve got to appreciate the tasteful fleur-de-lis coasters. Payton might have a future with interior decorating if this football thing doesn’t work out.

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Sean Payton, Saints players respond to Brandon Marshall’s ESPN tirade

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton and players like Cameron Jordan reacted to Brandon Marshall’s fiery ranting on ESPN’s First Take show.

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Former NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall made an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” morning show on Thursday, and he apparently brought an ax to grind. Marshall took aim at the New Orleans Saints in a lengthy rant, insisting that the team’s Super Bowl window slammed shut after the 2019 season.

Marshall followed that up by saying that the Saints aren’t built for success with players like Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and a defense loaded with Pro Bowlers. He also called out Saints coach Sean Payton, swearing that the NFL has figured out the league’s third-rated scoring offense.

Some of those players responded to Marshall’s chatter on social media, as did Payton himself. Payton replied to a video of Marshall’s claims with his own image of a “Zoltar” fortune teller machine, evidently laughing off the criticism:

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Sean Payton chops it up with Jimmy Buffett, talks 2020 draft

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton previewed his team’s approach to the 2020 NFL Draft with musician and Saints superfan Jimmy Buffett.

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The New Orleans Saints have put together an elaborate plan to conduct their part in the 2020 NFL Draft, prompting Saints coach Sean Payton to share his take on the process with one of his friends, who also happens to be a Saints superfan: musician Jimmy Buffett. Payton’s conversation with Buffett was shared from the official Saints Twitter account.

“I’m actually kind of looking forward to it,” Payton said. “Because every one of us will be in a setup like this, in front of our cameras making draft picks, and we’ll be on a separate call with our G.M. and with our scouts. And it’ll challenge us a little bit in a unique way.”

Speculation has been rife on what this “virtual draft” might result in. It’s possible that teams will be less eager to agree to trades, moving up and down the draft board, with the added technological hurdles in place. On the other hand, they’ve had so much excess time to chat with each other that executives around the league could have deals ready-made to agree to under the right circumstances. We won’t really know until draft day.

Payton continued: “I was skeptical about the draft process in the meetings that we had two weeks ago. And two weeks later I thought, ‘I kind of liked it.’ Because I didn’t have to deal with Bill, I can just put him on freakin’ mute. I got a lot less annoyed with some of my scouts when I can just put them on mute and they’re in Tennessee or California, or Pennsylvania.

“I think that just comes with getting older,” Payton joked. Having the ability to simply mute an annoyance certainly has some appeal.

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Saints debut custom gear for fans in ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’

The New Orleans Saints released customized hats and shirts for fans to wear in Nintendo’s popular video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

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Many video game fans have embraced stay-at-home orders due to the novel coronavirus by turning to the recently-released “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” exploring deserted islands while gardening and fishing from the comfort of their own homes. Cognizant of that, the New Orleans Saints released several customized apparel options their fans can use to show their loyalty in-game.

It’s a cool move for something of a niche audience, though the game’s popularity can’t be understated. The game itself is breaking sales records, while its platform (the Nintendo Switch) has been sold-out nationwide, leading Nintendo to scramble in an effort to resupply retailers.

Interested fans with a Nintendo membership can now wear jerseys representing Saints superstars like Drew Brees (using the Design ID “GOAT”), Michael Thomas (“CantGuardMike”), and Cameron Jordan (“CamJordan94”), as well as a Saints hat (“Geaux Saints”). So be sure to log on and represent your Saints fandom.

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How would Alvin Kamara feel about re-signing with the Saints?

Saints RB Alvin Kamara has found a new home in New Orleans, and hopes to find a contract extension much like Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey

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The NFL world was rocked on Monday by the news of a huge four-year, $64 million contract extension between running back Christian McCaffrey and the Carolina Panthers. Beyond the deal’s immediate impact on the Panthers as a franchise, it shook up the landscape of running back contracts around the league.

For New Orleans Saints fans tuned into Alvin Kamara’s Twitch stream with Bleacher Report, they earned a live reaction from one of the game’s most popular players — whose own contract is set to expire after the 2020 season. Kamara was thoughtful when asked how he’d feel about signing his own multiyear extension with the Saints.

“Man, that’s,” Kamara started, pausing to gather his thoughts. “New Orleans was a place I hadn’t been to. I’d never been to New Orleans until I got drafted to New Orleans. Just to be able to get to New Orleans, and have that city embrace me, just take me in, basically adopt me, man it’s amazing. There’s so much love there. It’s a dope city even outside of the football. It’s beautiful people, it’s lit, it’s a vibe.”

Kamara has spoken often about his appreciation for the city’s culture and the support of its fanbase; he often walks to and from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on game days from his downtown apartment, pausing for photographs along the way. But the sense of brotherhood he’s felt in the Saints locker room is just as important.

“If we’re talking about the football,” Kamara said, “I’ve never been around a group of guys like in New Orleans who just want to win, who just want to be there for each other, and be around each other.”

The Saints are headed for uncharted territory, with franchise quarterback Drew Brees drawing up his retirement plans and a host of big-money contract extensions on the horizon. Kamara is one of several young stars whose cheap rookie deals will run out soon, along with right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, cornerback Marshon Lattimore, and free safety Marcus Williams. That’s not to mention decorated veterans like linebacker Demario Davis and tight end Jared Cook.

Even if the Saints are able to transition from Brees to a younger, low-cost quarterback (whether it’s Taysom Hill or someone else) it’s not realistic to expect the Saints to keep everyone. Recent losses including safety Vonn Bell and running back Mark Ingram speak to that. Everyone is rightfully going to want their money, and the Saints won’t be able to compromise with all of them. Hopefully they can hammer out an agreement with Kamara before it’s too late; it’s obvious his heart is in it.

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Watch: Alvin Kamara reacts to Christian McCaffrey’s new contract extension

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara reacted live on camera to Christian McCaffrey’s contract extension with the Carolina Panthers.

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New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was kicked back and shirtless, enjoying a casual afternoon of “Call of Duty” with some friends and writers from Bleacher Report when a notification flashed across his vision.

“Ooh wait pause, pause, pause” Kamara said, reading from his phone live on Twitch, the popular video game streaming platform. “Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey signed a four-year extension, $16 million a year.”

The report came from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, detailing a blockbuster contract extension between the Panthers and the new face of their franchise. The Panthers showed former first-overall draft pick Cam Newton the door earlier this offseason, prompting Kamara’s teammate Cameron Jordan to try and talk his longtime rival into jumping on board.

When asked to share his thoughts on what McCaffrey’s big payday meant for him, all Kamara had to offer were smiles.

“Hey man, look, I don’t even,” Kamara grinned, “I just play football. I’m just a football guy. I don’t worry with all these contracts and all these things, all this money.”

Still, Kamara took time to offer a shoutout to McCaffrey, thanking his peer for raising the bar and appreciating his talents. The two talented running backs have drawn plenty of comparisons over the years, having entered the NFL in the same 2017 draft class and going on to make mincemeat out of the same NFC South defenses every other week. They also both each excel at making plays on the ground as easily as through the air.

But McCaffrey has proven able to shoulder a heavier workload than Kamara, who has done his best work when paired with a complimentary weapon like Mark Ingram or Latavius Murray. The exact ramifications from this deal on Kamara’s future are hard to pin down, but there will be some sort of aftershock. And while he’s playing coy publicly, that’s certainly going to weigh on Kamara’s mind if the Saints make him an offer ahead of the 2020 season, the final year on his rookie deal.

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Alvin Kamara set to guest-star on ‘Call of Duty’ Twitch stream

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara will guest-star in the debut of a new Twitch stream video game channel from Bleacher Report.

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Many Americans have responded differently to various stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders due to the novel coronavirus, and the New Orleans Saints are no exception. Drew Brees has used his new free time to negotiate a post-retirement broadcasting contract with NBC, while Sean Payton has gotten active on Twitter and taken to cyberbulling the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons.

As for Alvin Kamara: he’s playing a lot of “Call of Duty,” as are many other 24-year-olds around the country. But he’s not just honing his skills in the popular video game. Kamara agreed to become the first guest on “The Warzone,” a new Twitch-streamed program from Bleacher Report, where he’ll be joining senior writer Master Testfatsion for a few hours of mayhem and casual conversation.

Kamara is scheduled to appear from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT on Monday; you can follow along at this link. The Saints’ Pro Bowl running back recently debuted his own Twitch channel where he can be seen chatting with fans while competing with friends and other pro athletes. With most of the early offseason program canceled and Saints players staying at home, this might be the most we’ll see of Kamara for quite some time.

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Tom Brady has some marketing advice for Drew Brees

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady shared some free advice on marketing T-shirts with New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

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Longtime New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ended up on the move this offseason, signing a free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’ll be a big adjustment for him in leaving the cupcake AFC East for the always-competitive NFC South, but Brady’s biggest challenge might be the Hall of Fame-bound quarterback he’ll face on the New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees.

But it’s all friendly competition between Brady and Brees. He even took the time to offer Brees some merchandising advice in response to a news story about his own pending copyrights, remarking on Twitter that, “I never understood why Drew wasn’t making ‘Drew Orleans’ shirts…’

The question kind of has merit. Brees hasn’t shied away from endorsing products, services, and companies — last year’s “Untuckit” ad referencing the 2018 NFC title game comes to mind — but he hasn’t taken advantage of what should be an easy naming convention with the city where he’s made his mark.

Then again, we’ll always have this terrific custom jersey ad produced by the NFL, from what feels like a hundred years ago:

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Sean Payton gets in a crafty dig at the Falcons on Twitter

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton had some spare time, so he got on Twitter and joked about the Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl collapse:

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The rivalry between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons is one of the NFL’s most underrated competitions, representing the closest thing the pro level has to the generations-long bouts you’ll see in college football. And not even Saints coach Sean Payton is above indulging in the fun every now and then.

Approached by a Falcons fan on Twitter who joked that Payton should, “Get back in your bag and provide us some show reviews,” during the lengthy stay-at-home orders many Americans are respecting in light of the coronavirus pandemic, Payton obliged — but was careful to take a jab at the Falcons’ expense.

We’ve embedded the exchange below; read it once for some legitimate recommendations from a few prominent streaming services, then look a little deeper.

The first letter in each line of Payton’s response spells out, “28 to 3, Houston we have a problem,” referencing the Falcons’ historic collapse in Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots (at the Houston Texans’ NRG Stadium, no less. Good on Coach for doing his homework).

That game of course saw the Falcons surrender a 25-point lead late in the third quarter, setting the franchise back years and denying Falcons faithful the Super Bowl win they’ve spent so many years chasing. Honestly, you love to see it.

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Drew Brees’ son Callen debuts his Steph Curry impression in a bid for a jersey

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees let his son Callen take over his Instagram account in a bid to earn a Steph Curry jersey.

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With plenty of free time on his hands at this stage in the coronavirus-adjusted offseason, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has spent more time shooting hoops with sons. While they’re all ostensibly fans of the hometown New Orleans Pelicans, Brees’ son Callen gravitates closer to Steph Curry — so much so that Callen has developed a smooth imitation of Curry’s signature “shoulder shimmy” celebration after making a big shot.

So Callen commandeered his dad’s Instagram account Tuesday evening to show off his impersonation of the Golden State Warriors superstar. But it came with a catch: a request for one of Curry’s jerseys.

Sure, Brees probably could have pulled some strings and gotten a jersey for his son himself. But this was also a great opportunity for the kid’s hard work to maybe pay off. And with the platform that Brees enjoys on Instagram (including 1.6 million followers), odds are in his favor that they’ll pull it off.

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