Tag: A.T. Perry

Saints rule out four, three more questionable vs. Panthers

The New Orleans Saints ruled out four players with three more questionable for Sunday’s season-opener against the Carolina Panthers:

The New Orleans Saints released their final injury report ahead of Sunday’s season-opening game with the Carolina Panthers, and at least four players won’t be suiting up while on the mend.

Two rookies and and a pair of veteran backups were preemptively ruled out due to injury — linebacker Jaylan Ford (hamstring) and tight end Dallin Holker (ankle), as well as defensive tackle Khalen Saunders and linebacker D’Marco Jackson (both calf injuries). All four will be watching this one from the sideline.

Additionally, three more Saints players are questionable. Wide receiver A.T. Perry (hand) missed the last two days of practice while linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (back) and left guard Nick Saldiveri (calf) were each limited throughout the week. Expect them to give it a go during pregame warmups on Sunday before the training staff can determine who can play.

There is some good news, though. Star cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hip) and starting linebacker Pete Werner (shoulder) are both good to go after practicing fully in recent days. The Saints anticipate all 22 starters dressing out for the season opener.

As for Carolina? Tight ends Ian Thomas (calf) and Tommy Tremble (back/hamstring) won’t play, while backup right tackle Yosuah Nijman (tibia) is questionable. Running back Miles Sanders (finger) and nickel cornerback Troy Hill (heel) are both expected to play while being limited on the Week 1 injury report.

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Lions WR Tim Patrick says Saints tried to trade for him before Broncos cut him

Tim Patrick, the Lions’ newest wide receiver, says the Saints tried to trade for him before the Broncos cut him:

The final week of the preseason is a busy time full of trade talks and tough decisions ahead of roster cuts, but some deals are discussed without ever coming to fruition. That was the case for Tim Patrick. The Detroit Lions’ newest wide receiver was let go by the Denver Broncos, but he nearly became a member of the New Orleans Saints. Sean Payton has worked often with his former team over the last year so this isn’t too surprising.

Patrick told the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett that the Broncos were negotiating a trade with the Saints before roster cuts but couldn’t agree to terms, so they decided to release Patrick and let him choose his next team.

He would’ve been a good get. Patrick did miss the 2022 and 2023 seasons with injuries but he remained a popular player in the locker room, and his resume speaks for itself. He would’ve been one of the best-accomplished receivers in New Orleans. His 143 receptions for 2,009 yards and 101 first down conversions are more than every wideout on the roster after Chris Olave.

What could a trade have looked like? Maybe the Saints approached Denver with a pick-swap in mind. The same day Patrick was released they cut a deal with the Washington Commanders to acquire defensive tackle John Ridgeway III, exchanging a sixth-round pick for a seventh rounder in 2025. Something is better than nothing, but in this case the decisionmakers in Denver decided goodwill with Patrick and his fans was worth more than a draft pick or some other compensation.

As for the Saints? Right now they have rostered Olave, Rashid Shaheed, Cedrick Wilson Jr., A.T. Perry, Bub Means, and Mason Tipton with Equanimeous St. Brown and Kevin Austin Jr. on the practice squad. They tried out a couple of free agents but didn’t sign any of them, so they clearly do want more help at wide receiver. We’ll just have to wait and see whether they make another move.

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A.T. Perry (hand) added to Saints injury report for Week 1 vs. Panthers

A.T. Perry (hand) was added to the Saints injury report for Week 1’s Panthers game, but Marshon Lattimore (hip) was upgraded to full reps at practice:

Let’s start with the positives. The New Orleans Saints upgraded star cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hip) to full participation on Thursday’s injury report ahead of their Week 1 kickoff game with the Carolina Panthers, who listed starting nickel corner Troy Hill (heel) as a limited participant with a new injury. Both of those changes are in New Orleans’ favor.

Now the bad news. Second-year wideout A.T. Perry (hand) didn’t practice at all on Thursday after he saw a full day’s work on Wednesday. A hand injury is obviously very serious for a wide receiver, so we’ll keep an eye out for updates on his progress through the rest of the week.

If there’s any consolation there, it’s that Perry wasn’t likely to see a huge role anyway. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed continued to play ahead of him this summer. So did free agent acquisitions Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Equanimeous St. Brown. Perry will be fighting for targets regardless of his health.

Here is Thursday’s updated injury report ahead of Sunday’s game:

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A.T. Perry led the NFL in preseason receiving yards

Here’s the final tally. New Orleans Saints wide receiver A.T. Perry led the NFL with 176 receiving yards across three preseason games:

Take a bow, A.T. Perry. The NFL announced Monday that the New Orleans Saints wide receiver led the league with 176 receiving yards across three preseason games, just ahead of  Los Angeles Chargers wideout Simi Fehoko (170). The former Wake Foreset wideout is a gamer.

He needed to make some plays in these exhibition games after struggling to string together good days of practice at Saints training camp. Perry had too many dropped passes and quiet days in Irvine in-between leaping grabs worthy of the highlight reel. It wasn’t the consistent, productive growth his  coaches hoped to see. And charting from NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill found that Perry caught just one ball from Derek Carr in team drills all throughout camp. That’s concerning.

But there’s a lot to be said for turning it on when playing under the bright lights. There aren’t many receivers who weigh in at 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds who can run 40 yards in just 4.47 seconds, and of those who can only a few match Perry’s body control and concentration on tough catches. He’s got a rare combination of size, speed, and skill. Pro Football Focus charting says he dropped just one pass on 13 targets.

Is that enough to keep Perry on the roster? Probably, but we’ll just have to see how the coaches feel about their receiving corps. Other players like Equanimeous St. Brown have been more steady presences at practice while getting looks ahead of Perry in the preseason games. He’s someone to watch as roster cuts are filed ahead of Tuesday’s deadline and in the days that follow when the depth chart continues to take shape.

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A.T. Perry’s big touchdown on A.J. Terrell is the Saints Play of the Day

The Falcons just paid A.J. Terrell $81 million. A.T. Perry’s touchdown against him is our pick for the Saints Play of Day 17:

Congratulations are in order for A.J. Terrell. The Atlanta Falcons are paying their star cornerback $81 million on a new four-year deal, which includes more than $65 million in guarantees, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

And we’re choosing to celebrate this occasion by looking back at A.T. Perry’s 18-yard touchdown catch against Terrell in the 2023 regular season finale. This game-tying score is our pick for the New Orleans Saints Play of the Day, with the same number of days to go to the 2024 season kickoff as the number Perry wears on his jersey (17).

The Falcons jumped out with an early lead in this game, but Perry’s score on top of their best defender evened the odds. Then it became a rout. Perry scored again later as the Saints poured it on, and New Orleans eventually called it a day after going up 48-17. Atlanta has spent big this offseason to rebuild their credibility after that embarrassment, including this extension with Terrell. We’ll see if that results in more wins when the season starts in September.

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Countdown to Kickoff: A.T. Perry is the Saints Player of Day 17

Countdown to Kickoff: A.T. Perry is the New Orleans Saints Player of Day 17. What’s his story, and what are realistic expectations for him in 2024?

We’ve got just 17 days left until the New Orleans Saints open up their 2024 regular season against the Carolina Panthers, which makes our player of the day wide receiver A.T. Perry, the current owner of the No. 17 jersey. Perry is currently in a battle for the Saints No. 3 receiver job and is hoping to take that next step to being a legitimate option for his team.

Let’s give a little bit of a background on the second-year pro and what we can expect from Perry in 2024:

  • Name (Age): A.T. Perry (24)
  • Position: Wide Receiver
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 205 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 9.62
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $959,091
  • College: Wake Forest
  • Drafted: 6th Round, No. 195 in 2023 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: 2nd season

A.T. Perry grew up in Lake Worth Beach, Fla. where he was a three-star recruit at Park Vista Community High School. Amongst many collegiate scholarship offers, Perry made the decision to attend Wake Forest where he would spend the next five years developing.

As a freshman in college, Perry was redshirted sitting out the entire season in 2018. In his redshirt freshman season, Perry found himself active in four games totaling 4 receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. His role would slowly increase in 2020, now catching 15 balls for 211 yards and a touchdown in six games. And finally in his redshirt sophomore season, Perry reached new levels. In 2021, Perry would catch 71 passes for 1,293 yards and a school records 15 touchdowns. Perry was named first-team all-ACC and was regarded as one of the best receivers in the country. Choosing to stay for an additional season, Perry posted another 1,000 yard season but this time surpassing his career-high in catches (81) and scoring double digit touchdowns for the second year in a row.

At the end of his final season at Wake Forest, Perry declared for the 2023 NFL draft where he was projected to go in the mid- to late-rounds. But during the draft, Perry heard his name called at pick No. 195 in the sixth round when the New Orleans Saints traded up for him. Perry was quickly regarded as a steal for the Saints due to his falling stock during the draft. It was reported that there were character concerns tied to this but it was never really discussed or examined further.

In his first season as a Saint, Perry was active in 10 games totaling 246 yards receiving on 12 catches while scoring 4 touchdowns his rookie season. Perry became one of the teams big play threats down the stretch as he averaged 20.5 yards per catch in 2023. It was starting to look like the Saints had potentially a nice, young core at receiver with Olave, Shaheed and Perry.

Going into 2024, Perry had a slow start to training camp and didn’t really asserting his dominance as the team’s third receiver. It took all the way until the first week of preseason for Perry to start consistently making some plays within this new Saints offense. He made a statement during his first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, making some big catches down the field, but quickly followed that up with a disappointing outing with the San Francisco 49ers.

As of now, there’s still hope for Perry to become the player that many think he can be but he doesn’t have much time to show us as the start of the regular season is just a few weeks away. He needs to step up soon.

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A.T. Perry’s downfield skill is B/R’s takeaway from Saints vs. Cardinals

What was your big takeaway from the Saints’ first preseason game? Bleacher Report was impressed by A.T. Perry:

The New Orleans Saints won their first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night. A.T. Perry was our pick for the player of the game. He was a part of some of the biggest plays and ended as the leading receiver on the night.

Bleacher Report’s NFL Staff analyzed each game and gave their biggest takeaway from each matchup. Once again, Perry appears on the list. Instead of being the star of the game, his downfield ability was labeled the biggest takeaway of the game.

A.T. Perry has the makings of an ideal complement. The 2023 sixth-round draft pick is a big-bodied (6’5″, 205 lbs), downfield target.

Perry finished Saturday’s contest with four catches for 85 yards. His size on the outside is exactly what the Saints needs as the offense transitions under a new play-caller.

Perry’s size is his standout physical trait. With the departure of Michael Thomas, the Saints are looking for a receiver of his size. He stands five inches taller than both Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. His ability to stretch the field is a bonus. Looking at their personnel, the Saints are truly a three-level offense. Olave and Shaheed are known for stretching the field. Perry’s size and speed gives them another player who can hit every level of the defense.

If Perry can continue to leverage his size and speed, he’ll put himself in better position to be another receiving option for the team.

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A.T. Perry trending upward at the right time in Saints preseason

A.T. Perry was a star of the preseason opener. Is he beginning to hit his stride after a slow start to Saints training camp?

A.T. Perry’s arrow is trending upward for the New Orleans Saints at the right time. The second-year Perry stole the show versus the Arizona Cardinals in their first preseason game on Saturday night. At Sunday’s training camp practice, Perry came back and had a strong practice.

That’s back-to-back good performances for a player who struggled at the start of training camp. Conversations about the third receiving option haven’t included Perry. This is why he needed a good performance in the first preseason game of the year. He delivered.

Dennis Allen acknowledging Perry as a willing blocker may be the most positive statement he’s made about Perry since the game. In Klint Kubiak’s offensive system, blocking is important for receivers out in space, and earning reliability in the role could help Perry hold onto his position on the depth chart behind Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed.

Perry entered the offseason on an upward trajectory. He became a part of the offense in the last eight games of his rookie year after Michael Thomas went down with an injury, and capped his debut with two touchdown catches  in the season finale. It was expected he’d be a big factor in the Saints offense.

He offered a frame the Saints lacked (at a listed 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds), but the beginning of camp put those expectations in doubt. After a strong preseason debut and a follow up practice the next day, he could be trending back to the A.T. Perry we saw at the end of 2023.

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Jake Haener played against the Cardinals with 32 stitches in his face

Jake Haener showed a lot of grit on Saturday night. He played against the Cardinals with 32 stitches in his face:

You can’t say Jake Haener didn’t show a lot of grit against the Arizona Cardinals. The New Orleans Saints quarterback missed practice last Monday for a surgical procedure to remove skin cancer from his right cheek, then returned to the next training camp session on Wednesday. He went into Saturday night’s preseason game with 32 stiches in his face protected only by Steri-Strip bandages. He’s scheduled to have those stiches removed the following Monday once the Saints return to Irvine.

It says a lot about Haener’s fortitude that he could compartmentalize his personal health while competing for a roster spot, and playing well given the circumstances. He took the field at State Farm Stadium with just a couple of starters surrounding him in young offensive tackles Taliese Fuaga and Trevor Penning.

Haener’s efforts were overshadowed by rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler on the third-team offense, who led the Saints to their only touchdown-scoring drive as well as the game-winning field goal. But Haener completed just as many passes as Rattler (9) on four fewer attempts (13), and his 58-yard lob to A.T. Perry was the game’s longest play from scrimmage.

So this battle is far from over. We’ll see how both passers handle joint practices with the San Francisco 49ers this week ahead of their second preseason game next Saturday.

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A.T. Perry is our player of the game for Preseason Week 1

A.T. Perry is our player of the game in the Saints’ 16-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals to kick off their preseason:

The New Orleans Saints’ preseason opener is complete, resulting in a 16-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals after Spencer Rattler led the Saints down the field in a two-minute drive, and Charlie Smyth nailed a 37-yard field goal. While Rattler was very solid, A.T. Perry is our pick for this week’s player of the game.

Perry had an exceptional night, showing up after what has sounded like a somewhat lackluster training camp to this point. He had 4 receptions on 4 targets for 85 yards, as well as drawing a crucial defensive pass interference call that led to the Saints’ first touchdown drive. His best play of the night was no doubt his 58-yard reception at the end of the second quarter, the longest reception of the day for the Saints and their only play of more than 15 yards on the night.

For the time Perry was on the field, he meshed well with the offense, and made an impact on most plays he was a part of. After a decent rookie year in 2023, he will look to gather up more of a role in the offense in 2024 and really show his true colors as a receiver. The hope is that he can pan out to be the third wide receiver on the depth chart, however competition has been added this offseason so we will see how that pans out.

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