Tag: A.T. Perry

A.T. Perry picked as a potential breakout candidate for 2024

All eyes are on Rashid Shaheed as a potential breakout candidate for the Saints, but Pro Football Network says don’t sleep on A.T. Perry:

All eyes are on Rashid Shaheed as a possible breakout candidate for the New Orleans Saints in 2024, even if his performance last season arguably meets the criteria. Shaheed finished with 46 receptions for 719 yards, scoring 5 touchdown catches. He also chipped in 339 punt return yards while picking up 384 return yards on kickoffs.

And while we’re all excited to see what Shaheed can do with Klint Kubiak calling plays (he was our pick for the Saints’ potential breakout), Pro Football Network’s Tony Catalina reminds us not to overlook another Saints wideout: A.T. Perry. Last year’s sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest made some plays down the stretch, and Catalina sees a great opportunity opening up for Perry with Michael Thomas moving on:

The days of Michael Thomas dominating secondaries for the Saints are over. However, while they have some young intriguing pieces in the room, second-year WR A.T. Perry should be talked about as a breakout candidate more often. The hope is still there that Perry could become one of Derek Carr’s most trusted weapons when it’s all said and done this season.

On their surface, Perry’s rookie-year stats aren’t that great: 12 receptions for 246 yards doesn’t move the needle for many fans. But look a little deeper. Perry converted a first down on 10 of his 12 catches, and four of those grabs scored touchdowns. That’s doubly impressive when you see that he didn’t take his first snap on offense until Week 8, and he didn’t record a catch until Week 10. He finished the season by catching all three passes thrown his way against the Atlanta Falcons, gaining 53 yards and scoring two touchdowns in a blowout win.

That certainly suggests he’s someone Derek Carr wants to work with. Unlike Shaheed and Chris Olave (both of whom measure in at 6-foot and under 190 pounds, with 73-inch wingspans), Perry has a more imposing stature at 6-foot-5 and a listed 205 pounds with an 82 5/8-inch wingspan. We saw him win on contested targets and outmuscle opponents downfield last season. If he can continue to play with such physicality on a heavier workload, Carr and Kubiak will give him as many opportunities as he can handle.

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A.T. Perry labeled a ‘forgotten’ draft pick to watch at Saints training camp

A.T. Perry is in line for a bigger role in 2023. Bleacher Report labeled the wide receiver as a forgotten draft pick to watch at Saints training camp:

New Orleans Saints wide receiver A.T. Perry was labeled a forgotten 2023 NFL draft pick to watch in the upcoming training camp by Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder. Holder has seen the swiftness the title of “bust” is placed on players. He wrote this article to partially fight that trend. Holder focuses on players you may have forgot from last year’s draft.

A.T. Perry obviously wouldn’t fit the “bust” category as a sixth round pick. He does, however, meet other criteria to be considered forgotten. Holder required a player to miss significant time last year due to injury or placement on the depth chart to be considered forgotten, Perry meets the latter prerequisite:

It’s no coincidence that all of Perry’s production came in the second half of the season when Michael Thomas went on injured reserve with a knee injury. He began the year behind Thomas on the depth chart but made the most of the opportunity, and the older receiver is no longer in the picture in New Orleans.

With a bigger role heading into year two, there’s plenty of reason to believe Perry is in store for a breakout campaign to emerge as the Saints’ No. 2 or 3 wide receiver this season.

This tracks with the common sentiment around Perry this offseason. When the Saints elected to not draft a wide receiver this year, Perry remained the most likely option as the third receiver. His 6-foot-5 frame gives Derek Carr a bigger threat while simultaneously being able to still stretch the field.

Perry caught 5 passes for more than 20 yards, and 3 of those receptions were over 30 yards. Perry’s first catch came in the game Thomas got injured. With Thomas no longer on the team, don’t expect Perry to wait until Week 10 to register his first reception. He should be a prominent piece of the receiving corps in 2024.

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Rookie WR Bub Means tabbed as Saints’ sleeper pick from 2024 draft

Who is your pick for the Saints’ sleeper in the 2024 draft class? Touchdown Wire says this wideout could get on the field very quickly:

Who would you say was the sleeper pick of the New Orleans Saints’ 2024 draft class, who could climb the depth chart and help out on game days? With the Saints spending so many of their 2025 draft picks on Day 3, in the later rounds, there are plenty of options to choose from. There will be many rookies starting at the bottom of the roster and working to make their own luck.

But some have landed in better circumstances than others, with a real path to dressing out and making plays on game days. According to Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire, that’s former Pittsburgh Panthers wideout Bub Means:

The Saints came into the 2024 draft with some speed on offense already with Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry, but in an NFL where it’s all about creating and defending explosive plays, more acceleration is always good. To that end, New Orleans welcomed Pitt receiver Bub Means to its roster with the 170th overall pick in the fifth round.

In his 2023 season, Means caught 41 passes on 82 targets for 718 yards and six touchdowns. That catch rate may have you wondering about Means’ hands until you go back and review Pitt’s quarterbacks. As Greg Cosell and I got into in this week’s “Xs and Os,” Means is virtually guaranteed to be more productive and efficient with a quarterback who can actually get him the ball.

Means is an easy player to root for, as we found out in an exclusive interview with our own Jeremy Trottier. He’s got a dynamic skill set, a team-first mindset, and a magnetic personality that should quickly endear him to Saints fans. Of course there are things he needs to work on in order to get on the field ahead of more-experienced teammates like A.T. Perry and Cedrick Wilson Jr., but he’s got plenty of potential. Now it’s on Klint Kubiak and his new Saints offensive coaching staff to help Means meet it.

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Zay Jones may make sense as another Raiders reunion for Saints

The Saints are already flush with former Raiders, but Zay Jones may make sense as a safety net in case one of their young wideouts slips and falls:

The NFL draft is always tough on older players. Teams come out of it flush with young talent, which often leads to redundancies —  that are quickly dealt with in a wave of cuts around the league.

And that’s exactly what Zay Jones experienced with the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. Jacksonville drafted former LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of this year’s draft, and a few days later chose to make room in the receiving corps by letting Jones go. Now he’s a free agent, and the former Las Vegas Raiders wideout could make sense for the New Orleans Saints.

Sure, the Saints are flush with Derek Carr’s former teammates already. But they could use another veteran at receiver, and Jones is better-accomplished than other free agents they’ve picked up over the last month. Jones caught 34 passes for 321 yards last season. The Saints’ trio of Cedrick Wilson Jr., Stanley Morgan, and Equanimeous St. Brown combined for 27 receptions and 358 yards on their previous teams in 2023. Add up their careers and Jones outpaces them by 118 catches and 802 yards.

Signing him could make sense. The Saints don’t have much to hang their hats on after Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed. A.T. Perry has a ton of potential but we should remember he only caught a dozen passes last year. It would be wise to invest in a safety net in case one of those youngsters slips and falls. Jones isn’t likely to be expensive, and he already has a connection to Carr. If the money makes sense there’s no reason not to bring him into training camp and see if he can compete for a roster spot.

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Saints aren’t tendering wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr.

The Saints aren’t tendering Lynn Bowden Jr., which means only 3 of the 11 wide receivers who played for them last year are set to return for 2024:

Get ready for a new-look New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps in 2024. The Saints will not be tendering veteran wideout Lynn Bowden Jr., per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which will make him a free agent when the new league year begins on March 13.

This isn’t too surprising in itself. Bowden primarily worked as a blocker and decoy for the Saints, only drawing 16 targets in 15 games last year while catching 11 passes for 83 yards, picking up a pair of first downs. He also recorded 5 rushing attempts for 32 yards on the ground, moving the chains three times. He was a serviceable emergency returns specialist, averaging 7.6 yards per punt return and 21.3 yards per kick return. That isn’t production teams pay top-dollar for.

But things are interesting under the surface. Fowler initially said that Bowden was an exclusive rights free agent, not a restricted free agent, which he later said was a mistake. Not tendering Bowden as a restricted free agent made sense because it costs at least $2,985,000. Re-signing Bowden at the league-minimum salary is an option.

Maybe he returns later as a minimum signing, but it’s possible that the Saints will be moving on as offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak revamps the receiving corps. Bowden is the latest wideout from New Orleans’ 2023 team to depart thus far. Let’s break it down:

  • Michael Thomas will enter free agency on Wednesday after being released from his contract
  • Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after his practice squad deal expired
  • Shaquan Davis chose to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in similar circumstances
  • Kirk Merritt is playing for the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks
  • Jontre Kirklin is with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas as well
  • Keith Kirkwood will be an unrestricted free agent, too
  • If you’re curious, the Detroit Lions signed Tre’Quan Smith

Which leaves Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry as the only receivers returning for the 2024 season (so far). It’s possible Kirkwood and Bowden return at some point but Kubiak has a big opportunity to retool this depth chart. Stay tuned to learn what his plan for accomplishing that is.

Update: Fowler corrected his report, clarifying that Bowden was a restricted free agent (RFA), not an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA). So that confusion can be chalked up to a typo. Maybe the NFL can workshop some abbreviations which aren’t so easy to mistake for one another?

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Report: Saints tender Rashid Shaheed for the 2024 season

OTC’s Jason Fitzgerald reports the New Orleans Saints have tendered Rashid Shaheed for the 2024 season. But when can he sign a real extension?

There it is: The New Orleans Saints have tendered wide receiver Rashid Shaheed for the 2024 season, per Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald. Shaheed was an exclusive rights free agent whose only options were to play for the Saints on a qualifying offer (the NFL minimum salary) or sit out a year.

Obviously, he was going to be coming back, but it’s good to have that confirmed so focus can turn to his fit in Klint Kubiak’s offense. Shaheed finished the 2023 season with the 10th-most all-purpose yards in the NFL and earned a Pro Bowl Games appearance for his work on special teams (as well as a spot on the All-Pro team).

Shaheed was one of just two players to gain more than 300 yards from scrimmage as well as 300-plus yards on both kick returns and punt returns, and he vastly outplayed his competitor. Denver Broncos rookie Marvin Mims, the AFC Pro Bowler kick returns specialist, totaled 22 receptions for 377 yards with a touchdown catch. Shaheed caught 46 passes for 719 yards, scoring five times.

He’s a special player. But after signing this tender he’ll only be under contract through 2024. What’s with that? Why didn’t the Saints sign him to a longer extension?

It’s an easy explanation: the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement doesn’t allow it. Players must accrue three years’ experience (at least six games per season) before they are eligible to sign a multiyear contract. Shaheed will play on the minimum salary of $985,000 in 2024 and go into 2025 as a restricted free agent, when he’s finally eligible to sign a real extension.

But the Saints can drag this out longer if they choose. Shaheed could be forced to play on a restricted free agent tender in 2025, which would be another one-year deal, before finally reaching unrestricted status in 2026. Hopefully both sides can work out an arrangement to keep him in New Orleans long-term without any frustrating negotiations or off-field drama with his contract. However, as we said, that’s still at least a year away.

In the meantime: Shaheed figures to play a key role in the new-look Saints offense as their No. 2 wideout behind Chris Olave. It’s going to  be fascinating to see how Kubiak restocks the receiving corps with just Olave, Shaheed, and second-year pro A.T. Perry under contract for 2024. Last summer the Saints took 13 wide receivers into training camp, maintaining a group of seven during the season (usually rostering five or six, with one or two on the practice squad). With such thin depth we should expect plenty of new additions throughout the offseason, both in free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.

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Little potential for compensatory draft picks in the Saints’ 2025 forecast

Experts see little potential for compensatory draft picks in the Saints’ 2025 forecast. Mickey Loomis must make the most of his choices in 2024:

It’s been good to see the New Orleans Saints changing their valuation of compensatory draft picks in recent years. Acquiring extra draft picks in exchange for losing free agents to other teams has worked out for them. Just look at their past history:

  • 2021: Comp picks in rounds three (Nos. 98 and 105) and six (218)
  • 2022: Comp picks in rounds three (Nos. 98 and 101)
  • 2023: Comp pick in round seven (No. 257)

And while the Saints expect to continue that trend in 2024 (they’re projected to receive three extra picks in the fifth round, per Over The Cap) the forecast for 2025 isn’t looking very favorable. Remember, teams are awarded comp picks in the following year’s draft based off the current year’s free agency results. And New Orleans simply lacks many players who are seen as desirable qualifiers.

OTC’s Nick Korte explains:

The Saints remain devoted to keeping core players on their roster, no matter how much they amortize the cap dollars associated with their contracts to do so. This regularly leaves them with few CFA worthy players hitting free agency. But on the other hand, filling up on incumbent players also tends to make them avoid free agency. In the past couple of seasons this has generated some comp picks for them, but typically they do not care much about them, and this could be one of those seasons where they revert to their mean.

Many of the Saints’ top players expected to become available will not qualify for the comp picks formula: guys like Jameis Winston, Michael Thomas, and Andrus Peat. It’s possible that backups on defense earn better opportunities and higher salaries elsewhere, but any signings the Saints make could balance out the losses (and possible comp picks) for defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, linebacker Zack Baun, or cornerback Isaac Yiadom.

So that means the Saints must make the most of their comp picks while they have them. And fans should expect them to be traded. The Saints have traded every comp pick they’ve received in the last three years:

  • Both third-round comp picks in 2021 were packaged in a trade to move up and pick cornerback Paulson Adebo
  • The seventh-round comp pick in 2021 was traded in a move up for offensive tackle Landon Young
  • Both third-round comp picks in 2022 were traded; No. 98 was used to move up for wide receiver Chris Olave, while No. 101 was traded in the package of picks used to get another first rounder, which became left tackle Trevor Penning
  • And the seventh-round comp pick in 2023 was packaged with tight end Adam Trautman in a trade up, targeting wide receiver A.T. Perry

So this tells us that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis tends to view comp picks as trade ammunition more than anything else. He’s known as an aggressive wheeler-and-dealer on draft day, and recent history lays out his go-to strategy very clearly. We’ll see if the trend continues in 2024, but the Saints may not have the promise of extra picks to lean on in 2025, depending on how free agency plays out this March.

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NFL analyst says Saints’ 2023 draft class made a poor first impression

This NFL analyst graded the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 draft class a C+, saying that they made a poor first impression:

Looking back on it now, the biggest critique of the 2023 New Orleans Saints draft class was overall inactivity. Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee was the only draftee you can point to who played significant time, so it’s not difficult to see why NFL.com’s Eric Edholm gave the draft class a C+ grade. Jordan Howden also filled in at safety due to injuries, but he spent half of the season only coming in for specific packages. It’s just difficult to grade a class high when most of the players didn’t see the field often.

Defensive end Isaiah Foskey, offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri and quarterback Jake Haener were absolute non-factors in 2023. Haener was a third-string quarterback, as expected, so there’s no problem there. Foskey and Saldiveri, however, were disappointments this year. The Saints’ pass rush struggled so badly that defensive end is still looked at as a priority to many this offseason. Despite that, Foskey barely saw the field. The health of the offensive line was depleted, but there was still no Saldiveri, who ended the year with his own injury.

The grade is fair but still tough to swallow. New Orleans’ rookie draft class was disappointing in their debut season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t improve. Howden, wide receiver A.T. Perry and running back Kendre Miller all flashed the potential to be quality players with more snaps. Time will tell if Foskey or Saldiveri make an impact, but it feels as if they’ll be pushed down the depth chart this offseason. The only sure thing the Saints have from their draft class is Bresee. Hopefully he can continue to dodge the injury bug that trailed him in college and make plays for the defensive line.

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Two other teams sign a couple of former Saints wide receivers

The Saints only have a handful of receivers signed for 2024, and players they brought into training camp last year are getting snapped up by other teams:

Do the New Orleans Saints have a problem at wide receiver? Maybe, maybe not. Not in the sense that they don’t have good players: Chris Olave and A.T. Perry are returning for 2024, and Rashid Shaheed will come back on an exclusive-rights free agent deal, too.

But Michael Thomas is on the way out; his contract is set up for him to be released as a post-June 1 cut in March. And at some point the Saints need to start signing players to fill out practice reps at training camp. New Orleans brought a dozen receivers into camp last summer and right now they only have two (technically three). Of those twelve receivers, three are still with the Saints (including Thomas), three are on other teams, and six are free agents (including Shaheed, whose only CBA-allowed option is to re-sign with the Saints). A thirteenth receiver, Jontre Kirklin, arrived late in camp and is currently competing with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas.

And some of those players who competed in camp last year are getting snapped up by other teams. The New England Patriots signed former seventh-round draft pick Kawaan Baker to a reserve/future deal this week, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. So did Tre’Quan Smith, who is going to the Detroit Lions, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Several practice squad receivers were not retained after the 2023 season. Fan-favorite rookie Shaquan Davis left for the Philadelphia Eagles. Longtime backup Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There aren’t many familiar names left out there.

Ideally the Saints would add enough quality players to keep them on the practice squad if they’re in consideration at all. But that’s not the point. They could run into trouble relying on a ton of undrafted rookies to fill out the depth chart. Odds are they’ll sign some veterans in free agency in March, though it’s possible a couple of qualifying players could sign reserve/future deals in the near future.

Why the delay? The Saints don’t have a wide receivers coach right now. They know that Klint Kubiak will be their offensive coordinator, but missing a position coach could complicate things. They need a clear vision of what to look for in evaluating new additions. Until Kubiak is officially hired and a receivers coach named, this process may continue to draw out.

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Saints pick a surprising LSU product in Mel Kiper mock draft

The Saints picked a surprising LSU product in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft, adding a big-time wide receiver in Brian Thomas Jr.:

There’s a long-running narrative that the New Orleans Saints avoid drafting players out of LSU, but it’s not like they pointedly pass on the Tigers each year — it’s just rare for the stars to align so that those players stay in Louisiana after turning pro. And the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper changes that trend, though maybe not in the way the Saints-LSU fan contingent might expect.

It’s not Jayden Daniels going to the Saints at No. 14 overall in Kiper’s most recent projection, but one of his receivers: and it isn’t Malik Nabers, neither. With the top three receivers all being picked inside the top-10, it’s LSU standout Brian Thomas Jr. going to New Orleans. Here’s why Kiper says he’s a good fit:

Derek Carr had an up-and-down debut season in New Orleans, and his sizable contract almost certainly means he’ll be back as the starter in 2024. But what do we know about the playmakers around him? Chris Olave is a star who has put up back-to-back seasons with 1,000 receiving yards. After that? There are big questions. Michael Thomas likely will move on this offseason, while Alvin Kamara has regressed in recent years. And while Rashid Shaheed showed he can be a useful complementary receiver, Carr could use another asset in the receiving game to try to boost this offense.

Thomas, the third of the LSU offensive players off the board in this projection, led the FBS with 17 touchdown catches last season while averaging 17.3 yards per reception. He had just three drops on 93 targets. He can take the top off defenses and be a stellar No. 2 option as a rookie. Plus, the born-and-raised Louisiana kid wouldn’t have to leave the state.

Thomas posted modest numbers through his first two years at LSU before breaking out in 2023 with 68 receptions for 1,177 yards. He primarily lined up out wide in the Tigers’ offense but was still a threat to make plays after the catch (averaging 5.7 yards per catch with the ball in his hands). He went 7-of-13 on contested catches this year (53.8%) and is 17-of-36 (47.2%) on those targets in his career.

Look for the Saints to stock up on receivers this offseason. Right now they have just two of them under contract for 2024 in Chris Olave and A.T. Perry, though Rashid Shaheed will return as an exclusive rights free agent. Michael Thomas is technically signed but the Saints must choose whether to extend his contract or release him from it before free agency starts in March.

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