Tag: A.T. Perry

Roster locks, long shots, and players on the bubble in the Saints WR corps

Breaking down roster locks, long shots, and players on the bubble in the New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps ahead of their final preseason game:

There’s a lot of intrigue surrounding the New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps ahead of their final preseason game — with roster cuts following shortly after, multiple players are competing for their jobs right now.

Some guys are safe locks for the 53-man roster to open the season. Others are on the bubble and have a shot at clinching a roster spot versus returning on the practice squad after being waived. Others are long shots who badly need to show the team something in the days ahead, or they’ll be playing football elsewhere in the fall.

With the Saints having let go of veteran wideouts Bryan Edwards, James Washington, and Keke Coutee in each of the last three weeks, it’s worth taking stock of the receiving corps to see what opportunities are still available.

Last year the team rostered six receivers and stashed three others on the practice squad, which they maintained throughout the season. If that repeats, one of the ten receivers currently on the team won’t be here this time next week. Here are our picks for current roster locks, long shots, and players on the bubble whose case could go either way:

4 Saints players with the most to gain in preseason Week 2

Jaylon Smith and A.T. Perry are both high on our list of Saints players with the most to gain in preseason Week 2 | @southexclusives

After two days of joint practices and multiple meetings on if the game would even happen, the Saints and Chargers face off in the second of three preseason games. It’s unclear if there will be many starters playing this week on offense or defense. This could be the last time you see them in the preseason if they do play.

There are still position battles ongoing and players fighting for a roster spot. Then, you have some players who genuinely just need reps. Here are players who could greatly benefit from playing against the Chargers Sunday.

3 standouts from the Saints’ 26-24 victory over the Chiefs in first preseason matchup of 2023

Highlighting three New Orleans Saints players who performed well in the team’s 26-24 preseason victory over the Chiefs | @crissy_froyd

The New Orleans Saints opened live action Sunday at the Caesars Superdome, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 26-24 in a game that came down to the wire. As expected, the majority of the starters on both teams rose to the occasion, but a number of backups and those simply looking to make the cut at all turned some heads as well.

Here’s a look into three players who stood out and could make good cases for themselves moving forward:

Several Saints players were PFF’s highest-graded rookies of preseason Week 1

Several New Orleans Saints players were PFF’s highest-graded rookies of preseason Week 1, including sixth-round wide receiver A.T. Perry:

Several young New Orleans Saints players stood out on a big stage in their first preseason game — with Pro Football Focus highlighting two in particular as Week 1’s highest-graded rookies. Wide receiver A.T. Perry and linebacker Anfernee Orji both impressed when given an opportunity, and they’ll look to keep it up in the weeks ahead as the team gives them more snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans.

Here’s how each of them performed, along with the rest of the Saints rookie draft class:

Studs and Duds from Saints’ preseason Week 1 win over Chiefs

Derek Carr, A.T. Perry lead off our Studs and Duds from the Saints’ preseason Week 1 win over the Chiefs:

Who impressed in the New Orleans Saints’ preseason opener? Who fell short of expectations? The Saints came away with a dramatic win in their exhibition game with the Kansas City Chiefs, and these players were a big factor in sealing the win and making the matchup closer than it probably should have been. Let’s break down our Week 1 preseason Studs and Duds:

WATCH: A.T. Perry catches a 29-yard touchdown pass in rookie debut

Welcome to the NFL, A.T. Perry. The rookie wide receiver caught a 29-yard touchdown pass in his preseason debut:

Welcome to the NFL, A.T. Perry. Many college football experts called the New Orleans Saints wide receiver a major steal of the 2023 NFL draft — and Perry backed them up with a 29-yard touchdown grab in his first preseason game. Perry made a leaping catch over Kansas City Chiefs starting cornerback Trent McDuffie and kept his momentum moving forward, tumbling into the end zone for a score.

It wasn’t a perfect play. Perry lost control of the ball while going to the ground, but he managed to break the plane at the goal line first. It was still an encouraging stat for him. He caught each of his first two passes from Jameis Winston on the drive for 43 yards, and he came back to start the next drive with consecutive catches on first and second down.

Perry has experienced some highs and lows throughout training camp, and this was a great moment for him. It’ll do a lot to help him strengthen a case for a spot on the 53-man roster behind Chris Olave, Michael Thomas and Rashid Shaheed.

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Must-watch Saints players on offense in preseason Week 1

There’s a lot on the line for some New Orleans Saints players in Week 1 of the preseason. This is the competition for roster spots heats up on offense | @southexclusives

We’ve outlined the defensive players to watch in the first preseason game against the Chiefs this Sunday. The offense has a few players to watch as well. A lot of attention will be placed on watching if Derek Carr and his weapons are in sync. There are other players who come into Week 1 looking to capitalize on an opportunity or continue their momentum.

Here are players you should pay close attention to on offense:

Saints rookies A.T. Perry, Anthony Johnson cleared for training camp

New Orleans Saints rookies A.T. Perry and Anthony Johnson passed their physicals, meaning they are cleared for training camp practice:

Here’s good news: New Orleans Saints rookies A.T. Perry and Anthony Johnson passed their physicals on Wednesday, meaning they are cleared for training camp practice. Perry was a full participant on Wednesday’s first practice session, whereas Johnson was spotted working on his own off to the side under supervision of team medical staff.

Perry, a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft out of Wake Forest, is looking to make a name for himself in the crowded Saints receiving corps. He’ll be competing with veterans like Bryan Edwards and his fellow rookie Shaquan Davis (South Carolina State) for the job of backing up Michael Thomas.

Johnson, an undrafted signing from Virginia, faces long odds of standing out in the talented New Orleans secondary. He has the physical tools the Saints look for but he’ll need to prove he can make plays on special teams and outwork established pros including Isaac Yiadom, Troy Pride Jr., and Adrian Frye in hopes of making the roster.

These two activations mean the Saints no longer have any players on their injury lists — the physically unable to perform (PUP), non-football injury (NFI), and injured reserve units are all clear. Injuries are inevitable in a violent sport like pro football, but in the meantime we’ll make sure to not take this for granted.

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Saints report perfect attendance at first training camp practice

The Saints reported perfect attendance at their first training camp practice, with just one player sidelined by an injury:

Now that’s what you like to see: all 90 players under contract with the New Orleans Saints participated at the team’s first training camp practice on Wednesday, as head coach Dennis Allen said would be the case in his opening press conference on Tuesday.

And just one player was sidelined by an injury — undrafted rookie Anthony Johnson. Still on the PUP list, the cornerback out of Virginia was spotted working off to the side while he continues to recover from an undisclosed injury suffered during minicamp practices earlier this year.

But everyone else was able to participate in team drills, including wide receiver Michael Thomas and other players returning from season-ending injuries in 2022, such as right guard Cesar Ruiz and left tackle Trevor Penning (both of whom were limited while recovering from foot surgeries). Rookie sixth-round pick A.T. Perry was also practicing with his teammates which suggests he’ll be formally removed from the NFI list later Wednesday afternoon. Let’s hope this streak of good health continues as intensity ramps up during training camp.

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Two Saints draft picks pass their physicals in time for training camp

Two New Orleans Saints draft picks passed their physicals in time for training camp, as did a couple of veteran teammates:

This is good news: four New Orleans Saints players passed their physicals to open training camp on the field with their teammates rather than on the sidelines with an injury designation, including a pair of draft picks. The only players remaining on the injury lists are sixth-round wide receiver A.T. Perry (non-football injury) and undrafted rookie cornerback Anthony Johnson (physically unable to perform).

Third-round running back Kendre Miller was held out of spring training sessions after a late-season meniscus injury in 2022, but he’ll be active at training camp from the first day. That’s also the case for fourth-round offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri, who injured his lower leg during organized team activities. He’s now recovered and medically cleared to return to practice.

Here are the four players who were activated on Monday: