Tag: adam prentice

Fullback Adam Prentice re-signs with the Saints practice squad after whirlwind week

Fullback Adam Prentice re-signed with the New Orleans Saints practice squad after a whirlwind week. So much for a restful bye week:

The bye week is supposed to be restful, but that hasn’t been Adam Prentice’s experience. The fullback re-signed with the New Orleans Saints practice squad after a whirlwind week that saw him activated from injured reserve, active for his first game in a month, and then waived days later — only to clear waivers and re-sign with the team, which the Saints announced on the daily NFL transactions wire.

Prentice, 26, has had a unique career. He played college football at Colorado State and South Carolina before signing with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2021; they waived him after training camp and the Saints picked him up, and he’s been their go-to option at fullback ever since. He experienced some uncharacteristic struggles early this season with an untimely fumble and some dropped passes, and he missed four games with a knee injury before being cleared to return.

Now he’s back on the practice squad and is eligible to be elevated for three games before returning to the 53-man roster. But how big of a role will he play? Nose tackle Khalen Saunders has taken some valuable snaps at fullback in the Saints’ red zone package in recent weeks, and Prentice saw just one snap on offense in his first game back against the Vikings (though he logged a dozen reps on special teams). We’ll have to wait and see what the plan is for him coming out of the bye week.

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Saints’ worst offensive players through Week 10, per PFF

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints’ strengths are not in their offense, and the player grades at Pro Football Focus reflect that. Here are the 10 lowest:

It’s no secret that the New Orleans Saints’ strengths are not in their offense. Derek Carr’s unit has underperformed this season and struggled with everything from an abundance of false start penalties to poorly-run routes and lapses in pass protection. It’s been a problem through ten games.

And the Saints player grades at Pro Football Focus reflect that. Here are the 10 lowest-graded players at the bye week:

Saints waive fullback Adam Prentice days after activating him from injured reserve

Saints waive fullback Adam Prentice days after activating him from injured reserve

Well that’s odd. The New Orleans Saints waived fullback Adam Prentice just days after they activated him from injured reserve, burning one of the eight slots teams are allowed to use in season in designated players to return from an injury.

Prentice was active for Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, though he played just one snap on offense and a dozen on special teams with the kick return and punt coverage units. He’ll likely re-sign with the practice squad after being let go, but stay tuned. He was waived from the 53-man roster to open a spot for wide receiver Keith Kirkwood.

It’s frustrating to burn one of those eight return slots on a player who was waived just days later, but it’s not that big of a deal given the Saints’ current circumstances. The only player on injured reserve right now who is even eligible to return is defensive end Payton Turner, who is still weeks away from being able to practice.

And with just seven weeks left in the regular season, the window for players to go on injured reserve, sit out four weeks while recovering, and then open a three-week phase in which to practice and be activated is shrinking.

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Saints activate fullback Adam Prentice from injured reserve for Week 10 vs. Vikings

Saints activate fullback Adam Prentice from injured reserve for Week 10 vs. Vikings

This was expected: the New Orleans Saints activated fullback Adam Prentice from injured reserve for Week 10’s game with the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced Saturday, bringing back their preferred lead blocker.

Prentice suffered a knee injury in Week 5’s win over the New England Patriots and had been on the mend ever since, but he was able to return to practice this week and should play on Sunday.

What does that mean for Khalen Saunders? The charismatic nose tackle has quickly become a fan-favorite in New Orleans for his work on the other side of the ball, lining up in the backfield at fullback and paving the way for his teammates in short-yardage situations. Saunders will likely see his workload go down offensively, but he’s very much an asset, so don’t look for him to disappear altogether.

And the Saints completed a corresponding roster move to bring up Prentice by waiving veteran wide receiver Keith Kirkwood. Kirkwood mainly worked as a run-blocker out in space earlier this season but saw his reps steadily eroded by players like Lynn Bowden Jr. and rookie draft pick A.T. Perry, who is still searching for his first regular season target. There’s a good chance Kirkwood signs with the Saints practice squad should he clear waivers; undrafted rookie Shaquan Davis is still on the injury list with an undisclosed ailment.

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Analyzing final Vikings injury report vs. Saints

The Vikings are getting healthier heading into the stretch run

The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon with Josh Dobbs getting his first start for the franchise.

Throughout the week, the injury report saw multiple names on it with significant starters in limbo for Sunday’s game.

The final injury report is out and the Vikings injury report is extensive.

Saints designate fullback Adam Prentice to return from injured reserve

The New Orleans Saints have designated fullback Adam Prentice to return from injured reserve:

The New Orleans Saints designated fullback Adam Prentice to return from injured reserve this week, leaving them with six more slots to do so. NFL teams are allowed to bring back up to eight players from injured reserve each season, so Prentice is the second to do so after running back Jamaal Williams was sidelined earlier this year.

Prentice went down with a knee injury after a rough start to his season, dropping a critical pass and fumbling deep inside New Orleans’ territory during Week 4’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, it’s a positive that he’s able to return from injury and try to turn things around. He’ll have three weeks to practice and prove he’s healthy and able to play on Sundays.

With that said, it’s worth asking if it’s worth spending one of those few return slots on him. The Saints could have flown in some free agent fullbacks for tryouts after Prentice’s season started so poorly and waived him with an injury settlement, as they did with Tre’Quan Smith. Nose tackle Khalen Saunders has emerged as a legitimate asset in short-yardage situations in Prentice’s old role, too, paving the way as a blocker and commanding attention as a receiving threat. But Prentice won the job in training camp and they’re determined to ride with him further.

On the other hand, the Saints aren’t hurting for return slots as it is. Just one other player is on injured reserve right now with the possibility of returning later this year: defensive end Payton Turner, who is still a ways off from activation after early-season foot surgery. With half the regular season already behind them and so few players on injured reserve (an objectively good thing!), the Saints can afford a small luxury like bringing back Prentice. Let’s hope he justifies that decision with a positive impact down the stretch.

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Initial Saints injury report has few surprises for Week 10 vs. Vikings

Saints vs. Vikings: Few surprises on first Week 10 injury report

There weren’t many surprises on the initial New Orleans Saints injury report ahead of Week 10’s game with the Minnesota Vikings.

Two veteran players were limited with their usual rest days — right tackle Ryan Ramczyk and tight end Jimmy Graham — while two rookies who exited last week’s win over the Chicago Bears with injuries were held out of practice. Running back Kendre Miller is dealing with a sprained ankle while defensive end Isaiah Foskey is managing a strained quadriceps muscle.

But there’s good news: the Saints listed a few players as full participants at Wednesday’s practice session while receiving treatment for injuries. Middle linebacker Demario Davis is still managing a knee issue that has limited him in recent weeks, and special teams ace Ty Summers (another linebacker) saw full practice reps after clearing concussion protocol and recovering from a hamstring issue. Barring a setback, they should both travel and play against Minnesota.

Additionally, both teams opened the 21-day window for players on injured reserve to return to practice, though we’ll have to wait and see whether Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson or Saints fullback Adam Prentice will be able to make a go of it on Sunday. The Vikings only held a walkthrough practice on Wednesday so their participation levels were estimated by the team training staff.

Here’s what you need to know from the week’s first injury report:

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Saints kick off a training camp competition at fullback by signing Jake Bargas

The Saints kicked off a training camp competition at fullback by signing Jake Bargas, bringing in competition for Adam Prentice:

Red alert: the New Orleans Saints have opened a training camp competition at fullback, signing veteran free agent Jake Bargas to push Adam Prentice for his roster spot over the summer. Grab your popcorn.

Prentice has been a regular for the Saints at fullback ever since they claimed him off of waivers back in 2021, though he’s spent a lot of time on their practice squad. If Bargas does well, he might take the job for his own.

Bargas played collegiately at North Carolina and signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2020, though he only appeared in two games and played as many snaps on special teams (5) as he did on offense (7), only getting spot-duty in relief of C.J. Ham as Dalvin Cook’s lead-blocker. He briefly signed with the Chicago Bears last summer before landing with the Miami Dolphins in early November, remaining on their practice squad for the rest of the 2022 season.

The Saints released place kicker Alex Quevedo in a corresponding move to make room for Bargas on their 90-man roster, so they’re now at capacity and any future additions will require matching subtractions. Bargas has been tentatively assigned the No. 40 jersey on the team’s online website, but it was already claimed by rookie linebacker Nick Anderson, so Bargas will have to switch to something else. Barring another move, the only eligible numbers for him are Nos. 16 and 19.

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Demario Davis finally gets his first Pro Bowl nod, Tyrann Mathieu is an alternate

Demario Davis has been selected for his long-overdue first Pro Bowl appearance, making him the first Saints linebacker at the event since Jonathan Vilma in 2010:

Finally. The New Orleans Saints only had one player listed on the initial 2023 Pro Bowl roster representing the NFC, but it was a well-earned recognition for linebacker Demario Davis. The 11th-year pro has played the best football of his career after signing with the Saints in 2018, and though he’s earned All-Pro nods he’s never been named a Pro Bowler — until now.

Good for him. Davis was repeatedly snubbed for the Pro Bowl in recent years, so it’s great to see him get over the hump like this and strike that off his to-do list. He’s the first Saints linebacker selected for the Pro Bowl since Jonathan Vilma in 2010. This Pro Bowl selection also earned Davis a nice $500,000 bonus.

Will any of his Saints teammates join him at the all-star event? NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that several players were selected as alternates, so they could get in if their peers are unavailable:

  • Safety Tyrann Mathieu
  • Fullback Adam Prentice
  • Long snapper Zach Wood

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Saints dress out just two running backs vs. Falcons, setting up a big day for Taysom Hill

The Saints dressed out just two running backs against the Falcons, setting up a big day for Alvin Kamara, David Johnson and maybe Taysom Hill:

So this is an interesting strategy. The New Orleans Saints inactive list included half of their depth chart at running back for Week 15’s game with the Atlanta Falcons — backups Dwayne Washington and Eno Benjamin were both sidelined, leaving just Alvin Kamara and David Johnson active on Sunday. Washington wasn’t able to practice this week while dealing with an illness, whereas Benjamin was acquired off of waivers and saw just two practices with the team before kickoff.

That suggests a heavy workload for Kamara, right? The Saints haven’t gotten the most out of him this season, stubbornly running him into the teeth of opposing defenses and weirdly cutting down on the number of screen plays in each week’s game plan. Kamara and his coaches talked about the need for more creativity this week (or at least more of what he’s done well in the past), but we’ll see if they seize this opportunity.

But there might be other solutions than just running Kamara until he can’t run anymore. Nominal tight end Taysom Hill has seen more rushing attempts against the Falcons (42 in 11 games) in his career than against any other team, and his usage has also trailed off in recent weeks. This is a chance for him to reassert himself as a playmaker that their stalled-out offense could really use. He’s had success against Atlanta before, posting single-game rushing totals of 83, 81, and 49 yards. He’s also scored 4 touchdown runs on the Falcons defense in past matchups.

Fullback Adam Prentice is also active for this game, so he’s an option, though the Saints rarely ask him to handle the ball — his first rushing attempt this season came in their last game, gaining 2 yards on 3rd-and-1 midway through the third quarter. New Orleans brought up wide receiver Kirk Merritt from their practice squad, too. He’s cross-trained at running back with them and saw some carries in their preseason games.

Still, it feels like Kamara will again see the lion’s share of snaps in the backfield. Hopefully the Saints can do a better job of putting him in position to make a play.

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