Tag: adam prentice

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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Saints report multiple roster moves, promote practice squad LB Nephi Sewell

Saints report multiple roster moves, promote LB Nephi Sewell from their practice squad:

This might be ominous for Pete Werner’s status. The New Orleans Saints signed a pair of linebackers on Thursday after their starting weakside linebacker exited Monday night’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens with an ankle injury, filing a quick list of roster moves on the daily NFL transactions wire.

But this isn’t all about Werner. New Orleans also lost backup linebacker Chase Hansen with a knee injury last week, so they needed multiple players to reinforce the depth chart. And they’ve made other moves at different roster spots. Let’s break it all down:

Washington Football Team signs ex-Saints fullback Alex Armah Jr.

Washington Football Team signs ex-Saints fullback Alex Armah Jr. to practice squad

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It didn’t take long for Alex Armah Jr. to land on his feet. After clearing waivers upon being released by the New Orleans Saints, the veteran fullback reunited with the coach that drafted him — Ron Rivera, the former Carolina Panthers coach now managing a surging Washington Football Team, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Armah will initially catch on with the Washington practice squad before being promoted to the active roster.

Armah played more often on special teams (96 snaps) than on offense (72) across nine games with the Saints this season, and was recently replaced by Adam Prentice, a rookie called up from the practice squad. Maybe he’ll perform better in Washington with a coach better familiar with him.

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Saints bring up three players from practice squad in last-minute roster moves

Saints bring up three players from practice squad in last-minute roster moves

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The New Orleans Saints brought up three players from their practice squad before their prime-time game with the Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving, while also bringing back a player they previously released. But one name you won’t see on the field is wide receiver Malcolm Perry, the former Naval Academy quarterback-turned-Dolphins and Patriots receiver who signed with their practice squad this week. He needs more time to get game-ready.

Here’s what you need to know:

Saints claim ex-Broncos FB Adam Prentice off waivers, sign Sutton Smith to practice squad

The New Orleans Saints claimed ex-Broncos FB Adam Prentice off waivers after roster cuts, also re-signing Sutton Smith to the practice squad:

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It didn’t take long for the New Orleans Saints to pounce on the waiver wire; they claimed former Denver Broncos fullback Adam Prentice, a rookie out of South Carolina (as a graduate transfer from Colorado State). The Saints waived backup fullback Sutton Smith a week ago before releasing their projected starter Alex Armah during Tuesday’s roster cuts, so this is quite a surprise. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported Wednesday that Smith returned to the practice squad.

Prentice, 24, has rarely seen many touches go his way as a runner or receiver while making a name for himself as a blocker — though his former offensive coordinator Mike Bobo described him as, “a little bit more than a sixth lineman. He could do a lot of stuff. He could play wing for us, he could insert, he can catch the ball.” Maybe he has some position flexibility that Sean Payton hopes to put to use.

It’s not immediately clear who the Saints will waive to open a spot for Prentice, so keep an eye out. Their roster is in flux and will continue to change in the days ahead as players are brought in, sent out, and occasionally re-signed to the practice squad. We’ll have all the updates here at Saints Wire.

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