Tag: all pro

Saints signed All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray to a contract extension

The New Orleans Saints signed special teams ace J.T. Gray, a Pro Bowler and All-Pro, to a one-year contract extension for the 2020 season.

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The New Orleans Saints signed Pro Bowl and All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray to a contract extension last month, reports NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. It’s a one-year contract worth $750,000, which is standard for someone with Gray’s limited NFL experience. Underhill added that the deal was signed on Feb. 7.

But he’s accomplished quite a lot in just a short time. Gray is a fixture on the punt and kickoff coverage units, having played nearly as many snaps on special teams (285) as Taysom Hill last year (287), only missing time with an early-game leg injury against the Chicago Bears after just three plays. Other than that, Gray was on the field for more than half of the special teams snaps run in every game the Saints played last season.

Not bad for someone who was a dark horse to even make the opening-day roster. Gray signed with the Saints as an undrafted rookie out of Mississippi State, and at the time was overlooked by other rookie free agent signings like Cincinnati cornerback Linden Stephens, Western Kentucky tight end Deon Yelder, and Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett. It’s a testament to the work he’s put in that he’s playing so often and racking up the accolades while those other players are looking for opportunities on other teams.

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Texans S Justin Reid concerned more with making All-Pro, not the Pro Bowl

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid says he would rather make first-team All-Pro than the Pro Bowl.

Houston Texans safety Justin Reid is two seasons deep into his NFL career, but the former 2018 third-round pick from Stanford already knows which “pro” accolade he would rather earn.

In a tweet on Jan. 31, Reid added remarks to a video from ESPN’s SportsCenter on Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker talking about missing out on being an NBA All-Star despite having such an outstanding season to date — in other words, Booker was snubbed.

“Same with Pro Bowl,” Reid tweeted. “It’s all a popularity contest but it’s the world we live in so I digress. This is why I chase being All Pro.”

Through two seasons, Reid has collected 166 tackles, a tackle for loss, five interceptions, including a pick-six, 15 pass breakups, a forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries in 31 games, 27 of which he started.

Since the Texans’ 2002 inception, the club has not produced a first-team All-Pro or Pro Bowl safety. If Reid earns either, it will be worthy of praise.

Demario Davis using his offseason to advocate for Mississippi prison reform

New Orleans Saints LB Demario Davis traveled to Parchman, Miss. to advocate for criminal justice reform following violent prison riots.

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New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis is a leader on and off of the field; it’s not for nothing that he’s been voted a team captain in each of his first two years with the team. He was also recognized as a first-ream All-Pro linebacker this year, but was snubbed by the Pro Bowl selections process. Left with some free time, Davis turned his attentions to a cause much more important than football: prison reform.

Davis, a Brandon, Miss. native, returned to his home state for a rally near the State Penitentiary at Parchman, which has been the site of weeks of violence and drawn national attention over poor living conditions for inmates. He’s been very vocal in the past about the fight for inequality in America and abroad, delivering supplies to immigrant children separated from their families while helping post bail to release a jailed immigration activist. He’s also spoken about the need to help families broken by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement raids in Morton, Miss. and at the Mexican border.

Davis shared his thoughts on the developing crisis at Parchman in an interview from the rally, saying, “Well I think the problem is, specifically here in Mississippi, is that it’s part of a larger issue. We have a problem in our country which is mass incarceration. We have all moved past where we were trying to take care of people, and now we’re using people to make a profit.”

He took aim at several issues in his explanation, including for-profit prisons, oversentencing for non-violent offenders, and the need to rehabilitate people with drug-addictions rather than punish them. Davis, a devout born-again Christian, often cites his faith as his motivation to remain compassionate and help others, stressing the need to match his words with his actions.

“We’ve got too many people with not enough beds,” Davis said. “And so in these situations, what happens is, under-resourced facilities. Here in Parchman is a great example. People are underfed, they lack healthcare, they’re subject to living in inhumane situations. It ends up happening where human beings are treated worse than animals.”

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Should the Saints pick up fifth-year options for Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk?

The New Orleans Saints must decide whether to pick up fifth-year options on All-Pro RT Ryan Ramczyk and Pro Bowl CB Marshon Lattimore.

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The players selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 2017 NFL Draft have formed a core for the rest of the team to build around. That draft class included key fixtures such as cornerback Marshon Lattimore, right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, free safety Marcus Williams, and running back Alvin Kamara, as well as contributors like linebacker Alex Anzalone and edge rusher Trey Hendrickson.

But now it’s time to make contract decisions for each of them. With the 2019 season in rear-view, they’re all eligible for long-term contract extensions, even with one year left on their rookie contracts. As former first-round picks, the Saints can exercise fifth-year options for Lattimore and Ramczyk, which would keep them under contract through 2021. But would doing that be worth it?

In a word: yes.

Because neither Lattimore nor Ramczyk were top-10 draft picks, their fifth-year options are worth quite a bit less than if they had been selected higher. The values for fifth-year options are determined both by draft slot (1 through 10 versus 11 to 32) and the position they play. Top-10 options are the average of the 10 highest-paid players at that position, while those picked outside of the top 10 are paid the average of the third through 25th highest salaries.

Last offseason, the Saints declined Eli Apple’s fifth-year option for 2020 — because he was the tenth overall pick back in 2016, he would have been owed more than $13.6 million in the upcoming season. Instead, he’ll likely test free agency or re-sign with the Saints at a significantly cheaper rate.

These numbers will rise slightly as new deals are signed with other players between now and 2021, but here’s what the estimated fifth-year options would look like for Lattimore and Ramczyk, per annual salary data from Over The Cap:

  • Lattimore’s estimated fifth year option: $11,648,790
  • Ramczyk’s estimated fifth year option: $12,860,543

To be clear: exercising these options for 2021 will not impact either player’s cap hits in the upcoming season, when Lattimore will count for north of $4.8 million against the salary cap while Ramczyk is due more than $2.8 million.

Those 2021 salaries will be fully guaranteed for injury, but it’s easily worth the price considering both players are All-Pro talents. Either of them could reset the market at their respective positions once it’s time to pay their long-term contract extensions (right now, Xavien Howard paces the cornerbacks with $15.05 million per year; Lane Johnson leads all offensive linemen at $18 million per year).

While keeping both Lattimore and Ramczyk under relatively-low salary cap hits is important, the real benefit of picking up these options is creating more time for old contracts to get off the books. The Saints are going to have at least $21.3 million in dead money counting against the salary cap whenever Drew Brees retires, so if they can buy more time on these mega-deals for Lattimore and Ramczyk, they should. It’s one of the easier decisions they’ll have to make this offseason, compared to more serious issues like whether Williams and Kamara should be re-signed long-term.

Lattimore deservedly caught some flak for his poor performance against Adam Thielen in the playoffs; Thielen went off with 7 catches for 129 yards with Lattimore primarily covering him. But fans (and the Saints) shouldn’t be prisoners of the moment and think that justifies trading or, ridiculously, cutting him. No player in the NFL has recorded more passes defensed from 2017 to 2019 than Lattimore (44 in 43 games), and he’s played fewer games than each of the runners-up (Tre’Davious White, with 43 in 47 games and Marlon Humphrey, who had 40 in 46 games). He’s one of the most consistent playmakers the Saints have.

So, to summarize: Ramczyk and Lattimore are two of the most-valuable players in New Orleans, and they deserve to be paid as such. And the Saints can help ensure that happens by picking up their fifth-year options to maximize their salary cap resources in the years ahead. The Saints will have until early May to decide whether to exercise these team options for the 2021 season, but from where things stand in January, it’s an easy call to make.

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2019 Saints season: Reviewing safety J.T. Gray

Our 2019 New Orleans Saints season review continues with special teams ace J.T. Gray, a backup safety who has chipped in impressive efforts.

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We continue our 2019 New Orleans Saints season review with special teams ace J.T. Gray. A safety out of Mississippi State, Gray went undrafted in 2018, and initially made the roster outright before landing on the Saints practice squad. His proficiency in coverage on special teams sold the Saints coaching staff on his skills, and allowed him to stick around in 2019.

While Gray may not be a household name at this point in his career, he played well enough to be recognized with second-team All-Pro honors this season. Gray was one of two Saints special teamers to make the cut All-Pros, along with fellow undrafted teammate Deonte Harris, who garnered first-team All-Pro recognition.

Level of Play in 2019

Gray had a phenomenal season on special teams, and perhaps his most memorable play was his blocked punt in Week 7 against the Chicago Bears. Gray’s high level of play was characterized by making sound football decisions, especially when asked to try and block punts or kicks. This allowed the Saints special teams unit to be one of the best in recent memory.

Gray should be credited for helping creating opportunities in the return game as well. Gray’s ability to block well on the outside during returns played an integral part in allowing Harris to become the league’s most feared return specialist. It was for these reasons that Gray found his way on the All-Pro list.

What to expect in 2020

Gray will be an exclusive rights free agent this offseason. After making just above league minimum in 2019, New Orleans will likely lock him up for 2020 and beyond. Gray has helped reshape the special teams landscape in New Orleans, and should continue to progress knowing he has a spot on the roster going forward.

Gray’s role in the defense could expand come the 2020 season. The defensive back played in three games this season on defense, but never played more than 15% of the snap counts in those appearances. On special teams, his 284 snaps played ranked fifth for the Saints, and nearly tied the total set by Taysom Hill (286). He is clearly a specialist in the kicking game, but he does provide depth to the Saints secondary. With an offseason to prepare, he could end of up competing for a backup role in 2020.

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Watch: Taysom Hill throws 50-yard pass, lead-blocks for rushing TD

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill threw a rare pass, connecting for 50 yards. He then blocked on Alvin Kamara’s touchdown run.

What can’t Taysom Hill do? He’s caught passes (including six touchdown throws), ran with the ball, and blocked all over the field, but his detractors — usually fantasy football nerds — point to the few pass attempts he’s made as evidence that he shouldn’t be labeled a quarterback.

So he quieted them by connecting with rookie wideout Deonte Harris on a 50-yard pass in Sunday’s wild-card round game with the Minnesota Vikings. Harris was named a first-team All-Pro for his efforts returning punts and kickoffs, but Saints coach Sean Payton found a way to get the rookie involved on offense against Minnesota. See it for yourself:

But Hill wasn’t finished just yet. After creating this big play, he remained on the field and blocked for Saints running back Alvin Kamara at the goal-line, paving the way for Kamara to fight his way into the end zone. It was Kamara’s fifth rushing touchdown in his last three games:

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Former Longhorn kicker named First-Team All Pro

The former Longhorn kicker has now been selected to five All Pro teams.

An incredibly consistent kicker for the Texas Longhorns in 2010 and 2011, Justin Tucker never seemed to miss a beat while beginning his professional career with the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. The same kicker the city of Austin, TX confidently enjoyed watching quickly became an indispensable player for the Ravens.

Receiving an All Pro selection is a prestigious reward that isn’t taken lightly around the league. Tucker is almost as consistent with All Pro selections as he is on the field. Since entering the league, the former Longhorn has been selected to five All Pro teams, four being First-Team selections.

According to ESPN Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley, Tucker was selected by a comfortable margin.

The National Football League uses press organizations such as Associated Press (AP) and Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) to select the best player at each position during that respective season.

Tucker has made 28 of 29 field goals and 57 of 59 extra points for the Ravens in 2019. This marks his second-highest season percentage of ninety-six percent.

Michael Thomas one of two unanimous selections for first-team All-Pro

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas and New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore were the only unanimous NFL All-Pros.

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The Associated Press announced its NFL All-Pro teams on Friday, and the New Orleans Saints had six players represented on the two lists. Wide receiver Michael Thomas, right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, linebacker Demario Davis, and returns specialist Deonte Harris were each selected as first-team All-Pros. Edge rusher Cameron Jordan and special teams ace J.T. Gray made the All-Pro second-team.

Interestingly, Thomas was one of just two players to be unanimously selected by the 50-strong panel of voters. He was joined by New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who tied the NFL lead for interceptions (6) on the league’s leading defense for total interceptions (25). That’s rare company for Thomas to join, but as the NFL’s king in both receptions (149) and receiving yards (1,725) there’s no doubting his qualifications. Depending on how the playoffs turn out, there’s a good chance Thomas and Gilmore may line up against each other in Super Bowl LIV.

The full list of Saints players who received All-Pro votes go as follows:

  • Wide receiver Michael Thomas, 50
  • Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, 30
  • Punt returner Deonte Harris, 29 (plus 2 votes at kick returner, and 1 at special teamer)
  • Linebacker Demario Davis, 18
  • Edge rusher Cameron Jordan, 12
  • Special teamer J.T. Gray, 3
  • Kicker Wil Lutz, 3
  • Left tackle Terron Armstead, 2
  • Cornerback Marshon Lattimore, 1 (plus 1 vote at defensive back)

So this highlights a few issues with the Associated Press ballot. The biggest problem is that there are inconsistencies between position designations used by different voters, meaning Harris received nominations at punt returner (where he’s done most of his damage), kick returner, and special teamer. Similarly, Lattimore earned votes at both cornerback and defensive back. Until the Associated Press buckles down and makes it more clear which players are qualified for which positions, there are going to be more incongruities. At least Pro Bowl snubs like Davis and Ramczyk got their due.

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Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins named 2019 first-team All-Pro

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been named to his third first-team All-Pro, the Associated Press announced Friday.

Houston Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins has done it again.

The former 2013 first-round pick from Clemson was named to his third first-team All-Pro on Friday, the Associated Press announced.

Hopkins caught 104 passes for 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns to help the Texans to a 10-6 record and win their second consecutive AFC South title and the sixth division title in franchise history.

For Hopkins, he breaks a tie with Andre Johnson for the most first-team All-Pro selections by a Texans receiver. As a Texans player, Hopkins’ three such selections are second-most in club history behind defensive end J.J. Watt’s five.

Hopkins and the Texans will face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC wild-card Saturday at 3:35 p.m. at NRG Stadium.

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Demario Davis among four Saints on AP All-Pro first-team

Four New Orleans Saints were recognized on the AP All-Pro first-team, including linebacker Demario Davis and right tackle Ryan Ramczyk.

The New Orleans Saints were well-represented on the Associated Press All-Pro Team, with four players named to the first-team. Wide receiver Michael Thomas was the only unanimous selection, but he was joined by teammates including right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, linebacker Demario Davis, and rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris. Only two Saints players were selected for the second-team: edge rusher Cameron Jordan and special teams ace J.T. Gray. Of the six total Saints to appear on the All-Pro teams, five started their careers in New Orleans, and four were acquired in the last three years.

Thomas is the only player of the group who was a first-team All-Pro in 2018; Ramczyk was named to that year’s second-team, along with other Saints players including Jordan, quarterback Drew Brees, and left tackle Terron Armstead. Davis and Harris are each making their first time appearance.

Brees and Armstead being left off the second-team feels like a pair of serious oversights. While they did each miss time with injuries in 2019, there’s no questioning their level of performance. It’s tough to justify both of them missing the cut. On the other hand, it’s great to see Pro Bowl snubs like Davis and Ramczyk get the recognition they so badly deserve.

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