Tag: career

Mark Ingram II lobbies for Saints to get Alvin Kamara some help in the NFL draft

Legendary New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II made the case for his team to pair Alvin Kamara with Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL draft:

Some New Orleans Saints fans have balked at the idea of picking a running back at ninth overall in this year’s 2025 NFL draft, but don’t count Mark Ingram II in that number. The team’s former leader in touchdown runs and rushing yards is a big fan of Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty. And he sees a scenario where Jeanty could not just coexist with Alvin Kamara, but help the Saints offense get back where it belongs among league leaders.

Ingram made the case for Jeanty when he sat down with Kay Adams this week.

“Man, I think you’re seeing how pivotal the running back position is. And, given my guy AK is getting up there in nine years, you know, give him a little break so he can be healthy the whole year. Maybe you go running back. Maybe you go pair with him Ashton Jeanty. Whatchu you think about that?” Ingram asked.

Kamara’s most effective seasons as a runner by Pro Football Reference’s stats for Success Rate came in 2018 and 2020, when he had a capable partner to split carries with. In those years Kamara had 12.9 and 12.5 rushing attempts per game, respectively, while Ingram and Latavius Murray each had 11.5 and 9.7. Those are also the years Kamara scored the most touchdowns and gained the most yards from scrimmage, both as a runner and receiver. There’s absolutely room for another talent in the New Orleans backfield.

As for what Jeanty can add to the offense? Ingram says the Heisman Trophy runner-up can do just about everything: “Ashton Jeanty’s just a beast, man, he has juice, he can run the ball inside, run the ball outside, comes out the backfield and he catches it. Why not have another two-headed monster so my guy AK can be thriving again, in New Orleans?”

Those are some good points, but the financials should be considered, too. Kamara is under contract for 2025 and 2026 but could very well enter retirement in 2027. If the Saints draft someone like Jeanty now, they could get through the first two years of their contract as his tag-team partner before taking on the lead role in Year 3. And if the Saints take Ingram’s advice to pick Jeanty at No. 9? They would get a fifth-year option in his contract that ties him to the team through 2029. He turned 21 in December and wouldn’t be in line for a big-money extension until a few months after his 25th birthday, when he’d be hitting his athletic prime.

It isn’t the same as getting a star quarterback on a low-cost rookie contract, but these are the kind of competitive edges the Saints should be chasing when their new head coach begins to remodel the team. If they believe Jeanty can help Kamara finish his career strong before getting promoted to the offensive focal point, he’d be well worth the pick at No. 9.

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Saints free agent preview: DE Payton Turner, stay or go?

Previewing free agency for the New Orleans Saints: Should they retain defensive end Payton Turner, or let him walk in the 2025 offseason?

The New Orleans Saints have some decisions to make this offseason, with a litany of free agents hitting the market (both their own and others), they will have to use their money sparingly to try and accrue new talent. Deciding who stays and who goes is a difficult process, as players like Trey Hendrickson get away sometimes due to cap space.

One of the players set to become a free agent this offseason is defensive end Payton Turner, who had his fifth-year option declined by the Saints last offseason. The 2021 first round pick has unfortunately not lived up to his potential, and that makes the decision regarding his contract easier than some others.

With that said, here is his career summary so far:

Career Stats

Payton Turner has had an exceptionally slow start to his career to date, as in four seasons he has only played in 31 games, starting none, and accrued 50 total tackles (30 solo, 20 assisted), 39 pressures, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 4 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. These stats are something you would expect in one season from a first round pick, not over their entire rookie contract.

Statistically he has struggled and that heavily coincides with his lack of time played and injuries accrued. Even when he does play, he seems a step or two slow due to the accrued injuries over four seasons.

Snap Counts

Here are the snap counts for the games Turner played in his four seasons:

  • 2021 – 41% (143)
  • 2022 – 32% (171)
  • 2023 – 20% (25)
  • 2024 – 31% (335)

2024 season review

2024 was not much of a revelation for Turner, as despite being able to play in 16 games, he was unable to accrue any meaningful statistics over the course of the year. His 4 pass deflections were one of the very few stats he showed up for, as his height allowed him to make plays on passes off the edge rather often. Other than that though, it was not particularly a good season, and in what is a contract year, it was likely not enough to earn another with the Saints.

Stay or go?

As is clear by the analysis of his stats, health, or eye test, Turner just has not shown enough to prove he is worth another contract. As much as he looked like a solid player coming out of his draft class, he ultimately has struggled immensely with injuries which is truly unfortunate, as you hate to see any injuries to younger up and coming players.

As much as I would like to validate a one year deal, the defensive end room needs a bit of an overhaul, and new talent needs to find its way into that group. Turner would also likely benefit from new scenery and new coaching, so it is in the best interest of both teams to go there separate ways and find what they need.

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Saints free agent preview: LG Lucas Patrick, stay or go?

Previewing free agency for the New Orleans Saints: Should they retain left guard Lucas Patrick, or let him walk in the 2025 offseason?

The New Orleans Saints are going to have to make some decisions this offseason, with plenty of quality or depth free agents in this class, they will need to choose who to keep and who to let walk. While this is not as high-leverage of an offseason as some others for them, there are definitely some decent pieces they need to consider in their plans for the future.

One of the players they will need to make a decision on is Lucas Patrick, who started 10 games at left guard this season while battling several injuries. While he may not have been perfect, he performed well in the circumstances he was given.

With that said, here is his career in a nutshell so far:

Career Stats

Patrick has been able to start 64 of his 107 career games through eight seasons in the NFL. He is one of the most disciplined lineman in the NFL as well, with only 18 total penalties in his entire career, and despite having 7 in 2023 with the Chicago Bears, he never had more than 4 in any other season.

In his eight seasons he has only given up 9 sacks, 119 pressures, and 18 QB hits, good for a career 97.5% pass blocking rate.

Snap Counts

Here are the offensive snap counts for the games Patrick played in over the course of each season:

  • 2017 – 29% (227)
  • 2018 – 29% (278)
  • 2019 – 15% (137)
  • 2020 – 90% (939)
  • 2021 – 82% (911)
  • 2022 – 65% (269)
  • 2023 – 88% (958)
  • 2024 – 79% (563)

2024 season review

When it comes down to it, 2024 was actually a pretty exceptional season for Patrick. In his 563 snaps, he had 0 sacks allowed, 10 pressures allowed, and only 3 total penalties. This strong performance was good for a 98.4% pass block success rate. Additionally, 7 of his pressures allowed came from only 2 games, one of which was after his injury (Week 16 against Green Bay Packers) so he should at least get somewhat of a pass for that.

Overall, it was a quality season for Patrick who was coming off one of his worst seasons.

Stay or go?

Lucas Patrick is a player the Saints should make an effort to keep around, as at minimum veteran depth. He feels like he would fit into the role of what James Hurst did when he was with the Saints, a spot starter who can fill the void at a few positions, and hold the spot for a rookie as they develop. While not a long term option, he no doubt had a solid season, and if the Saints can get him on a one- or two-year deal on similar value to his past contract per year, they should no doubt accept that.

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Just 4 teams have drafted fewer players than Saints since they hired Mickey Loomis

Just four teams have drafted fewer players than the Saints since they promoted Mickey Loomis to GM. Years of trade gambles haven’t paid off:

There are only four teams that have spent fewer selections in the NFL draft than the New Orleans Saints since they promoted Mickey Loomis to general manager back in 2003.

Those teams are the Minnesota Vikings (285), Los Angeles Chargers (282), Pittsburgh Steelers (268) and the league-low Green Bay Packers (267 players drafted), according to the data from Stathead and Pro Football Reference.

You could argue that the Saints have been successful despite owning so few draft picks through Loomis’ habit of trading them away. Over that same time period under Loomis, the Saints rank 10th-best in win percentage (going 199-157, or .558). And that’s the case for all five of these teams, which rank inside top-11.

That’s not to say the few draft picks are the exact reason for that, though. It is also important to consider stable quarterback play, what the coaching staff is doing and how that may hide any potential mistakes or misfortunate. Whether it’s Sean Payton and Drew Brees, Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy or just going from Philip Rivers to Justin Herbert under center, getting the right people in the right positions (and keeping them there) has lifted each of these squads and made up for what they lacked on the depth chart.

But now Loomis doesn’t have Payton or Brees propping him up. Years of gambling on draft-day trades hasn’t paid off. His record without Payton leading the team is 49-66, a win percentage of just .426. That would be the seventh-worst win percentage in the league since 2003. If Loomis can’t get this head coach hire right, that’s going to be his legacy.

All things considered, it will be interesting to watch how the Saints make use of their opportunities in the 2025 NFL draft with a very important offseason ahead.

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Cameron Jordan addresses 2025 speculation after final 2024 home game

Cameron Jordan addressed speculation about what’s in store for him in 2025 after his final home game with the Saints in 2024:

Speculation about franchise legend Cameron Jordan’s future with the New Orleans Saints started to pick up entering the team’s final home game of the 2024 season. Jordan’s obvious emotion before, during and after game,  having led the “Who Dat” chant with his whole family watching and sticking around late to sign autographs, only fueled the fire.

In speaking to the media afterwards, Jordan addressed the speculation and gave a couple of interesting quotes regarding his next steps after this season. First, a comment shared by

Jordan says he won’t leave the team of his own choosing, telling ESPN’s Katherine Terrell: “If you want to shut that door for me, you’re going to have to shut it for me because I’m not going to do it to myself. As much as I bleed, I think I only bleed black and gold, but if you force me to go bleed somewhere else, a soldier fights wherever, whenever, however.”

These past two seasons haven’t been the same as Jordan is used to in that black and gold, but he is showing at least some signs of life again. He has 14 tackles with five for a loss and three sacks in the past three games.

He also let out some of the frustration that he has felt from the disappointing season, understanding that fans are upset.

“The city of New Orleans has always rocked with us,” Jordan reflected, via the Times-Picayune’s Luke Johnson. “Even in a piss-poor season like this one, it’s still all the TeeTees and MawMaws and PawPaws and Parrains out there taking care of us. I’ve got nothing but love for it, so I was trying to show a little appreciation. And if it is the last one, I’m going to go out my way anyways.”

Jordan made his point pretty clear. He’ll stay as long as the Saints will have him. But if they’re ready to move on, and the salary cap might demand it, he’ll go searching for new opportunities without any ill will.

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Cameron Jordan sacked his 49th career QB against the Raiders

Cameron Jordan sacked the 49th quarterback of his 14-year Saints career against the Raiders on Sunday:

In what could be the last home game of his New Orleans Saints career, Cameron Jordan had an early sack against the Las Vegas Raiders that added to his impressive resume.

After taking down Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell in the first quarter, Jordan has now sacked 49 different quarterbacks in his 14-year career.

It is an impressive stat that also comes off as kind of bittersweet. Jordan recently stated his intention to play in 2025, whether it is with the Saints or not. Now, in the last home game of the season, the realization that it might be over is starting to sink in.

If he does indeed leave New Orleans next year, Jordan’s impressive 121.5 career sacks will go down as the most in franchise history and will stay that way for a long time.

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Cameron Jordan had his first multi-sack game since 2022 season

Cameron Jordan had his first multi-sack game since 2022 against the Washington Commanders. The New Orleans Saints pass rush is heating up:

This time of year is usually prime time for New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan.

On Sunday against the Washington Commanders, Jordan achieved his first multi-sack game since late in the 2022 season, back on New Year’s Day 2023 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jordan tallied up three sacks on Eagles backup Gardner Minshew in a game in which they would win 20-10.

Jordan had two sacks against Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, to bump his total to three on the season. Coincidentally, Jordan’s three sacks in 2024 have all came during interim head coach Darren Rizzi’s tenure.

It has been very evident that Cam’s play as of late has been much more impressive in this second half of the season. On Sunday, his play was crucial in containing a player like Daniels and making sure that he doesn’t extend plays on the perimeter.

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Alvin Kamara set to hit an important new milestone in Week 14

Alvin Kamara is only 39 yards away from setting a new single-season high in rushing yards. He’s on pace for his first 1,000-yard season, too:

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is on pace to set a new single-season high in rushing yards against the New York Giants this Sunday. He set his previous personal-best back in 2020, when Kamara rushed for 932 yards. That was by far the best season of his career. He balanced a heavy workload and rare explosiveness, while also delivering the most touchdowns in the league (16).

The Saints haven’t been able to surround Kamara with the best pieces this season due to injuries. The offseason addition of Klint Kubiak, however, has clearly paid off. Kubiak’s new run scheme was one of the biggest selling points of the hire.

Kamara has produced despite injuries to blockers Erik McCoy, Cesar Ruiz and Lucas Patrick. Taysom Hill was the best secondary running threat. He’s missed time throughout the season and Jamaal Williams hasn’t been much help. The offense has ran through and leaned on Kamara all season, and he’s more than delivered. He’s up to 894 rushing yards through just 12 games.

With another 39 yards, Kamara will have his highest rushing total of his career and is likely going to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the first time ever. He may achieve that in Week 14, as well, with a strong performance. He’s averaging 74.5 yards per game on the ground this season and just put up 112 on the Los Angeles Rams, the fifth-ranked defense in rushing yards allowed per game (144.2). The fourth-ranked squad is Kamara’s next opponent, the New York Giants, who have averaged 145.8 yards per game. That’s looking like a favorable matchup.

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Tyrann Mathieu has his eyes on coaching after playing career

Tyrann Mathieu is still playing good football, but he has had internal conversations on what he wants to do when he hangs it up:

Tyrann Mathieu has been the New Orleans Saints’ best veteran on defense this year. He is the leader in turnovers on the team. Despite playing at a high level, he’s still looking towards life after football.

This future is still some years away, but Mathieu admits he does think about coaching. Those internal conversations have gone as far as whether or not he would coach on the professional or collegiate level.

In the past, Mathieu has expressed the desire to coach at his alma mater, LSU. The safety’s leadership has been one of his most heralded attributes as a player, so a transition to coaching makes sense.

In his playing career, Mathieu feel he has “accomplished everything that I’ve individually set out to accomplish.” Now he’s taking it year by year and enjoying himself.

It feels like the ability to come in and play for the Saints is just the cherry on top of what has been a great career. He returned to his hometown in 2021, and that have been the last box for him to check.

Mathieu has relished in “coming back home, being able to be in the the community, being able to play high level football and be productive on the field.”

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Taysom Hill recognized with his second career Offensive Player of the Week award

Take a bow, Taysom Hill. The Saints’ standout football player was recognized with his second career Offensive Player of the Week award:

Take a bow, Taysom Hill. The New Orleans Saints football player was recognized with his second career NFC Offensive Player of the Week award after making plays as a runner, receiver, and passer against the Cleveland Browns — not counting his impressive kick return for 42 yards.

Take that with his 138 rushing yards, 50 receiving yards, and an 18-yard pass, and Hill amassed 188 yards from scrimmage with 230 all-purpose yards. Each of those totals were personal bests for him, and he had three touchdown runs on the afternoon, too.

This is the third weekly honor for Hill after he was previously named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in 2022 and NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in 2018. Call him a quarterback, fullback, tight end or wide receiver — wherever Hill lines up, he makes plays. That’s what interim head coach Darren Rizzi expressed to FOX Sports sideline reporter Jennifer Hale during Sunday’s win over the Browns.

“Taysom’s an unbelievable football player, usually the more we can use him the better off we are,” Rizzi said on the broadcast, acknowledging Hill’s highlights despite an interception and fumble on the day. “We just gotta do a better job limiting the negative plays, can’t turn the football over. But we’re going to use Taysom as much as we can.”

Hill is averaging a career-high 38.3 rushing yards per game this season on top of 21.4 receiving yards per game, which is also the most for his time in the NFL. Over the summer Klint Kubiak and the Saints coaching staff expressed an eagerness to get more out of Hill than in past seasons, and you’re seeing that pay off. Hill just needs to stay healthy, protect the football, and keep earning recognition for his efforts.

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