Tag: Carl Granderson

Payton Turner’s toe injury flared up again at Saints practice this week

Payton Turner’s toe injury flared up again at Saints practice this week. He’s playing through pain to prove he belongs:

Payton Turner’s toe injury flared up again at New Orleans Saints training camp this week, taking the defensive end out of practice early. It was the second time in as many weeks where Turner’s injury became a problem. And he returned to a full day of reps the next day just like the week before. But this may be something Turner and the Saints medical staff have to manage throughout his time in black and gold.

He’s playing through pain to prove he belongs. It’s not like Turner stubbed his toe or something negligible. He tore a ligament in his foot last year that required surgery and an extensive rehab, and it’s still bothering him. It’s really unfortunate for a player who is working so hard to help his team and salvage his career be slowed down by something outside his control like this.

So what’s to be done? Expect more occasional rest days for Turner throughout the season to help mitigate the weight and stress being put on his surgically-repaired foot. That’s the approach the team has taken with other players battling long-lasting injuries in the past, like Ryan Ramczyk’s degenerative knee condition. But we’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully Turner can continue to play and fight for snaps in the rotation at defensive end behind Chase Young, Carl Granderson, and Cameron Jordan.

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Dennis Allen on the decision to move Cameron Jordan inside

Cameron Jordan will play on the inside more this season. Dennis Allen says “It takes a special person to be able to handle that”

Cameron Jordan will play on the interior more than he ever has in a New Orleans Saints uniform. Jordan already shared that he is up for the challenge though he wouldn’t have chosen this route. Telling your future Hall of Fame defensive end you need him to alter his role can’t be an easy conversation or decision to make.

Dennis Allen explained the decision to Kay Adams. The Saints picked up Chase Young in free agency, and Carl Granderson is firmly stepping into the role as the Saints’ top pass rusher. You see more players fighting for reps at defensive end than in recent years. Allen sees that as a catalyst for the change.

“At the end of the day, there’s only so many snaps on defense,” Allen said. “There’s only so many spots he can play. How do we get the best 11 guys on the field?”

Jordan will still play on the edge, but Granderson and Young will likely be your two edge players on obvious passing situations and two-minute drills. In these situations, along with other plays throughout the game, you’ll see Jordan on the inside.

Allen credits Jordan for his response to the challenge. Jordan has played one position pretty much his entire career. He’s rushed off the defense’s left side, so leaving that for something different can be an odd. Allen commended him, saying, “It takes a special person to be able to handle that.”

If all goes as planned this could extend his career by keeping Jordan in the lineup as an effective defender. But Allen and the Saints are grateful for what he’s given them already through more than a decade: “Cam’s been one of the most unselfish players in our league for a long, long time.”

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WATCH: Carl Granderson mic’d up at Saints training camp practice

Carl Granderson was mic’d up at New Orleans Saints training camp practice. Here’s a day of work from his point of view:

Carl Granderson was mic’d up at New Orleans Saints training camp practice. Here’s a day of work from his point of view, which you can watch here. He’s the latest defender to wear a microphone into practice after other guys like Alontae Taylor and Willie Gay Jr. did so. Playmakers on offense like Rashid Shaheed and Cesar Ruiz have also given us a glimpse at practice from their perspectives.

Granderson is going to be a big player for the team again this year. He’s steadily climbed the depth chart to lead the Saints in snaps played at defensive end last season, logging 103 more reps than Cameron Jordan did. Expect Granderson and big-time free agent acquisition Chase Young to take point on passing downs.

Just how great can Granderson be? The former undrafted free agent has come a long way, and he’s coming off new career-highs in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (14). His 58 quarterback pressures were tied for 24th-most at Pro Football Focus, behind Young’s 66 (17th) and ahead of Jordan’s 45 (44th). He’s put in the work to become the future at defensive end for the Saints. All he has to do next is follow through and meet his own standards.

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Saints players try their hands at the viral grip test after training camp practice

New Orleans Saints players tried their hands at the viral grip test challenge after training camp practice. Who has the strongest hands on the team?

A little fun never hurts anybody, especially during the rigors of training camp. And who doesn’t want bragging rights for having the strongest hands on the team?

The New Orleans Saints social media team brought out the grip test after a recent practice session, which allowed for some fun competition for the guys. It’s a viral trend going around the league; the Philadelphia Eagles have also shared their results.

A variety of position groups competed here, starting with many of the defensive linemen all the way to kicker Blake Grupe, which brought some good laughs given his smaller stature. One thing that was interesting was tight end Foster Moreau getting the highest score reaching the 200 number. This surpassed guys like Chase Young, Willie Gay Jr., Carl Granderson and Bryan Bresee who we would assume due to their build and the nature of their position, would receive the higher numbers.

Of this exercise though, maybe the most enjoyable part was the players’ reactions. Hearing many of the guys screaming and yelling like they’re in the weight room is hilarious. Small things like this are what allows players to bond with each other outside of the game, and it’s great to see the many smiles on their faces at such an arduous time of the year.

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Dennis Allen likes what he’s seeing from the Saints defensive line

The Saints’ defensive line has the potential to make or break Dennis Allen’s defense. Their development was crucial, and Allen likes what he’s seeing:

Dennis Allen is a fan of what he’s seeing from the New Orleans Saints defensive line. It’s largely the same group with the addition of Chase Young, but the returning players have risen to the occasion.

Carl Granderson is a prime example of this. You’ve seen him truly step into his role as the lead edge rusher on the team.

When looking at the defense line, Allen said Thursday that, “they have the right demeanor and they play the right way. They play a tough, aggressive style of defense, a physical style of defense, and that’s what wins in our league.”

Allen couldn’t over-emphasize the importance of the trenches. He pointed to how the defense starts with the front and their ability to control the line of scrimmage. The defensive line looked good against the Arizona Cardinals and has been taking the proper steps this offseason.

Allen pointed specifically at the pass rush in Thursday’s two-minute drill as a positive. That drill didn’t go the way of the defense, but how the defensive line’s performance was a silver lining.

The defensive line is the biggest question mark on the defense. It was a unit that had the potential to hold the defense back. Their development was crucial, and it’s looking like they’ve turned the corner.

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Taliese Fuaga credits teammates for preparing him for preseason debut

Taliese Fuaga says lining up against Carl Granderson and Chase Young in practice made him more comfortable for taking on the Cardinals:

The Arizona Cardinals may have held their starters out of the preseason opener, but the New Orleans Saints wanted to get their first team some live game action. Taliese Fuaga walked out with the starting offensive line at his new position, left tackle, and looked like a starting offensive lineman.

It was his first professional game, but the rookie looked comfortable and expressed he felt comfortable after the game. He credited Carl Granderson and Chase Young after the game.

Being able to practice against players of their caliber made this preseason game feel easier. That’s what happens when you practice against quality teammates. They’re supposed to prepare you so these moments don’t feel overwhelming

Veteran blockers Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz left with the rest of the starters after the first two drives. Fuaga was one of three offensive linemen who stayed in the game. It makes sense because Ruiz and McCoy are the only solidified starters on the unit. Fuaga is on his way to joining them, if he isn’t already. Still, as a rookie, those extra reps are invaluable.

Fuaga said he was able to “get a better feel of how defenses are playing, how different guys are playing the game” by staying in longer on Saturday. More time on the field gave Fuaga to see a multitude of pass rush moves and styles from professional players. Absorbing this information can aid in planning for them when the games count.

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Carl Granderson is the Saints’ surest thing at defensive end

There’s a lot of question marks at defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, but Dennis Allen says Carl Granderson isn’t one of them:

Carl Granderson has earned the full trust of Dennis Allen. In his interview after Day 3 at New Orleans Saints training camp, Allen was asked to clarify a sentiment from a previous interview. He expressed concerns about each of the Saints defensive ends, singling out Cameron Jordan, Chase Young, Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner.

Do you see someone missing? When asked about Granderson’s exclusion, Allen made it clear this wasn’t a memory lapse.

“Carl has earned the right to be someone we’re really going to count on,” Allen said. If that wasn’t clear enough, Allen took it a step farther and named the questions marks and variables surrounding all other players at the position.

“Carl’s a guy who just continued to improve,” Allen added.

This speaks volumes about the view of Granderson inside the locker room. He’s coming off the best year of his career. In 2023, he set career highs in sacks (8.5), tackles for loss (14) and quarterback pressures (58), leading the team in each category. Granderson  hit double-digit tackles for a loss for the first time in his career, and he’s looking to achieve that same accomplishment with sacks this upcoming season.

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Saints’ expensive defensive ends overlooked on ESPN positional rankings

The Saints have spent many draft picks and salary cap dollars on their defensive ends, but the entire group was shut out of ESPN’s positional rankings:

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has been busy polling dozens of anonymous NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to find the best players at every position group, and on Wednesday he shared their rankings for the league’s best edge rushers. It’s a broad category that lumps traditional defensive ends in with pass-rushing outside linebackers, but the key takeaway for the New Orleans Saints is that they weren’t represented.

That isn’t too surprising given the Saints’ issues pressuring the quarterback last season. Just three teams had fewer sacks than New Orleans (34), who tied with the New York Giants for fourth-worst in the NFL. Their edge rotation just hasn’t been effective enough.

It’s not for lack of trying to improve the group. Cameron Jordan is playing on a contract that carries $28.4 million in guarantees. Carl Granderson has been guaranteed $22.1 million, and Chase Young signed this offseason for a guaranteed $12.5 million. On top of that, the Saints drafted Payton Turner with the 28th overall pick in 2021 and Isaiah Foskey at 40th overall in 2023. They were guaranteed $12.5 million and $6.7 million, respectively. If you’re keeping score, that’s about $82.2 million invested in these five players.

The hope is for Young to heal up from offseason neck surgery in time for the start of the regular season in September; for what it’s worth, he’s progressing well and received positive news at a checkup to start the summer. Last season he tied his career-high with 7.5 sacks and almost doubled his personal-best in quarterback pressures (67, per Pro Football Focus charting). Granderson led the Saints with 8.5 sacks and 57 pressures.

If Foskey can settle in and earn snaps, too (and he should; he didn’t set Notre Dame’s school sacks record by accident) then this group could really get moving. But they haven’t been good enough so far, and there’s nothing wrong with admitting that. Turner has been a big disappointment. Jordan is at a point in his career where he can’t deliver as the team’s primary pass rusher, and he shouldn’t be asked to. Granderson has developed well and made big strides year over year. If the plan is for Granderson and Young to lead the charge with Turner and Foskey rotating in on passing downs while Jordan focuses on being a reliable run stopper, it just might work. We’ll see how it shakes out over the summer, and whether any of them earn a spot in the top-10 rankings this time next year.

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Defensive line is the Saints pivotal unit on defense

The defense has been the backbone of the Saints for years. The one thing that could break them is continued poor performance in the trenches:

The New Orleans Saints defense has been the backbone of the team for a while at this point. Since the retirement of Drew Brees, the defense has bore a significantly heavier weight.

Offense has sputtered due to injuries and inconsistencies. The hope is Klint Kubiak joining as offensive coordinator will give an immediate benefit and lessen the weight the defense has to carry. However, the Saints can’t slack up defensively if they want to maximize their potential in 2024.

The Saints pass defense was strong despite having a lackluster pass rush. Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo still form a strong tandem on the outside. Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry battle it out on the inside, but both have the ability to play on the outside.

The defensive strength still lies in the secondary. Dennis Allen cannot, however, continue to ask them to cover up for a nearly nonexistent pass rush. Getting after the quarterback is the headliner, but the Saints also struggled to stop the run. Last year they tied for 28th in sacks and ranked 22nd in rushing yards allowed.

For as strong as the Saints defense has been over the last two years, the trenches haven’t been great. Allen understands the value in strengthening the unit and signing Chase Young is the latest attempt to accomplish this over nearly a decade.

If there was one Achilles’ heel on an otherwise strong unit, the New Orleans Saints defensive line would be it. Their limitations haven’t caught up to the Saints yet. In order for it not to happen in 2024, recent signings and draft picks must step up to the plate.

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Countdown to Kickoff, Day 94: Cameron Jordan is the Saints Player of the Day

Countdown to Kickoff, Day 94: Cameron Jordan is the New Orleans Saints Player of the Day. What are expectations for him in 2024?

There are 94 days to go until the New Orleans Saints kick  off their 2024 season with the Carolina Panthers, which means Cameron Jordan — the current owner  of the No. 94 jersey — is our Saints Player of  the Day. We’re counting down to kickoff by highlighting each player in the corresponding jersey number until Sept. 8.

Jordan is coming off of a down year, which may feel inevitable this late in his career. But before we get to his goals for 2024, let’s reflect on the road that brought him here:

  • Name (Age): Cameron Jordan (34)
  • Position: Defensive end
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-4, 287 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 8.86
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $13,852,250
  • College: California
  • Drafted: First round in 2011 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: 14 seasons

Jordan is the Saints’ official all-time sacks leader (with 117.5 of them) but he only had two sacks last season before an ankle injury limited his snap counts. In 2022, 5 of his 8.5 sacks came in just two games. He isn’t the same pass rusher he once was, and the Saints shouldn’t keep asking him to play the same role in their defense. But they don’t have many better options with Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey developing so slowly. Tanoh Kpassagnon’s injury takes  him off the board, too. The hope is Chase Young can add enough to thee pass rush opposite Carl Granderson to make up for Jordan’s decline, but he’s dealing with his own injury.

It isn’t a great situation. By all accounts the Saints are still intending on Jordan playing a lot of snaps and starting with Granderson. Until someone steps up to help Jordan shoulder the load, he’s going to continue playing heavy minutes on Sundays. He maintained an impressive pace of at least 7.5 sacks per season from 2012 to 2022, but those days may be behind him.

If that’s the case, we’re saying Jordan should aim for 5.5 sacks in 2024. That would be an improvement and tie Rickey Jackson for the Saints’ unofficial all-time record at Pro Football Reference. Sacks were not officially tracked until 1982, which didn’t include Jackson’s rookie season in 1981, so his unofficial total is 123. Seeing Jordan tie that would be good. Beating it would be great.

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