Tag: Carl Granderson

PFF names DE Carl Granderson the Saints’ most-improved player in 2022

Pro Football Focus names defensive end Carl Granderson the New Orleans Saints’ most-improved player in 2022, having raised his player grade by 17 points:

Who would you say was the New Orleans Saints’ most-improved player in 2022? Our pick went to right guard Cesar Ruiz, who finally began to look like a former first-round pick under tutelage of his new position coach Doug Marrone. Another choice would be tight end Juwan Johnson, who broke out to lead the team with seven touchdown receptions.

But here’s another suggestion from Pro Football Focus analyst Gordon McGuinness. After posting a league-average grade of 63.2 in 2021, defensive end Carl Granderson improved to an impressive 80.4 player grade for the 2022 season. McGuinness shared some insight on that leap in performance and what makes Granderson the Saints’ most-improved player:

“An undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2019, Granderson had a monster year against the run, with his 84.4 PFF run-defense grade the second-highest mark among all edge defenders in the NFL. Eight of his 22 pressures were sacks, and he registered 34 tackles resulting in a defensive stop.”

Granderson finished the year as the starting defensive end opposite Cameron Jordan, playing ahead of two recent first-round draft picks in Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner down the stretch. While his stronger numbers as a pass rusher are what’s driving his improved defensive rating, Granderson is also holding up better against the run than we saw early in his career. He’s worked hard to bulk up and adjust to the NFL, and that diligence is paying off.

Now he enters the 2023 offseason as, on paper, a defensive starter. Whether he’ll retain that status remains to be seen. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Saints invest another high draft pick in the position should Davenport leave in free agency or if the coaching staff is pessimistic on Turner’s growth; like many teams, they rotate their pass rushers often through games, so it’s better to have multiple viable players in the group.

Another interesting note: Granderson signed a two-year extension last year rather than a typical one-year contract for an exclusive rights free agent, which means he’s on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2024. That was a sign of the team’s belief in his career trajectory and it also helps keep some stability at defensive end going into 2023. In addition to Davenport, Tanoh Kpassagnon is a backup headed for free agency. Knowing Granderson is under contract makes losing one (or both) of those players a little more acceptable.

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Todd McShay’s mock draft swaps Marcus Davenport for a prospect who’s just like him

Todd McShay’s mock draft has the Saints replacing Marcus Davenport with a prospect who’s just like him:

The New Orleans Saints defensive line needs a facelift. Their linebackers were more productive on blitzes than their starting defensive ends for much of the season, and the big men inside gave up too much ground in run defense as the 2022 season wore on. So the fact that multiple linemen are headed for free agency is a good opportunity to reboot the unit.

But ESPN’s Todd McShay has a worrisome suggestion. One of the players who could leave this offseason is defensive end Marcus Davenport, who has all the ability in the world but struggled to stay on the field through five years with the Saints due to injuries and inconsistent play. He has the Saints picking a prospect with many of the same qualities that filled Davenport’s scouting report coming out of college: Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White.

Here’s what McShay wrote of the fit in his recent mock draft:

“The Saints got back into Round 1 with the Sean Payton trade and have a chance to land a replacement for Marcus Davenport if the veteran pass-rusher departs in free agency — which seems likely given the Saints’ salary-cap situation. White is coming off a 7.5-sack season and just had a good week in Mobile, Alabama, at the Senior Bowl. The pass rush was a strength in New Orleans last season (48 sacks, tied for fifth), but Cameron Jordan is turning 34, and defensive tackle David Onyemata is scheduled to join Davenport in free agency.”

He’s right to point out the position as an area of need. Jordan and Carl Granderson are your projected starters out on the edge in 2023 and there’s no depth behind them; Payton Turner hasn’t shown anything through two injury-plagued years to start his own career. But White shares just as many of Davenport’s positive traits as red flags. He’s his own man, sure, and he could very well work out well in New Orleans. We just can’t ignore that players with a similar archetype haven’t done well in this situation.

Like Davenport, he’s exactly what the Saints are looking for in an athletic prototype at 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, with long 33-inch arms giving him an impressive 79-inch wingspan. But like Davenport, White brings some injury concerns. He missed the first eight games of the 2021 season recovering from a broken ankle, and he’s still picking up the nuances of the position after starting his college career at tight end. There are a lot of similarities between the two players.

So it makes sense to link the Saints to someone with traits they’ve rolled the dice on before. At the same time, White brings many of the same risks that burned New Orleans in betting big on Davenport (and Turner, who the Saints drafted two years ago). He’s played just over 1,200 defensive snaps in his career, he’s missed most of a season to an injury already, and he’ll need to be coached up before he’s ready to start games on Sundays.

With that said, it does make sense for the Saints to go looking for another defensive end. But they need to shake the trends that didn’t work out for them before. There are other players in this position group who are more pro-ready and projected to be picked in the same range like Derick Hall (over 1,900 defensive snaps), BJ Ojulari (1,700), Tuli Tuipulotu and Will McDonald IV (1,500 each). If the Saints want to pick another pass-rusher early on, they should be looking for more of a finished product than someone who is two or three years away from helping them out.

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Saints pick Cameron Jordan’s heir-apparent in new 2023 mock draft

The Saints picked Cameron Jordan’s heir-apparent in a new 2023 mock draft, adding USC Trojans pass rusher Tuli Tuipulotu:

Here’s an unconventional mock draft for the New Orleans Saints. The Draft Network’s Damian Parson recently completed a two-round projection that has the Saints selecting USC Trojans pass rusher Tuli Tuipulotu at No. 41 overall, bringing a potential heir-apparent for Cameron Jordan into the building. Jordan won the Saints sacks record last year but will turn 34 this summer, so and the team shouldn’t keep asking him to be their leading pass rusher.

Tuipulotu certainly fits New Orleans’ prototype at defensive end, being listed at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds. He’s coming off the best year of his college career with 13.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss across 14 games; Pro Football Focus charting found he generated 56 quarterback pressures, which led the Trojans by a wide margin.

There are some questions about his exact fit in the NFL, though. Parson’s peer at TDN Kyle Crabbs wrote in Tuipulotu’s scouting report that:

“Expectations for Tuipulotu will range from team to team. Are you going to have him play in the 290s and serve as a B-gap defender? Or is he someone you’ll charge with playing around 270 and ask him to work more prominently off the edge? He’s shown the ability to do either, but in order to maximize his stock as a prospect, he’ll need to offer as much passing down value as possible to sell teams on his ability to play high snap volume in the NFL.”

New Orleans likes its defensive ends to play on the heavier side of that weight scale owing to their natural strength in run defense, so Tuipulotu wouldn’t have to drastically change his body to accommodate their system. But that’s assuming defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen won’t leave for a new job after interviewing with the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons.

It shouldn’t shock anyone if the Saints end up using their top pick in the 2023 draft on a defensive lineman. Marcus Davenport and David Onyemata are pending free agents, as are guys like Tanoh Kpassagnon, Shy Tuttle, Kentavius Street, and Malcolm Roach. They aren’t all going to return next season. The Saints haven’t gotten anything out of their 2021 first round pick Payton Turner, either, so it would make sense if they add someone like Tuipulotu to their rotation behind Jordan and Carl Granderson.

But that should only be a consideration if their bigger problems are resolved in free agency. The Saints have higher priorities at quarterback and running back, and you could make the case for roster needs at left guard, wide receiver, and safety, too. Maybe even tight end. They have plenty of issues to work out this offseason.

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Second-year Saints DE Payton Turner had the best game of his career vs. Raiders

Second-year Saints defensive end Payton Turner had the best game of his career against the Raiders. It’s important he continues to turn the corner:

This is what you love to see. Payton Turner’s pro career hasn’t started out as well as hoped, but he delivered on those expectations in Sunday’s rout of the Las Vegas Raiders. The second-year New Orleans Saints defensive end played the best football we’ve seen out of him in Week 8’s game — he notched 5 quarterback pressures at Pro Football Focus, including 2 sacks. He was also credited with 3 defensive stops, which are typically defined as plays in which the offense gains 50% or fewer yards necessary for a conversion.

What’s impressive here is that this was just the ninth game Turner has played in the NFL. He lost most of his rookie season to injuries and has only been active for four games this season. He’s young and inexperienced, but he’s got the tools to win on Sundays. It’s really encouraging to see him finding this kind of success at this stage in his career.

The Saints will need more games like it out of him, though. Their future at defensive end is unclear. Marcus Davenport is their best pass rusher at the position and he’ll be a free agent in the spring; Cameron Jordan has a real shot at entering the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday, but he’s 33 and playing on a hefty contract. Tanoh Kpassagnon will also be a free agent in 2023, leaving Turner and Carl Granderson (who was inactive Sunday) as the only two young players signed long-term. If Turner can turn the corner and keep racking up sacks and building confidence, he can be a big part of the solution at defensive end.

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Saints’ deals with Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson set up the plan at DE

Cameron Jordan’s restructure makes it all but certain he’ll play his career out in black and gold, while Carl Granderon’s extension tees up their next move at defensive end:

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This is interesting: ESPN’s Field Yates reported that the New Orleans Saints re-signed defensive end Carl Granderson, one of their exclusive rights free agents, but he later added that Granderson inked a two-year deal with the Saints rather than a typical one-year contract extension. That means he’ll be with New Orleans through 2022 and 2023, finally reaching unrestricted free agency in 2024.

That’s significant for a couple of different reasons, which we’ll get to in a second. Yates clarified that the Saints paid Granderson $4.3 million in addition to the $965,000 he qualified for as an exclusive rights free agent — that’s equal to what a second-round restricted free agent tender could be worth next year. So why did they do that?

For one, the Saints have now given Granderson a clear idea of how strongly they value him. If he had become a restricted free agent in 2023, they would have tendered him at that level. He’s ascending in their pass-rush rotation, and they think he’s about to have a great two-year stretch. For another, Granderson’s teammates Marcus Davenport and Tanoh Kpassagnon are each entering the final year of their contracts with the Saints, meaning they’ll hit free agency in 2023. This effectively means New Orleans has two fires to put out in 2023 rather than three.

But why sign him to a two-year extension rather than a three-year deal? That may benefit the team more if they view Granderson as a player on the rise, getting him under contract at a bargain, but it’s in Granderson’s interest to reach unrestricted free agency sooner rather than later. That’s where he is likely to find his biggest payday. So while he may appreciate the security in a three-year deal, his path to earning significantly more money makes a two-year deal more preferable. This suggests he and the Saints reached a compromise.

This wasn’t the only move the Saints made at defensive end on Thursday, though. Cameron Jordan restructured his contract to lower his salary cap hit from $23.1 million to just over $12.4 million, saving roughly $10.7 million against the cap. Jordan will still get that money — this isn’t a pay cut. Instead, he agreed to lower his base salary from $13.6 million to the minimum at $1.12 million, earning the difference back as a signing bonus. He gets his money now instead of later. And the Saints, for accounting purposes, get to defer those payments against the cap onto future years.

Thanks for sticking through that jargon (I never warned you there would be math). The end result is that Jordan will play for the Saints in 2022 at a lower price, and he’s now likely to finish his career in black and gold. New Orleans would still be paying him more than $23 million to not play for them in 2023 should he be released or traded next offseason. They could wait until after June 1, 2023 to move him (saving $15 million) but that would put a serious handicap on their cap flexibility during free agency and the draft.

So we should expect another move with Jordan next offseason in one way or another. An extension feels more likely than another restructure. Jordan’s contract is set to expire on March 12, 2024, making him a 35-year-old free agent and leaving more than $12.7 million behind in dead money. The Saints could sign him to a smaller-valued, multiyear extension that allows him to run up the score on the team sacks record (he currently trails the great Rickey Jackson by 8) that won’t weight down their salary cap figure once his playing days are over.

Then again, the Saints have accepted $11.5 million dead money charges for Drew Brees in both 2021 and 2022. And they’re set up to take another $12.9 million hit should Terron Armstead leave in free agency next week. If they don’t touch Jordan’s contract again (unlikely as that seems), his eventual dead money charge of $12.7 million does fall within the zone they’ve shown is acceptable. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that, though.

That isn’t all, though. The Saints also restructured their quarterback with Tanoh Kpassagnon to save a little over $1.6 million. Because his contract already had some void years sewn into it, he’s now on pace to leave behind about $1.9 million should he leave in free agency next offseason. For context, he will have played on cap hits of $1.1 million and $1.5 million in two years with New Orleans. I would think an extension is in store to avoid paying him more not to play with the Saints, but that’s a bridge they plan to cross another day.

And this all surrounds the intrigue on Marcus Davenport, who is currently playing on his fifth year option and set to become a free agent next March just like Kpassagnon. Maybe the Saints don’t touch his contract, and prefer to let him play it out before discussing an extension. Maybe they restructure him like they did with past first rounders Marshon Lattimore (who later signed an extension anyway) and Sheldon Rankins (who didn’t). But in restructuring Jordan and extending Granderson, they have something to work with should Davenport end up leaving New Orleans once his contract expires. It’s important to remember that none of these moves are made in isolation. Everything influences something else.

So, to recap, here is where the Saints stand at defensive end going into the 2022 season, and when those players will be up for new deals:

  • Tanoh Kpassagnon: under contract through March 7, 2023
  • Marcus Davenport: under contract through March 15, 2023
  • Carl Granderson: under contract through March 13, 2024
  • Cameron Jordan: under contract through March 12, 2024
  • Payton Turner: under contract through March 12, 2025 (pending his fifth-year option)

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Saints re-sign backup defensive linemen Carl Granderson, Jalen Dalton

The Saints re-signed backup defensive linemen Carl Granderson and Jalen Dalton, maintaining depth ahead of free agency:

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Here are a couple of good moves: ESPN’s Field Yates reported Thursday that the New Orleans Saints re-signed a couple of important backups along the defensive line, retaining edge rusher Carl Granderson and interior lineman Jalen Dalton. That’s going to be key for keeping the defensive line a strength of the team moving into 2022, and it’s presenting an opportunity for them to do well as free agents in 2023 after playing on one-year deals. Both contracts should clock in at around $895,000 in value.

Dalton, 24, has had two terrific training camps with New Orleans but suffered a season-ending biceps injury in subsequent seasons. He’s done a great job of bullying his teammates on the other side of the ball and flashed during the 2021 preseason prior to his injury. Hopefully he enjoys better health this summer and can make some noise in the Saints’ interior line rotation behind David Onyemata. Other players on the depth chart include Malcolm Roach, Albert Huggins, and Braxton Hoyett. Shy Tuttle and Christian Ringo are free agents.

And Granderson, 25, has been an effective backup to Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport with 8 sacks and 16 quarterback hits over the last two seasons. He’s developed well as a complimentary pass rusher for New Orleans to throw at winded offensive linemen late in games. With Tanoh Kpassagnon returning on a restructured deal and 2021 first round pick Payton Turner looking to make a splash after an injury-plagued rookie year, Granderson needs to take another step and separate from the pack.

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Saints place starting center Erik McCoy on COVID-19 reserve list

Saints place starting center Erik McCoy on COVID-19 reserve list; 8 players still in protocols

Another day, another New Orleans Saints starter entering the league’s COVID-19 protocols: starting center Erik McCoy was sidelined on Thursday, joining free safety Marcus Williams and several of their teammates on the reserve list ahead of Week 17’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers. He’s likely going to miss that Panthers kickoff on Sunday, though we can’t rule anything out given the NFL’s relaxed stance. If McCoy can’t play, look for either right guard Cesar Ruiz or backup center Will Clapp to fill in for him.

It’s not all bad, though. The Saints brought back two players from the COVID list in defensive ends Carl Granderson and Jalyn Holmes. That adds some much-needed depth to a position group that’s been whittled down by injuries and the coronavirus. The less Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport have to do on their own, the better off they’ll be.

Here’s the updated list of Saints players still on the COVID-19 list (not including left tackle Landon Young and kicker Wil Lutz, who are out for the season on injured reserve):

  1. OL Ryan Ramczyk (Dec. 24)
  2. RB Dwayne Washington (Dec. 24)
  3. WR Deonte Harris (Dec. 26)
  4. DT Malcolm Roach (Dec. 26)
  5. OL Jerald Hawkins (Dec. 26)
  6. CB KeiVarae Russell (Dec. 26)
  7. S Marcus Williams (Dec. 29)
  8. C Erik McCoy (Dec. 30)

Twitter reacts to Jalen Hurts breaking Saints defenders ankles on game sealing TD run

Twitter reacts to Eagles QB Jalen Hurts breaking New Orlean Saints defenders ankles on the game-sealing touchdown run


Jalen Hurts is making statements each week as he continues to show Eagles brass that he can be the franchise quarterback.

On Sunday in a blowout win over the Saints, Hurts scored 3 rushing touchdowns, dominating the New Orleans defense with 69-yards rushing.

The final touchdown was the nail in the coffin, as Hurts shook Saints defensive end Carl Granderson on the way to a 24-yard touchdown run to put Philadelphia up 40-22.

Social media reacted and the results were marvelous.

Saints trade candidates ahead of NFL trade deadline

The New Orleans Saints figure to be buyers, not sellers, but they do have a few trade candidates ahead of the NFL trade deadline:

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It would be a surprise to see the New Orleans Saints trade away players at the NFL trade deadline, but that could help facilitate new pickups. Whether it’s a player-for-player swap or a salary cap-minded move to free up resources to spend at a different position, we can’t rule out anything in the days ahead.

Still, I’d rather see the Saints pursue improvement on offense (especially in the receiving corps). But it’s tough to ignore the quality depth they’ve built up on defense, which could prove useful. Here are a few names on my radar before the Nov. 2 trade deadline:

WATCH: Saints DE Payton Turner already training for 2021 season

New Orleans Saints rookie defensive end Payton Turner is already putting in the work to be great, just days after the 2021 NFL draft.

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Payton Turner knows he’s got a big opportunity in front of him, so he isn’t wasting any time in preparing for it. Less than a week after being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, he has teamed up with Trench Performance’s Brandon Jordan, a defensive and offensive line specialist based in Houston who lists Lions defensive tackle Michael Brockers and former Steelers pass rusher Bud Dupree, now with the Titans, among his pro clients. He trained 20 rookies who were selected in this year’s NFL draft, including Turner.

Turner has all of the ability in the world. He’s big and long and fast, and already knows how to play with a hand in the dirt. That’s a skill Marcus Davenport is still learning, which makes the negative comparisons some Saints fans have drawn between the two first rounders ring hollow.

If Turner can figure out how to use his natural talents to his advantage — protecting his chest from blockers with those 35-inch arms, and extending his 84-inch wingspan to corral runners back inside — he’ll make an immediate impact for the Saints up front. It’s unclear just yet how often he’ll play in a crowded position group with Davenport, Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, and Tanoh Kpassagnon all competing for reps, but the work he’s putting in over the summer should pay off in the fall.

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