Tag: Chase Young

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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Taliese Fuaga continues to build confidence with each practice

Confidence continues to rise with Taliese Fuaga. His dominant rep against Chase Young at Thursday’s practice left media impressed:

Taliese Fuaga has shown promise the entire offseason from minicamp to New Orleans Saints training camp. The rookie then carried that momentum to the preseason game with the Arizona Cardinals, a performance for which he earned the praise of NFL analyst Brian Baldinger.

Most impressively, Fuaga did all of this while flipping from right tackle to left tackle. A back injury briefly held him out of practice, but he’s returned and may have just put on his most confidence-inspiring block yet. He stonewalled Chase Young at Thursday’s practice.

Saints News Network’s John Hendrix described the play by saying, “That Polynesian Power that Brian Baldinger talked about was on display. He stonewalled Chase Young and then he had just one hand out on him and Young wasn’t moving.”

Training camp is full of back and forth battles. It’s not about winning the rep. Young has won his fair share of reps. Young has been a wrecking ball all through training camp. Fuaga got this one in dominant fashion. To win the rep so convincingly against one of the stars of training camp means something.

The Saints’ recent offensive line selections have been less than enthusing, to say the least, but it seems they’ve hit on Taliese Fuaga.

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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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Chase Young earned $450,000 workout bonus after speedy recovery

ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports that Chase Young earned a hefty workout bonus after a quick recovery from neck surgery. He’s off to a good start with the New Orleans Saints:

Shout-out to Chase Young. The New Orleans Saints defensive end earned a hefty workout bonus after his quick recovery from offseason neck surgery, per ESPN’s Katherine Terrell, totaling $450,000. He needed to participate in at least 84.3% of the offseason program and Terrell says that “obviously he earned it at this point.”

Young may not have been on the field for organized team activities and minicamp practices earlier this spring, but he was in the facility every day working through his rehab, and that counts towards his bonus incentives. Dennis Allen noted his presence a few times and complimented his work ethic in getting right after that neck procedure. That aggressive approach allowed Young to return ahead of schedule and hit the practice field at the first day of Saints training camp.

Now he’s cashing in. Young’s contract is one of the more unique deals you’ll find in the NFL this year. While it’s technically a fully-guaranteed $13 million contract, Young’s deal is made up of a $2.7 million base and a $1.86 million signing bonus, with $7.99 million available through per-game roster bonuses (on top of this workout bonus). If he misses any time after Week 1 the Saints will receive a credit on the 2025 salary cap valued at about $470,000 per game. But it’s looking like he’ll earn every penny.

Good for him. Young has worked very hard to get to this point, and if all goes as well as hoped he could earn a life-changing contract next offseason — either as an extension with New Orleans or as a new deal in free agency. He just needs to keep it up.

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Dennis Allen on Saints’ responsibility to help Chase Young reach his potential

Dennis Allen says he and his coaching staff have a responsibility to help Chase Young reach his potential, but he sees a player who has ‘bought into everything’

There might not be a more exciting player at New Orleans Saints training camp than Chase Young. The former second overall draft pick has been ramping up in team drills after recovering from offseason neck surgery well ahead of schedule, and everyone around him is excited to see what he can do in 2024 — including his head coach Dennis Allen.

Allen spoke about Young’s strong start to training camp with Jonathan Jones for CBS Sports. But what’s interesting is that he’s putting less pressure on the player and more on Young’s head coach, defensive coordinator, and position coach.

“He’s got all the ability to play at an elite level in our league. And so now our job is to see how can we get him to perform that way more consistently. And that’s charged on me, that’s charged on Joe Woods, that’s charged on Todd Grantham. How do we get this guy to play at the level he’s capable of at a more consistent level?” Allen said.

But while he acknowledged the coaches must shoulder some of the responsibility, Allen spoke highly of what he’s seen of Young’s ability to self-motivate and buy into what they’re asking of him. He’s seen a player with a great combination of talent and enthusiasm, with a huge opportunity in front of him.

“Look, the great thing about,” Allen said, pausing to consider his words. “Everything he’s that done to this point, coming in here, he’s exceeded expectations in terms of his work ethic. In terms of coming in and doing everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s bought into everything. And when you see him out here you notice him when he’s on the field. He’s a disruptive force.”

Young came to the Saints this spring with questions about his effort level trailing him from San Francisco; the 49ers were disappointed in what he gave them after being acquired in a midseason trade with the Washington Commanders. But you have to wonder if the hesitance Young showed on the field last season, which isn’t happening now, was a result of the neck injury he sustained and played through last summer. Now he’s healthy and playing with only the restraints his coaches put on him.

“And so we’re excited about having him,” Allen continued. “I think he’s got an opportunity to have a great season and I think he’s going to be a big addition for us.”

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Saints’ offensive line struggles are extremely concerning

Chase Young has been impressive. The other side of the conversation needs to be addressed. The offensive line has been extremely concerning at Saints training camp:

The New Orleans Saints offensive line was a heavy talking point after Wednesday’s practice session — for all the wrong reasons.

The most difficult part of training camp is deciding if one-sided battles are about the winning side doing well or the losing side doing poorly. After a few days of Chase Young dominating conversation, chatter was bound to flip to “What’s going on with the other side?”

You’ve heard good things about individuals across the New Orleans Saints offensive line, specifically rookie first-round p ick Taliese Fuaga. The unit hasn’t been praised since the pads came on early this week, however. Is that a credit to the defensive line or a criticism of the offensive line? You’ll never truly know until you face another team.

Regardless, seeing the offensive line struggle should concern you until see otherwise. They came into camp looking for three new starters and the takeaways sound like an offensive line looking for three new starters.

Erik McCoy sitting out team drills in the back half of Wednesday’s practice only made matters worse. They don’t have the luxury of staying steady in the trenches without their best blocker yet even if he needs a veteran rest day here or there. The Saints haven’t even been in pads for a work week at this point. Not only are these players new to the starting lineup, they’re young to the league and were expected to need development.

It would be disingenuous to be unfazed about this. There were questions about the offensive line heading into camp and there’s been no reason to erase those questions. Because of those concerns , it’s hard to say the unit is struggling because of the defense. It feels more likely the struggles start from within.

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