Tag: Foster Moreau

Foster Moreau catches touchdown pass for Saints

Foster Moreau came back from beating cancer and caught a TD pass for New Orleans

A feel-good story that should not be lost in the New Orleans Saints’ romp over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Gillette.

Saints tight end Forster Moreau battled — and beat — cancer in the offseason.

In the fourth quarter, he took a shovel pass from Derek Carr and found the end zone for his first touchdown of the season.

Well Done, Foster Moreau.

Just one player upgraded on second Saints injury report vs. Bucs

Just one player upgraded their practice status on the second Saints injury report for Week 4’s Bucs game. Four projected starters remained sidelined:

Just one player upgraded their practice status on the second New Orleans Saints injury report for Week 4’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: tight end Foster Moreau, who participated on a limited basis after being held out Wednesday with an ankle injury.

Right tackle Ryan Ramczyk and tight end Jimmy Graham were given veteran’s rest days on Wednesday as well but both practiced fully on Thursday and were removed from in the injury report altogether.

That means four projected starters remained sidelined, including starting quarterback Derek Carr, though he’s expected to miss this game after injuring his throwing shoulder last week. Still, it’s possible the Saints could throw him into the game after catching up on rest throughout the week.

Here’s what we learned from both the Saints and the Buccaneers on Thursday, with changes to the injury report listed in bold text:

Saints say starting CB Paulson Adebo (hamstring) won’t play vs. Packers

The Saints say starting cornerback Paulson Adebo (hamstring) and veteran tight end Foster Moreau (ankle) won’t play against the Packers on Sunday:

This isn’t great. The New Orleans Saints downgraded starting cornerback Paulson Adebo (hamstring) and veteran tight end Foster Moreau (ankle)  on Saturday, meaning neither of them will play against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Adebo was previously listed as questionable on the injury report after he hurt his hamstring at practice on Friday; Moreau was doubtful to play, only practicing on a limited basis Thursday and otherwise being inactive.

Expect veteran backup Isaac Yiadom to fill in for Adebo opposite Marshon Lattimore in Green Bay. The Saints want to keep second-year pro Alontae Taylor in the slot, as that’s viewed as his long-term position, and he’s still actively learning on the job. Moving him around would not help that development. But they could surprise us and move him back outside (where he played last year, performing at a high level), especially if Ugo Amadi is able to play — though he’s dealing with a knee injury of his own.

Either way, the Saints are going to be short two starting defensive backs. Adebo is injured and Marcus Maye is suspended the next three games. New Orleans needs to be on top of their game against Jordan Love and the high-flying Packers receiving corps Sunday afternoon.

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Saints, Packers rule out multiple players on Week 3 injury report

The Saints and Packers ruled out multiple players on the final Week 3 injury report. Paulson Adebo is questionable with a new hamstring injury:

The New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers published their final injury report on Friday ahead of Week 3’s matchup at Lambeau Field, with multiple players pre-emptively ruled out. It’s a long season, and it makes sense to practice caution early on when possible.

Still, there are some situations worth monitoring. The Saints added cornerback Paulson Adebo to the injury report with a hamstring injury suffered in Friday’s practice, and he’ll be questionable for Sunday. That’s also the case for Packers star corner Jaire Alexander due to a back injury.

Here’s what we learned on Friday, with changes from Thursday’s report and game statuses listed in bold text:

Jamaal Williams, Foster Moreau among many Saints changing jersey numbers

Jamaal Williams and Foster Moreau are among many New Orleans Saints changing jersey numbers in the wake of last week’s roster cuts:

A small crowd of New Orleans Saints players are changing jersey numbers in the wake of roster cuts last week, which freed up a lot of coveted numbers — and some big names like running back Jamaal Williams and tight end Foster Moreau are among those making moves. So is rookie quarterback Jake Haener.

Here are all nine players who have switched numbers before the regular season kicks off:

Derek Carr preparing for his first preseason snaps since 2019

Saints fans won’t have to wait much longer to see their new quarterback. Derek Carr is preparing for his first preseason snaps since 2019:

New Orleans Saints fans won’t have to wait much longer to see their new quarterback. Derek Carr will hit the field at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday against a familiar opponent — the same Kansas City Chiefs he dueled for years in the AFC West while leading the Las Vegas Raiders.

And this is going to be Carr’s first preseason snaps since 2019. The 2020 preseason was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s not uncommon to see teams limit their starters’ reps in these exhibition games in an attempt to protect them from unnecessary injury, but it’s been years since Carr took any snaps in preseason.

When asked about the last time he was active for a preseason game after Friday’s training camp practice, Carr was befuddled; turning to his longtime teammate Foster Moreau, he asked whether they had played in preseason last summer.

“I did,” Moreau replied, prompting a round of laughter.

Carr was on the field for just six snaps in one exhibition game in 2019, his most recent appearance; before that he played 13 snaps in two games in 2018, but he hasn’t seen a (relatively) heavy workload since the 2017 season, which was Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore’s rookie year, for context.

Earlier this week Saints coach Dennis Allen said he expected the first-string offense and defense to each play about 15 scripted snaps, so that gives us an idea of what’s ahead for Carr. He’s played well in training camp but live reps against a real opponent moving at full speed is going to be good for him as he continues to settle into a new offense.

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Positions where the Saints got better in the 2023 offseason

Our first real look at the New Orleans Saints is just days away in their preseason opener. Here’s where they got better in the offseason | @crissy_froyd

The New Orleans Saints come off of a disappointing 2022 season in which they finished third in the division with a 7-10 overall record — and it’s quite a testament to how lowly the NFC South was last year considering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished on top of it with an 8-9 record.

But if the Saints’ offseason moves end up paying dividends, quite a different picture will be painted when all is said and done in 2023 as New Orleans has very much taken a playoffs-or-bust approach. With their first preseason game just days away, let’s recap the road that got them here.

Here’s a look at a handful of places the Saints have improved on paper between the 2023 NFL draft and preseason moves:

Foster Moreau says he still has his signed Jimmy Graham jersey

Foster Moreau grew up a Saints fan, and he still has his signed Jimmy Graham jersey: ‘You walk into the locker room, and oh my god, he’s right there’

It always seems to mean a little more when someone gets to play for the team they grew up supporting — Michael Mauti was at the New Orleans Saints’ “Rebirth” game after Hurricane Katrina in 2006, and the linebacker later got to block a punt of his own (against the Atlanta Falcons!) with Steve Gleason watching him.

Foster Moreau hasn’t experienced that kind of cinematic moment just yet, but he acknowledged how surreal it is to share a locker room with a player whose jersey he’s owned since he was a teenager. Initially a running back, Moreau converted to tight end at Jesuit High School, a position-switch his father noted by gifting him a Jimmy Graham jersey. Only it was signed, framed, and forbidden from being worn.

“Jimmy, right, was a dog. And he still is, honestly, he runs great,” Moreau said after Saturday’s training camp practice. “And so, it’s such a funny situation. You walk into the locker room, and oh my god, Jimmy Graham’s right there. It’s pretty funny. I actually have a signed Jimmy Graham autograph jersey in a shadow box that I had at my dad’s house, in my room. It’s a weird situation.”

The Saints have assembled one of the NFL’s most unique tight end rooms between Moreau, Graham, breakout pass-catcher Juwan Johnson, and not-really-a-tight end Taysom Hill (plus Lucas Krull and Jesse James, who are both in the mix). How they figure out each player’s specific role is a major storyline at training camp, but as Moreau noted, veterans like Graham have a lot to offer even with so many other talented players in the group.

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TMNTE? Juwan Johnson compares Saints tight ends to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

TMNTE? Juwan Johnson compared the Saints’ tight ends to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which makes more sense the more you think on it | @DillySanders

Tight end Juwan Johnson spoke to media after the New Orleans Saints third training camp practice ended, sharing a unique comparison for the Saints tight ends room to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This started with Jimmy Graham being likened to the heroes’ Master Splinter (“He’s like the O.G. of tight ends … he’s been so helpful to us as an older guy and so decorated not even here but in the NFL”) and Johnson comparing himself to the levelheaded Donatello (“I feel like I’m Donatello, I feel like I’m pretty smart, pretty chill”).

While Johnson wouldn’t dig any deeper on who the rest of the room fits, we did the obvious job. We went through every member of the New Orleans Saints tight end room and assigned them a member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles squad. Or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Tight Ends, if you will:

Predicting the Saints’ initial training camp depth chart on offense

Predicting the New Orleans Saints’ initial training camp depth chart on offense: Starters, backups, and reserves at every position group

We’re days away from the formal start of New Orleans Saints training camp, so let’s take a look at the depth chart on offense and predict starters, backups, and reserves for every position. This will change as players hit the practice field and climb or fall down the depth chart while the team begins to show its hand. For now, here’s how things stand offensively: