Tag: Foster Moreau

25 most important New Orleans Saints of 2023: No. 20, TE Foster Moreau

25 most important Saints of 2023: Looking into what Foster Moreau brings to New Orleans at tight end | @crissy_froyd

The 2023 NFL offseason is in full swing, and with that, training camps edge ever closer to starting. We have seen a new wave of players enter the team both via the draft and free agency, but there is also a large group of returning players from last season as well. This has led to some debates to be had regarding which players will have the largest impact on the roster for the 2023 season.

Each day we will be counting down the 25 most important Saints for the 2023 season. This will be split up into the following categories:

  • Recap of their 2022 season
  • Projecting their 2023 success
  • What is the biggest question mark for them in 2023?

The 20th-ranked player by the Saints Wire staff is tight end Foster Moreau:

Former Bengals target and Saints TE Foster Moreau says cancer is in full remission

Some amazing news revealed during the holiday.

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A free agent the Cincinnati Bengals had interest in is going back on the field with the New Orleans Saints.

Foster Moreau announced Monday on Twitter that his cancer is in full remission just three months after he publicly released that he was battling Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

“After a few tumultuous months, I’ve been blessed with the news that I am in full remission from Hodgkin Lymphoma!” Moreau said. “I’m so grateful to everyone who reached out to offer their love and support; our prayers were answered. From here I will continue to live my life as God intended.”

The Saints signed Moreau to a three-year deal, and now he has participated in offseason workouts and is expected to play this season.

The Bengals had Moreau come to Cincinnati for a visit when he was still on the market, but were unable to sign him. Cincinnati pivoted from there, bringing aboard Irv Smith Jr. in free agency.

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Foster Moreau announces that he is in full remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Now here’s some good news: Foster Moreau announced that he is in full remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma

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Now here’s some good news: New Orleans Saints tight end Foster Moreau announced on Monday that he is in full remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma, having undergone treatment earlier this year following a routine physical with the Saints’ team doctors. He was cleared to return to work during minicamp practices and will be full-go when the team regroups for training camp later this summer.

“After a few tumultuous months, I’ve been blessed with the news that I am in full remission from Hodgkin Lymphoma! I’m so grateful to everyone who reached out to offer their love and support; our prayers were answered. From here I will continue to live my life as God intended,” Moreau wrote from his Twitter account.

Moreau was already popular with Saints fans as a New Orleans native who played college football with the LSU Tigers, but he’s a real asset to the team. The veteran tight end is a capable blocker and emerged as a favorite target of quarterback Derek Carr when they were both playing together on the Las Vegas Raiders in recent years. Now they’re together in the Big Easy, and Moreau can focus on his career with this cancer scare behind him.

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PFF makes the argument for Taysom Hill as a top-10 tight end

Taysom Hill had more rushing attempts than snaps at tight end last year, but that didn’t stop PFF from arguing he’s the Saints’ best option:

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Taysom Hill had more rushing attempts than snaps at tight end last year, but that didn’t stop Pro Football Focus from arguing he’s the New Orleans Saints’ best option at the position going into 2023. We’ll let PFF’s John Kosko explain himself:

You had to know he was coming on this list at some point. Hill is not a traditional tight end nor is he a modern-day one, as he occupies a unique role that only he can do and has provided tremendous value to the Saints, ranking ninth in PFF WAR the past two seasons. While Juwan Johnson had a breakout season in 2022 and they just signed Foster Moreau, Hill is the slotted “starter,” and his versatility gives the Saints a lot of options.

Kosko ranked Hill at No. 9 out of the NFL’s projected starters at tight end, but as we mentioned off the top (and that Kosko alluded to in mentioning Hill’s “unique role” on offense), he does much more than block and catch passes like the other players on that list.

Hill posted his best production as a rusher in 2022, setting new career highs not just in attempts (96) and rushing yards (575), but in yards per carry, too (6.0). His seven touchdown runs were one shy of his personal best. Alvin Kamara led the Saints with 40 first down conversions as a runner, but Hill  wasn’t far behind with 34 of his own. Their teammates combined for just 29.

So, yes, he has unique value to New Orleans’ offense. That doesn’t change the fact that even if the Saints label Hill at tight end, he shouldn’t be seen as one. Defenses won’t guard him like a tight end. He only lined up tight to the formation 51 times last season. The Saints may want to have Hill catch more passes in 2023, but his role isn’t going to change dramatically. Johnson’s continued ascent and Moreau’s addition mean fewer opportunities for him as a traditional tight end in their place. It’s nice to see Hill recognized for his contributions, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s one of the NFL’s best tight ends. He’s finding success doing his own thing.

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Projecting the Saints’ starting lineup on offense in 2023

Projecting the New Orleans Saints’ starting lineup on offense in 2023: Is the biggest question mark at tight end?

Things are going to look very different for the New Orleans Saints offense in 2023, but we don’t have a ton of questions surrounding the top of the depth chart. We know who the starters will be at quarterback and along the offensive line — plus at wide receiver, assuming everyone is healthy, and running back, depending on how Alvin Kamara’s legal proceedings conclude. If there’s much ambiguity, it’s at tight end.

And how does Taysom Hill fit into the picture?

You can find the entire 90-man roster by jersey number here, as well as our latest predictions for the 53-man depth chart and practice squad to open the regular season. To whittle it down further, here are our picks for the Saints’ starting lineup on offense after minicamp:

Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau check in from ‘Tight End University’

The Saints’ Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau checked in from ‘Tight End University’ where they’re learning from the best:

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NFL positional summits have begun trending in recent years, whether it’s Von Miller organizing workouts with pass rushers or offensive linemen gathering for seminars — or even tight ends mixing it up. Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Greg Olsen have created what they’re calling “Tight End University” as an opportunity to gather tight ends from around the league, both young and old, so they can share information and work to develop their craft.

And the New Orleans Saints were well-represented this year with both of their top two tight ends making the trip. Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau hit it off quickly when Moreau signed with the Saints as a free agent this offseason, and the pair checked in on social media to share their experience so far from the Nashville event.

“Sweating crazy, nothing better with my guy,” Johnson grinned.

Moreau echoed his teammate’s sentiments, thumping himself on the chest and replying “Nothing better.”

How snaps are divided up between them promises to be one of the top subplots of the summer for New Orleans. Johnson led all skills position players in snaps played for the Saints last year, but Moreau was a favorite target of Derek Carr’s with the Raiders and brings an established connection. There’s certainly room for both of them in the lineup, and we’ll get a better idea which roles are envisioned for each player when the Saints regroup for training camp later this year. Hopefully they’re picking up some tricks of the trade at TEU.

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Saints hope offseason moves address last season’s poor showing in the red zone

Saints hope offseason moves address last season’s poor showing in the red zone. How new pickups compare to returning playmakers, via @DillySanders:

The New Orleans Saints offense last season had their struggles, that’s no secret, but when looking closer there was one specific weakness: red zone offense. With Andy Dalton leading the offense, they had troubles closing the deal with touchdowns.

Just look at the numbers: the Saints’ red zone touchdowns percentage dropped from 58.93% in 2021 to 52.08% in 2022. Back in 2020, they were converting at a 71.62%. They finished 21st in the league last season, an unacceptable ranking if you expect to compete, after ranking 18th the year before and fifth-best in 2020.

A large number of their offseason moves could be seen as shoring up that portion of the offense. The additions of running backs Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller really make sense when you look at their success in the red zone. Williams led the Detroit Lions to a fourth-ranked 66.18% red zone touchdown rate. A sneaky addition was A.T. Perry whose size will certainly help a wide receiver room that didn’t have a ton of red zone threats last season.

Here are all of the new additions and returning Saints red zone stats from last season:

Saints offense ranked among NFL’s most-improved units going into 2023

The Derek Carr-led New Orleans Saints offense has been ranked among the NFL’s most-improved units going into 2023:

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There’s a lot to like about the New Orleans Saints offense — on paper, per Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, who says the Saints are the second-most improved offense going from the 2022 season into 2023, trailing only the Aaron Rodgers-led New York Jets.

The way they see it, the Saints are upgrading over every player they moved on from offensively. Here’s how Ballentine broke it down:

When you look at who the Saints lost on offense this offseason there isn’t a single player they will miss based on who they have on the roster or who is replacing them.

Adding Derek Carr gives them a viable starter for years. He has finished 14th in total QBR in each of the last two seasons.

Jarvis Landry (272 yards) and Marquez Callaway (158 yards) weren’t difference-makers last season in the receiving corps. Their departure isn’t likely to hurt and swapping out Mark Ingram for Jamaal Williams and Kendre Miller gives the backfield more depth and youth moving forward.

The team traded away Adam Trautman but replaced him with Foster Moreau who has familiarity with Carr from their time with the Raiders.

Going from Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston to Derek Carr was one of the biggest quarterback upgrades of the offseason. There were no huge additions outside of Carr, but that’s enough to land them highly on this list.

Look, that’s a compelling list of positive moves. You’d be forgiven for having high expectations for the Saints in the fall. But until they back up all of this hype during games, we risk confusing the cohesive vision for a wispy mirage.

It’s possible that poor coaching decisions hold the team back again this year. There’s a chance Carr doesn’t perform at as high of a level as anticipated. All of this turnover isn’t necessarily a good thing with so many new role players picking up the playbook. And the offensive line is just as prone to injury now as it was six months ago.

But it’s the offseason. If there’s a time to daydream and set high standards, it’s now, when we don’t have to watch Dennis Allen agonize over fourth-down decisions minutes after Pete Carmichael Jr. sends Alvin Kamara running into the teeth of the defense on second down. If the Saints and their supporters end up being wrong and the offense struggles to put points on the board again, well, we’ll just have to eat crow and hope for serious changes this time next year.

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Saints sign veteran free agent Jesse James, adding more depth at TE

The Saints signed veteran free agent Jesse James, adding more depth at tight end behind Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau:

This could be a good move: the New Orleans Saints signed veteran tight end Jesse James on Wednesday, reinforcing a part of their depth chart which has already seen changes this offseason with the addition of hometown hero Foster Moreau. James has been assigned the No. 81 jersey.

Originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2015, James appeared in 62 games (6 of them playoff games) with Pittsburgh before he spent two years with the Detroit Lions. He’s on his third team in three years by signing with the Saints, having joined the Chicago Bears in 2021 and the Cleveland Browns in 2022, though an injury limited him to just two games.

James has logged over 1,700 snaps as a run blocker in his eight-year NFL career, and that’s likely the vision for him in New Orleans. Juwan Johnson has developed into a real threat as a receiver and Moreau is an every-down asset as a pass-catcher and blocker, but James could be a better fit for the third tight end role than Lucas Krull or Miller Forristall given his experience. He’s also played a lot of snaps on special teams which may give him an edge when it comes time to make these difficult roster decisions.

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Foster Moreau has some challenging contract incentives in 2023

Foster Moreau has some challenging contract incentives in 2023. A productive season could earn the Saints tight end another $1 million:

What are the expectations for Foster Moreau going into 2023? Many New Orleans Saints fans didn’t expect to see him so soon after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, but Moreau completed treatment in the spring, signed his contract, and has already hit the practice field working to get back in rhythm with the same quarterback he’s always caught passes from: Derek Carr, his former Las Vegas Raiders teammate.

Moreau’s coming of his best season as a pro with 33 receptions for 420 yards and a pair of touchdown catches, having converted a career-high 24 first downs and played 67.6% of their offensive snaps. Here are the milestones he’ll be chasing with the Saints in 2023, earning a $250,000 performance bonus for triggering each incentive, per The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov:

  • 65% of snaps AND 40 or more receptions
  • 75% of snaps AND 40 or more receptions
  • 50 or more receptions
  • 60 or more receptions

Those aren’t low numbers to chase, but they’re not unrealistic, either. For comparison, Juwan Johnson led the Saints’ tight ends last year with 42 receptions while playing 61.6% of their snaps. They’re going to be a more pass-happy offense with a quarterback Dennis Allen and Pete Carmichael Jr. trust under center, and Carr is known for favoring his tight ends as receivers.

Moreau received a $3.5 million signing bonus from the Saints earlier in May as well as a $1.1 million base salary (meaning his salary cap hit is set at just $1.8 million), so he could potentially earn as much as $5.6 million this season by maxing out those incentives. If he catches 60 or more passes while playing 75% or more of the Saints’ snaps on offense, he and the team will be thrilled to hand him a $1 million bonus.

That’s just easier said than done. Here’s some added context: last season, 12 different NFL tight ends caught 40 or more passes while playing 65% or more of their team’s offensive snaps, and only eight of them met the threshold for playing 75% or more of their team’s snaps on offense. They didn’t meet the snaps threshold, but 16 tight ends had 50 or more receptions, and less than half of them caught 60 or more passes:

  • Travis Kelce (110)
  • T.J. Hockenson (86)
  • Mark Andrews and Evan Engram (73)
  • Tyler Higbee (72)
  • Pat Freiermuth (63)
  • George Kittle (60)

Out of that final group, a select four also met the qualifications for snaps percentage: Kelce, Engram, Higbee, and Kittle. So the Saints are challenging Moreau not just to take another step forward as a receiver, but to continue to help the offense as their primary blocking tight end, too. With Johnson entrenched as a big-play threat and their top pass-catching option at tight end, he’ll have his work cut out for him.

But it’ll be tough to bet against Moreau after seeing him overcome so much adversity to get here in the first place. Having an established connection with Carr certainly helps his case.

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