Tag: Foster Moreau

Report: Rookie TE Joel Wilson did not pass his Saints physical

Report: Central Michigan TE Joel Wilson did not pass his physical, meaning he did not sign with the New Orleans Saints:

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This is a bummer: SI.com’s John Hendrix reports that rookie tight end Joel Wilson did not pass his entrance physical with the New Orleans Saints, meaning he didn’t sign with the team after all. The undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan suffered a season-ending ankle injury on a touchdown reception last November, and though he was able to complete some pre-draft athletic testing it did limit what he was able to do.

So how does this shake up the roster at tight end? The Saints expect Foster Moreau to be on the field next week after completing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier this spring, pairing him with Juwan Johnson on top of the depth chart. Second-year pro Lucas Krull is still in the mix, as is veteran free agent pickup Miller Forristall, and Taysom Hill is technically still listed as a tight end (even if he rarely lines up there).

We’ll see if the Saints sign another player here. They invited a couple of tight ends to try out at rookie minicamp this weekend in Cethan Carter (Nebraska) and Jamal Turner (Toledo), so maybe one of them makes a strong impression.

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Dennis Allen says Saints don’t anticipate ‘any limitations at all’ for Foster Moreau

Dennis Allen said the Saints don’t anticipate ‘any limitations at all’ for Foster Moreau after undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma:

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen shared his insight on a number of topics during an interview on the Rich Eisen Show this week, including his live reaction to news that his team was signing free agent tight end Foster Moreau — who had notably received a shocking cancer diagnosis during a physical with team doctors in March.

Foster has since undergone treatment and signed a three-year contract with the team, and Allen couldn’t be happier for him. When asked for his first comments on the Saints’ new addition, Allen was all smiles.

“He’s doing outstanding,” Allen replied. “Huge shoutout to our medical group, in particular Dr. John Amoss for being able to identify this and making sure we have the proper medical treatment for Foster. I think he’s doing outstanding. And the type of treatment he’s receiving, we don’t anticipate that there’s going to be any limitations at all in terms of his ability to participate and perform, and his ability to recover, and that’s the most important thing.”

Multiple local reports say the Saints could have Moreau on the practice field when veterans report for organized team activities next week, but team doctors may exercise an abundance of caution and limit his participation to make sure he isn’t putting too much stress on his body after undergoing rigorous cancer treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We’ll see how the plan for him ultimately plays out, but Allen certainly sounds as excited as most fans to have Moreau in New Orleans wearing black and gold.

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Saints salary cap impact of signing free agent tight end Foster Moreau

What’s the New Orleans Saints salary cap impact of signing free agent tight end Foster Moreau? His contract structure is awful clever:

What’s the New Orleans Saints salary cap impact of signing free agent tight end Foster Moreau? His contract structure is awful clever. ESPN’s Field Yates reports that Moreau’s 2023 base salary (set at $1.1 million, the veteran minimum) is guaranteed, as is his $3.5 million signing bonus. Because the Saints tacked on two automatically-voiding “ghost years” at the end of his three-year deal to further spread out the cap hits from that signing bonus, his 2023 cap hit is really just $1.8 million.

But wait, there’s more. Because the Saints already had 51 contracts on the books, signing Moreau pushed a smaller deal down beneath the threshold that counts against the cap right now, for a net cost of about $860,000. That’s a deal you make seven days of the week to get a starting-quality tight end. It leaves the Saints with more than $15 million in salary cap space, though signing their rookie draft class will push them down to about $12 million. That’s a lot of resources to work with.

Moreau’s contract has been reported to carry $8 million in total guarantees, so the remaining $3.4 million (not counting his signing bonus and 2023 salary) is probably tied up in his 2024 salary and a roster bonus which the Saints can convert into another signing bonus next offseason. It includes another non-guaranteed $3 million of incentives he can earn back through playtime and performance, which should be attainable once he’s fully recovered from treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma earlier this year.

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Derek Carr had the best reaction to Foster Moreau signing with the Saints

Derek Carr had the best reaction to his former Raiders teammate Foster Moreau signing with the Saints:

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone happier for Foster Moreau signing with the New Orleans Saints than his Derek Carr, who he’ steaming up with again after they connected on a lot of passes together with the Las Vegas Raiders. Carr shared his congratulations when the news broke on social media, but he also commented on his team’s addition when he found out in person.

“I need to go give that guy a hug,” Carr told The Advocate/Times-Picayune’s Zach Ewing.

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for Moreau over the last two months. He entered free agency as one of the top options at his position, just 25 years old and coming off a career year. Then he learned he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma during a routine physical with his hometown team in New Orleans. He’s since undergone cancer treatment and begun the process to recovery, and circled back to sign with the Saints.

Now he’s playing pro football in the same city he grew up in, not far from the powerhouse high school he starred at to catch notice of recruiters with the LSU Tigers. There’s a lot of locals in his corner, but it’s great to see his quarterback is in his corner, too.

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Former LSU tight end Foster Moreau agrees to deal with Saints, expected to play in 2023 after cancer diagnosis

Moreau will return to Louisiana after signing a three-year deal with New Orleans.

Foster Moreau’s football life paused this year after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Following positive news regarding his health, Moreau has found a home in free agency. The former LSU tight end is headed back to Louisiana on a three-year deal with the New Orleans Saints.

A visit with the Saints in March led to Moreau’s original diagnosis. New Orleans’ interest was no secret.

 

According to Nick Underhill, Moreau is not expected to have any limitations.

Moreau appeared in 30 games for LSU from 2015-18. He was a fourth-round pick in 2019 and spent the first four years of his career with the Raiders, with whom he was a steady contributor.

At LSU, he was well-respected and wore the coveted No. 18, given each year to a player who best represents the program.

Moreau’s recovery is great news after he originally didn’t know if he’d play this year. His return home only makes this story better.

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Foster Moreau upgrades multiple dimensions to Saints offense, brings run-after-catch threat

Foster Moreau upgrades multiple dimensions of the Saints offense. He blocks well, competes on contested catches, and adds a much-needed run-after-catch threat:

A lot of New Orleans Saints fans are celebrating the addition of Foster Moreau as a hometown hero looking to overcome his recent cancer diagnosis, but it’s important to remember that he isn’t just a great story. Moreau is a heck of a football player, and he’s going to add some new dimensions to the Saints offense that had kind of fallen off by the wayside.

The Saints already had one quality tight end in Juwan Johnson. Now they have two of them, plus a position-flexible weapon in Taysom Hill. It’s a setup Moreau is familiar with from his time with the Las Vegas Raiders when he and Darren Waller worked together.

Moreau played well as a compliment to Waller, who did some damage to the Saints defense a few years back as a vertical threat. But their new pickup does more of his work underneath coverage where he can win on contested catches and make a play with the ball in his hands. We’ll let Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar break it down in more detail with his takeaways from studying Farrar’s game tape.

Farrar says, “While he’s not in the same downfield threat category as Waller, Moreau became a valuable outlet target for Carr with his ability to get open quickly off the snap, and maximize yards-after-catch opportunities. 241 of his 420 yards last season came after the catch, and that’s what he brings to the Saints.”

So Moreau adds a much-needed run-after-catch threat to the Saints offense. He averaged a healthy 6.6 yards gained after the catch per reception in his Raiders career, with an impressive 7.3 mark last season (for context, as a team the Saints averaged 4.8 yards). If Carr can continue to link up with Moreau on passes where he can catch the ball in stride and take off on the move, they’ll be productive.

“Basically, if you want an in-line tight end who can get open, body defenders out of the way, and make some amazing catches at the end, Moreau is a clear asset. The Chargers would be able to tell you all about that,” Farrar wrote, highlighting a play where Moreau got a step on his opponent off the line of scrimmage and tracked the ball well to make a clean catch down the sideline.

Yeah, the Saints can use that. Working Moreau into the lineup as a traditional tight end who can move defenders while blocking for the runner and catching passes adds a lot of versatility to the offense. His presence also frees up Johnson to do what he does best and create big plays against outmatched opponents downfield. If things go as planned, they’ll be quite a dynamic duo.

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Foster Moreau expects to play for Saints in 2023 without limitations

Multiple local reports say Foster Moreau expects to play for the Saints in 2023, and that he is not facing practice limitations after undergoing cancer treatment:

Wow. The New Orleans Saints are bringing tight end Foster Moreau back to his hometown as a free agent, and it isn’t just a good-faith gesture in the wake of his cancer diagnosis. Multiple local reports say that Moreau received a positive prognosis and that he expects to play for the Saints in 2023.

First, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said that “Moreau has been cleared and expects to play this season.” ESPN’s Katherine Terrell added that while Moreau’s playing status is uncertain “the course of treatment was looked at in terms of weeks, not months.”

Nola.com’s Luke Johnson reported the indication he’s been given “is that Moreau will be ready to participate right away.”

And NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill shared that Moreau is “still getting treatment but it won’t impact his participation. The Saints will bring him along slowly, but he is not expected to have any limitations.”

So there’s a very strong chance fans will see Moreau on the practice field over the summer, though it’s unclear what his activity level will be. Receiving medical clearance to play and having the right conditioning to help out during games are two different things. They could be approaching him similarly to rookie running back Kendre Miller, who is expected to take it easy this summer while recovering from a meniscus injury.

But this is a big (and very positive) upswing from where Moreau said he expected to be just a few weeks ago, having suggested he could return midseason. If he’s going to be back in the mix even sooner, well, that’s worth celebrating.

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Formers Raiders TE Foster Moreau signs 3-year deal with Saints after good prognosis on cancer

Fantastic news: Foster Moreau received good prognosis on his Hodgkins Lymphoma and expects to play this season. He signs 3-year deal with Saints.

Great news today for Foster Moreau. The former Raiders tight end discovered Hodgkins Lymphoma cancer during a physical with the New Orleans Saints back in March. His first response, naturally, was to take a step back from football.

Today, however, Moreau surprisingly signed a three-year, $12 million deal with those same Saints after receiving a positive diagnosis.

Now Moreau is optimistic he will play this season and continue his NFL career, which is fantastic news.

The LSU alum and New Orleans native gets to play for his home team as well, making this story that much more heartwarming.

As it happens, Moreau will also be joining Derek Carr in New Orleans as the only quarterback with whom he’s played in his career.

The former Raiders’ fourth round pick caught 91 passes for 1107 yards and 12 touchdowns over four seasons with Derek Carr in Oakland and Las Vegas. They now get to pick up where they left off.

Foster Moreau-to-Saints made too much sense not to happen

Foster Moreau-to-the-Saints made too much sense not to happen. The hometown hero reunites with old teammates and brings the best comeback story in the NFL:

Come on, was there ever any doubt? The opportunity to come home and play for the team he grew up cheering for was too good for Foster Moreau to pass up. And the money doesn’t hurt: the Saints agreed to terms with Moreau on a three-year, $12 million deal including $8 million guaranteed and incentives totaling $3 million.

That’s quite a payout for a player the Saints’ doctors diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma just a few months ago, but Moreau and the team must feel very positive about his ability to help out right away. At the end of the day, this union just made too much sense.

Moreau gets to return to his hometown and be close to his parents, family, and lifelong friends while he continues to recover from cancer treatment. He’s reuniting with good teammates like his former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, safety Johnathan Abram (who was drafted with him in 2019), and wide receiver Bryan Edwards (who broke out in 2021 when he and Foster both set career-highs for receptions and receiving yards). Talk about a positive environment.

Hopefully it all works out as planned. The sooner Moreau is given the green light and declared cancer-free, the better. Having him in the lineup as a familiar target for his quarterback and an upgrade at a position of need should pay off in a big way. And beyond football, this is the best comeback story in the NFL. Going from a life-changing cancer diagnosis to signing a multiyear contract and potentially playing football in front of tens of thousands has to feel like a roller coaster. Good luck to Moreau in the weeks and months ahead.

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How TE Foster Moreau can help the Saints’ offense with his amazing recovery story

Saints TE Foster Moreau’s return to the NFL after his Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis is a great story, but Moreau is also a very good player.

During a routine physical performed performed in March by the New Orleans Saints’ medical team during a free-agent visit, former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Forster Moreau was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s germ-fighting immune system.

Moreau disclosed the diagnosis on his Twitter account.

On Wednesday, Moreau’s story took a wonderful turn.

Moreau will reunite with Derek Carr, his former Raiders quarterback, who signed a four-year, $150 million contract with $100 million guaranteed with New Orleans in early March. Obviously, Darren Waller was Carr’s primary explosive target with the Raiders, but Moreau provided his own specific value, catching 33 passes on 49 targets for 420 yards and two touchdowns in the 2022 season. Through his NFL career, the 2019 fourth-round pick out of LSU has totaled 91 catches on 128 targets for 1,107 yards and 12 touchdowns.

While he’s not in the same downfield threat category as Waller, Moreau became a valuable outlet target for Carr with his ability to get open quickly off the snap, and maximize yards-after-catch opportunities. 241 of his 420 yards last season came after the catch, and that’s what he brings to the Saints.

Moreau also brings contested-catch ability to the table, and there’s perhaps no better example than this 21-yard Week 17 catch against the 409ers. Not nnly did Moreau successfully keep Nick Bosa at bay off the snap, but he then released into his route, and fought off cornerback Deommodor Lenior as Lenoir caught up to him.

Basically, if you want an in-line tight end who can get open, body defenders out of the way, and make some amazing catches at the end, Moreau is a clear asset. The Chargers would be able to tell you all about that.

So, while Moreau’s return to the NFL is absolutely a feel-good story, he also has what it takes to add to the Saints’ passing game, and Derek Carr gets a clutch receiver he trusts.

Which makes it a win-win-win.