Tag: Foster Moreau

Saints, Foster Moreau agree to terms on three-year deal

Breaking: Saints, Foster Moreau agree to terms on three-year deal

This is a fantastic story: the New Orleans Saints have reached an agreement with former Las Vegas Raiders tight end Foster Moreau on a three-year contract, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who reports the deal is valued at up to $12 million with $8 million guaranteed. WWL-TV’s Brooke Kirchhofer first reports news that the Saints made Moreau an offer.

Moreau is continuing to receive treatment after he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma during a free agent physical with New Orleans. The former LSU Tigers and Jesuit High School standout and New Orleans native will be coming home, but it remains to be seen when he’ll be medically cleared to play. It’s a safe bet that he’ll have plenty of fans crowding the Caesars Superdome when he makes his debut.

More to follow…

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Report: Saints extend contract offer to free agent TE Foster Moreau

WWL-TV’s Brooke Kirchhofer reports that the New Orleans Saints have extended a contract offer to free agent TE Foster Moreau, but other teams are also pursuing him:

Here’s some New Orleans Saints free agency news: WWL-TV sports anchor Brooke Kirchhofer reports that the team has extended a contract offer to tight end Foster Moreau, who previously visited the team and underwent a physical only to be diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Moreau has since turned his focus away from football and towards this fight with cancer, but Kirchhofer adds that Moreau is ‘receiving attention’ from several teams, including the Saints.

There are some obvious benefits to signing him now. Moreau already has well-established chemistry with Saints quarterback Derek Carr — the vast majority of his 91 career receptions have come from the longtime Raiders quarterback. He’s coming off the best year of his career with 33 catches for 420 yards, with 24 first down conversions and a pair of touchdown grabs. At just 26 years of age he was rightfully seen as an ascending talent prior to this cancer diagnosis.

Moreau has said he hopes to receive medical clearance to return to football by October, but he would need a few weeks or maybe another month to get into game shape. That does match the timeline for him to be potentially activated from the non-football injury list, so the Saints or another team could hypothetically sign him now, stash him on that NFI list to defer his salary cap costs, and bring him up after Week 4.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. Moreau’s health is what’s most important, and until he’s satisfied with his treatment plan and recovery timetable, he’s probably keeping his focus away from football. Still, there wouldn’t be an easier player on the roster to root for than him if everything works out. Moreau is a former LSU Tiger and New Orleans native who hails from Jesuit High School in Mid-City. It’s safe to say he’d have a lot of fans in the Caesars Superdome on Sundays.

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10 free agent tight ends the New Orleans Saints should consider

The New Orleans Saints could use a blocking tight end after they traded Adam Trautman. Here are 10 free agents who could help the team:

The New Orleans Saints could use a blocking tight end after they traded Adam Trautman during the NFL draft — Juwan Johnson has developed into a competent blocker but he’s at his best running routes, catching passes, and scoring touchdowns. And he should benefit in that department with Derek Carr throwing to him. But someone needs to pick up the 519 snaps Trautman played last year.

Maybe one of the backups impresses this summer. Guys like Lucas Krull, Miller Forristall, and Joel Wilson have put up some good game tape in the past. But as a group they don’t inspire a ton of confidence, and this looks like a role the Saints could upgrade without investing a weighty contract. Taysom Hill isn’t a big part of this equation either given all of his other responsibilities on offense.

And the clock is ticking. Veteran tight ends like Eric Tomlinson (Houston Texans), Stephen Carlson (Chicago Bears), and even Dan Arnold (Philadelphia Eagles) have all been signed by other teams during the last week. The Saints do need to take action sooner or later. Here are 10 free agents who could help the team:

BJ Ojulari will continue wearing No. 18 in the NFL

Ojulari will carry on LSU’s No. 18 legacy in the NFL.

[autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] was the first LSU Tiger off the board in last month’s NFL draft.

Going to the Arizona Cardinals in the second round, it looks like he’ll be keeping the number he wore at LSU.

Ojulari was awarded the coveted No. 18 last August. Upon giving the number to Ojulari, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] said it goes to “that player that leads in that extraordinary manner.”

Kelly also mentioned success in the classroom as a considered factor.

Other 18s at LSU have included [autotag]Foster Moreau[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Davious White[/autotag], among others.

Ojulari came to LSU as a four-star in the class of 2020. After a solid freshman year, he emerged as one of the SEC’s top pass rushers in 2021 and 2022.

In his career, he totaled 25.5 TFLs and 16.5 sacks.

From a fan’s perspective, it’s cool to see Ojulari continuing to wear the number as he enters the league. The No. 18 is something uniquely special at LSU.

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Upcoming NFL deadline could spur new wave of Saints free agency

An upcoming NFL deadline could spur a new wave of Saints free agency. After 3 p.m. CT on Monday, veteran signings will not count against 2024 compensatory draft picks:

The 2023 NFL draft just concluded, but things aren’t about to slow down for the New Orleans Saints. There’s an NFL deadline coming up at 3 p.m. CT/4 p.m. ET on Monday, May 1, at which point veteran free agent signings will no longer count into the formula for compensatory picks in the 2024 draft.

That means the Saints can turn their attention to the veteran market and plug some of their remaining holes after the draft without jeopardizing future draft picks. That’s the approach they took in previous years by waiting to sign big-name free agents like Tyrann Mathieu and Jameis Winston, and the pattern could repeat itself. New Orleans is projected to receive a pair of compensatory fourth rounders and a sixth-round pick in 2024.

We’ve already highlighted some positions of need and possible targets at tight end, linebacker, and along defensive line, but things are wide open. We could see the Saints target another wide receiver or better offensive line depth. They’ve made the secondary a priority and could go looking for more help on the back end if the price makes sense. After signing their rookie draft class and undrafted free agents, New Orleans is estimated to have about $11 million to throw around, which ranks inside the top-10 around the league.

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Foster Moreau shares update on his cancer battle, treatment plan

Foster Moreau shared an update on his cancer battle and treatment plan during an interview with Good Morning America:

It’s been a dramatic offseason for Foster Moreau. The former Las Vegas Raiders and LSU Tigers tight end was expecting the first big payday of his NFL career as a free agent, and it nearly came with his hometown New Orleans Saints team.

Instead, he’s beginning a treatment plan for Hodgkin’s lymphoma after the cancer was discovered in a routine physical in New Orleans. Moreau shared the story of his initial diagnosis from Dr. John Amoss, a Saints team physician, which ended up being life-changing.

“I felt strong. I felt like I was running well,” Moreau recounted during an interview with Good Morning America. He had already undergone a physical with the Cincinnati Bengals before visiting the Saints, which hadn’t detected anything. “I mean, my offseason training was going just fine, and then he tells me something’s there that I could’ve never imagined and it rocks my world.”

He’s remaining optimistic. Other players have dealt with Hodgkin’s lymphoma to return to football before, and Moreau is hopeful he can do the same: “It’s at stage 2, so it’s spread from the initial location. But it appears to be a slow spread and we should be able to get rid of all of it.”

But he’s keeping a clear head. Moreau says he’s thankful for the support the Saints have given him throughout this process, and that he’s grateful he can stay close to his parents in New Orleans while undergoing treatment. He’s treating this battle just like every other conflict he’s approached on the field.

Moreau continued, “There’s no other way to look at it, right? So I’m preparing for my opponent, right? Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chemotherapy, I’m preparing for being on an IV, for six, seven, eight hours. Whatever it takes, right? Because I mean, there’s no other option. There’s no option.”

So will he return to play football? Moreau hopes so, but he’s being realistic about his expectations. He recently returned to New Orleans to complete his physical, and it’s possible the team could sign him after the 2023 NFL draft so he doesn’t count into the 2024 compensatory picks formula. They could then place Moreau on the non-football injury list until he’s cleared to return in, say, October. But that’s a long ways away. For now, Moreau is going to do everything he can to win this fight.

“You only have a finite amount of time on this Earth,” Moreau added. “For me, I’m gonna make it count. And right now, making it count is whuppin’ up on cancer’s butt.”

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Report: Lions tried to sign TE Foster Moreau in free agency

It indicates the Lions are looking for another mid-tier level tight end to help flesh out the TE room

An interesting tidbit on the Lions and the status of their tight end room came out this week. Dave Birkett of the Free Press noted that the team made an attempt to sign free agent Foster Moreau earlier this offseason.

The effort was thwarted when Moreau revealed he had non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and was stepping away from football while he fought to recover from cancer. The cancer was discovered during a free agent visit with the New Orleans Saints.

The courtship of Moreau indicates the Lions are looking to at least build competition on the current trio at tight end. Brock Wright, James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra are all back, but none are what is considered to be big-time talents at the position. Detroit traded Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson last season in no small part because coordinator Ben Johnson’s offense doesn’t heavily utilize the tight end in the receiving game.

Moreau was considered a mid-level free agent after spending his first four seaons with the Raiders. He’s coming off a season with career highs in receptions (33) and yards (420) as the No. 2 TE in Las Vegas behind Pro Bowler Darren Waller, who missed half the season.

Stop projecting first-round tight ends for the Lions in 2023

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Foster Moreau returns to finish his New Orleans Saints physical

It’s possible Foster Moreau still signs with his hometown Saints, though he has higher priorities than football after his cancer diagnosis:

This was a bit of a surprise: free agent tight end Foster Moreau returned to the New Orleans Saints team facility on Tuesday to finish the physical he started last week, which was interrupted by his shocking cancer diagnosis. Moreau remains in high spirits about the situation, and has said he intends to continue playing once this is behind him. He’s optimistic he could play for a team this season if his treatment goes well.

Saints News Network’s John Hendrix reports that, “The outlook for Moreau is that it’s a matter of when he’ll play again, not if,” which was echoed by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. It’s very possible that a team like the Saints could sign Moreau and put him on the non-football injury list until he’s cleared to play, where he wouldn’t count against the roster limit.

NFL rules stipulate that players on the NFI list may be activated as soon as Week 5 (Oct. 9 last year), which would line up with the general timetable Moreau has said he’s working with in treatment. He would need time to get into playing shape even after being activated, but if the Saints are willing to work with him that patience might be rewarded. We’ll have to see how this unique situation develops further.

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Foster Moreau optimistic after lymphoma diagnosis, grateful for Saints’ support

Foster Moreau says he’s optimistic after his Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis, and that he’s grateful for the Saints’ support during a difficult process:

Foster Moreau nearly played for his hometown New Orleans Saints, but a life-changing diagnosis for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma has him changing priorities. The former Las Vegas Raiders and LSU Tigers tight end spoke about his experience on The Adam Schefter Podcast, detailing the process that led to his diagnosis, the challenges ahead of him, and the reasons for optimism that are fueling him.

Moreau compared the physical he went through with the Cincinnati Bengals, which was focused more on football concerns like his knees and other joints, and past injuries, with what he described as more of a “family doctor” exam with the Saints medical staff. While the Bengals medical team cleared him, the Saints doctor picked up on it right away: “The first thing he touches, I swear to you, is my lymph node in my left collarbone. And it’s shocking to him how swollen this thing is. We need to check this out, he says, this thing’s the size of a golf ball.”

At that point they sent word to Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and began discussing what’s next: radiology scans, an onsite biopsy, and further exams and a treatment plan. One thing Moreau was grateful for was proximity to home, being a quick drive away from his parents in New Orleans, rather than having received such bad news in faraway Cincinnati or Las Vegas.

“Cancer’s a scary word,” Moreau reflected, repeating, “Cancer’s an extremely scary word. I’ve had no history of any cancers on my mom’s or my dad’s  side of my family. So I was terrified. Did a lot of research on it, just the unknowns of what you’re about to go through.”

He says he reached out to a high school teammate who had survived a battle with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and the call left him feeling encouraged. He has a better understanding of what he’s in for, how treatable the cancer is, and what he’s in for. He now sees a future where he comes out of this experience without any long-lasting effects.

Moreau continued, “They believe that it was caught at an early stage because I didn’t have any of the ‘B symptoms’ like the exhaustion, the night sweats, the loss of weight. None of that had appeared. They just found the cancerous lymph node, so that was what triggered the initial scan, and that’s what came up positive.”

He also pointed to the examples of several former NFL players who beat cancer and returned to continue their careers, like former Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry and Pro Bowl running back James Conner. Berry was diagnosed with lymphoma in his chest cavity during the 2014 season, which was more difficult to treat than what Moreau expects.

Berry underwent chemotherapy in December and returned to the team seven months later, for the start of their 2015 training camp. He played four more years in the NFL and won All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition. Like Berry, Conner’s cancer was detected behind his rib cage, and he was sidelined for eight months in college in 2015 but was medically cleared in 2016, got drafted in 2017, and recently signed a three-year extension with the Arizona Cardinals. Both

“Being able to play this year, I wouldn’t say it’s out of the question, but it’s also definitely not my main priority,” Moreau said, “Taking a step back and making sure that I can become cancer-free, go into remission, gain my health, strength, weight, speed, just kind of get into the groove of being a player again. Because obviously at the time I would be coming in everyone would be in midseason form, so that would be a very tall task for me to do. But I’m not ruling it out entirely but I need to get healthy first.”

As for his plans for the immediate future: Moreau intends to stay in New Orleans and receive treatment from a local specialist while staying close to his family, and he’ll worry about football once he’s given the green-light to do so. He added, “I’m a free agent, I don’t necessarily have a home. The Raiders have been supportive, and the Saints have been incredibly supportive, and I’m grateful for what they’ve shown me.”

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Irv Smith Jr. might be the Saints’ best option among remaining free agent tight ends

If the Saints still want to sign a free agent tight end, former Vikings draft pick and Brother Martin graduate Irv Smith Jr. might be their best option:

Could the New Orleans Saints still be on the hunt for a free agent tight end? Terrible news of a cancer diagnosis for Foster Moreau during a routine physical with the Saints medical staff has prompted the 25-year-old to step away from football, and it’s unclear whether the team’s interest in him was opportunistic — in getting a good player at at reasonable price — or part of their offseason plan to upgrade at tight end.

Look at the players under contract. Juwan Johnson is an ascending talent, having broken out last season as a pass-catcher while continuing to improve as a blocker. But Adam Trautman has not developed as hoped after the Saints traded up for him in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft. Backups like Lucas Krull and Miller Forristall are likely just training camp bodies. Taysom Hill might be listed at tight end but he played more snaps at quarterback and receiver than in that alignment, and he shouldn’t be slotted into the depth chart there.

Clearly this is a spot New Orleans can improve. If they still want to sign a free agent after Moreau was taken off the board, Irv Smith Jr. might be their best option. The former Minnesota Vikings second-round pick prided himself on his two-way ability as a blocker and receiver coming out of Alabama (and before that, Brother Martin High School in New Orleans’ Gentilly neighborhood), much like his father, who played tight end for the Saints from 1993 to 1997 as a first-round draft pick from Notre Dame. There’s a legacy he could live up to here.

But that skill as a pass-catcher and run-blocker is exactly what the Saints could use to complement Johnson as a receiving threat. Trautman doesn’t offer much in that phase of the game, so Smith could be an upgrade if he can continue to block well. He opened some wide lanes for Dalvin Cook the last few years, and it’s easy to see him making headway for running backs Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams.

But Smith needs to make more of an impact in the passing game. He has an unearned reputation for poor hands, having dropped just 5 passes on 126 career targets and catching 75.4% of the balls thrown his way at an average depth of target of 6.9 yards. He’s also caught 10 of his 20 contested targets. Maybe he can take a step forward with a better quarterback than Kirk Cousins throwing to him. Derek Carr has a history of maximizing receiving production from his tight ends.

Injuries have also been a concern for him. Smith played just 8 games in 2022 due to a midseason ankle injury. He lost the entire 2021 season to a torn meniscus. Groin and back issues limited him to 13 appearances in 2020’s first 17-game season. It would be worth signing him at the right price, and having Trautman in the fold as a backup with some experience is nice, but expecting him to endure a full workload as the No. 2 tight end behind Johnson might be tall ask. Additionally, signing Smith would likely jeopardize one of the 2024 compensatory draft picks the Saints are projected to get for losing so many free agents this spring.

So that’s why a lot of attention is going towards the 2023 NFL draft class. It’s said to be the strongest group of tight end prospects coming out of the college game in years, and the Saints are well-positioned to find a good one with picks at Nos. 29 (in the first round), 40 (in the second round), and 71 (in the third round). But, again, it’s worth asking how big of a priority an upgrade at tight end would be to them. The Saints might have bigger fish to fry before looking for an excuse to cut bait with Trautman.

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