Tag: hit

Report: Marshon Lattimore pushing for extension before Week 1

Report: Saints CB Marshon Lattimore pushing for extension before Week 1

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Well that’s interesting. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler listed New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore as a contract extension candidate ahead of the NFL’s regular season, with the Saints scheduled to open up at home in the Caesars Superdome with the Green Bay Packers.

And he sees reason to believe Lattimore and New Orleans can cut a deal before that Sept. 12 kickoff. Fowler wrote:

“Lattimore wants a new deal, preferably before Week 1, so the clock is ticking. A 2022 free agent, he has been practicing and playing the good teammate role. But the Saints know he wants the extension, and they aren’t afraid to pay stars despite being perpetually tight against the cap. They also are light on cornerbacks this season, so keeping a pillar on the back end isn’t a bad idea. Lattimore, 25, ranked seventh among corners in an ESPN+ poll of league evaluators.”

Crossing Lattimore off the Saints’ to-do list would make sense. Right now, his asking price would probably settle around $18.5 million per year — slotting in right between Buffalo Bills standout Tre’Davious White ($17.25 million) and Baltimore Ravens star Marlon Humphrey ($19.5 million). If he plays really well in 2021 and tests free agency in 2022, his market price could challenge the $20 million that the Los Angeles Rams are paying Jalen Ramsey annually as the league’s top-paid corner.

It’s a little complicated, though, given Lattimore’s up-and-down history of play. But considering his age (he turned 25 in May) and lacking depth at the position in New Orleans, there’s an argument for extending his contract now before he heats his peak. That gets ahead of a potential rise in the market and helps to build some confidence in the unit overall. It’ll be interesting to see if there’s any movement here after the Saints restructured Lattimore’s contract earlier this summer, which created short-term cap space while piling up $7 million in dead money should he leave in 2022.

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Former Saints WR Keith Kirkwood carted off Panthers practice field after dangerous hit

Former New Orleans Saints wideout Keith Kirkwood was carted off the Panthers practice field following a dangerous hit:

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One former member of the black and gold was in the middle of a scary situation. Keith Kirkwood started his career with the New Orleans Saints before landing with the Carolina Panthers last year, but on Tuesday he was carted off the practice field following a hit to the head from defensive back J.T. Ibe, who was quickly waived.

Kirkwood, 27, remained prone on the field for almost 10 minutes until he was taken to an ambulance. He was able to move his arms and legs, and Panthers coach Matt Rhule said afterwards that Kirkwood experienced no pain in his neck. So there’s optimism that he avoided a serious injury.

Still, it’s a tough break for him. Kirkwood has struggled with injuries throughout his career; his promising rookie season in New Orleans began with a prolonged absence due to a hamstring issue, and further ailments have kept him sidelined in Carolina. Here’s hoping he rebounds from this and finds NFL success, at least when he’s not suiting up against the Saints.

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LOOK: Mack Wilson apologizes for hit that led to concussion, Patrick Mahomes responds

Former Alabama LB Mack Wilson apologizes to star quarterback Patrick Mahomes after a hit that led to a concussion in the AFC divisional r…

Former Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson has been under fire on Twitter after a hit on Patrick Mahomes in the AFC Divisional game between the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs that took Mahomes out of the game for most of the second half.

The tackle put the Super Bowl winning quarterback into NFL’s concussion protocol, and eventually ruled him out in returning.

The game ended with a Chiefs win, which will send them to the AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills.

Shortly after the game concluded players were asked about the hit, and Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield defended his second-year linebacker.

Wilson, who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft, took to social media to apologize to Mahomes for the hit.

He also went on to address the many social media users caiming he is a dirty player.

Mahomes accepted Wilson’s apology.

Report: Chargers LB Denzel Perryman not fined for hit on Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins

No fines for Chargers headhunter Denzel Perryman.

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The player responsible for taking Kansas City Chiefs WR Sammy Watkins out of the Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Chargers will not be fined by the NFL according to a new report.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Chargers LB Denzel Perryman was not among the players fined by the NFL following his Week 2 hit on Watkins, which left him in the NFL’s concussion protocol. There was no flag on the play, but the NFL doesn’t need a flag in order to enforce a fine for helmet-to-helmet contact. Those who dole out fines examined the tape and determined it was not egregious enough to warrant a fine.

Following the Week 2 game, Chiefs HC Andy Reid was irate with the fact that it happened and wasn’t called a penalty on the field.

“Sammy (Watkins) got a hit to the head that was very questionable,” Reid said following the game. “Anyway, he got a hit to the head — we’re not supposed to have those in our game ever.”

Watkins took to social media following the game to let fans know that he was alright. He was wobbly getting up from the play and had to be helped to the sideline as he clutched his head. He wanted everyone to know that he harbored no ill-will for the helmet-to-helmet hit.

Watkins is currently listed as questionable for Monday’s game. Andy Reid’s latest comments on his status were positive, though.

“He practiced in full the last couple days,” Reid said. “He had a stiff neck, and tribute to the kid, he lived in the training room and got the knot in there worked out and I think he feels pretty good right now. So, we’ll just monitor him as we go and see how he does.”

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Saints free up $4M in cap space through Sheldon Rankins contract restructure

The New Orleans Saints created $4 million in salary cap space by restructuring their contract with DT Sheldon Rankins, a 2021 free agent.

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We’ve got a live one: the New Orleans Saints shuffled some salary cap resources early Saturday morning, with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reporting that they modified their contract with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. Rankins was set to earn almost $7.69 million while playing on his fifth-year option in 2020, and that’s still the case. But the Saints got creative to clear $4 million this season.

They added two voidable years onto Rankins’ contract, which was set to expire at the end of the fiscal year next March. New Orleans also converted $6 million of Rankins’ guaranteed salary into a signing bonus, which he’ll receive immediately rather than in incremental game checks over the next few months.

The end result: Rankins has a 2020 salary cap figure of just $3.69 million in 2020, and a dead money hit of $4 million in 2021 should he leave in free agency. If the Saints are able to re-sign him to a long-term contract, he’ll be due at least $2 million in both 2021 and 2022.

So how much salary cap space do the Saints now have to work with? The analysts at Over The Cap estimate $6.08 million in available funds, while the team at Spotrac puts them at $5.1 million. Our in-house spreadsheet has the Saints at $5.4 million below the salary cap.

The Saints could simply be looking to add more resources as they move into the season; they’ll need this cap space to sign free agents after tryouts and maybe make a move at the NFL trade deadline in October. On the other hand, this could be a prelude to a contract extension with Alvin Kamara, which has been expected for several days now per the latest reports.

As for Rankins: this doesn’t change his standing with the team in any way. He already had a reputation as a team-first player, and he’s performed like one of their best playmakers on defense — when healthy. His name did reportedly come up in trade talks at the roster cuts deadline, but nothing came of it. If he can string together 16 productive games in 2020, he could end up back at the negotiating table before free agency next year.

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Cameron Jordan owns up to ugly personal foul penalty: ‘That’s on me’

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan took the blame for an ugly penalty against Carolina Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen.

The New Orleans Saints put a lot of responsibility on Cameron Jordan’s shoulders. The veteran defensive end is one of the most-experienced and longest-tenured players one the team, and his status as a captain makes him someone to rally around and look to for example.

So his unnecessary roughness penalty against Carolina Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen was uncharacteristic to say the least. Jordan is a former Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee recognized throughout the NFL for his sportsmanship and clean style of play, but this incident on Sunday hurt his team, his reputation, and Allen’s face.

When Saints linebacker Demario Davis spun Allen around for a sack on a long third down to force Carolina to punt the ball away, Jordan jumped into the fray to try and strip the ball from Allen’s arms. Except he did so after an official’s whistle had blown the play dead. And when Jordan punched at the ball, he missed and struck Allen’s facemask, sending the quarterback reeling as Davis threw him down.

“Gotta hear that whistle,” Jordan wrote from his official Twitter account after the game. “That’s on me gotta hear that whistle.”

It was an ugly moment for sure, and the Panthers capitalized on the opportunity (Jordan was hit with a 15-yard personal foul, granting Carolina a fresh set of downs from their own 44-yard line). Fortunately, Jordan’s Saints were able to end the game on a high note and send the Panthers home with a loss.

These two teams will play again during the Week 17 regular season finale; hopefully Jordan and his teammates can avoid more mistakes after drawing a dozen fouls for 123 penalty yards in what was very nearly an upset.

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49ers CB Richard Sherman fined for hit on Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett

Although no flag was thrown, 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman has been fined for his hit on Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett Week 10.

The Seattle Seahawks emerged victorious against the San Franciso 49ers and former teammate Richard Sherman last Monday night in Santa Clara.

The NFC West matchup came down to the wire in overtime, when Seahawks kicker Jason Myers was finally able to seal the deal with the game-winning field goal at the buzzer.

Good sportsmanship prevailed as Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and Sherman exchanged jerseys on the field after the contest.

On Saturday, however, the NFL announced Sherman has been fined for his hit on Seahawks wide receiver, Tyler Lockett.

“49ers CB Richard Sherman was fined $28,075 for unnecessary roughness for lowering his head to initiate contact on his big hit of Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett in the second quarter,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted. “No flag was thrown.”

Here’s a closer look at the play in question – you be the judge.

The Seahawks have a bye this weekend but reconvene Monday for a bonus practice ahead of the Eagles Week 12.

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