Isaac Yiadom – Page 2 – Syndication Server

8 pending free agents who may be playing their final games with the Saints

Whether it’s due to age, contract status, or other factors, these 8 pending free agents may be playing their final games with the Saints:

There are just a few weeks left in the 2023 season, meaning some New Orleans Saints players are going to be playing their final games in black and gold. A few of them already have. Free agency is looming off on the horizon in March and the Saints are going to have to make some tough decisions given their difficult salary cap outlook.

Some players have really helped themselves by stepping up when their number was called. Others are poised to move on in free agency and seek better opportunities. And a few are aging out and likely headed for their next chapter in pro football.

Here are the players we’re watching closely in the final weeks of the 2023 season:

Dennis Allen is doing Alontae Taylor a disservice with failed slot experiment

Alontae Taylor has allowed more catches and yards from the slot than anyone else in the NFL. Dennis Allen deserves some blame for not better preparing him for a new position:

Did you notice that Alontae Taylor was benched last week against the Los Angeles Rams? It was gnarly. The New Orleans Saints’ second-year cornerback was torched in coverage and beaten badly with the Rams’ pre-snap motion on some big gains on the ground, prompting head coach Dennis Allen to bench him. Veteran safety Ugo Amadi, who played ahead of Taylor on the depth chart all summer, finished the game in his place.

Everyone got their licks in. Per Pro Football Focus charting, pass-catching Rams tight end Tyler Higbee (3 receptions for 30 yards), slot receiver Cooper Kupp (2 receptions for 19 yards, both first downs), and rookie receiver Puka Nacua (1 catch for 41 yards) each made plays with Taylor in coverage before Allen pulled him from the game.

And Taylor wasn’t happy; team leaders like Tyrann Mathieu had to cool him down on the sideline, and he’s doing the best he can to learn from the experience, telling NewOrleans.Football’s Mike Triplett that he’ll return to the starting lineup on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But his first year playing the slot has been full of tough learning experiences. When covering the slot, Taylor leads the NFL in targets (90), receptions (60), and yards allowed (549). He’s charged with yielding four touchdown catches, which is tied for third-most. No other player has drawn more than 65 targets or given up more yards.

He’s visibly struggling in the transition. And Allen has to shoulder much of the blame here. As a former defensive backs coach who spends a lot of hands-on time with the secondary, he hasn’t done a good enough job preparing Taylor for this job.

Taylor didn’t get enough quality reps in over the summer to be thrust into the position; he was consistently playing behind Bradley Roby and Amadi on the third-string defense through minicamp, training camp, and preseason before Roby was a surprise roster cut in August, which sent Taylor rocketing to the top of the depth chart before he was ready for it. Rookie cornerback Adrian Frye, who wasn’t brought back after roster cuts, played twice as many snaps in the slot (42) as Taylor did (21) across three preseason games.

He just hasn’t had the reps. Look at the number of snaps Taylor has played in the slot in college at Tennessee and in the NFL with the Saints:

2018 (college): 2
2019 (college): 21
2020 (college): 6
2021 (college): 15
2022 preseason: 0
2022 regular season: 22
2023 preseason: 21
2023 regular season: 666

It’s easy to understand why Allen wanted Taylor in this role. He’s getting one of his most energetic and athletic defenders on the field by any means necessary. Taylor couldn’t dislodge Paulson Adebo from the outside corner spot in camp, opposite Marshon Lattimore, leaving only the slot for him when everyone is healthy. And Isaac Yiadom has played so well in Lattimore’s place that it’s debatable whether Taylor would be an upgrade there.

But it’s hard enough to pick up the pro game and adjust to the speed of your competition in your second year in the league in any circumstances. Doing so while picking up a totally new position is exceedingly difficult. That the Saints didn’t adequately prepare Taylor for the challenges in front of him is an outright disservice to the player. There are just two games left in the regular season. It’s possible Taylor could spend his offseason reviewing the tape and putting all of his time and effort into fully learning his new position. But as has often been the case with Allen running this team, that’s coming a day late and leaving the Saints a dollar short.

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Stout defense, Derek Carr’s best game with Saints knocks down the Giants

A stout defense and Derek Carr’s best game in a Saints uniform combined to knock down the Giants:

This is what New Orleans Saints games are supposed to look like. A combination of a stout defense and Derek Carr’s best game in a black and gold uniform knocked down the New York Giants on Sunday by a margin of 24-6. This is their vision for a victory. It’s why they pursued Carr and retained Dennis Allen as head coach to cultivate an elite defense. And on Sunday that vision became reality.

New York gained just 60 rushing yards as a team with star running back Saquon Barkley limited to 14 yards on 9 carries; rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito is known for his rushing ability but he was contained to 36 yards on 4 attempts, actually losing more yards (57) to 7 sacks than he gained as a runner.

And DeVito didn’t have many answers for the ferocious Saints defense. New Orleans pressured him early and often on his 34 pass attempts. Five different defenders hit him at different points through the game, with veteran defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon stepping up in particular. Kpasagnon finished the day with 3 sacks and 4 quarterback hits, plus 6 tackles (3 solo, 3 tackles for loss). Cornerbacks Isaac Yiadom and Paulson Adebo combined for 4 pass breakups.

Let’s talk about Carr. He’s earned a lot of criticism this season for poor play, but he did his job well on Sunday. Carr completed 23 of 28 passes (82.1%) for 218 yards, throwing 3 touchdown passes for the first time in a Saints uniform. He didn’t turn the ball over, he navigated pressure well, and he spread the ball around efficiently. 10 different players caught a pass in this game, and 7 of them caught multiple receptions from Carr. It was really impressive to see with Chris Olave out of the lineup.

So where do they go next? The Saints must take their show on the road and visit the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night before flying cross-country for another road game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that, the regular season finale at home against the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans doesn’t control its own destiny, but positive games like this one are going to be big as they go down the stretch.

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Tommy DeVito clears concussion protocol, returns for Saints vs. Giants

Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito cleared concussion protocol to return to action against the Saints after hitting his head hard on the turf:

There haven’t been many stories bigger in the last week’s NFL news cycle than Tommy DeVito, the New York Giants rookie quarterback who endeared himself quickly to fans during what looked like a lost season.

So it’s understandable that many were waiting with bated breath when DeVito hit his head hard on the turf and left Sunday’s game with the New Orleans Saints to enter concussion protocol. DeVito scrambled and slid to the ground but was hit by Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom at the top of his slide; it was a clean hit by Yiadom, who was not fouled, but the whiplash from it sent DeVito’s head into the turf for what looked like a painful ricochet.

DeVito exited the game and headed to the locker room before halftime for further evaluation by the league’s independent neurological examiner. Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor stepped in to close out that end-of-half drive and returned to handle the Giants’ next possession after the halftime break, going 2-for-4 for just 13 yards.

But DeVito cleared protocol and returned in the third quarter. He’ll need to make some plays with his Giants facing a manageable deficit, but the Saints defense is already firing on all cylinders with 4 sacks for a loss of 35 yards against the rookie standout.

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What we’re thankful for during the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 season

What we’re grateful for during the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 season

Thanksgiving is a time for expressing gratitude for the blessings in our lives — things that bring us joy which shouldn’t be taken for granted. And the New Orleans Saints have given fans some things to be thankful for even in a frustrating 2023 season. Whether it’s young standout players or position groups that have carried the team to some much-needed wins, here are our staff picks for the things we’re grateful for about the Saints this year:

Saints promote CB Cameron Dantzler, reunite with WR Marquez Callaway

The Saints promoted CB Cameron Dantzler from their practice squad, opening a slot to reunite with WR Marquez Callaway:

The New Orleans Saints are working to account for several key injuries this week. After putting wide receiver Michael Thomas on injured reserve, the Saints signed WR Marquez Callaway to their practice squad — reuniting with the former starter who filled in for Thomas during the last three years.

But they had to open a spot on the practice squad for him. With a slot vacant on the 53-man roster and cornerback Marshon Lattimore dealing with an ankle sprain, the Saints promoted Cameron Dantzler. Dantzler appeared in two games earlier this season exclusively on special teams, but he’s an experienced pro who can help round out the depth chart.

So now the Saints have Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, Isaac Yiadom and Dantzler available on the 53-man roster with Lattimore on the mend. Veteran safeties Ugo Amadi and Lonnie Johnson Jr. can also cover the slot and line up at corner in a pinch. We’ll have to wait and see what the plan is on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

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Dennis Allen: Michael Thomas, Marshon Lattimore may ‘take some time’ with injuries

Saints head coach Dennis Allen said that WR Michael Thomas and CB Marshon Lattimore may ‘take some time’ recovering from injuries:

New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen addressed injuries to star players Michael Thomas and Marshon Lattimore on Monday, and it doesn’t sound like either of them will be available for Sunday’s game with the Atlanta Falcons. Thomas and Lattimore exited the Saints’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings with knee and ankle injuries before the bye week.

“I think Michael Thomas and Lattimore, these are injuries that are going to take some time. But I think other than that we’re in a pretty good spot,” Allen said. When asked about possibly placing either player on injured reserve, he responded, “I don’t know, we’ll see.”

Allen declined to specify who will be filling in for either of them, acknowledging that veteran backup Isaac Yiadom was an option to start in Lattimore’s place. The Saints could also rotate Alontae Taylor there out of the slot or ask Paulson Adebo to play on the other side of the field. They have options.

That’s also true offensively. A.T. Perry made a few plays against Minnesota while stepping in for Thomas, but the Saints have brought in experienced pros Keith Kirkwood and Marquez Callaway in recent days, too. Allen’s keeping his cards tight to his vest on this front. Hopefully Thomas and Lattimore can heal up and get back on the field sooner rather than later.

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Dennis Allen shares updates on multiple Saints injuries

Dennis Allen shared updates on multiple injured Saints players after Sunday’s loss, including Derek Carr, Michael Thomas, and Marshon Lattimore:

We received a mix of good news and bad news on New Orleans Saints players who were injured in Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings; head coach Dennis Allen shared updates on everyone’s status after the team returned to New Orleans and completed further medical evaluations at the team facility on Monday.

Here’s what we learned about Derek Carr, Michael Thomas, and Marshon Lattimore:

Report: Saints CB Marshon Lattimore suffered ankle sprain vs. Vikings

More information is rolling in on the multiple New Orleans Saints players who left Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings due to injury. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore exited the game on a trainer’s cart after his lower leg was pinned underneath other players while he tried to help out on a tackle; and NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that Lattimore will undergo imaging on his ankle sprain to determine the severity of the injury.

The good news is that the Saints are going into their bye week, which will give Lattimore and other injured players time to rest up before their next game. The bad news is that any time he misses during games will be felt. His backup Isaac Yiadom has played admirably on limited snaps this season but when he’s on top of his game there are few corners around the league with Lattimore’s abilities. Hopefully this isn’t a very serious injury and he’ll be able to return for the back half of the 2023 schedule.

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Paulson Adebo returns to the Saints’ starting lineup vs. Patriots

Cornerback Paulson Adebo is returning to the Saints’ starting lineup for Sunday’s game with the Patriots:

The New Orleans Saints hope to get a big boost in their secondary with cornerback Paulson Adebo returning to the starting lineup (you can check the Week 5 inactives report here).

Adebo missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and though Isaac Yiadom played very well in his absences — outside of two touchdown passes thrown against his coverage, which were admittedly very well-placed balls — the coaching staff still has a lot of confidence in Adebo’s abilities. Defensive coordinator Joe Wood squashed any speculation about the second cornerback spot this week with a public vote of confidence for Adebo.

Still, Adebo needs to back that up with high-level performance on the field. One area he must work on is penalties. He’s become a magnet for coverage fouls, leading the team with three infractions despite having played in just two games. Adebo was flagged twice for defensive holding and again for defensive pass interference. He must play with cleaner hands and avoid hurting his team by giving away free yardage.

But Adebo starting over Yiadom doesn’t say anything negative about his backup’s performance. Yiadom has forced quarterbacks to throw into tight windows in his two-game stint as a starter while getting his hands on a lot of footballs (tying for the league lead with 5 passes broken up). The Saints run deeper than many other teams in the secondary, and having playmakers stacked up behind Marshon Lattimore like these two (not to mention Alontae Taylor, who is improving each week in the slot) is an embarrassment of riches. They haven’t had much to hang their hats on this season, but you can’t fault the cornerback play.

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