Tag: j.t. gray

Tyrann Mathieu among 4 Saints players who received All-Pro votes for 2022

Tyrann Mathieu is among 4 New Orleans Saints players who received All-Pro votes for 2022, along with Demario Davis and a couple of special teamers:

Veteran safety Tyrann Mathieu is among several New Orleans Saints players who received votes for the Associated Press 2022 All-Pro teams, along with linebacker Demario Davis and a couple of special teamers. Davis was the only player out of the group to be selected for the annual All-Pro list (he made the second team for the third year in a row), but three of his teammates also received ballots in their favor.

It’s a bit of a step down from past years when the All-Pro teams were littered with standout Saints players, but it’s still good to see some of them receive this recognition. We’ll take the silver linings we can get after such a difficult 2022 season. This year, first team votes were valued at 3 points and second team votes were set at 1 point, leading to cumulative totals from the AP’s 50 ballots. Here are the four Saints players who received All-Pro votes:

J.T. Gray named first-team All-Pro, Demario Davis earns second-team recognition

J.T. Gray named first-team All-Pro, Demario Davis earns second-team recognition

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It’s great to see someone enjoy the rewards of hard work. New Orleans Saints special teams ace J.T. Gray was honored on the All-Pro first team list from the Associated Press for his efforts during the 2021 season, having paced the team with 19 tackles in the kicking game — the best of his career. Gray was selected for the All-Pro second team in 2019, when he also got into the Pro Bowl as an alternate. Now he’s made the cut for both all-star lists outright.

And he’s taken a hard road to get here. Originally signed by New Orleans as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, Gray outworked some players who were drafted to make the opening-day roster in 2018. He’s since been voted a team captain and has begun to rack up postseason accolades like this All-Pro placement, with the 18 votes in his favor leading his position group. Good for him.

Additionally, Saints linebacker Demario Davis was listed on the All-Pro second team (receiving 10 votes), ranking behind Micah Parsons (46), Darius Leonard (44), and De’Vondre Campbell (18), tying with Roquan Smith (10). Two other Saints players received All-Pro votes this year, both defenders: free safety Marcus Williams (3) and cornerback Marshon Lattimore (1).

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Report: Saints Pro Bowler J.T. Gray lands on COVID-19 reserve list

Report: Saints Pro Bowler J.T. Gray and three assistant coaches enter COVID-19 protocols

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Another New Orleans Saints player has entered COVID-19 protocols: safety J.T. Gray, per the Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Jeff Duncan. Gray was just named a starter for the 2022 Pro Bowl roster this week, and he’s one of New Orleans’ top coverage players in the kicking game. It’s going to be tough to work without him and other special teams aces on the COVID-19 reserve list like safety Jeff Heath and linebacker Kaden Elliss. These absences add up.

Additionally, the Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Amie Just adds that three assistant coaches will also be unavailable due to COVID-19 against the Miami Dolphins: assistant offensive line coach Zach Strief, defensive assistant Cory Robinson, defensive coaching intern Sterling Moore. It’s not as severe as the outbreak New Orleans dealt with back in Week 2, when a third of the offensive coaching staff were out, but it’s already drawing ugly comparisons.

But the losses to the roster are what’s most concerning. Gray is the twelfth Saints player to land on the COVID-19 reserve list this week and the depth chart is being tested at almost every position group. Losing assistant coaches on top of that make it even more of an uphill battle for New Orleans to try and overcome.

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4 Saints players selected for the 2022 Pro Bowl

4 Saints players selected for the 2022 Pro Bowl, including 7-time honoree Cameron Jordan

At least four New Orleans Saints players have been picked for the 2022 Pro Bowl, with the all-star game’s initial roster revealed Wednesday night. And they’ve all been here before. More of their teammates could join them as various honorees back out of the game due to injuries or personal choice, but here’s what you need to know about each player to make the cut:

All-Pro Saints special teams ace J.T. Gray celebrates Mississippi State’s national title

All-Pro Saints special teams ace J.T. Gray celebrates Mississippi State’s national title

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Let the cowbells ring. The Mississippi State Bulldogs won their first national championship in men’s baseball, which got one member of the New Orleans Saints amped up: safety J.T. Gray, a Clarksdale, Miss. native who celebrated his alma mater’s title-securing victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday night.

It’s going to put some pep in his step, but Gray won’t lack for motivation in 2021. He was named a second team All-Pro in 2019 for his efforts on special teams, leading the Saints in tackles in the kicking game (16). Gray went on to play well enough in 2020 to earn a two-year, $4 million contract extension with New Orleans, and he’s in good position to take on a bigger role in the game’s third phase after Justin Hardee signed with the Jets in free agency.

That all followed his landing with the Saints as a dark-horse undrafted rookie back in 2018, when he surprised many fans by making the opening-day roster. Having earned all of his opportunities the hard way, Gray has put in the work to stick with one of the NFL’s most talented rosters in recent years, and it’s good to see him enjoying himself and taking some pride in his school’s success.

Still, speaking as a Southern Miss fan (To The Top!) and graduate: let me congratulate Gray and the Bulldogs on the school’s second-ever national championship, between this 2021 baseball win and and their famous 2009 disc golf title. Now they’ve won as many national championships between those two sports as the Golden Eagles have accomplished in football (1958 and 1962). Good for them!

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Saints agree to a 2-year extension with All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray

The New Orleans Saints agreed to a two-year extension with All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray, a backup safety out of Mississippi State.

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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints have reached a deal with backup safety J.T. Gray on a two-year contract extension, which is a more important move than it appears on the surface. Gray was the team’s only restricted free agent this year but will return on a $4 million contract, half of which is guaranteed. FOX8’s Sean Fazende confirmed the news.

Gray earned All-Pro second team recognition in 2019 after tying for the team lead in special teams tackles (16); he’s appeared in every game over the last two years, including the playoffs, doing a lot to keep the Saints return units among the NFL’s best by getting downfield in a hurry. He’s also forced three fumbles out of opponents during that time.

It’s quite a success story considering his NFL career started as an afterthought. Gray was a little-known undrafted free agent signing out of Mississippi State in 2018, but he outplayed more-experienced players in training camp to earn a roster spot, and he hasn’t let go of it since. Now this extension ensures he’ll continue to be an asset for New Orleans in the kicking game.

Could he be headed for a bigger role with Marcus Williams headed for unrestricted free agency? Probably not. Gray has only played 40 defensive snaps in 40 career games (including the postseason), and while he does have the benefit of training camp experience his focus will probably remain disrupting opposing punts and kickoffs. And there’s plenty of value in that.

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Saints signed All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray to a contract extension

The New Orleans Saints signed special teams ace J.T. Gray, a Pro Bowler and All-Pro, to a one-year contract extension for the 2020 season.

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The New Orleans Saints signed Pro Bowl and All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray to a contract extension last month, reports NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. It’s a one-year contract worth $750,000, which is standard for someone with Gray’s limited NFL experience. Underhill added that the deal was signed on Feb. 7.

But he’s accomplished quite a lot in just a short time. Gray is a fixture on the punt and kickoff coverage units, having played nearly as many snaps on special teams (285) as Taysom Hill last year (287), only missing time with an early-game leg injury against the Chicago Bears after just three plays. Other than that, Gray was on the field for more than half of the special teams snaps run in every game the Saints played last season.

Not bad for someone who was a dark horse to even make the opening-day roster. Gray signed with the Saints as an undrafted rookie out of Mississippi State, and at the time was overlooked by other rookie free agent signings like Cincinnati cornerback Linden Stephens, Western Kentucky tight end Deon Yelder, and Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett. It’s a testament to the work he’s put in that he’s playing so often and racking up the accolades while those other players are looking for opportunities on other teams.

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2019 Saints season: Reviewing safety J.T. Gray

Our 2019 New Orleans Saints season review continues with special teams ace J.T. Gray, a backup safety who has chipped in impressive efforts.

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We continue our 2019 New Orleans Saints season review with special teams ace J.T. Gray. A safety out of Mississippi State, Gray went undrafted in 2018, and initially made the roster outright before landing on the Saints practice squad. His proficiency in coverage on special teams sold the Saints coaching staff on his skills, and allowed him to stick around in 2019.

While Gray may not be a household name at this point in his career, he played well enough to be recognized with second-team All-Pro honors this season. Gray was one of two Saints special teamers to make the cut All-Pros, along with fellow undrafted teammate Deonte Harris, who garnered first-team All-Pro recognition.

Level of Play in 2019

Gray had a phenomenal season on special teams, and perhaps his most memorable play was his blocked punt in Week 7 against the Chicago Bears. Gray’s high level of play was characterized by making sound football decisions, especially when asked to try and block punts or kicks. This allowed the Saints special teams unit to be one of the best in recent memory.

Gray should be credited for helping creating opportunities in the return game as well. Gray’s ability to block well on the outside during returns played an integral part in allowing Harris to become the league’s most feared return specialist. It was for these reasons that Gray found his way on the All-Pro list.

What to expect in 2020

Gray will be an exclusive rights free agent this offseason. After making just above league minimum in 2019, New Orleans will likely lock him up for 2020 and beyond. Gray has helped reshape the special teams landscape in New Orleans, and should continue to progress knowing he has a spot on the roster going forward.

Gray’s role in the defense could expand come the 2020 season. The defensive back played in three games this season on defense, but never played more than 15% of the snap counts in those appearances. On special teams, his 284 snaps played ranked fifth for the Saints, and nearly tied the total set by Taysom Hill (286). He is clearly a specialist in the kicking game, but he does provide depth to the Saints secondary. With an offseason to prepare, he could end of up competing for a backup role in 2020.

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J.T. Gray lost most of his game check to NFL fine for illegal block vs. Vikings

New Orleans Saints safety J.T. Gray, a second-team All-Pro, was fined $28,075 for an illegal blindside block versus the wild-card Vikings.

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It’s bad enough that the New Orleans Saints were unceremoniously booted out of the playoff picture in last week’s loss to the wild-card Minnesota Vikings. You have to feel for backup safety J.T. Gray, who was penalized for an illegal blindside block during a punt return — and then hit with a $28,075 fine by the league office, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

While he may have been voted a second-team All-Pro for his efforts on special teams, Gray’s salary ranked low on the team in 2019. He played on $570,000 contract that paid out just over $33,529 per week. In the playoffs, the NFL’s tiered payout structure granted him $31,000 for his participation in the wild-card round as a member of a division-winning team.

Now, most of that cash is gone. It’s unfortunate for a young player to be fined so heavily for a foul, especially on a rule that was just recently introduced in last offseason’s owners meetings. There’s no doubting the validity of his penalty and the fine that it drew, but maybe the NFL Players Association and the league can reach some sort of compromise on fining players relative to their income during the ongoing CBA negotiations. It would do a lot to help out the players who aren’t as experienced or as financially secure as their peers. Hopefully it’s something the powers that be will consider.

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