Tag: Johnathan Abram

Injured reserve is a possibility for New Orleans Saints starting safety

Injured reserve is a possibility for Saints starting safety Will Harris. He was the team’s only defender to play 100% of snaps through the first four games:

The New Orleans Saints defense took a hit when starting safety Will Harris went down with a hamstring injury in Monday night’s game with the Kansas City Chiefs, and he missed the next two days of practice recovering from that ailment.

But he isn’t trending in the right direction. On Wednesday, head coach Dennis Allen said that Harris is a candidate for injured reserve because of this hamstring injury. Assuming it isn’t an automatic season-ending diagnosis, he would be eligible to return after four weeks — missing upcoming games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, and Carolina Panthers. That’s assuming he won’t need surgery and be out longer.

Either way, it was a big loss. Harris was the only player on the team who had been on the field for 100% of the Saints’ snaps on defense through their first four games. That’s more than Demario Davis, Tyrann Mathieu, and other big names like Chase Young, Marshon Lattimore, and Cameron Jordan. They were lucky to have already called up Johnathan Abram from the practice squad so he could fill in.

In the meantime, the Saints are left with Mathieu, Jordan Howden and J.T. Gray on the 53-man roster with Abram and Millard Bradford on the practice squad. Abram can be elevated for two more games before he’ll need to sign with the 53-man roster to keep playing, but they may just sign him now to ensure he’ll be in the lineup. Stay tuned.

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Dennis Allen on playing a practice squad safety over second-year draft pick

When Will Harris suffered an injury, it was Johnathan Abram who took the majority of the snaps next to Tyrann Mathieu, not Jordan Howden:

Johnathan Abram has spent the entirety of the season so far on the New Orleans Saints practice squad. He was a game-day elevation for the first time against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Due to a Will Harris injury, Abram ended up seeing the field for 56 snaps next to Tyrann Mathieu. These are snaps that would have went to Jordan Howden in any other game, but Abram ended with 46 more snaps than Howden Monday night.

Dennis Allen explained the decision on Tuesday, saying, “In that environment, in that situation, I thought he was the right person to put in the game.”

Harris’ injury upped the snap count, but there was an inclination Abram would see the field. Mathieu and Harris are your lead safeties, but Abram seemed prime to usurp Howden for the third safety role.

Howden hasn’t performed great during his time in the game and his snap count fluctuated from game to game. Abram was a player the Saints liked last year, and Allen referenced that Tuesday. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Abram be elevated to the main roster permanently soon.

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Saints safety Will Harris (hamstring) ruled OUT vs. Chiefs

Saints safety Will Harris suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter and has been ruled out for the rest of the Chiefs game:

The New Orleans Saints have ruled Will Harris out for the rest of the game versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Coming into the game, Harris was the only player on the Saints defense to have played every snap this season. This obviously won’t be the case any longer.

Harris suffered a hamstring injury trying to catch Xavier Worthy after a catch. Harris pulled up and went down on the Chiefs sideline. After staying down for a bit, he was able to get up and walk across the field under his own power.

The Saints brought Jonathan Abram up from the practice squad for this matchup. Since Harris’ injury, it has been Abram who has stepped up in his place instead of Jordan Howden.

There was an expectation that Abram would see the field over Howden. Harris injury expedited his snaps and enlarged his role. Abram started next to Tyrann Mathieu last year so the duo already have chemistry together.

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Saints elevate two players from their practice squad for Week 1 vs. Panthers

The Saints elevated two players from their practice squad for Week 1’s game with the Panthers, but it may not be who you expect:

The New Orleans Saints elevated two players from their practice squad for Week 1’s game with the Carolina Panthers, but it may not be who you expect. It takes just a glance at the injury report to explain why they’re available for the season opener.

Linebacker Khaleke Hudson and defensive tackle Kendal Vickers are both eligible to play on Sunday. Veteran nose tackle Khalen Saunders has been ruled out with a calf injury, so it makes sense to bring Vickers up as reinforcement for Bryan Bresee, Nathan Shepherd, Khristian Boyd, and John Ridgway III.

Backup linebackers D’Marco Jackson (calf) and Jaylan Ford (hamstring) are also unavailable, while strong side linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (back) is questionable. Starting weakside linebacker Pete Werner (shoulder) practiced fully this week but was listed on the injury report all three days. Hudson can man multiple spots at the second level so it’s smart to have him ready if he’s needed.

What’s interesting is who wasn’t brought up for this game. Neither wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown nor safety Johnathan Abram are available for Week 1 despite an injury to A.T. Perry (hand; he’s questionable after missing the last two days of practice) and Abram having run with the starters for much of the summer. That suggests either Will Harris or Jordan Howden will start next to Tyrann Mathieu, while offensively Perry will either play or be supplanted by a rookie like Bub Means or Mason Tipton. Stay tuned.

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Saints list Jordan Howden as starting safety on unofficial depth chart

If the New Orleans Saints go by their unofficial depth chart, Jordan Howden will start next to Tyrann Mathieu

The strength of the New Orleans Saints is the secondary. The strength of the team has one vacancy and it’s quickly becoming one of the more confusing spots on the team.

Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo are starting at outside corner and Alontae Taylor is in the slot. Kool-Aid McKinstry provides depth at both positions. Tyrann Mathieu is starting at free safety, but who will be next to him?

The preseason would tell you Will Harris. The head coach, Dennis Allen, would tell you that he won’t tell you. The unofficial depth chart would tell you Jordan Howden. Johnathan Abram being called up from the practice squad wouldn’t even surprise me at this point.

Howden is listed as the starting strong safety on the Saints’ unofficial depth chart for Week 1. That’s a surprise because he seemed to be running third in the race for strong safety.

https://twitter.com/RossJacksonNOLA/status/1831037133974585485

Surprises happen, but that’s not the confusing part. Harris is listed as a free safety behind Mathieu. It just doesn’t add up with what we had been seeing alignment-wise.

It’s important to remember it is unofficial. Harris and Howden will likely see time in Week 1 at strong safety. Who gets the start will be noteworthy, but who gets the most snaps will tell the true story.

Dennis Allen keeping decision at strong safety ‘close to the vest’

Signs point to Will Harris as your starting strong safety next to Tyrann Mathieu, but Dennis Allen won’t confirm or deny:

When the New Orleans Saints waived Johnathan Abram, it seemed pretty safe to assume that Will Harris had won the starting strong safety role next to Tyrann Mathieu. Don’t look to Dennis Allen, however, to confirm or deny your suspicions. After roster cuts on Tuesday, Allen declined to answer what the plans were at that position.

He does make it clear the Saints do have the answer, but prefer to keep it to themselves at the time. Allen told reporters, “I know we know what we’re doing. I’m not going to make any declarations.” Heading into game week, Allen feels it’s best to “keep decisions like close to the vest” and hopes the media can appreciate that.

So for right now, all you have is your assumptions. Harris and Abram seemed to be clearly ahead of Jordan Howden. With Abram not on the 53-mann roster at the moment, that only leaves one viable option. Harris has impressed as training camp went on and earned his way into starting preseason games.

Dennis Allen may not confirm it, but all signs point to Will Harris starting at strong safety versus the Panthers.

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Couple recent Raiders first round picks among NFL cuts

Couple recent Raiders first round picks among NFL cuts

Happy Former Raiders First Rounders Getting Cut Day for all those who celebrate. Today it’s Alex Leatherwood and Johnathan Abram who are getting their walking papers by the team they were hoping to latch on with.

Leatherwood was the Raiders top pick in the 2021 draft. He lasted just one season for the Raiders before being cut. He played four games with the Bears in 2022 and hasn’t seen an NFL snap since. He signed onto the Browns’ practice squad last season and wasn’t brought back. Then signed with the Chargers this past offseason. Now he’s looking for work again.

Abram was taken at 27 overall in the 2019 draft. He was in his fourth season with the Raiders and was released midway through the season. He was claimed by the Packers and cut after two games then signed by the Seahawks where he finished the season. He appeared in nine games with the Saints last season.

The other five first round picks for the Raiders the past five years:

2023 DE Tyree Wilson — Backup for Raiders

2020 WR Henry Ruggs — Prison

2020 CB Damon Arnette — Out of the league

2019 DE Clelin Ferrell — On his third NFL team (Washington)

2019 RB Josh Jacobs — Signed with Green Bay this offseason

Saints cut Johnathan Abrams, a projected starter at safety

The New Orleans Saints released Johnathan Abrams, a projected starter at safety. But he won’t go on waivers and may return after roster cuts:

Here’s another surprising move from the New Orleans Saints. The team released Johnathan Abrams on Tuesday as part of their roster cuts, but he  had been a projected starter at safety before Will Harris pulled ahead in the last few weeks of training camp.

This may not be the end of the road. Abram won’t test waivers as a vested veteran and may return after roster cuts. Unless the Saints add more high-end help at safety, anyway. Their high-profile (and fruitless) pursuit of Justin Simmons suggests they’re at least open to making an upgrade.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that the Saints “want him back on the practice squad” while Nola.com’s Luke Johnson quotes a team source as saying “We will see” whether Abram re-signs once the dust settles.

If preseason snap counts and performance are any indication, it won’t be Jordan Howden starting next to Tyrann Mathieu. The second-year pro missed too many tackles and blew too many opportunities this summer for the Saints to lean on him in the fall. He’ll have to earn back that confidence from the coaching staff. Stay tuned as the team’s plans materialize here.

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Samson Nacua came up just short of a kick-six in Titans preseason game

Samson Nacua returned this missed field goal 106 yards, but he was just yards away from a huge Saints kick-six. See the play for yourself:

Samson Nacua nearly made the play of the day in the New Orleans Saints’ preseason game with the Tennessee Titans. Titans kicker Brayden Narveson was too short from 58 yards out on a field goal try before halftime, but Nacua was in position to field it and bring it out for a return. First following his blockers right, Nacua cut back to his left and flew upfield and into the open field.

But it wasn’t to be. You hate to see this for Nacua, but you’ve got to give credit to Titans tight end Thomas Odukoya for hustling to catch Nacua from behind and force him out of bounds short of the goal line, scuttling what would’ve been a kick-six. He was credited with 106 yards on the return but needed 109 for the score.

Still, it was an exhilarating play, and it’s great to see Nacua’s teammates congratulating him on the field and again on the sideline for showing such great effort. You just wish he could’ve gone the distance. A better block by safety Johnathan Abram at the end of the return may have walled off Odukoya long enough for Nacua to cross the goal line, but we’ll never know. Good on Nacua for doing everything he could to make a play here.

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Saints to sit Derek Carr and ‘a significant number of starters’ vs. Titans

Most of the Saints’ starters, including Derek Carr, will sit out the preseason finale. Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener take center stage:

Many New Orleans Saints starters will sit out the team’s preseason finale versus the Tennessee Titans. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported Saturday afternoon that Derek Carr and “a significant number of starters” will rest this last exhibition game.

The way that sounds is the majority of starters will sit out, unless they’re fighting for a roster spot. Expect Trevor Penning to play because he needs the reps, and this week of training camp shows he’s competing with Oli Udoh at right tackle. Taliese Fuaga may sit, because his spot is solidified and to continue resting his back.

Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener will both get two quarters to play. This is the main event of the Saints’ biggest training camp battle. With Carr sitting out, it makes sense to give the young quarterbacks an even amount of time. This is something they haven’t been given in either of the first two games.

Other starters who will likely play are Will Harris and Johnathan Abram. Those two are fighting for the starting strong safety spot. The kicker battle between Charlie Smyth and Blake Grupe will also be a fun one. Neither man saw much work against the San Francisco 49ers last week, so hopefully that changes Sunday.

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