Tag: Jontre Kirklin

2 of best WRs in UFL this season are former Cardinals

Hakeem Butler was the Offensive Player of the Year and Jontre Kirklin tied for the most catches in the league.

The inaugural UFL season is complete with the Birmingham Stallions winning the championship, beating the San Antonio Brahmas 25-0 over the weekend.

Now players are free to try out and sign with the NFL if they want to try and pursue that dream.

Two former Cardinals had great seasons, both receivers.

Hakeem Butler and Jontre Kirklin were two of the best receivers in the league this season.

Butler was the UFL’s Offensive Player of the Year playing for the St. Louis Battlehawks.

He had 45 receptions for a league-high 652 yards and five touchdowns.

Kirklin, who played for the San Antonio Brahmas, tied for the most receptions in the league with 56, gaining 614 receiving yards.

Butler was a fourth-round draft pick of the Cardinals in 2019.

Kirklin was a rookie free agent who signed with the Cardinals after going undrafted. He stood out in the preseason but it wasn’t enough to stick.

With their seasons, both should likely get a look or two from teams around the NFL as training camps approach next month.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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Saints aren’t tendering wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr.

The Saints aren’t tendering Lynn Bowden Jr., which means only 3 of the 11 wide receivers who played for them last year are set to return for 2024:

Get ready for a new-look New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps in 2024. The Saints will not be tendering veteran wideout Lynn Bowden Jr., per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which will make him a free agent when the new league year begins on March 13.

This isn’t too surprising in itself. Bowden primarily worked as a blocker and decoy for the Saints, only drawing 16 targets in 15 games last year while catching 11 passes for 83 yards, picking up a pair of first downs. He also recorded 5 rushing attempts for 32 yards on the ground, moving the chains three times. He was a serviceable emergency returns specialist, averaging 7.6 yards per punt return and 21.3 yards per kick return. That isn’t production teams pay top-dollar for.

But things are interesting under the surface. Fowler initially said that Bowden was an exclusive rights free agent, not a restricted free agent, which he later said was a mistake. Not tendering Bowden as a restricted free agent made sense because it costs at least $2,985,000. Re-signing Bowden at the league-minimum salary is an option.

Maybe he returns later as a minimum signing, but it’s possible that the Saints will be moving on as offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak revamps the receiving corps. Bowden is the latest wideout from New Orleans’ 2023 team to depart thus far. Let’s break it down:

  • Michael Thomas will enter free agency on Wednesday after being released from his contract
  • Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after his practice squad deal expired
  • Shaquan Davis chose to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in similar circumstances
  • Kirk Merritt is playing for the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks
  • Jontre Kirklin is with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas as well
  • Keith Kirkwood will be an unrestricted free agent, too
  • If you’re curious, the Detroit Lions signed Tre’Quan Smith

Which leaves Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry as the only receivers returning for the 2024 season (so far). It’s possible Kirkwood and Bowden return at some point but Kubiak has a big opportunity to retool this depth chart. Stay tuned to learn what his plan for accomplishing that is.

Update: Fowler corrected his report, clarifying that Bowden was a restricted free agent (RFA), not an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA). So that confusion can be chalked up to a typo. Maybe the NFL can workshop some abbreviations which aren’t so easy to mistake for one another?

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Saints release former LSU wide receiver Jontre Kirklin from their practice squad

The New Orleans Saints released former LSU wide receiver Jontre Kirklin from their practice squad before Week 18’s game with the Atlanta Falcons:

The New Orleans Saints released former LSU wide receiver Jontre Kirklin from their practice squad on Tuesday, per the daily NFL transactions wire, making him a free agent before Week 18’s game with the Atlanta Falcons.

Kirklin joined the Saints in preseason and played a lot of snaps on offense and special teams, which prompted the coaching staff to bring him back after roster cuts. But he was never brought up for a game, and now he’ll be looking for work before the playoffs start in just a few weeks.

Why let him go now? The Saints signed offensive lineman Colby Gossestt to take his place on the practice squad, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. A former sixth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings back in 2018, Gossett has spent time at both guard spots over the years with a couple of different teams. He most recently played for the Cleveland Browns during the 2023 preseason.

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Report: Chris Olave has the flu, expected to play vs. Panthers

NOF reports that New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave is expected to play against the Carolina Panthers despite missing practice with the flu:

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave was a surprise add to the injury report this week with an illness, but it’s not expected to slow him down much in Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers. Olave is officially listed as questionable for this matchup, but NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that he’s expected to play after coming down with the flu.

Olave has gone on a tear in recent weeks with receiving totals of 119, 114, and 94 yards in his last three games, and the Saints need him on top of the depth chart with Michael Thomas on injured reserve while Rashid Shaheed deals with a thigh injury.

And it sounds like that’ll be the case on Sunday. Other receivers on the depth chart include A.T. Perry, Lynn Bowden Jr., and Keith Kirkwood with Marquez Callaway, Jontre Kirklin, and Shaquan Davis on the practice squad.

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Saints add several familiar faces to their practice squad ahead of Week 6 Texans game

The New Orleans Saints added several familiar faces to their practice squad ahead of Week 6’s road game with the Houston Texans:

The New Orleans Saints brought back several familiar faces to their practice squad ahead of Week 6’s road game with the Houston Texans — adding depth at the skills positions and maintaining structure along the offensive line in the wake of some injuries.

Here’s what you need to know about each pickup:

Saints release practice squad wide receiver Jontre Kirklin

The Saints cut Jontre Kirklin from the practice squad days after putting Tre’Quan Smith on injured reserve. They’re suddenly thin at WR, even if they’re talented at the top:

This is tough. Jontre Kirklin was easy to root for during New Orleans Saints training camp — the former LSU Tiger was a hometown favorite who competed hard on special teams and initially signed with the team’s practice squad after roster cuts. But Kirklin was let go on Tuesday, opening a spot on the practice squad for someone else. Maybe he bounces back like J.T. Barrett and Will Clapp before him, but this might be it for him.

The timing is interesting. The Saints put Tre’Quan Smith on injured reserve for at least the first four games just days ago, so they’re now down to only seven wide receivers between the 53-man roster (Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed, Keith Kirkwood, and A.T. Perry) and the practice squad (with Lynn Bowden Jr. and Shaquan Davis). They previously carried nine receivers. Why are they approaching things differently?

Special teams might hold the answer. The Saints aren’t as deep at cornerback as they might like to be with four corners on the 53-man roster and an undrafted rookie, Anthony Johnson, rounding out the group on the practice squad. They brought in five cornerbacks for free agent tryouts Tuesday and they could be angling to find someone who can play Kirklin’s role in the kicking game (if needed) who also reinforces a position group they feel is thinner than it should be. We’ll have to wait and see what other shoe is dropping.

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All 3 wide receivers on Saints’ practice squad could be called up in 2023

Shaquan Davis cleared waivers and was added to New Orleans Saints practice squad. He is joined by two fellow wide receivers | @southexclusives

The New Orleans Saints were loaded at wide receiver headed into camp. That was a frequent topic of conversation as it is completely opposite from last year. Some of the moves didn’t work out, but you also had a nice surprise in Keith Kirkwood having a strong training camp. The depth of that position resulted in Shaquan Davis being waived after a strong end to training camp.

The Saints chose to keep six wide receivers on the roster this year: A.T. Perry, Chris Olave, Keith Kirkwood, Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, and Rashid Shaheed. They, then, added three more to the practice squad. All three have potential to be called up to the main roster at some point in the season, whether it’s for helping on special teams returning kicks or covering them — or making plays on offense should unexpected absences flare up.

Here’s who made the cut:

Jontre Kirklin has a real path to earning a Saints roster spot

Jontre Kirklin has a real path to earning a Saints roster spot. New Orleans a history of rewarding special teams aces, and he’s as selfless as they come | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints brought in another hometown player in wide receiver Jontre Kirklin. Kirklin, Lutcher native, spent his college days as an LSU Tiger. His Louisiana roots run deep with a chance to go even deeper now with the Saints.

Though he’s listed as a wide receiver, that likely won’t be Kirklin’s path to a roster spot. Kirklin had just 20 catches for 313 yards during his career at LSU, he just didn’t have a ton of opportunities in that room behind future pros likeJustin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, DJ Chark Jr., and Terrace Marshall Jr. He had a promising start to his XFL career but unfortunately fell to injury. During his four-game stint with the Houston Roughnecks he had 15 catches for 253 yards and four touchdown receptions.

Kirklin’s most-likely opportunity will come in the special teams room. He had seven tackles with two missed tackles during his LSU career. He averaged around 46 kick coverage snaps and 17 punt coverage snaps per season at the college level.

Special teams is a viable way to make a name for yourself with the Saints; we’ve seen players like J.T. Gray, Dwayne Washington, Justin Hardee and Chris Banjo earn a roster spot from special teams contributions and then go on to get playing time as a backup in their natural position.

Some wide receivers that Kirklin could find himself in competition with would be Kirk Merritt, Keith Kirkwood (big Kirk representation in training camp), James Washington and Tre’Quan Smith.

Kirklin is a player that will be easy for fans to get behind. His legacy was made as fantastic teammate as an LSU Tiger, who would do whatever the team needed him to do. To understand what kind of teammate Kirklin is, you don’t need to look further than the 2022 Texas Bowl in which Kirklin stepped in as the quarterback for his last game on a team with just over 30 players on scholarship.

He gave an all-time quote during his post-game press conference, which really exemplifies his attitude even today: “We’re Fightin’ Tigers. We’re not going to back down from nobody. If we’ve got 11, we’re going to go play.”

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Jontre Kirklin shares emotional reaction to signing with the Saints

Former LSU standout Jontre Kirklin shared an emotional reaction to signing with his hometown Saints:

Football is more than a game for players with local ties, and that’s the case for Jontre Kirklin. The former LSU Tigers standout played high school ball at Lutcher, a community less than an hour away from the Caesars Superdome — and the same alma mater as Jarvis Landry, whose jersey was retired there last season. Now he’s suiting up for his hometown New Orleans Saints team.

And there’s just one person Kirklin would like to share the news with: his late father, who died earlier this year. “Pops” had a big influence on Kirklin’s life, and it’s clear to see how badly he’s missed. Kirklin will keep his career going in his old man’s memory.

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Former LSU wide receiver, special teams ace Jontre Kirklin signs with Saints

Former LSU wide receiver, defensive back, special teams ace, and bowl-game quarterback Jontre Kirklin has signed with the Saints | @DillySanders

Here’s an interesting move: NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill first reported that the New Orleans Saints signed former LSU Tigers playmaker Jontre Kirklin after a successful tryout. One of the most versatile football players in school history, Kirklin did everything at LSU.

Nominally listed as a wide receiver (though he totaled just 313 receiving yards and 3 touchdown catches in four years), Kirklin covered punts and kickoffs while also returning them and sometimes lining up in the backfield. He even played defensive back earlier in his career. But his most impressive feat came in his final game as a Tiger, when Kirklin was a surprise starter at quarterback against Kansas State in the Texas Bowl, where he went 8-of-12 for 151 passing yards, scoring 3 touchdown passes against a pair of interceptions.

“He’s a god,” gushed Dylan Sanders, our own contributor here at Saints Wire who also covers LSU athletics for 247 Sports. “I’m joking, but he was like one of those guys that was around forever and never really broke out but was an amazing locker room guy and super consistent depth piece.”

Kirklin weighs in at 5-foot-11 and just 184 pounds, so he’s not likely to see a Taysom Hill-style role offensively (Hill maintains a playing-weight at around 230 pounds0. He’s an intriguing athlete, though, with a passable 6.08 Relative Athletic Score and very impressive numbers in the jumps — leaping 42 inches vertically and 11-foot-6 broad. After initially signing with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Kirklin played for the XFL’s Houston Roughnecks.

We’ve seen special teamers catch on with the Saints before. Backup free safety J.T. Gray has earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition in that role while rarely playing many minutes on defense. Other reserves like running back Dwayne Washington, linebacker Andrew Dowell (who was recently lost for the season with a torn ACL), cornerback Justin Hardee Sr., and defensive back Chris Banjo have also earned roster spots for their work in the kicking game. So keep a close eye on Kirklin when he gets his shot at Saints training camp. He’ll be wearing jersey No. 85.

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