Tag: Justin Hardee

Look: 6 former Saints players meet up after Jets-Bengals game

A small crowd of former Saints players, ranging from Thomas Morstead to Sheldon Rankins and Eli Apple, met up after the Jets upset the Bengals:

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Here’s another entry for the “things we love to see” file folder. A small crowd of former New Orleans Saints players gathered for a group photo after the New York Jets’ upset victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday, which Thomas Morstead shared from his official Twitter account.

And there’s a number of names very familiar to Saints fans among them: Morstead was joined by his Jets teammates Justin Hardee and Sheldon Rankins, all of whom signed with New York this offseason, as well as their Bengals opponents Trey Hendrickson, Vonn Bell, and Eli Apple.

Morstead’s Jets pulled off a 34-31 win (just their second victory of the year) thanks to a stunning performance from backup quarterback Mike White, who filled in for the injured Zach Wilson. But the Bengals have had an exciting year so far thanks to Hendrickson’s addition to their defensive line. Bell was voted a team captain for the second year since signing with Cincinnati.

It’s tough to see good players like them leave New Orleans, but at the same time it’s great that they’re still finding success. The Saints will get to catch up with their friends in New York when they visit the Jets on Dec. 12. They’ll have to wait another year to see their old teammates in Cincinnati until next year, when the Bengals are scheduled to play the Saints at the Caesars Superdome in 2022.

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Robert Saleh has affinity for Justin Hardee, special teams gunners

Jets HC Robert Saleh has taken a liking to Justin Hardee and has an overall respect for special teams gunners.

Robert Saleh’s “all gas, no brake” mantra perfectly sums up the way he approaches coaching and what he likes to see out of his players.

Saleh has long been known as a coach who brings the juice on a daily basis. His energy on the sideline is prevalent and it has a tendency to rub off on his players. Those who get after it on every play catch Saleh’s eye and earn his respect, whether that player lines up on offense, defense or special teams.

As it turns out, Saleh’s favorite position in football hails from the often forgotten phase of the game. The Jets have one of the best special teams gunners in the NFL in Justin Hardee. Watching the veteran play the position has given Saleh a new appreciation for what gunners do.

“That is a check your manhood, it’s a mindset, it is an absolute dogfight when you’re a gunner and you have to beat a one-on-one or a double team,” Saleh said Friday. “It’s a war on the edges and those guys are responsible for field position, flipping fields. They can win a lot of games without it ever coming to attention.

“Hardee is probably one of the best in football at that position. On top of it, his leadership skills, his deliberateness, his veteran presence, he’s everything that you would want out of a football player from a character standpoint. As a gunner, which is a very underrated position, and one of my favorites because it represents manhood, he’s pretty darn good at it.”

The Jets handed Hardee a three-year deal in free agency with the hope that he would be able to make a profound impact on Brant Boyer’s unit. Gunners aren’t usually headline-grabbing free agent signings, but Hardee fell into the category and he has delivered early in his career with the Jets.

That and the way he goes about his business has been more than enough to earn Saleh’s respect.

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Former Saints CB Justin Hardee Sr. named first-year Jets captain

Former Saints CB Justin Hardee Sr. named first-year Jets captain

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Here’s some good news for one former New Orleans Saints: the New York Jets announced Wednesday that cornerback Justin Hardee Sr. was named a team captain for the 2021 season. That news comes less than six months after Hardee signed with the Jets, leaving New Orleans on a three-year, $5.25 million contract.

Hardee, 27, first joined the Saints as an undrafted wide receiver from Illinois who had already washed out of Houston Texans training camp. He converted to defensive back in New Orleans and began working on the special teams units, which earned him a roster spot and bought time for his continued development. By the time he left the Saints in free agency, he was considered one of the NFL’s best special teams assets.

And his reputation for a strong work ethic clearly won over his new teammates and coaches. Hardee will see the Saints again when they fly up to New York on Dec. 12, as will defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who also signed with the Jets this offseason. Here’s to their success — except for that game against the Saints, anyway.

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New Orleans Saints 2021 schedule: New York Jets preview

The New Orleans Saints will make a rare visit to see the New York Jets late in the 2021 season, facing former players like Sheldon Rankins and Justin Hardee:

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The New Orleans Saints will be visiting one of their least-common opponents late in the 2021 season: the New York Jets. It’s an opportunity for Saints fans in the Northeast to see the black and gold up close, but it’s also a potential cold-weather game in December for the team to navigate. Here’s everything you need to know in previewing this season’s matchup:

 

Saints add former Bengals, Packers CB KeiVarae Russell to free agent tryouts

KeiVarae Russell has played more snaps on special teams than defense with the Bengals and Packers, which could appeal to the Saints in free agent tryouts:

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Don’t say the New Orleans Saints aren’t ignoring their biggest need. They just aren’t going after the biggest fish in the pond. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported Sunday that the Saints plan to work out several free agent cornerbacks, including former Cincinnati Bengals third-round draft pick KeiVarae Russell. But Russell has played more snaps on special teams (214) than on defense (184) in his four-year career, including three games with the Green Bay Packers in 2020. So he’s probably seen as a candidate to replace Justin Hardee Sr. as the team’s top corner in the kicking game rather than a fill-in for Janoris Jenkins with the starting lineup.

That could be the vision for Prince Amukamara, though. The former New York Giants and Chicago Bears starter is also visiting New Orleans in hopes of finding a deal, having spent the 2020 season on the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. He’s on the wrong side of 30 to be a long-time answer for the Saints, but his experience working against top-tier receivers is valuable. If he’s willing to sign at the veteran’s minimum as other recent Saints free agent pickups, maybe he sticks around.

It’s unclear which other corners could be working out today; only Russell and Amukamara have been identified so far. But the Saints coaches and scouts have an opportunity to put these free agents through their paces while the players are off, with their next training camp practice scheduled for Monday (the final session before they take the field in pads on Tuesday). But keep in mind that the Saints must open a roster spot if they want to add anyone — Saturday’s Devonta Freeman signing put them at the 90-man roster limit. Hopefully they’re able to find a corner worth the effort.

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4 reasons why Jets could improve on special teams in 2021

Between Braden Mann entering his second season and a healthy Sam Ficken returning, the Jets figure to be improved on special teams in 2021.

Just like the rest of the roster, Gang Green’s special teams unit left a lot to be desired in 2020.

Robert Saleh opted to retain Brant Boyer, though, giving him a chance to prove he can once again produce an elite special teams unit in 2021. Thanks to improvements made across the board throughout the offseason and some additional in-house help, there is a good chance Boyer achieves just that this upcoming season.

Here are four reasons why the Jets could look a lot better on special teams in 2021 than they did in Adam Gase’s final season at One Jets Drive.

Brant Boyer: ‘I’m pretty damn lucky’ to be on third Jets coaching staff

The Jets special teams coordinator is on his third head coach after outlasting Todd Bowles and Adam Gase in New York.

When special teams coordinator Brant Boyer heard the Jets hired Robert Saleh to replace Adam Gase, he immediately flew home in the middle of a fishing trip in Nevada to meet the new boss and sell himself.

Boyer had already survived Todd Bowles’ firing in 2018 when Adam Gase retained him. But it wasn’t clear if Saleh would keep Boyer for his sixth season in New York.

“I think I’m pretty damn lucky,” Boyer said Friday. “The coaching staff’s been awesome. Saleh is full of energy. He’s smart as heck and he’s really detailed. I’ve really, really enjoyed all these guys so far.”

Boyer’s special teams units remained solid through the tumultuous eras of Bowles and Gase. New York ranked first and fourth in special teams DVOA in 2018 and 2019, respectively, per Football Outsiders. The Jets ranked 30th in special teams in 2020 – but every position group on the Jets played horrifically in Gase’s final season.

This season will be a little different for Boyer because of the personnel changes. He lost special teams stalwarts like Mattias Farley and Carlos Basham but added veterans Justin Hardee and Sharrod Neasman. Plus he has a plethora of athletic rookies with special teams experience. Boyer was especially excited when the Jets signed Hardee as their go-to gunner.

“It’s certainly a change with the personnel and things like,” Boyer said, “but that’s part of, you know, being a coach and learning different personalities as far as the players and molding them into what you want.”

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Brant Boyer was ‘ecstatic’ when Jets signed Justin Hardee

Justin Hardee has been one of the NFL’s best gunners over the past few seasons.

Brant Boyer’s unit got some much-needed help this offseason when the Jets signed Justin Hardee.

According to Lineups.com, Boyer’s special teams unit ranked 31st in opponent punt return yards, allowing 446 of them in 2020. Punter Braden Mann bailed out the Jets’ gunners on multiple occasions, as he recorded four tackles in his rookie season. However, with Hardee aboard, there should be some stability to the gunner position.

That’s why Boyer was giddy when he heard about the signing back in March.

“I was ecstatic on that one, I have to be honest with you,” Boyer said Thursday. “We played 13 different gunners last year, so it was a real struggle. He’s been fantastic, and what he’s done is he’s taken over a leadership role in the room, and that’s what the biggest thing we needed in our room especially losing a bunch of our core guys and things like that… He’s done a great job. I expect big things out of him. Now we just need somebody to emerge at that other gunner, so they can’t double him every time and things like that, and we’ll see what happens, which I fully expect someone will do.”

Hardee has been one of the NFL’s best gunners over the past few seasons with the Saints. He ranked seventh in the NFL with 32 special teams tackles from 2017-2020. The Saints also allowed the fewest punt return yards last season (46), and Hardee played a big part in that with eight total tackles.

As a result of Hardee’s strong play with the Saints, the Jets gave him one of the top contracts in the NFL for a special teamer. New York signed Hardee to a three-year deal worth $5.25 million with $1 million guaranteed.

Boyer has high expectations for Hardee in his first season with the Jets, and rightly so. The Jets wouldn’t have signed Hardee if they didn’t think he could help improve their special teams unit. We’ll see what happens throughout the 2021 season, but Hardee should be a difference-maker for the Jets in that facet of the game.

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Auburn special teams ace Eli Stove met with the Saints

The New Orleans Saints are one of many teams that have met with 2021 NFL draft prospect Eli Stove, a wide receiver out of Auburn.

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The Draft Network’s Justin Melo reported Tuesday that the New Orleans Saints are amid a crowd of teams touching base with Auburn wide receiver Eli Stove, one of the more-accomplished special teams players in this year’s draft class. While he didn’t begin handling return duties until his final season in college, Stove lined up at several different spots to cover opposing returns throughout his five-year Tigers career. He’s also ranked fifth-best in the school record books with 136 career receptions and has logged 55 rushing attempts.

Stove tested like a capable athlete, though he didn’t put up any exceptional times while weighing in at 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds at Auburn’s pro day. He did time the 40 yard dash in 4.55 seconds — the same time that Marquez Callaway ran at last year’s NFL Scouting Combine. If Stove were to join the Saints, he’d likely figure to compete with Callaway for a roster spot.

While Callaway endeared himself quickly to Saints fans as a rookie, he was inactive to start the year and initially made it through roster cuts because of what he’d shown in training camp as a gunner in the kicking game. Expectations are higher for him after he made the most of his opportunities with New Orleans’ offense, but it’s in everyone’s interest to bring in competition to push him and make sure the Saints carry the best depth chart possible into the season.

But let’s circle back to Stove. He might not be picked in this year’s draft, though maybe a team trusts its evaluation enough to select him in one of the later rounds. And the Saints could use the help, given the losses their special teams units have taken this season: standout Justin Hardee (215 snaps, fourth-most) departed in free agency, as did Alex Anzalone (180, seventh-most). Craig Robertson, New Orleans’ leader in special teams snaps played (360), remains unsigned. There’s room for someone like Stove to make an impact quickly.

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Instant analysis of Jets agreeing to sign Justin Hardee

The Jets got one of the best special teams players in the league in ex-Saints CB Justin Hardee.

Joe Douglas didn’t leave Brant Boyer and the special teams unit out to dry in free agency, as New York agreed to sign Justin Hardee to a three-year deal.

The move gives the Jets’ special teams a much-needed boost at the gunner position. Hardee, who is technically a defensive back but only played one defensive snap last season, is considered one of the better special teams players in the league. He tallied nine tackles last year with just one missed tackle and ranked sixth among all special teams players with a Pro Football grade of 90.4.

Hardee played an integral role on a New Orleans team that allowed just 2.3 yards per punt return – the best in the league – and the second-fewest yards per kick return (17.2).

Special teams moves are never groundbreaking, but this one looks like a slam-dunk for the Jets. It’s a very underrated move that could pay dividends for a team that finished 29th in special teams DVOA last season. The Saints, meanwhile finished fifth in DVOA in 2020.

Douglas isn’t ignoring any unit, either, which bodes well for his plan for the rest of the offseason.