kyle hergel – Syndication Server

Saints make a couple of roster moves amid blockbuster Marshon Lattimore trade

The Saints made a couple of roster moves amid their blockbuster Marshon Lattimore trade, including the return of a rookie who was injured at training camp:

After an eventful day with the New Orleans Saints shipping their Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders, they made a couple of low-level transactions along the offensive and defensive lines.

The Saints re-signed guard Kyle Hergel to their practice squad while also releasing defensive end Niko Lalos and rookie defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat. Jeffcoat suffered a dislocated elbow at the start of Saints training camp so he’s back for another look.

The undrafted free agent Hergel has been active in five games this season, serving as a young depth piece along the interior offensive line. With an impressive training camp it isn’t surprising that the Saints want to continue to develop him if they can.

Lalos on the other hand, has been a guy the Saints have viewed highly of the last few seasons, as they’ve continued to add him back to the roster when available. He has shown many flashes in the preseason over the years, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the team decided to bring him back at some point. Jeffcoat needs to practice hard and prove he’s a better option.

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Saints rule out two more starters with injuries vs. Broncos

The Saints ruled out two more starters with injuries against the Broncos, including top cornerback Marshon Lattimore:

Disaster struck the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night when the Denver Broncos came to town, and their old head coach Sean Payton left no doubt who needed who after his offense climbed up to a 26-3 lead. But that’s not all. The injury bug came back with a vengeance.

First, starting cornerback Paulson Adebo left the field on a trainer’s cart with a vacuum splint immobilizing his right leg. He was quickly ruled out with a knee injury and taken by ambulance to a nearby medical center after having X-rays taken at the Caesars Superdome.

But two more starters went down in the second half. Left guard Nick Saldiveri, who was filling in for Lucas Patrick, was ruled out with a shoulder injury and replaced by rookie backup Kyle Hergel. Saldiveri didn’t join the team on the sideline after halftime.

After that, the other starting corner, Marshon Lattimore, exited with a hamstring injury. He was examined on the sideline in the blue medical tent but returned to the bench without a helmet, and was also ruled out. First-year draft pick Kool-Aid McKinstry had gone in to replace Adebo and he was joined by undrafted rookie Rico Payton in Lattimore’s place.

This team can’t take many more injuries. Only 20 of the 53 players on the active roster have not been listed on the injury report this season. Whatever injury prevention methods the training staff has been trying are not working.

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Rookie guard Kyle Hergel to make his Saints regular season debut vs. Falcons

Offensive line injuries have forced the Saints to tap into the depth on their practice squad. Rookie guard Kyle Hergel is set to make his NFL debut:

Sunday’s game with the Atlanta Falcons will mark the regular season debut for Kyle Hergel. Offensive line injuries have forced the New Orleans Saints to tap into the depth on their practice squad — starting center Erik McCoy and right guard Cesar Ruiz are both unavailable, so the team chose Hergel as their lone elevation from the practice squad for Week 4.

While he was the primary backup for Ruiz at right guard throughout training camp, the Saints may choose to bring Hergel in off the bench with a veteran like Landon Young starting instead.

He’s taken a unique path to the NFL. Hergel is Canadian, and he made a couple of different stops in college football before turning pro out of Boston College. That experience proved invaluable in preparing him for the next level, and even if he didn’t make the 53-man roster it’s clear the Saints have a role in mind for him. Let’s see if he can seize this opportunity, however it manifests.

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12 players Broncos should claim off waivers or sign as free agents

Irv Smith headlines this list of players the Broncos should consider adding after NFL roster cuts.

NFL teams set their initial 53-man rosters on Tuesday after more than 1,000 transactions over the last two days.

Players cut with fewer than four accrued seasons are subject to the waiver wire. Veteran players with four or more accrued seasons become free agents when they are released.

After the Denver Broncos made 30 roster moves today, we’ve put together a quick list of 12 players the team should claim off waivers or sign as free agents, depending on the players’ respective statuses.

Waiver claims will be processed at 10:00 a.m. MT on Wednesday. Veterans are eligible to sign right away as free agents.

Players Broncos should sign after roster cuts

1. OL Ricky Stromberg: Former third-round pick with experience at center and guard.

2. OL Kyle Hergel: After being picked third overall in the CFL draft, Hergel opted to go to training camp with the New Orleans Saints instead. He can play guard and tackle.

3. OL La’el Collins: He’s dealt with injuries, but Collins has 86 career starts on his resume as a tackle and guard.

4. OL Matt Hennessy: A former third-round pick with 22 career starts at center.

5. OL Julién Davenport: He has 32 career starts at tackle as a former fourth-round pick.

6. OL Germain Ifedi: Former first-round pick with 83 starts at guard and tackle.

7. OT Alex Leatherwood: Another former first-round pick, but he’s been a backup since starting 17 games as a rookie in 2021.

8. TE Donald Parham: Denver could use some help at tight end.

9. TE Irv Smith: Broncos GM George Paton was part of the Vikings’ front office that used a second-round pick to select Smith in 2019.

10. FB Jack Colletto: He’s been compared to Taysom Hill and the Broncos hosted Colletto for a pre-draft visit this spring. After cutting fullback Michael Burton on Tuesday, perhaps coach Sean Payton could find a role for Collette.

11. LB Deion Jones: A former second-round pick with 731 career in tackles in 109 games (91 starts) in the NFL.

12. LB Damien Wilson: He’s a former fourth-round pick with 419 career tackles in 127 games (73 starts).

Bonus — LB Easton Gibbs: After hosting him before the draft, perhaps Denver will now attempt to add Gibbs to its practice squad.

We will track all potential signings on Broncos Wire.

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Saints make somewhat surprise move in waiving rookie guard Kyle Hergel

The New Orleans Saints have continued their roster cut-downs, and in a surprising move have waived rookie guard Kyle Hergel:

The New Orleans Saints have made a surprising move during their roster cut-down period, waiving standout rookie guard Kyle Hergel per Saints News Network’s John Hendrix. This comes off as somewhat surprising as Hergel had a very strong preseason and seemed to be in line for a backup offensive lineman spot, potentially ahead of Shane Lemieux who remains on the roster as of this moment.

Hergel will now have to clear waivers for the Saints to have a shot at retaining him on their practice squad, which will likely be difficult after such a strong showing throughout the preseason. The depth along the offensive line for the Saints has been a point of contention for a few seasons, and seems the same way now.

The hope for now is that Hergel makes it through waiver claims somehow, and the Saints can find a way to get him onto the practice squad, and sooner rather than later the roster before injuries begin and another team ends up wanting him.

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Saints shaking up their offensive line before preseason finale

The Saints are shaking up their offensive line before the preseason finale. Oli Udoh is splitting snaps with Trevor Penning at right tackle:

It’s taken some time, but the New Orleans Saints are shaking up their offensive line before Sunday’s preseason finale with the Tennessee Titans. Olisaemeka Udoh is splitting snaps with Trevor Penning at right tackle, and rookie standout Kyle Hergel is getting looks on the first-team lineup at left guard.

Change needed to happen, but some of this is due to injuries. Nick Saldiveri hasn’t been able to practice since July 29 which opened a hole at left guard. His replacement Lucas Patrick exited Wednesday’s practice with what head coach Dennis Allen described as muscle cramps. At right tackle, Penning’s progress has remained incremental. Udoh was already taking the second-team snaps on that side. After stepping in for Penning during a single series at Tulane’s open practice session, Udoh and Penning split reps evenly on Wednesday. Now it’s a real competition.

It’s business as usual at the other spots. Taliese Fuaga is still shaking off a back issue so Landon Young is filling in for him at left tackle. Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz remain the only starters returning from last year at center and right guard. Hergel’s case is interesting, though. He’s taken almost all of the second-team reps behind Ruiz at right guard this summer but now he’s earning practice time with the starters at left guard and, occasionally, center on the second team. He’s put himself in great position to make the team and dress out on game days.

Allen has stressed the need to identify the five best linemen to start up front. Could that combination include Udoh and Hergel instead of Penning, Patrick, or Saldiveri? Maybe, maybe not. Time is running out for these late entrants to make their case in those competitions. But so long as Penning is struggling to handle his assignments and Saldiveri is unable to get on the practice field, it’s anyone’s game.

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6 Saints with the most to gain against the Cardinals

6 Saints with the most to gain against the Cardinals: Jordan Mims is in line for heavy snaps, Samson Nacua has some momentum, and Spencer Rattler can take over

The New Orleans Saints will launch their 2024 preseason on Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals, and while all of their healthy players are expected to get on the field throughout the evening, some have more to gain than others.

Between training camp battles and opportunities created by the injury bug biting their competition, a couple of players must seize this moment. That means making plays and doing things to catch their coach’s eye.

With that in mind, here are six players we’re going to be watching closely at State Farm Stadium when the Saints and Cardinals kick off in exhibition:

Nacua, who wears the No. 89 jersey, might be more than the brother of another team’s young star. He’s been competing hard at Saints training camp and made some acrobatic catches, quickly becoming one of Jake Haener’s favorite targets on the third-team offense. But with so many receivers sidelined by injuries (the Saints may only have six of them healthy for this game), Nacua should see plenty of targets regardless of who’s in at quarterback.

Dennis Allen has already spoken about how eager the Saints are to get Mims more touches and opportunities in the preseason so they can fully evaluate his game. They know he can run well behind Klint Kubiak’s zone-heavy blocking scheme, and he caught a lot of passes in college — from Haener at Fresno State. But can he pick up the blitz in pass protection? Can he add an element to their special teams coverage? Expect Mims to audition in a couple of different roles as he makes his case for a roster spot.

Haener is still ahead of Rattler on the depth chart, but that could change in a hurry if the rookie lights it up. He’s had some turnovers and regrettable throws at training camp but he’s also made a lot of passes that anyone would be proud of on their highlight reel. If Rattler gets out there and commands the offense with authority and keeps the Cardinals defense on their heels, watch out. He just might take that QB2 spot.

Orji might be losing ground in the competition for a roster spot at linebacker. And this is where things fell apart for him last summer — he missed too many tackles in the preseason, which ultimately landed him on the practice squad. He needs to tackle cleanly and prove his coaches can trust him when they call his number. Expect him to play a lot of snaps inn the third quarter and second half behind guys like D’Marco Jackson and Khaleke Hudson.

It almost feels like cheating to highlight a player drafted as highly as McKinstry, but Dennis Allen has spoken about how badly he needs reps this offseason after missing the spring program recovering from foot surgery. Both Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo have missed recent practices while dealing with their own injuries lately, so the rookie should see a ton of snaps. Every rep counts when he’s making his case to get on the field in September.

Did you know this will be the first NFL game of Hergel’s life — as a spectator or player? The rookie guard has quietly enjoyed a very strong summer, and if the Saints didn’t have Cesar Ruiz entrenched on the right side he might already be in the starting lineup. Hergel has taken almost all of the snaps at right guard on the second-team offense while occasionally rotating into the left guard spot with the starters. He’s put himself in great position to win a roster spot, but a productive preseason could seal the deal.

Countdown to Kickoff: Kyle Hergel is the Saints Player of Day 60

Countdown to Kickoff: Kyle Hergel is the Saints Player of Day 60. The rookie from Boston College has some experience that could give him an edge:

There are 60 days left until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 season, which makes the current owner of the No. 60 jersey our Saints Player of the Day. But what must Kyle Hergel do to make the team in 2024? The undrafted rookie has some experience in similar systems that could help him out when the Saints regroup for training camp in a few weeks. Let’s get to know him better:

Name (Age): Kyle Hergel (24)
Position: Offensive guard
Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 315 pounds

Relative Athletic Score: 7.83

2024 salary cap hit: $798,333
College: Boston College
Drafted: Undrafted in 2024 (New Orleans Saints)
NFL experience: Rookie

Hergel played a ton of snaps as a starter at right guard through his first four years in college (two at North Dakota, two at Texas State) before transferring to Boston College in 2023, where he started at left guard. What’s interesting is that he worked with offensive line coach Matt Applebaum last season, who spent the 2022 staff on Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins staff. There’s a lot of overlap between the offense McDaniel runs and what Klint Kubiak is installing with the Saints, both of them being former Kyle Shanahan assistants.

That experience with Applebaum may have given Hergel a slight edge over his competition. He’s fighting for a roster spot with other undrafted rookies like Nouri Nouili and Sincere Haynesworth, as well as seventh-round draft pick Josiah Ezirim and last year’s undrafted free agent Mark Evans II. While only one or two of those players might make the 53-man roster, it’s likely several of them could return to the practice squad. But the Saints can’t keep everyone. Hergel must set himself apart during training camp and show he has the skills to thrive in Kubiak’s offense.

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