12 players who must impress during Saints’ preseason game vs. Jaguars

12 players needing to impress during Saints’ preseason game vs. Jaguars

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We’re on to the second preseason game for the New Orleans Saints, who will be hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars at Caesars Superdome on Monday night. While this is a meaningless exhibition game, the stakes are higher for some players than others. Some need this opportunity to prove they can handle greater responsibility during the regular season.

Others know their careers could be on the line when they take the field. Dozens of jobs have already been locked in for the 2021 season, but that just isn’t true for everyone. A game (even a preseason game in exhibition play) against another team is just what some of them need to help seal the deal. Here is who needs a big night against the Jaguars:

 

Saints training camp preview: Roster locks and long shots at running back

We’re continuing our position groups previews for New Orleans Saints training camp with the running backs:

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A couple of new faces have been added to the mix, but the New Orleans Saints running backs room is largely unchanged from a year ago. Now, that isn’t the same thing as lacking the potential for change — depending on how backups progress and whether veterans can fit into new roles, things could take a turn in any number of directions.

So let’s keep the Saints training camp previews marching on with the running backs:

Where does Christian McCaffrey rank among the top 7 RBs in the NFC South?

Here are our rankings for the top seven running backs in the NFC South in 2021.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is simply “that dude.”  He’s got the talent, he’s got the money, he’s got the fame and the physique. But does he still hold the title of the best running back in his own division?

Someone – specifically a guy who was drafted in the same year as Christian, may have something to say about that. After McCaffrey missed 13 games due to injuries and that same rival led the league in touchdowns scored from scrimmage, there might be some debate. Here are our rankings for the top seven running backs in the NFC South in 2021.

 

Former Saints RB Mark Ingram agrees to free agent deal with Texans

Former New Orleans Saints RB Mark Ingram agreed to a free agent deal with the Houston Texans after being released by the Baltimore Ravens.

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Hey, good for Mark Ingram. There was some speculation among New Orleans Saints fans that he could return at a veteran’s minimum salary to replace running back Latavius Murray (a potential salary cap cut), but instead he’ll be running with the Houston Texans in 2021. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday afternoon that Ingram agreed to a free agent contract worth up to $3 million. That’s not a price the Saints would likely pay, especially if they had to move on from Murray to get there.

Ingram made a Pro Bowl appearance after signing with the Baltimore Ravens in 2019, but their loaded depth chart saw him take a step back in the rotation. His reluctance to play special teams made him a healthy scratch late in his Ravens career, so now he’ll look to compete for touches with David Johnson, who signed an extension this offseason.

It would have been a great story to see Ingram come back to New Orleans and win the franchise rushing yards record (he’s ranked second-best in team history with 6,007, behind Deuce McAllister’s 6,096) to go with his rushing touchdowns record (50). Especially considering that Alvin Kamara is probably going to break that scoring record very soon — he’s already bagged 43 touchdown runs, leading the league with 21 scores on the ground last season.

That said, it’ll take time for Kamara to catch up to Ingram and McAllister’s rushing yards totals (he’s only up to 3,340 so far), but his long-term contract extension gives him a real shot at owning both records. It’s just a shame he and Ingram couldn’t stay together as one of the NFL’s most electric running back duos.

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Report: Emmanuel Sanders, Latavius Murray among Saints available for trades

The MMQB’s Albert Breer reports that the New Orleans Saints could trade WR Emmanuel Sanders or RB Latavius Murray to reach the salary cap.

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A ton of movement is expected around the NFL in the next week, with the league and players union hammering out the details on an official 2021 salary cap and dozens of cap cuts preceding free agency. The New Orleans Saints are one of nine teams currently in the red against the projected salary cap of $180 million, and the MMQB’s Albert Breer reports several veteran players could be moved as the Saints continue to chase cap compliance.

Breer reports that running back Latavius Murray and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders are both available in trade talks, and conversations have also surrounded injured linebacker Kwon Alexander (though Breer adds he’s more likely to be released than traded while recovering from Achilles surgery. Whether he’s traded, cut, or reworks his deal, there’s no way the Saints are on the hook for the $13-plus million Alexander’s contract is worth as it stands).

It would hurt to see either Murray or Sanders go. Murray has done nothing but made the most of his opportunities behind Alvin Kamara on the depth chart, often sparking arguments among fans about whether he deserves even more touches. Sanders came on strong after a slow start in his first year with the Saints, peaking in Week 5 with a career-high dozen catches for 122 receiving yards. Neither player has been a featured weapon with Kamara and Michael Thomas on top of the roster, but they’re exactly the sort of established compliments you want on your team.

But the cap crunch is real, and while the Saints could make it work without Sanders and Murray, they’ll need all the resources they can get their hands on. It helps that they have some promising backups ready for more looks like Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harris, and Ty Montgomery, but that’s small consolation against what losing these players could do to hurt the overall group. You’d want more experienced help to surround whichever quarterback replaces Drew Brees.

At the same time, you’d want more players on team-friendly, cheap rookie deals. And that’s what promoting Callaway, Harris, and Montgomery (among others) into more prominent roles would accomplish. Life after Brees will mean even tighter salary cap accounting than we’re already used to in New Orleans, and the Saints will have to make tough decisions to accomplish that. Offloading Sanders (saving $6 million against the cap in a trade, $4 million in a release) or Murray (a little over $2.4 million either way) makes sense, to an extent. At this point, Saints fans should be ready for anything.

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Panthers RB Mike Davis calls the Saints’ 1-2 punch at his position ‘deadly’

Panthers running back Mike Davis admires the division rival Saints’ 1-2 punch at his position on Twitter.

Running backs supposedly don’t matter, but a lot of teams that were in the playoffs seemed to have more than one good option. The Buccaneers got strong games from Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II in their championship victory on Sunday over the Chiefs, who had a strong duo of their own with Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Le’Veon Bell.

Passing efficiency is ultimately what got Tampa and Kansas City into the big game, but it’s clear that these organizations value having multiple rushing weapons on their rosters. Other 2020 postseason teams who can say the same include the Ravens, Seahawks, Packers, Colts, Browns and Saints.

The best running back tandem in the league resides either in Cleveland or New Orleans, depending on who you ask. Panthers backup running back Mike Davis admires the combination of Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. He called them “deadly” on Twitter a couple days ago.

Naturally, Davis’ tweet brought out speculation about Carolina’s own pair of running backs and what comes next.

Christian McCaffrey is a superstar at the position and an elite talent when he’s healthy. He wasn’t in 2020 but at his age (24) there’s no reason not to believe he’ll return to a high level again.

In McCaffrey’s absence Davis had a strong season, proving he has the ability to be a starting running back in this league.

So far, we’ve assumed that Davis would be signing with another team in free agency but his tweet does at least seem to suggest that he’d like to stay and build up a McCaffrey/Davis combo. If Carolina can make it work from a salary-cap perspective, re-signing Davis isn’t a bad idea at all.

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5 potentially painful 2021 Saints salary cap casualties

The New Orleans Saints might have to say goodbye to productive, expensive players as salary cap casualties in the 2021 offseason.

So, how will the New Orleans Saints remain competitive in 2021? Their issues aren’t just limited to complying with the salary cap — once they’re back beneath it, they have to focus on creating more resources to reload their roster after losing some of the 21 free agents crowding around the exits. Saints salary cap guru Khai Hartley (official title: vice president of football administration) will have to put together his magnum opus in navigating it all this year.

It doesn’t help that the list of possible cap casualties isn’t as obvious as you’d think. Linebacker Kwon Alexander ($13.4 million if released) and cornerback Janoris Jenkins ($7 million in possible savings) are both candidates to be let go, but Alexander’s injury clouds things, and both of them played well enough for the Saints to try and retain them through pay cuts or restructured contracts. 

There are other options if the Saints get really desperate (like tight end Josh Hill, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, and quarterback Taysom Hill, each of whom can between $2.6 million and $5 million if cut), but that’s only in a worst-case scenario where every other possible maneuver new Orleans tries isn’t enough. The other players on this list should be easier decisions to make. Still, we’re headed for lean times in New Orleans as the team transitions from one era to another, and some good players are going to end up on the outside looking in because of it.

Reports: Saints likely without Taysom Hill, Latavius Murray vs. Bucs

The New Orleans Saints will likely be without QB Taysom Hill and RB Latavius Murray due to injuries against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Taysom Hill is unlikely to dress out for the New Orleans Saints in Sunday’s Divisional round matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which was first reported by Katherine Terrell for the Athletic and confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater — who added that Saints running back Latavius Murray is also expected to miss this playoff game. Slater reports that both players will test their injuries in pregame warmups, “but it’s not looking good.”

Hill suffered a knee injury in New Orleans’ Wild-Card Round win over the Chicago Bears, with Murray injuring a quad muscle. Both players were limited participants in practice during the week, resting for the first two sessions before making some progress on Friday’s injury report. But it doesn’t appear they’ve received clearance to play.

Losing them is tough. Hill wears many hats in the Saints offense, alternately lining up as a tight end, quarterback, slot receiver, and playing many other bit parts. He adds an element of versatility that’s tough to plan for. Murray is the most physical presence in the New Orleans backfield and an able No. 2 runner behind Alvin Kamara.

The only silver lining here may be that the Saints have enough depth in other utility players like tight ends Josh Hill and Adam Trautman and running back/wide receiver Ty Montgomery to adjust and keep the offense moving along. Still, it’s just an added hurdle of adversity for them to overcome and advance to the NFC Championship Game with the Green Bay Packers.

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Saints injury report: DE Trey Hendrickson (neck) full-go vs. Bucs

The Saints and Buccaneers released their final injury report for the Divisional Round, giving DE Trey Hendrickson (neck) the green light.

The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers released their final injury report ahead of their Divisional Round playoff game, giving defensive end Trey Hendrickson (neck) the green light to suit up after he practiced fully on Friday. Hendrickson was credited with multiple sacks against Tom Brady in the regular season, ultimately tying Rams superstar Aaron Donald for the second-most sacks in the NFL (13.5).

Just one Saints player has been ruled out (cornerback Patrick Robinson, with a hamstring injury), though three of them are questionable: quarterback Taysom Hill (knee) and running back Latavius Murray (quad), both of whom play important roles in the New Orleans offense, as was backup guard Will Clapp (not injury related). The Saints can win without them, but it would be easier with all hands on deck.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay gave several of their star players some rest during the week as they recover from various minor injuries. Here’s everything we learned on Friday:

Saints vs. Buccaneers: Taysom Hill (knee) DNP again on injury report

The New Orleans Saints injury report had few changes, with Taysom Hill (knee) still a non-participant in practice before the Buccaneers game.

Few changes were reflected on the updated New Orleans Saints injury report following Thursday’s practice session. Quarterback Taysom Hill (knee) remained a non-participant, along with cornerback Patrick Robinson (hamstring) and running back Latavius Murray (quad), putting doubt on each of them for whether they’ll be available in Sunday’s Divisional Round playoff game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Additionally, defensive end Trey Helndrickson (neck) continued to practice on a limited basis, as did tight end Jared Cook (back) and left tackle Terron Armstead (elbow). We’ll learn tomorrow whether any of them are preemptively ruled out. Here’s everything you need to know from the injury report update: