Tag: List

Saints long snapper Zach Wood retests negative, still in COVID-19 protocol

New Orleans Saints long snapper Zach Wood passed his first retest after being designated to the reserve/COVID-19 list, but must do so again.

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One of the two New Orleans Saints players designated to the reserve/COVID-19 is already on his way off of it, having twice retested negative for a coronavirus infection: second-year linebacker Kaden Elliss. That leaves veteran long snapper Zach Wood as the only member of the Saints on the reserve list as he awaits the results of his second retest.

Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football first reported that Wood’s initial retest came back negative, and added that Wood will receive the results from his second retest on Saturday. If that is also negative, he will be allowed to rejoin the team.

Wood signed a four-year contract extension with the Saints earlier this summer that makes New Orleans’ special teams situation one of the most stable in the league; with punter Thomas Morstead inked through 2022 and kicker Wil Lutz signed through 2023, all three specialists are under contract for the long haul.

In a normal year, Wood’s early-training camp absence would have been something of an emergency. But the Saints are limited to running strength and conditioning drills at this stage in the rump-up period, per the NFL’s new COVID-19 rules, so the loss of a long snapper won’t destabilize things just yet.

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Saints to activate linebacker Kaden Elliss from reserve/COVID-19

New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss is set to be activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list after twice testing negative for infection.

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It turned out to be a short stay on reserve/COVID-19 for New Orleans Saints linebacker Kaden Elliss, who was designated to the reserve list Thursday. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported that the Saints will remove Elliss from the list after twice testing negative for COVID-19, which was confirmed by Amie Just of The Times-Picayune/Advocate. It suggests that the initial test result to put Elliss in the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol may have been a false-positive, but the real takeaway is that Elliss was fortunate to escape a serious infection.

That’s great news for the second-year pro out of Idaho, who was picked by the Saints late in the 2019 NFL Draft. Elliss initially showed out on special teams in training camp last summer before working his way into the linebacker rotation, splitting time with Kiko Alonso as the team’s third linebacker in base sets (starters Demario Davis and A.J. Klein rarely left the field). An unfortunate knee injury in Week 3’s road win over the Seattle Seahawks ended his rookie season, but he’s back now and looking to carve out a larger role for himself.

And his help couldn’t arrive at a better time. Including Elliss, the Saints have just four linebackers under contract past the 2020 season; former practice squad call-up Andrew Dowell and rookies Zack Baun and Joe Bachie round out the group. If any of them can impress enough to earn starter’s reps this year, they could become a big asset to the team in years to come.

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Saints are a top-tier team in pre-training camp NFL power rankings

The New Orleans Saints are one of the highest-rated teams in pre-training camp NFL power rankings, ahead of Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

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Expectations couldn’t be higher for the New Orleans Saints ahead of their 2020 training camp. The mantra has been “Super Bowl or bust” for years now, but this might be the last time they can make that statement with Drew Brees leading them.

Fortunately, the Saints are as prepared as they’ll ever be to make a committed run at another Super Bowl title. That’s reflected in the pre-training camp NFL power rankings from Mark Schofield over at Touchdown Wire, who saw a lot to like in their draft class and free agent pickups. With Brees conducting an offense flush with weapons, he’s right to point out that the Saints “should score points in bunches,” which goes a long way in today’s NFL.

But there’s a catch: the Saints aren’t alone at the top. They ranked 4th, sure, but that’s behind both of the teams to play in the last Super Bowl (the reigning-champ Kansas City Chiefs at No. 1, Baltimore Ravens at No. 2, and the San Francisco 49ers at No. 3). Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers are climbing, listed at No. 6, but it’s anyone’s guess whether Brady and the un-retired Rob Gronkowski have enough left in the tank to challenge the Saints. The upstart Tennessee Titans, who ended Brady’s storied New England Patriots career and lost to the Saints in a 38-28 bludgeoning, are sandwiched in-between at No. 5.

Elsewhere around the NFC South: the Atlanta Falcons are wallowing down at No. 22, who are hoping to finally rebound from their stunning loss in Super Bowl LI. Look even further down the list and you’ll find the lowly Carolina Panthers at No. 29, who inked Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater to a big contract while overhauling their roster. It’s very much looking like a two-horse race for the NFC South crown.

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Best Saints Twitter follows for 2020 training camp

The New Orleans Saints are gathering for their 2020 training camp, and it’s important for fans to know who to follow on Twitter to keep up.

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The 2020 edition of New Orleans Saints training camp is going to look just as strange as the rest of the NFL’s offseason in the face of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, with fans not allowed to observe practice daily and outside access limited at team facilities.

So it’s more important than ever to keep informed by staying on top of social media updates from media members, team bloggers, and superfans. When news breaks (and it will), they’ll have it first.

Here’s your list of the best Twitter follows ahead of Saints training camp:

  1. Saints Wire
  2. USA Today Sports
  3. John Sigler (Saints Wire)
  4. New Orleans Saints
  5. John DeShazier (NewOrleansSaints.com)
  6. NewOrleans.Football
  7. Nick Underhill (NewOrleans.Football)
  8. PFF NO Saints (Pro Football Focus)
  9. Mike Triplett (ESPN)
  10. Rod Walker (The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
  11. Luke Johnson (The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
  12. Amie Just (The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
  13. Katherine Terrell (The Athletic)
  14. Larry Holder (The Athletic)
  15. Jeff Duncan (The Athletic)
  16. Sean Fazende (FOX 8)
  17. Gus Kattengell (ESPN Radio)
  18. Michael Detillier (WWL)
  19. Amos Morale (WWL)
  20. John Hendrix (Sports Illustrated)
  21. Bob Rose (Sports Illustrated)
  22. Canal Street Chronicles
  23. Christopher Dunnells (Canal Street Chronicles)
  24. Ross Jackson (Canal Street Chronicles)
  25. Brenden Ertle (Canal Street Chronicles)
  26. Kade Kistner (Canal Street Chronicles)
  27. Who Dat Dish
  28. Chris Rosvoglou (The Spun)
  29. Saints Twitter Podcast
  30. Datboywolf
  31. Kevin Washington

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Saints defense ranked a top-10 unit by Touchdown Wire

The New Orleans Saints are known for their high-flying offense, but their defense has been the better unit in their recent playoff games.

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It’s tough to recall the last time the New Orleans Saints defense was filled with so many playmakers at every level. Cameron Jordan is the star up front, anchoring a defensive line featuring former first-round draft picks like Marcus Davenport, Sheldon Rankins, and Malcom Brown.

The secondary returns a lot of continuity from 2019, with two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore joined by NFL veterans Janoris Jenkins and Malcolm Jenkins. Youngsters Marcus Williams and C.J. Gardner-Johnson round out the group.

And patrolling the middle of the field is Demario Davis, one of the game’s best three-down linebackers. A tough training camp competition will decide who runs next to him with the first team defense, but the Saints have solid options in rookie draft pick Zack Baun and returning starters Alex Anzalone and Kiko Alonso.

It’s enough for Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire to rank the Saints inside the NFL’s top-10 defenses, writing:

The 2019 Saints were one of eight teams to limit their opponents to under 100 rushing yards per game — at 91.3 yards per game, New Orleans ranked fourth in the league. The Saints also ranked third in the NFL with 51 sacks, and fifth with a pressure rate of 26.4%. The only real downturn was in a secondary that allowed far too many big plays, and was saved in a relative sense by cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who they picked up late in the season after the Giants waived him.

Rookie defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson proved to be a fourth-round steal with his effective versatility, and Marcus Williams had an outstanding year at free safety, but the cornerback combo of P.J. Williams, Eli Apple, Marshon Lattimore, and D.J. Swearinger gave up 18 touchdowns and intercepted two passes. That’s not going to work in today’s NFL. The Saints wisely extended Jenkins through the 2022 season.

The Saints defense may have outplayed their teammates on offense in the playoffs the last three years — allowing 24.2 points per game, with Drew Brees’ high-powered offense averaging just 23.6 and scoring 30-plus only once —  but both units must find more consistency in the clutch if they’re going to win an elusive second Super Bowl.

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Saints have the NFC’s best offense in Touchdown Wire rankings

The New Orleans Saints offense was ranked ahead of every other team in the NFC in Touchdown Wire’s updated rankings for the 2020 season.

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For years, the story for the New Orleans Saints has been that they would go as far into the playoffs as their offense could take them. Led by Drew Brees, the game’s most accurate passer, and a pair of difficult-to-cover receiving threats in Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, the team’s gone on to score a lot of points and push deep into the postseason.

But 2020 is shaping up to be their best performance yet. The Saints offense was ranked third overall in the NFL, and best in the NFC, by Mark Schofield over at Touchdown Wire. Here’s what he wrote:

The New Orleans Saints suffered a surprising loss on Wild Card Weekend to the Minnesota Vikings at home, in a loss that few saw coming prior to the contest. But that should not diminish the potential of this offense heading into 2020. The Saints return Drew Brees for at least one more season, who is more “accurate high powered computer playing quarterback” than he is a human playing the position. They also return Michael Thomas, one of the game’s bright young receivers, as well as Alvin Kamara, a three-down back who is a true weapon in the passing game. But they also added Emmanuel Sanders, giving Brees another downfield threat and Thomas a true running mate. With Sean Payton pulling the strings, this offense should be high-powered yet again in 2020.

Few teams have as strong a three-deep lineup at the skills positions as the Saints, and none of them have Brees. But New Orleans has other pass-catching threats worth remembering, too, like tight end Jared Cook. The 10-year NFL veteran averaged a career-best 16.4 yards per catch last season, also setting a personal best in touchdown catches (9, tying with Thomas for the team lead). Cook should be even better in his second year working with Brees.

And that doesn’t even get into the strong Saints running game, led by Kamara with Latavius Murray deserving more opportunities after an impressive first year in New Orleans. The Saints invested big along their offensive line and will obviously be hoping to lean more on their ground attack. Hopefully it’ll pay off.

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Saints strength of schedule ranked easiest in the NFC South

The New Orleans Saints have the best strength of schedule for the 2020 season in the NFC South, ahead of Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Despite a slate of games against several playoff teams — and both participants in last year’s Super Bowl — the New Orleans Saints project to have one of the easier schedules you’ll see around the NFL. Their opponents have a combined winning percentage of .490 from last season’s results, which places ninth-best in the league.

That looks even better when compared to the rest of the NFC South. Both the Carolina Panthers (.500) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (.502) are settled near the middle of the pack, while the Atlanta Falcons (.525) have one of the NFL’s steepest uphill climbs ahead of them.

Now, sure: this isn’t very informative, given how thoroughly teams change from one year to the next. The Buccaneers and Panthers are proof enough of that, with new quarterbacks under center in Tom Brady and Teddy Bridgewater, and an entirely new coaching staff getting to work in Carolina. But the fact remains that a number of teams playing the Saints this season were not very good last season, which should do a lot to build confidence in New Orleans’ chances of future success.

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Chiefs release LB Martrell Spaight from reserve/retired list

The Chiefs have released a player from the reserve/retired list that never played a snap for the team.

The Kansas City Chiefs did a solid for a player that never played a snap for them but retired while under contract with the team. According to the NFL’s transaction report, the Chiefs have released LB Martrell Spaight from the reserve/retired list.

Kansas City added Spaight as one of their first reserve/future signings in 2018, ahead of the playoffs. It was a bit of a jump start on the process for the Chiefs, adding a talented player who didn’t really get a shot early in his career.

Spaight was a former fifth-round draft pick by the Washington Redskins in 2015, playing collegiately for the University of Arkansas. He dealt with a bad concussion during his rookie season which ended the year early. He’d start in seven games over the course of the next two seasons for Washington.

Around this time last year, ahead of Organized Team Activities, Spaight suddenly retired from the NFL. This came shortly after the trade with the Jets to acquire LB Darron Lee, which made the linebacker group even more competitive. That was presumed to be the reason why Spaight retired, but we never received official word from the team.

Spaight’s release from the reserve/retired list signals that he wishes to return to football and seek new opportunities in the league. Since he retired while under contract with Kansas City, they owned his rights and had to grant his release in order for him to sign with another team.

Unfortunately, this is merely a formality for the Chiefs. It won’t benefit them in any way or free up a roster spot. It was, however, the right thing to do for a player hoping to revitalize his career.

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Saints’ Who Dat Nation ranked among top-5 most-passionate fan bases

Fans of the New Orleans Saints were listed among the most passionate fan bases in America’s major sports leagues by a recent Forbes ranking.

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The New Orleans Saints fan base is a group that punches above its weight class. While their television market might be one of the smaller you’ll find around the NFL, Saints fans have an unmatched appetite for football — often turning in the nation’s highest ratings for prime-time games, whether the black and gold are involved or not.

But Saints fans do more than tune in when a game is on. According to a list put together by Forbes staff writer Christian Settimi, the Who Dat Nation ranks fourth among America’s most-passionate fan bases. That puts them shoulder-to-shoulder with supporters of the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. and ahead of the leaders in other sports like the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and MLB’s Boston Red Sox.

Settimi considered factors like team value (the Saints are estimated to be worth $2.275 billion), social media following (5.4 million between Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook), and average home game attendance (with 73,082 spectators packing the Mercedes-Benz Superdome). She also noted that New Orleans throws a ton of hometown support behind its team:

A full 75% of New Orleans residents identify as Saints fans—second in the NFL to Green Bay’s 82% with the Packers—helping to make the “Who Dat” nation’s social media following four times as big as the city’s population of 1.3 million.

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USA TODAY backup QB rankings puts Saints on top of the NFL

The New Orleans Saints have a depth chart stocked with backups like Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, which USA Today ranks best in the NFL.

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Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now, and it’s fair to say that Jameis Winston has stronger qualifications than any backup quarterback around the league. With Taysom Hill in the mix, the New Orleans Saints have an argument to make for the NFL’s strongest set of passers among their peers.

And at least one ranking agrees with that. USA Today’s Nate Davis ranked the Saints depth chart at quarterback higher than any other team in the NFL, just ahead of the Dallas Cowboys tandem of Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton:

1. New Orleans Saints: Jameis Winston’s arrival makes this the first team to have a pair of 5,000-yard passers on its roster. Winston, who led the NFL in passing yards (5,109) in 2019 has obvious flaws in his game, namely his proclivity for turnovers (league-worst 30 INTs in 2019). But given time to re-calibrate his estimable tools under Sean Payton’s watch, maybe it’s Winston – and not highly compensated gadget guy Taysom Hill, who threw six passes last year – who emerges as Drew Brees’ eventual successor.

In an ideal world, we’ll never get a look at Winston running the Saints offense — at least this year. That would mean Brees has missed time with a maybe-significant injury, which wouldn’t be great. The chances of the Saints rattling off five straight wins again after pulling off that trick last year with Teddy Bridgewater under center are not high.

Still, Davis is right to point out that this could be more of a long-term investment than it first appears. Winston’s year on the depth chart should put him on similar footing to Hill in 2021, should Brees step away from the game, allowing the Saints to have a true starting competition between a pair of experienced options. And as seen up and down this list of backup situations around the NFL, that’s an outlook that most teams might envy.

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