Tag: Lucas Krull

Report: Saints bring back tight end/fullback J.P. Holtz after tryout

FOX 8’s Sean Fazende reports that the Saints are bringing back tight end/fullback J.P. Holtz after a successful tryout on Tuesday:

One of the veteran free agents the New Orleans Saints hosted for a group tryout on Tuesday is signing with the team after all. FOX 8’s Sean Fazende reports that the Saints signed tight end J.P. Holtz, reinforcing the position after injuries sidelined Lucas Krull and Jesse James at training camp.

The Saints were already at their 90-man roster capacity so they’ll need to make a corresponding move to add Holtz to their depth chart. Even if Krull and James are expected back soon (and we don’t know that they are), they’re running thin at tight end with Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau at the top with Taysom Hill splitting reps at other positions in practice.

With their first preseason game coming up on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s worth investing in a backup or two to limit the starters’ reps in exhibition. Holtz spent most of the 2022 season on New Orleans’ practice squad and appeared in a handful of games at both tight end and fullback, also covering punts and kickoffs at times on special teams.

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6 hardest roster cuts from our way-too-early Saints predictions

Breaking down the 6 hardest roster cuts from our way-too-early New Orleans Saints predictions:

We’ve got a long summer break ahead of us leading up to New Orleans Saints training camp, so let’s take a look at the hardest roster cuts from our way-too-early predictions (which you can find here). Whether it’s a fiery young rookie looking for an opportunity or a veteran hoping to extend their career, it was tough to leave these players off our roster projection:

Saints sign veteran free agent Jesse James, adding more depth at TE

The Saints signed veteran free agent Jesse James, adding more depth at tight end behind Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau:

This could be a good move: the New Orleans Saints signed veteran tight end Jesse James on Wednesday, reinforcing a part of their depth chart which has already seen changes this offseason with the addition of hometown hero Foster Moreau. James has been assigned the No. 81 jersey.

Originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2015, James appeared in 62 games (6 of them playoff games) with Pittsburgh before he spent two years with the Detroit Lions. He’s on his third team in three years by signing with the Saints, having joined the Chicago Bears in 2021 and the Cleveland Browns in 2022, though an injury limited him to just two games.

James has logged over 1,700 snaps as a run blocker in his eight-year NFL career, and that’s likely the vision for him in New Orleans. Juwan Johnson has developed into a real threat as a receiver and Moreau is an every-down asset as a pass-catcher and blocker, but James could be a better fit for the third tight end role than Lucas Krull or Miller Forristall given his experience. He’s also played a lot of snaps on special teams which may give him an edge when it comes time to make these difficult roster decisions.

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Saints re-sign half their practice squad for 2023, but not one of their 2022 draft picks

The Saints re-signed half of their practice squad for 2023, but the list of returning players doesn’t include one of their 2022 draft picks:

Here’s a bit of housekeeping from the New Orleans Saints. Practice squad contracts expire at the end of the regular season for teams that don’t qualify for the playoffs, though they have the option to bring those players back on reserve/future deals — and the Saints have already taken advantage of that opportunity.

New Orleans re-signed half of their practice squad for 2023, but the list of returning players doesn’t include one of their 2022 draft picks: defensive tackle Jordan Jackson, selected in the sixth round out of the Air Force Academy. Jackson spent his rookie year on the practice squad and never got into a game, but that’s not to say he won’t be re-signed. These reserve/future contracts are typically handled in batches so he could be part of the next wave of signings. It’s something to watch out for.

In the meantime, here are the eight practice squad players who have already been re-signed:

Saints call up WR Kirk Merritt, TE Lucas Krull in a series of last-minute roster moves

Saints call up WR Kirk Merritt, TE Lucas Krull in a series of last-minute roster moves before Monday night kickoff vs. Bucs

Kickoff between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers is just hours away, prompting a series of last-minute roster moves as the Saints bring all hands on deck. Here’s what you need to know about each transaction:

Several Saints players change jersey numbers after roster cuts

Several Saints players changed jersey numbers after roster cuts. Here’s who is wearing a new number:

Multiple New Orleans Saints players selected new jersey numbers after roster cuts made a lot of options available, though most of them are on the practice squad. Here’s who is wearing a new number per the team’s official website roster:

Taco Charlton, 3 linebackers make the Saints’ initial 15-man practice squad

Taco Charlton, three linebackers made the Saints’ initial 15-man practice squad after roster cuts. But there’s one vacancy left to fill:

There it is: the New Orleans Saints announced their 15-strong practice squad on Wednesday, but it’s important to remember how much of a work-in-progress this will be. For the first point, there’s still one vacancy left to fill. Some players will be swapped out for others in the days and weeks ahead, but many of these names are already familiar to Saints fans — and about half of them were previously reported as having re-signed with New Orleans following Tuesday’s roster cuts.

Let’s run through the group position-by-position:

3 players we’re watching at Aug. 22’s Saints practice

Stakes are climbing higher in the week leading up to the final Saints preseason game. 3 players we’re watching at Aug. 22’s practice, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

For bubble players on NFL rosters, today begins the final week of training camp. For the New Orleans Saints, there’s a lot of talent in the depth chart, but not a ton of spots left to claim. Here are three players we’ll be watching as the final week of camp kicks off, with a focus on those looking to start off strong for n order to claim a roster spot ahead of the regular season kickoff. 

7 toughest cuts from our latest Saints roster projection

7 toughest cuts from our latest New Orleans Saints roster projection

It’s a good time to take stock of the New Orleans Saints’ roster, with minicamp behind us and a monthlong wait until training camp kicks off in late July. We’ve seen all of the big moves in free agency and the 2022 NFL draft. Anything else is going to be minor tweaks and touchups. We have a good idea of what the starting lineup will look like. We explored it all in our 53-man roster projection, which you can find here broken down by position groups.

There were other tough decisions that ultimately didn’t materialize into anything — is Zack Baun finally ready to get on the field with the rest of the defense? — but for the most part we got down to the final ten or twelve roster cuts without much debate. In the end, though, we put together a squad that looks formidable. Here are the seven toughest cuts from that process:

Chiefs to host Pittsburgh TE Lucas Krull on top-30 visit

After posting some impressive numbers at his pro day, the #Chiefs are bringing in Pittsburgh TE Lucas Krull for a top-30 visit.

The Kansas City Chiefs are planning to host a native of Shawnee, Kansas on a top-30 visit.

According to Top Speed Strength and Conditioning’s Joseph Potts, the Chiefs are set to host Pittsburgh TE Lucas Krull on one of the 30 pre-draft visits allotted to the team. Potts would know too as he trains Krull during the offseason.

A former high school standout at Mill Valley in Shawnee, Krull was a two-sport athlete playing both baseball and football. Out of high school, Krull first took the opportunity to play baseball. He went to Jefferson College in Missouri, where he pitched for the Vikings’ baseball team during the 2017-18 season. That year he was selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 34th round of the 2018 MLB draft. Instead of going to play baseball, Krull ended up at the University of Florida for the 2018 and 2019 college football seasons. He caught nine passes for 108 yards and completed 2 passes for 19 yards.

The following year, Krull joined the Panthers as a graduate transfer. He appeared in just one game that year due to injury, but he got a second chance to play in 2021. During the course of the season, Krull caught 38 receptions for 451 yards and six scores, working alongside QB Kenny Pickett, who will also be a top pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

A sleeper among the tight end group in the 2022 NFL draft, Krull was snubbed from the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. He posted some really great numbers at the Pitt Pro Day, with a 4.54s 40-yard dash, a 35-inch vertical jump, a 120-inch broad jump, 14 reps on the bench press and a 4.36s shuttle run, all at 6-6 and 253 pounds.

Why would the Chiefs be in the market for a tight end when they already have nine on the 90-man roster? Well, for starters, this is one of the deeper position groups in the 2022 NFL draft. If you can get good value because of the depth, it’s a smart move.

Another reason, though? Travis Kelce will be 32 years old this season and he’s going to have an increased amount of attention on him without Tyreek Hill on the field. Adding more players who can help take some of the load off of Kelce and develop behind him would be a wise move when it comes to extending his Hall of Fame career.

Krull is a solid blocker with good plays as a receiver at the intermediate level of the field. He has run-after-catch ability given his athleticism. He also has the size to be a red-zone target in Kansas City. There is also the added bonus of his ability to throw the football on gadget plays too.

Krull is one of three reported top-30 visits so far alongside Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt and Jackson State LB/DE James Houston IV.

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