Tag: meeting

Packers meet virtually with Oregon State RB Jermar Jefferson

The Packers met virtually with one of the Doak Walker award semifinalists in 2020.

The Green Bay Packers have met with one of the Doak Walker Award semifinalists from 2020.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, the Packers recently met virtually with Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson.

With Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams both scheduled to be unrestricted free agents next month, general manager Brian Gutekunst will likely have to use at least one draft pick to restock the position this offseason.

The Draft Network sees Jefferson as a change of pace option who could be best in a zone run scheme.

Over just six games in 2020, Jefferson rushed for 858 yards and seven touchdowns while also catching nine passes for 67 yards. He was the the Co-Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year and the conference’s first-team running back.

Jefferson is leaving Oregon State as the school’s fifth-leading rusher. He had 2,932 rushing yards, 15 100-yard rushing games and 27 rushing touchdowns.

Pro Football Focus ranks Jefferson as the site’s 273rd overall player in the 2021 draft.

[lawrence-related id=56084,56045,56031,42898]

[listicle id=55814]

Packers meet virtually with Florida State CB Asante Samuel Jr.

The Packers have virtually met with one of the best cornerbacks in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers, a team with an obvious need at cornerback, have met with one of the most heralded players at the position in the 2021 NFL draft.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, the Packers are one of six teams to recently meet virtually with Florida State cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.

The Packers will likely lose starting cornerback Kevin King in free agency next month, ensuring the position is a top draft need for general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Samuel is the son of former Pro Bowl cornerback Asante Samuel, who played 11 seasons in the NFL with three teams, including the New England Patriots.

Over eight games in 2020, Samuel produced six pass breakups, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. He finished his collegiate career with six interceptions and 29 pass breakups, including an ACC-high 14 in 2019.

Pro Football Focus currently ranks Samuel as the site’s 29th best prospect overall and fourth best cornerback in the 2021 draft.

From his draft profile at The Draft Network: “Samuel Jr. has the potential to start at the next level for a defense that plays a lot of man coverage and is willing to move him around to maximize his strengths.”

The Packers could see Samuel as a potential starter opposite All-Pro Jaire Alexander and a replacement for King, who is a free agent. Samuel also has experience playing in the slot, where the Packers also have a long-term need on defense.

The Packers hold the 29th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

[lawrence-related id=56045,56031]

[listicle id=55814]

Local Lions reporters shut down rumor of Kenny Golladay skipping Saturday meeting

Local Lions reporters shut down the CBS Sports rumor of wide receiver Kenny Golladay skipping Saturday’s meeting over a contract dispute.

The trade deadline is Tuesday and it’s a good time to remember, that not all reports/reporters are equal. It’s good practice to know which reporters have reliable sources and which ones are simply throwing darts, hoping for something to hit so they can give the appearance of being informed.

Following the Detroit Lions game on CBS, a reporter suggested that wide receiver Kenny Golladay purposefully missed Saturday’s practice — upset with not having a contract extension settled with the team — and that a team representative had to track him down.

For the most part, this rumor was ignored by the Lions media, as most have a habit of not throwing fuel on an unsubstantiated fire.

But this morning, with the rumor surrounding Golladay still lingering, several local media members reached out to multiple sources within the Lions organization and confirmed that Golladay was with the team on Saturday, directly contradicting the initial rumor.

Even local MLive photographer Mike Mulholland posted on Twitter that he saw Golladay at a drive-thru two miles away from the Allen Park facility and he was picking up food for teammates.

There are for sure instances where national reporters will get a scoop before the Lions beat, but one of the sure-fire ways of knowing which national reports should be taken seriously is to see how the local reporters react to the news.

If the local media ignores the rumor, it’s a safe bet you can ignore it as well.

As is the case here.

[lawrence-related id=53123,53115]

Rookies, select NFL players may report to training camps before July 28

The NFL has informed teams that rookies and “select players” may report to training camps before the league-wide start date of July 28.

The National Football League has announced it has informed teams that training camps are set to open as scheduled this year with most kicking off on July 28.

Rookies and other “select players,” however, may be allowed to report a few days earlier if the clubs deem prudent. Panthers coach Matt Rhule had said last week the league had informed teams they could bring rookies in on July 21 and quarterbacks on July 23.

The owners and league officials participated in a conference call last Thursday and discussed how to best proceed with reopening in light of the rise of COVID-19 cases around the nation.

League executive vice president and general counsel Jeff Pash was the one to convey the news.

After the meeting, NFL Commission Roger Goodell also informed reporters the league’s focus is to “get ready for games at our stadiums and to engage our fans both in stadiums and through our media partners.”

But with many states seeing the number of positive coronavirus tests increasing at an alarming rate, the league might have to walk back on its aggressive plan to start camps on time, after all.

[lawrence-related id=64801]

Saints met with underrated Tulsa cornerback prospect Reggie Robinson II

The New Orleans Saints recently interviewed Tulsa cornerback Reggie Robinson II, an underrated prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft.

[jwplayer a69uwpNT-ThvAeFxT]

One position the New Orleans Saints can be counted to address in the NFL draft is defensive back. They’ve added either a rookie cornerback or safety in every year since Sean Payton was hired to coach the team, even if they may not do so at the top of the draft. So it’s a good idea to know the depth of this year’s class.

That brings us to Tulsa cornerback Reggie Robinson II, who Justin Melo over at Draft Wire reports spoke with the Saints on a FaceTime video call. He’s also met with teams including the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Los Angeles Rams, and the Houston Texans. Why all the interest?

Robinson combines a wealth of starting experience at the college level (having appeared in 45 games, with 32 starts) with a solid athletic profile. He timed the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds at 6-foot-0, 205 pounds, and put those traits to good use with an AAC-leading 17 passes defensed last season. He ultimately defended 38 passes in his four-year career, intercepting four passes as a senior. There are players in this draft who have ball skills, and others who have prototype size and speed. Robinson is someone who can boast both qualities.

Robinson is projected to be picked on the third day of this year’s draft, though he might sneak into the final picks on day two. We ended up landing him in the fifth round of a mock draft earlier this month, which would be terrific value.

The Saints have their top two cornerbacks locked in between Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins, but Robinson would be a great pick to back them up while helping out on special teams (he blocked two field goals and two point-after attempts at Tulsa). Most of the other corners in New Orleans are slot specialists, so Robinson could fill multiple holes on the roster.

[lawrence-related id=32051]

[vertical-gallery id=32081]

2020 NFL Draft: Saints spend time with another big defensive tackle

The New Orleans Saints reached out to Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Michael Barnett, a sleeper prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft.

[jwplayer qKYlU1VR-ThvAeFxT]

The New Orleans Saints just can’t quit adding talent to their defensive line. In addition to interviews with early-round prospects like Utah’s Leki Fotu and Texas A&M’s Justin Madubuike, Justin Melo over at Draft Wire reports that the Saints also touched base with Georgia Bulldogs lineman Michael Barnett.

Snubbed by this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, Barnett hoped to show out at Georgia’s pro day before it was canceled due to the novel coronavirus. The 6-foot-4, 304-pounder is a dark horse to be picked in the final rounds of the 2020 draft after posting a career-high 24 tackles last season. He played sparingly in the years before, having been buried on one of college football’s strongest depth chart.

It makes sense for the Saints to be doing their homework on players like Barnett. They’ve had success with these undrafted big men out of the SEC before, counting contributors like Devaroe Lawrence (Auburn), Taylor Stallworth (South Carolina), and Shy Tuttle (Tennessee) among the gems found in the rough. Lawrence signed with the Saints as a college free agent before getting traded to the Cleveland Browns for a draft pick, while Stallworth saw meaningful snaps in 2018 (19.8 plays per game) before Tuttle’s arrival in 2019 pushed him down to the practice squad.

With their final pick in this year’s draft coming at No. 203 (almost midway through the sixth round, with the entire seventh round still to go) the Saints should be very selective in their choices on the final day of the draft.

They also rank among the NFL’s leaders in players already under contract with 69 of 90 roster spots filled, so any undrafted free agents they bring in will face long odds of making it through final cuts. Still, Barnett is a name to remember once the draft wraps up, when teams will hit the phones hard to recruit players like him who have fallen through the cracks.

[vertical-gallery id=32081]

Saints scheduled pre-draft visit with Louisiana Tech prospect Amik Robertson

The New Orleans Saints scheduled a formal facilities visit with Louisiana Tech cornerback Amik Robertson, a prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft.

National travel restrictions and social distancing policies in response to the novel coronavirus hit the NFL hard in the weeks and months preceding its 2020 draft, with teams unable to conduct the usual visits with prospects at their home facilities. However, some of those visits were already scheduled before the NFL ordered teams to adjust to video conference interviews.

Justin Melo over at Draft Wire reports that the New Orleans Saints had arranged one such private meeting with Louisiana Tech cornerback Amik Robertson before the curtain fell. Melo added that Robertson completed one such fly-in visit with the Philadelphia Eagles before he could return to Louisiana and meet with the Saints.

Robertson is an intriguing talent in this year’s draft class, projected to be picked somewhere around the third round; the 5-foot-8, 187-pound cornerback started all 38 games he played for the Bulldogs, racking up 23 tackles for loss and intercepting 14 passes (totaling 48 passes defensed). Despite his smaller stature, he’s an instinctive playmaker who always seems to know where the ball is headed.

While he predominately played out on the boundary in college, Robertson’s path to the NFL probably lies in the slot as a nickel defender. He’ll be able to defend in-breaking routes against smaller slot specialists there than outside the numbers, mitigating some of his size deficiencies.

But the NFL’s continued trend towards lining up bigger pass-catchers in the slot (ironically something the Saints themselves played a part in with creative use of Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston back in the day) could mean the slot isn’t as safe a haven for Robertson as tradition suggests. Still, he’s never been the tallest or fastest player on the field before, and he won’t be in the NFL, either. He was productive in spite of that and it explains why the Saints and so many other teams are interested in him.

[vertical-gallery id=31911]

Sleeper QB prospect worked out with Drew Brees, interviewed with Saints

The New Orleans Saints met with North Texas quarterback Mason Fine, a sleeper prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft who worked out with Drew Brees.

[jwplayer cfFkvnkH-ThvAeFxT]

It almost feels like a certainty that the New Orleans Saints will add a quarterback at some point around the 2020 NFL Draft. Saints coach Sean Payton admitted as much in a recent conference call with local media, clarifying that while Taysom Hill is expected to back up Drew Brees this year, the team wants to bring in another passer who will be active on game days, ensuring Hill can continue to block, catch, and run with the best of them. One name to watch on draft day: North Texas quarterback Mason Fine.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the list of interested teams to contact Fine recently includes the Saints. Additionally, Fine’s workout partner (before national lockdowns were enacted due to the novel coronavirus) was none other than Brees, whose longtime personal trainer Todd Durkin put them both through their paces.

So, that’s interesting. Fine is a dark horse in this year’s draft class, an unheralded prospect who might be picked in the final rounds if at all. That puts him in a similar boat to Florida International’s James Morgan, Hawaii’s Cole McDonald, and Colorado’s Steven Montez.

What sets Fine apart from those other late-round prospects is his sky-high college production. He put the team on his shoulders at North Texas with over 1,000 pass attempts in four years, leaving school with a solid 62.8 completion percentage and with 93 touchdowns thrown against 34 interceptions (15 of those coming in 2017, his first full year as a starter). He’s shown he can handle a high volume of dropbacks, a responsibility some collegiate passers struggle with.

Snubbed by this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, Fine instead traveled to San Diego to work out with Brees and Chase Daniel, under Durkin’s tutelage. While he tips the scales at just 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Fine put in the work to max out his frame and pack on muscle mass. And it was enough for others to take notice.

“So, yeah, Drew Brees said I was too jacked to play quarterback,” Fine joked to Tulsa World’s Dekota Gregory. “I will say I have a little bit more of a muscular build than him, but that doesn’t mean anything when you’re holding the career passing yards and touchdowns record like Drew.”

It’s easy to envision the Saints taking a late-round flier on Fine (their final pick in this year’s draft is near the end of the sixth round, at No. 203 overall) or maybe signing him afterwards as an undrafted free agent. They’ve taken an interest in these NFL longshots before while padding out the roster, ranging from Daniel himself to Sean Canfield and J.T. Barrett. But maybe Fine can carry over the poise that’s set him apart at the college level, and thrive where others didn’t.

[vertical-gallery id=31446]

Saints hold pre-draft meetings over FaceTime with several linebacker prospects

The New Orleans Saints had FaceTime meetings with linebacker draft prospects including California’s Evan Weaver and Colorado’s Davion Taylor

[jwplayer QfjzedKi-ThvAeFxT]

Travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in NFL teams conducting interviews with draft prospects over video chat services such as FaceTime, and the New Orleans Saints are no exception. It’s nobody’s preference, of course; teams typically fly in 30 prospects for tours of their facilities, private workouts, and one-on-one meetings with position coaches and front office staff. But like other teams, the Saints are working to remain innovative, doing what they can to keep this hurdle from slowing them down.

Justin Melo over at Draft Wire reports that the Saints have spoken with two different linebackers recently, including Colorado prospect Davion Taylor and California’s Evan Weaver. Both players have also touched base with other teams, which isn’t unusual. By the end of this process, just about every draft-eligible prospect will have contacted each team in the NFL.

Weaver (6-foot-2, 237 pounds) was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, following a senior season in which he racked up 181 total tackles (103 solo, 11.5 for loss of yards), 2.5 sacks, and forced a pair of fumbles. He has been a big part of the Golden Bears defense throughout his college career but played his best football the last two seasons as a starter. He’s likely to be picked on the final day of the draft but could go late in the third round if a team like the Saints rates him highly.

Taylor (6-foot-0, 228 pounds) is a better athlete than Weaver, thanks to a background in track and field as well as football; it showed up at the combine when he clocked the 40-yard dash in just 4.49 seconds against Weaver’s 4.76 time. But he brings a smaller body of work against top competition, having played just two years at Colorado after transferring from the junior college ranks. He’s projected to be drafted in rounds four through seven on the third day, if at all, and his evaluation largely depends on how well teams think he can bulk up to NFL standards without sacrificing his movement skills.

[lawrence-related id=21759]

[vertical-gallery id=30933]