Tag: Nick Anderson

Report: New Orleans Saints waive rookie linebacker Nick Anderson

Report: New Orleans Saints waive rookie linebacker Nick Anderson, a fan-favorite out of Tulane

This is a tough break: the New Orleans Saints have reportedly waived rookie linebacker Nick Anderson, a fan-favorite who signed with the team as an undrafted free agent to stay close to home. The Tulane product was a big part of the Green Wave’s historic turnaround last season but he struggled to find snaps in the crowded Saints linebacker corps.

Anderson is an easy guy to root for, and we’ll be hoping he lands on his feet somewhere around the league. It’s possible he could return to New Orleans’ practice squad but he’ll have better opportunities to play on other teams.

The Saints typically roster six or seven linebackers and stash another one on their practice squad. If Demario Davis, Pete Werner, Jaylon Smith, and Zack Baun are safe (as is widely expected in media covering the team), it leaves younger players like D’Marco Jackson, Nephi Sewell, and Anfernee Orji pushing veterans including Ty Summers and Ryan Connelly (who is dealing with a significant knee injury) for those last few spots on the team. Stay tuned to see how this shakes out.

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Important Saints position battles to watch in preseason Week 1

The preseason is where position battles are decided. Cornerback and left guard are just two of the intense battles to watch in Saints vs. Chiefs | @southexclusives

The preseason is best for getting young players experience and deciding position battles. These battles won’t be decided in the first week of action, but players can begin to separate themselves from the pack. The New Orleans Saints have a couple of intense position battles currently raging at training camp, which will come to a head Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here are the areas you need to keep an eye on and the players you need to watch in each phase of the game:

4 burning questions heading into the first Saints preseason game

The Saints are headed into their first preseason game of 2023, and there are several major questions they need to answer against the Chiefs | @southexclusives

The New Orleans Saints head into the first preseason game of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday. Officially, the 2023 campaign will be underway.

This will be the first time Derek Carr and many rookies put on a Saints uniform. The preseason will be filled with position battles, such as Alontae Taylor versus Paulson Adebo, and certainly a couple of players will surprise.

It all starts Week 1. Here are some of the biggest questions we’re looking to see answered headed into the Saints- Chiefs preseason matchup:

Look: First-year Saints players get some help from fans at rookie crawfish boil

Look: First-year Saints players get some help from fans at rookie crawfish boil, via @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints recently held their yearly rookie crawfish boil, where fans and players can come together to eat some crawfish. This is mostly the first time that most of these players will have eaten crawfish, unless there is a local like Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson.

This is an important piece of every offseason, and is also completely unique to New Orleans. It gives the new players a chance to really indulge in the culture that makes the city and fanbase so special. The highlight of the night was probably Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener getting an assist from a five-year-old fan.

Below are some highlights from the 2023 crawfish boil:

Saints rookie LB Nick Anderson is determined to prove himself right

After signing with the New Orleans Saints out of Tulane, rookie linebacker Nick Anderson is determined to prove himself right, via @MaddyHudak_94:

Initially, former Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson didn’t want the No. 40 jersey number he chose to wear again as a New Orleans Saints undrafted free agent. It’s where his quiet chip on his shoulder lies. Beneath Anderson’s calm, cerebral nature and leadership is the scrappy mentality of a fighter. One who overcame no invites to college showcases like the Senior Bowl or the Combine. Who chose to forgo his childhood SEC dream for a better route to the NFL.

When Anderson was deciding between Ole Miss and Tulane, his defensive coordinator at Jones Junior College warned of him becoming just another guy. Nick ultimately bet on himself. He was disappointed to arrive in New Orleans with a number that belonged to former starting linebacker and team captain, Zach Harris. “I grew to love that number simply because I didn’t want it,” he told me.

“They made the comparison of me to Harris when I first got there,” Nick continued. “He was a great player. But I wanted to make a name for myself. I’m in No. 40. Why not do that in this number versus being compared to somebody else? I put that chip on my shoulder and wanted people to know Nick Anderson is No. 40 and not the players in the past. It’s surreal to wear it going into the NFL, because I’m adapting and bringing that same mentality and allowing people to see who I am regardless of what number I have on.”

Nick Anderson had to prove himself at Tulane and knows it’s time to do the same in the NFL. Rather than dwell on hearing his name called on the last day of the NFL draft, Anderson found beauty in the opportunity to make a decision for the first time in this process. Just as he found in a jersey number he didn’t want to wear.

Saints announce undrafted free agent class of 13 players

Having previously agreed to terms, the New Orleans Saints announced their undrafted free agent class of 13 rookie players:

The New Orleans Saints made moves to select seven first-year players in the 2023 NFL draft, but that’s only part of their rookie class. The team announced contracts with 13 undrafted players on Saturday ahead of rookie minicamp practices next week — with some of them ranking among league leaders in lucrative contract guarantees.

First-round defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and second-round defensive end Isaiah Foskey have drawn a lot of attention, but it’s important to keep up with the young talent who will be competing for roster spots over the summer.

Here’s a look at the Saints’ confirmed undrafted free agent signings from Saturday’s announcement:

Personal pitch from another team’s head coach couldn’t keep Nick Anderson from the Saints

A personal recruiting pitch from another team’s head coach couldn’t keep former Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson from signing with the Saints:

Here’s a really great scoop from WWL’s Brooke Kirchhofer, who shares that former Tulane Green Wave linebacker Nick Anderson was personally pitched by another NFL team’s head coach before he heard from the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent, but it would take more than that to sway him from staying in the 504.

“I was ready. I was on the phone with (Seattle Seahawks head coach) Pete Carroll actually, and discussing everything, and that’s when my agent said the Saints were on the phone,” Anderson recalled with a laugh. “I was like, okay, yeah I want to talk to the Saints.”

A native of Vicksburg, Miss., the prospect of playing three-and-a-half hours from home was too good to pass up. Even if the Seattle offer was compelling, a cross-country move was daunting, and in Anderson’s mind the relationship he cultivated with team personnel throughout his pre-draft experience had its own value.

Anderson continued, “They always really showed great interest. They were transparent with me about the whole process. They told me they would love to have me a part of the team, they would do everything in their power to make me a Saint. They said things may not go as planned throughout the draft. But if I was there, and they had the opportunity to get me, they would get me.”

He had hoped to be one of the team’s two seventh-round draft picks, but the Saints traded those away to move up and pick other players earlier on. So once Round 7 drew to a close, they called Anderson (while he was already on the phone with the Seahawks), and the rest is history. It didn’t take long for him to agree to terms with the Saints and throw on a Sam Mills jersey in celebration.

“They made me a solid offer, and I couldn’t turn it down, because that’s where I wanted to be,” he added.

Kirchhofer reports that Anderson received $25,000 in guarantees from the Saints, including a $15,000 signing bonus and $10,000 of guaranteed salary. He’ll have a good opportunity to compete with for a roster spot through his efforts on special teams, an area he’s well-versed; Anderson played at least 164 snaps in the kicking game each season in four years at Tulane, getting experience on five of the six units (everywhere but the field goal kicking team, where he isn’t exactly built to be a blocker at 5-foot-9 and 230 pounds). He’s an easy young man to root for. Our own Maddy Hudak shared Anderson’s story while he was preparing for the 2023 draft, and now Saints fans will get to see him continue playing football in the city he’s come to love.

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Tulane’s Nick Anderson picked the perfect jersey to celebrate signing with the Saints

Tulane’s Nick Anderson picked the perfect jersey to celebrate signing with the Saints. He’s hoping to follow in the footsteps of the legendary “Field Mouse” Sam Mills:

Congratulations are in order for former Tulane Green Wave linebacker Nick Anderson, who picked the perfect jersey to celebrate his signing with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent — the 5-foot-9 linebacker is drawing some inspiration from a “Dome Patrol” legend who was also called too short and small, flexing for the world to see in a Sam Mills jersey.

Now, Anderson may not be bound for the Pro Football Hall of Fame like the “Field Mouse” once was, but this is a great role model for him to draw inspiration from. Anderson figures to compete for a job on the Saints special teams units (where he has a ton of experience, with 756 career snaps in college) and if that goes well, maybe he makes his case as a backup for Demario Davis. For now, we’ll congratulate him on getting the opportunity to go pro in New Orleans, and see where his football life takes him.

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New Orleans Saints sign undrafted Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson

New Orleans Saints sign former Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson as an undrafted free agent, via @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints are keeping Nick Anderson home by signing the undrafted linebacker after the 2023 NFL draft, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2.

Anderson played four seasons at Tulane and was fairly productive in his time. He had 283 career tackles, 29 for a loss and 8.5 sacks. He played both along the defensive line and in the box for Tulane, as well as a lot of special teams. He’s a well-rounded defender that will be able to fight for a spot on the roster with solid playing experience.

His athletic was fairly average, earning a 7.41 Relative Athletic Score. Mostly due to his size as a small linebacker, coming in at 5-foot-9.

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Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson eager to show the NFL what he’s made of

2023 NFL draft: Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson is eager to show the NFL what he’s made of after a special season, via @MaddyHudak_94:

While draft prospects are judged on measurables, Tulane linebacker Nick Anderson’s stature pales in comparison to the height of his character. Football is a game of inches, so it’s fair to be critical of that metric in its players. Teams define prototypes for good reason. But to discount what Anderson brings on and off the field is a disservice to his greatness. Especially his value to an NFL locker room.

“Make sure to make fun of Nick for being short,” Tulane strength and conditioning coach Kurt Hester, who is training Anderson and a group of players for their pro day, told me while walking in to watch their three-hour session. As Nick and I sat inside Yulman Stadium afterward, we joked about scouting reports that found six ways to Sunday to define his weaknesses as one factor: too short for an NFL linebacker.

Not all teams are open to undersized linebackers, and height isn’t a controllable trait. Those players must demand enough attention elsewhere to be viewed as the exception. For New Orleans Saints fans, think no further than Steve Gleason. Nick Anderson is one I can attest to as the Green Wave’s sideline reporter for the last two seasons.