Tag: Niko Lalos

Saints sign all but three practice squad players to reserve/future deals

The Saints signed all but three practice squad players to reserve/future deals, bringing them back for 2024:

This may look unusual, but it isn’t uncommon. The New Orleans Saints signed reserve/future deals with all but three players from their 2023 practice squad — essentially inviting those 13 players who are returning to their 2024 training camp. Everyone who was on the practice squad except for offensive lineman Colby Gossett, wide receiver Marquez Callaway, and rookie receiver Shaquan Davis are inked to return in 2024.

But this doesn’t shut the door on anyone. Teams often issue reserve/future contracts (which are just minimum-salary deals that guarantee players a spot on the 90-man offseason roster) in batches, and they’ll likely circle back to Davis and Co. after handling other business. They’re able to work out other players who didn’t sign reserve/future deals around the league after their practice squad contracts expired.

Davis specifically endeared himself to Saints fans during the 2023 preseason by catching 7 passes for 101 yards, largely from the slot. The former undrafted rookie from South Carolina State has rare size at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, but a midseason injury sidelined him. Hopefully he can return for 2024 and compete for more snaps.

Here’s a quick look back at the 13 players who did sign reserve/future contracts with New Orleans:

Report: Dolphins poaching Jason Pierre-Paul off of the Saints practice squad

Report: Dolphins poaching Jason Pierre-Paul off of the Saints practice squad

Jason Pierre-Paul hardly had time to get his photo taken in a New Orleans Saints uniform before leaving town for a new opportunity. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Miami Dolphins are expected to sign Pierre-Paul from the Saints practice squad, having lost a key starter (Jaelan Phillips) to a season-ending injury.

Pierre-Paul played 17 snaps in the Saints’ Week 12 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, totaling two tackles without registering a quarterback pressure. He wasn’t going to get many reps in New Orleans with Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson on top of the rotation while Tanoh Kpassagnon is playing heavy minutes as their top backup. And youngsters Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner are working their way back from injuries, too.

Still, it’s disappointing. The Saints badly need more help rushing the passer. They’ve only bagged 18 sacks in 11 games this season which ties the Carolina Panthers for the second-fewest in the league. They’re getting gashed by mobile quarterbacks and struggling to get home when they do send pressure. With Pierre-Paul out of the picture, someone else may need to step up. The Saints could give preseason standout Niko Lalos an opportunity to come up from the practice squad, but we’ll have to wait and see what their next move is.

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Saints promote practice squad DE Kyle Phillips to their 53-man roster

The Saints made a move to account for Payton Turner’s injury, promoting practice squad DE Kyle Phillips to their 53-man roster. It doesn’t bode well for Isaiah Foskey:

The New Orleans Saints made a couple of moves to account for Payton Turner’s injury including the promotion of practice squad defensive end Kyle Phillips to their 53-man roster, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. They also reportedly signed veteran free agent Terrell Lewis to take Phillips’ spot on the practice squad.

It doesn’t bode well for Isaiah Foskey, the team’s rookie second-round pick out of Notre Dame. The young defensive end progressed each week in preseason but was still playing behind more-experienced teammates, and he was a healthy scratch in Week 1’s win over the Tennessee Titans (along with most of the team’s draft class). Foskey may still be a ways off from being thrown into a game even in a reserve role behind Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, and Tanoh Kpassagnon.

As for Phillips: the 6-foot-4, 277 pounder has appeared in 29 games in his pro career and memorably helped seal a win for the Saints in their first preseason game with a very clutch interception against the Kansas City Chiefs. But he continued to make plays in run defense while generating a couple of pressures throughout the exhibition series, so they must feel he’s a better option to roster than Niko Lalos, who remains on the practice squad with the recently-signed Lewis.

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Saints bring fan-favorite DE Niko Lalos back to practice squad

The Saints brought fan-favorite defensive end Niko Lalos back to their practice squad, where he can continue developing his craft | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints are bringing fan favorite defensive end Niko Lalos to the practice squad, according to Saints News Network’s John Hendrix.

Lalos had about as good of a preseason as you could possibly expect someone to have. When he was on the field it felt like it was harder for him to not impact a player rather than the opposite. He finished tied for a preseason leading four sacks with Tennessee Titans linebacker Caleb Murphy.

He signed as a free agent after the 2020 NFL draft with the New York Giants. He was a member of the Saints practice squad last year as well. When he was cut fans started to freak out given his preseason explosion, but the Saints acting quickly to bring him back once he cleared the waivers.

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Saints waive preseason standout DE Niko Lalos, a top practice squad candidate

Saints waive preseason standout DE Niko Lalos, a top practice squad candidate

A season in the XFL was good for Niko Lalos. He used the opportunity to develop his craft and pick up some new tricks, which he used to bag a couple of sacks in the New Orleans Saints’ preseason. But it wasn’t enough for him to make it through roster cuts. NewOrleans.Football’s Brooke Kirchhofer reports that the Saints have waived Lalos, making him a top candidate to return on their practice squad. That’s where he was for much of last season.

Assuming he clears waivers, anyway. It’s possible another team may pick him up. The Saints had too many established players and young draft picks on their depth chart at defensive end to make room for Lalos; with Cameron Jordan starting on one side while Carl Granderson and Payton Turner split reps on the other, there aren’t many snaps to go around for Tanoh Kpassagnon and Isaiah Foskey.

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Saints stock watch: Who’s rising, who’s falling after Week 2 Chargers win

Jaylon Smith popped off the screen while Bryan Edwards had some costly penalties. 3 risers and 3 fallers from our Saints preseason stock watch | @southexclusives

The New Orleans Saints have one more week of preseason action remaining and are looking to end with a perfect 3-0 record. Before moving forward, let’s take a look back on Sunday’s game versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The Saints came out of the matchup victorious. Within the matchup, there were some standout players for good and bad reasons.

Let’s break down the players who rose their stock and the players who dropped their stock with their performance in Week 2 versus the Los Angeles Chargers.

Saints backups Niko Lalos, Jack Heflin benefiting from XFL experience

Saints backup defensive linemen Niko Lalos and Jack Heflin are using the benefits of XFL experience in pursuit of coveted roster spots:

The rejuvenated XFL has sold itself as a spring league where players on the fringe of NFL rosters can hone their craft and develop themselves for future pro opportunities, and it’s tough to argue with the results that New Orleans Saints defensive linemen Niko Lalos and Jack Heflin have found.

Both young players had starring roles in the XFL last season — Lalos with the Seattle Sea Dragons, Heflin on the Houston Roughnecks — and now they’re making compelling cases as the Saints look ahead to roster cuts on Aug. 29. Saints head coach Dennis Allen was very complimentary of the growth he’s seen from Lalos in particular when asked about his progress.

“He’s a guy that’s worked extremely hard, he was on the practice squad last year,” Allen recounted. “He went and played in the XFL this year. I think that was good experience for him to get out there and play. He’s been putting some good stuff on tape. It’s a position that we’re pretty deep at so there’s a lot of competition there. We’ll evaluate where that tape was, but he did do some good things tonight.”

Lalos just bagged 3 sacks and a few other pressures against the Los Angeles Chargers. Heflin has consistently generated pressure in both of their preseason games. Their arrows are trending up. So how can they make the roster?

It’s going to be very difficult for Lalos to unseat anyone at defensive end, but he’s done everything possible to try it. Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson, Payton Turner, and Isaiah Foskey are locks for the roster, barring an unforeseen injury or trade. Tanoh Kpassagnon signed an extension earlier this offseason. He may have some trade value but it’s not likely any of the top five players will be moved. The Saints typically keep five defensive ends on the active roster and often one of them is a healthy scratch on game days. Lalos needs to make Kpassagnon look expendable. It’s too soon to say whether he’s accomplished that.

What about Heflin? His chief competition is Malcolm Roach, a longtime Saints backup who has steadily developed and climbed the depth chart. Nathan Shepherd, Khalen Saunders, and Bryan Bresee are roster locks. The team rarely keeps more than four of them on the 53-man lineup at a time with another interior lineman or two stashed on the practice squad. Roach has had a productive summer too, so Heflin needs to keep it up while pushing him.

Odds are good that both guys will end up on the practice squad. We tend to overrate players we watch every day and each week compared to others around the league, and all 32 teams have players like Lalos and Heflin they’re hoping to sneak through the waiver wire so they can return to the practice squad. It’s always possible one or both of them gets claimed. At the same time, one or both of them could clear waivers and stay in New Orleans.

But it would be easier if they won roster spots outright. Continuing to fight off competition like Kyle Phillips, Prince Emili, and Jerron Cage while pressuring Roach and Kpassagnon will do a lot of good. Iron sharpens iron, and the Saints have a nice competition brewing at the bottom of their depth chart. Maybe that energy can continue to rise to the top.

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Studs and Duds from New Orleans Saints’ 22-17 preseason win vs. Chargers

Studs and Duds from New Orleans Saints’ 22-17 preseason win vs. Chargers: Who rose to the occasion, who fell short?

That was almost too close for comfort. The Los Angeles Chargers’ reserves had the New Orleans Saints defense on the ropes, somehow converting a massive fourth down with 23 yards to go, only to end the game with an interception off of backup quarterback Easton Stick. Saints defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. jumped the route on another fourth down later in the series, picking off Stick’s pass to seal the win.

So who rose to the occasion? Who fell short of expectations? Let’s break it down in our preseason Week 2 Studs and Duds:

Saints sign two ex-Giants after impressive XFL campaigns

Two former members of the New York Giants have signed with the New Orleans Saints following strong XFL performances.

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The 2023 XFL season has proven fruitful for many former NFL players who are now getting second chances, including several former members of the New York Giants.

Earlier this week, the New Orleans Saints signed two ex-Giants after they impressed during the 10-week XFL schedule.

First up was defensive tackle Jack Heflin, who recorded 25 tackles (3 TFL), one sack and one fumble recovery for the Houston Roughnecks this year.

Heflin, who went undrafted out of Iowa in 2021, spent a little time on the Giants’ practice squad in 2022.

The second ex-Giant to sign with the Saints was versatile defensive end Niko Lalos. He recorded 35 tackles (7 TFL), 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception for the Seattle Sea Dragons.

Lalos, who has a big fan in NBA superstar LeBron James, spent time with the Giants from 2020-2021. During that span, he appeared in six games, recording six tackles, one fumble recovery, one pass defensed and one very impressive interception.

Several other former Giants had strong seasons in the XFL and are likely to get some looks prior to training camp.

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Saints sign a familiar face out of the XFL after a tryout at rookie minicamp

The Saints signed a familiar face out of the XFL after a tryout at rookie minicamp: defensive end Niko Lalos, who also joined them for training camp last year

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The New Orleans Saints signed a familiar face out of the XFL after a tryout at rookie minicamp: defensive end Niko Lalos, who also joined them for training camp last year. Lalos played well for a few weeks before roster cuts but didn’t have enough time to make his case for a roster spot, so he’ll get another opportunity after competing in the spring league.

Originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Dartmouth, Lalos started his NFL career with the New York Giants in 2020 and has bounced around the league since then, including his stint in New Orleans — he joined their practice squad in mid-November and stayed there to close out the season before teaming up with the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons. He played the third-most defensive snaps for them but made more plays in run defense than as a pass rusher.

He’ll be pushing Jabari Zuniga for snaps at the bottom of the depth chart, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either player (or both of them) brought back to the practice squad. The top five roster spots appear to be set with Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson starting, backed up by some combination of Tanoh Kpassagnon, Isaiah Foskey, and Payton Turner.

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