Tag: P.J. Williams

Without a home: Former Saints who remain unsigned in NFL free agency

Without a home: Jarvis Landry, P.J. Williams among former New Orleans Saints players who remain unsigned in NFL free agency | @DillySanders

The New Orleans Saints made a lot of changes during this offseason and that means leaving some former players behind. Guys like Jarvis Landry, PJ Williams and Chase Hansen have yet to find a new home for next season.

We saw a fan-favorite make the move from football to TV with Mark Ingram joining FOX Sports this week, but that won’t be the case for every veteran as players search for their next teams. We likely will see some names called as we get closer to training camp/

Here are all of the former Saints from last season that have yet to sign to a new team for the 2023 season:

Unsigned Saints free agents after the NFL draft

P.J. Williams, Mark Ingram II, and Jarvis Landry are among the unsigned New Orleans Saints free agents after the NFL draft:

The 2023 NFL draft has come and gone, which led to a new wave of free agent signings around the league as teams finish crossing off items on their to-do list. And there are still a number of unsigned New Orleans Saints free agents looking for work. Some of them may get tryout opportunities at rookie minicamps around the league, but others will have to wait until summer practice sessions ramp up. It’s unfortunate, but a few players likely won’t hear from teams at all.

It’s been a busy offseason for the Saints free agents. They’ve signed extensions with many of their own players, including tight end Juwan Johnson, punter Blake Gillikin, defensive linemen Tanoh Kpassagnon and Malcolm Roach, as well as linebackers Ty Summers and Andrew Dowell, plus safety J.T. Gray and cornerback Isaac Yiadom.

But they’ve taken a lot of losses, too: defensive linemen David Onyemata (Atlanta Falcons), Marcus Davenport (Minnesota Vikings), Shy Tuttle (Carolina Panthers), and Kentavius Street (Philadelphia Eagles); linebacker Kaden Elliss (Falcons), safety Justin Evans (Eagles), offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge (Falcons), and wide receivers Marquez Callaway (Denver Broncos) and Deonte Harty (Buffalo Bills) are also playing elsewhere. So is quarterback Andy Dalton (Panthers).

So who else still has their status up in the air? Let’s recap the list of remaining Saints free agents after the draft:

Recapping Saints draft history in Round 3 since 2002

We’re recapping the New Orleans Saints’ draft history in Round 3 dating back to 2002. They’ve found stars like Alvin Kamara, Terron Armstead, and Jimmy Graham here:

We’re continuing to recap the New Orleans Saints’ draft history in Round 3 dating back to 2002, when Mickey Loomis was first promoted to general manager. They’ve found stars in this round like Alvin Kamara, Terron Armstead, and Jimmy Graham while occasionally missing on picks, but that’s the nature of the game.

We’ve already explored the Saints’ history in other rounds, which are linked below. Now let’s keep it moving into Round 3:

List of Saints free agents who remain unsigned

WR Jarvis Landry, RB Mark Ingram II, and DB P.J. Williams headline the list of New Orleans Saints free agents who remain unsigned:

The list of unsigned New Orleans Saints free agents still stands ten-deep three weeks out from the 2023 NFL draft, with a number of players returning to New Orleans on extensions: a group that includes tight end Juwan Johnson, punter Blake Gillikin, defensive linemen Tanoh Kpassagnon and Malcolm Roach, as well as linebackers Ty Summers and Andrew Dowell, plus safety J.T. Gray and cornerback Isaac Yiadom.

But many other Saints free agents are suiting up for other teams in 2023, like big-name defensive linemen David Onyemata (Atlanta Falcons), Marcus Davenport (Minnesota Vikings), Shy Tuttle (Carolina Panthers), and Kentavius Street (Philadelphia Eagles); linebacker Kaden Elliss (Falcons), safety Justin Evans (Eagles), and wide receivers Marquez Callaway (Denver Broncos) and Deonte Harty (Buffalo Bills) are also playing elsewhere. So is quarterback Andy Dalton (Panthers).

Other names could be on the move, too, as teams look to finalize their rosters going into the draft. Here are ten other Saints free agents who could sign with new teams or return to New Orleans this offseason:

Saints activate P.J. Williams from injured reserve among last-minute roster moves

Saints activate P.J. Williams from injured reserve, sign Kevin White to the 53-man roster among last-minute roster moves:

There we go: the New Orleans Saints announced a series of last-minute roster moves ahead of Monday night’s kickoff with the Baltimore Ravens, calling up several players from various reserve lists. This brings some ramifications for players already on the roster, but for the most part these are predictable moves. Let’s break down each transaction reported Monday afternoon:

Saints officially designate P.J. Williams to return from injured reserve

The Saints officially designated P.J. Williams to return from injured reserve, bringing much-needed reinforcement to the secondary:

Thursday’s biggest story was the surprise placement of Michael Thomas on the New Orleans Saints injured reserve list, with the star wide receiver scheduled to undergo surgery on a dislocated toe that will likely end his season. It was a gut punch to a Saints team that appeared to be rallying after their shutout win last week, so it’s understandable if you didn’t catch other news.

So let’s highlight one of those positives. The Saints designated veteran safety P.J. Williams to return from injured reserve on Thursday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire, opening a 21-day window in which he can practice with his teammates. Once he’s proven he can pass a physical and fulfill all of his responsibilities, he’ll be activated onto the 53-man roster. That’s good news for a secondary that hasn’t quite met expectations this year, and which is currently embroiled in injuries.

Williams is a competent player, but the impacts of his return will be better felt at other positions. He’s spent the last two years cross-training at free safety, and he’s well-suited to pair with Marcus Maye in that role as the two deep safeties guarding the furthest reaches of the field. That frees up Tyrann Mathieu to line up in other spots better suited to his strengths. Mathieu is more of a flexible defender much like Malcolm Jenkins was, so the Saints can get creative, maybe even a little weird, and line him up where he can make the biggest positive impact.

That’s not to say they’ll be shutting out opponents each week, and there are still several players missing form the lineup: most notably star cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who has missed their last three games with kidney and rib injuries. They’re also down veteran corner Bradley Roby, who went on injured reserve with an ankle issue. That leaves rookie standout Alontae Taylor, second-year starter Paulson Adebo, and journeyman Chris Harris Jr. as the only healthy corners available on the 53-man roster. Undrafted rookie Vincent Gray is also on the practice squad but he hasn’t been brought up for a game yet this season.

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Jarvis Landry, P.J. Williams return to Saints practice on Thursday

Some good injury news: Jarvis Landry and P.J. Williams return to Saints practice, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

After weeks of consistently troubling injury news, the New Orleans Saints finally look to be on the mend. At least, when it comes to a couple of key players. Slot receiver Jarvis Landry and defensive back P.J. Williams were present for the first time in several weeks during Thursday’s practice ahead of Monday night’s home game with the Baltimore Ravens.

New Orleans has piled up injuries at receiver this season with both Landry and Michael Thomas having been out since Week 3 (Landry played a limited role in Week 4, but has been inactive since then). Wideout and return specialist Deonte Harty has also missed time since sustaining an injury against the Cincinnati Bengals. But now, some good news at the position with Landry back at practice. There will be more information to share later once the injury report is released in terms of his participation designation, but still a positive to see him back.

It’s worth mentioning that Landry did make an appearance for the first two days of practice ahead of the Saints’ Week 5 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. Ultimately, he did not end up playing that week. One can safely assume there was a setback there. So even if he does pop up as limited to start this week, tracking him throughout remaining practices will shed more light on his potential return to the field.

Williams is now eligible to return from injured reserve after being out for the minimum four weeks. This signals the opening of his 21-day practice window, meaning he could potentially be back on the field as early as Monday. If he cannot get back to the active roster during this window, he will revert back to injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Ideally though, he will be back sooner than later.

New Orleans also saw tight end Adam Trautman back on the field Thursday. He participated at a limited capacity in their final practice ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders last week, but was inactive for the game. Carrying that progress over to this week should come with some optimism for the Saints pass-catcher.

Getting Landry, Williams and Trautman back would be a big boost for both sides of the ball.. While the Saints still have some key players that they’d love to have back, such as Thomas and star cornerback Marshon Lattimore, any display of upward trends regarding health will be welcomed. The injury report will provide more clarity, but for now, signs are finally pointing in the right direction.

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Saints activate DT Malcolm Roach, waive RB Tony Jones Jr. among final Week 5 roster moves

Saints activate DT Malcolm Roach, waive RB Tony Jones Jr. among last-minute roster moves in Week 5:

Whew. The New Orleans Saints released a long list of last-minute roster moves ahead of Sunday’s kickoff with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 5. They’re bringing up a couple of players up from the practice squad and activating another from injured reserve. Let’s break down each transaction reported on Saturday’s update to the waiver wire:

How did the Saints defend the slot without C.J. Gardner-Johnson?

How did the Saints defend the slot without C.J. Gardner-Johnson? Justin Evans got the start in his place, but it took a team effort:

There weren’t too many unknowns about the New Orleans Saints defense going into Week 1. We had a good idea of what the assignments would be for new safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye, and many starters returned at other spots in the lineup. But the biggest change came in the slot, where New Orleans shipped out C.J. Gardner-Johnson two weeks before the season started. Gardner-Johnson had been a three-down defender for the Saints, so the trade left big shoes to fill. And a couple of Saints stepped up.

Pro Football Focus snap-by-snap charting found that Justin Evans got the lion’s share of snaps in the slot. The veteran safety signed with New Orleans after losing a year of his playing career with an injury, but his strong summer led to this well-earned opportunity. Evans led the team with 25 snaps in the slot, dropping back into pass coverage on 15 of those reps. The Falcons tried him four times but he only yielded one 5-yard reception which did not convert a first down. That’s a productive day in the office.

While Evans did see more slot snaps than anyone else, he was far from the only Saints defender to fill that role. Second-year linebacker Pete Werner moved to the slot 10 times, and that was the matchup Atlanta wanted to exploit — both of the targets sent his way were completed, gaining 31 yards. Fortunately Werner tackles well and prevented either play from converting a first down. You don’t want to see him covering the slot often (and Werner did drop back in coverage there only 5 times), but it can’t be helped when the offense dictates terms when facing man coverage. If Werner’s assignment is the Falcons running back and they motion from the backfield to the slot, he’s got to hang in there.

What about the other players who covered the slot in Week 1? Mathieu, Maye, and linebacker Demario Davis each stepped in for 8, 7, and 6 plays, respectively. They were targeted a combined 6 times, allowing 3 receptions for 11 receiving yards. Only one of those catches picked up a first down.

A handful of other Saints defenders also manned the slot at times, but defensive back P.J. Williams was the only one to cover it on a passing down (he did so twice, stopping Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts short of a first-down conversion on an 8-yard reception). The other players to line up there included linebacker Kaden Elliss (3 snaps), cornerback Bradley Roby (3), cornerback Marshon Lattimore (2), and defensive end Cameron Jordan (1). All of those were running downs, though.

So let’s tally it all together. The small platoon of Saints players covering the slot did so on a combined 37 snaps, drawing 13 targets. Of those passes 6 were completed for 55 yards, converting a single first down. That’s very encouraging.

There will be greater challenges ahead and better slot receivers than those the Falcons threw at them. But this was about as strong a start as you could hope for coming out of the gates. The Saints have said previously they’ll try different combinations each week to try and get the best matchups, so it’s a bit of a work-in-progress. If Sunday’s debut was any indication, they’ve got the right plan in mind.

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P.J. Williams returns to the Saints on another 1-year deal

85-game veteran defensive back P.J. Williams is returning to the Saints on another 1-year deal:

Another New Orleans Saints free agent is staying in black and gold. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Saints are re-signing veteran defensive back P.J. Williams to another one-year contract; Williams has played on one-year deals in each of the last three seasons. Initially drafted out of Florida State in 2015 as a cornerback, Williams converted to safety later in his Saints career and has found some success as an experienced role player in head coach Dennis Allen’s defense. He’s suited up for 85 games in his Saints career, including the playoffs.

Bringing him back is critical after New Orleans lost both of their starting safeties in the same offseason. Free safety Marcus Williams left on a nice free agency contract with the Baltimore Ravens, while strong safety Malcolm Jenkins chose to retire after 13 successful seasons in the NFL. The Saints were able to bring in free agents Marcus Maye and Daniel Sorensen to help replenish the depth chart, but Williams knows the system better than both of them and should be able to ease the learning curve on the back end.

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