Tag: Patriots

Former Bills and Patriots RB Damein Harris announces retirement from the NFL

Former Alabama RB Damien Harris issues statement announcing NFL retirement

It’s both a happy and sad day as former Alabama running back [autotag]Damien Harris[/autotag] has announced his retirement from the NFL after five seasons. Harris was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft (No. 87 overall) to the New England Patriots where he spent the first four years of his career before signing a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2023 season.

Granted they call it the Not For Long League, but five years is a good run for a back in the NFL. Harris started 34 of 44 career games and posted 2,188 career yards, 21 touchdowns and a career 4.6 yards per carry. He only appeared in one Playoff game with the Patriots back in 2021 where he had just nine carries for 30 yards.

During his time with Alabama though, he was a really special player and leader as he helped bring two national titles back to Tuscaloosa. Harris was never the only true feature back as he had to split time with Bo Scarbrough and Josh Jacobs over the years, but was always incredibly reliable when No. 34 was called. I would not be shocked to see Harris working for ESPN or something of that nature in the near future as he is a very strong and fun personality.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Calvin Ridley reportedly ‘prefers to return’ to Jaguars over other offers

It’s not a done deal, but Calvin Ridley is reportedly in no hurry to leave Duval behind.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are still working to bring back Calvin Ridley and it sounds like they have a leg up on the competition because the 29-year-old wide receiver isn’t in a hurry to leave Duval.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the New England Patriots are pushing to sign Ridley but the receiver “currently prefers to return to Jacksonville.” Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, another team could be “a darkhorse lurking” in pursuit of Ridley.

The Jaguars haven’t been in a rush to get their deal done with Ridley, as signing him before 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday would mean their second-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft would transfer to the Atlanta Falcons as part of the 2022 trade that sent the receiver to Jacksonville. It’ll be a third-rounder going to Atlanta — regardless if Ridley re-signs with the Jaguars or leaves to join another team — if he’s still unsigned as of Wednesday afternoon.

On Monday, the Jaguars agreed to a three-year deal with Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis that’s expected to be sign when he becomes a free agent Wednesday. While some have suggested Davis is a subpar replacement for Ridley, it now seems Jacksonville is well-positioned to have a wide receiving corps with both Davis and Ridley.

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Patriots expected to ‘swing big’ for Calvin Ridley in free agency

Calvin Ridley is expected to be a hot commodity this week.

The New England Patriots are expected to “swing big” for wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency this week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday. Dan Graziano of ESPN added that he expects the Carolina Panthers to “at least look into Ridley as well.”

Ridley, 29, was acquired by the Jaguars in a 2022 trade and finished his first season in Jacksonville with 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. However, he had several key drops and miscues after sitting out from football for nearly two years.

While Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has said he hopes to continue building his on-field relationship with Ridley, keeping the receiver won’t be easy.

For one, his price tag is reportedly swelling as the other options in free agency have begun to disappear.

It’s also a delicate situation for the Jaguars, who would lose a second-round pick if they re-sign Ridley before free agency begins on Wednesday. If Jacksonville allows Ridley to hit the market and then re-signs him anytime after 4 p.m. ET, the team would owe the Atlanta Falcons a third-round pick.

But waiting until Wednesday will give every other team at least 48 hours to begin talking contract numbers with Ridley, which will reportedly be “rather gaudy.” And it seems there will be no shortage of teams ready to give Ridley a call.

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Former Alabama QB Mac Jones traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars trading for former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones

The [autotag]Mac Jones[/autotag] era in New England has come to an end as the Patriots have agreed to send the former Alabama quarterback to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. Over the past couple of days, several people including the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport had reported that the Patriots were exploring trade options, so the move doesn’t come as a total surprise. Especially with a new head coach and staff coming to Foxborough, a clean slate seemed like the best option for both parties.

While I am sure that Jones is bummed to relinquish a starting role, I think it is the best decision for him at this point in his career. Jones is originally from the Jacksonville area, so being back in a familiar area could be exactly what he needs. During his time with New England, Jones earned a bit of a reputation as a complainer and a dirty player, so it’s probably also good for him to step out of the spot light for a year or two.

Jones is only 25-years old, he is on a rookie contract and still has the upside of a former first-round pick so there is a lot to love. With Trevor Lawrence already on the roster it is unlikely that he will see meaningful playing time, but being around a quarterback friendly coach like Doug Pederson is exactly what he needs after having very poor offensive coaching the past few years.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

1 pending free agent Chargers should target: AFC East Edition

Listing one free agent from the Patriots, Bills, Jets and Dolphins who could be a fit for the Chargers.

The Chargers won’t be aggressive when it comes to signing free agents, as they’re currently $22.1 million over the projected salary cap.

While they’re cash-strapped, general manager Joe Hortiz will make some moves to have some spendings available to them so they can sign some.

That said, I will list one pending free agent from each team in the NFL that could be a realistic target for L.A.

Next up is the AFC East.

Chargers named ‘best team fit’ for OL Mike Onwenu

Jim Harbaugh coached Michael Onwenu at Michigan.

The Chargers’ offensive line is in need of a revamp, and ESPN’s Matt Bowen believes Patriots’ Michael Onwenu is a player who can add some talent. 

Here is why Bowen believes Los Angeles is the best fit for Onwenu:

Besides left tackle Rashawn Slater, the Chargers are devoid of offensive line talent. Coach Jim Harbaugh would love to add a 6-foot-3, 330-pound people-mover in the run game. And Onwenu proved with the Patriots this season that he also has the ability to hold an anchor in pass protection at either guard or right tackle, which would help Justin Herbert. Los Angeles has to get better up front this offseason, so look for the club to make some cuts in order to clear cap space and address this unit.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh will want to do everything possible to improve the run game, and what better way to do so than by adding a people-mover like Onwenu to the roster? 

Additionally, Harbaugh is familiar with Onwenu, having been his coach at Michigan from 2016 to 2019.

Onwenu is coming off his rookie contract with New England, and he is a player who can offer solutions at guard and right tackle.

It’s vital that Los Angeles make changes up front to help improve the offense, and the organization will look to make some cuts to clear up cap space to pursue players like Onwenu. 

Former Saints draft pick, Alabama football star takes high-profile college coaching job

Former Saints draft pick and Alabama football star Vinnie Sunseri has taken a high-profile college coaching job at Washington:

Here’s some good news for a former New Orleans Saints draft pick: Vinnie Sunseri has taken a high-profile college coaching job as the Washington Huskies safeties coach, where he’ll be tasked with developing the next generation of defensive backs at a West Coast powerhouse with national championship ambitions.

Things have come full circle. Sunseri was a standout at Alabama during his own college playing career, and Alabama’s decision to hire Washington’s former head coach Kalen DeBoer led to a lot of turnover for the Huskies coaching staff.

Sunseri, 32, was picked by the Saints in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft. But he struggled to get on the field after dealing with a series of injuries. He finished his NFL playing career with the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers.

After hanging up his cleats, Sunseri began a coaching career at Alabama as a graduate assistant; he returned to the Patriots in 2020 to get more experience, where he first worked with the defense before moving to the offensive side of the ball for three years coaching running backs. Now he’s going back to his roots with much more responsibility under new Washington head coach Jedd Fisch.

The job comes with high expectations. Washington is fresh off a national title bid, and the school has sent many defensive backs to the NFL draft in recent years; Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon were both top-50 picks in 2022, while Elijah Molden was selected at No. 100 overall (followed by Keith Taylor in the fifth round) in 2021. Byron Murphy and Taylor Rapp were each second-round picks in 2019 with Jordan Miller also drafted in the fifth round. Sunseri will be charged with recruiting and developing players to follow in their footsteps. Good luck to him.

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Jameis Winston previews his possible landing spots in free agency

Jameis Winston previewed his possible landing spots in free agency, but Saints fans won’t like his preferred destination:

Where will Jameis Winston play football in 2024? The New Orleans Saints reworked their contract with Winston so that they’ll have to extend or release him before the start of free agency in March, which offers some slight salary cap benefits.

It’s tough to see Winston returning after he and the rest of the offense went rogue in mop-up duty against the Atlanta Falcons to close out the 2023 season. So where could he land next?

That’s what was asked of him during an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast. Winston was asked to name his preference of four (well, five) “random” cities that all happen to house NFL teams with question marks at quarterback: Seattle, Atlanta, Washington D.C., and Foxborough, Mass.

“They sound random,” Winston quipped. When the hosts added Denver to the list, he responded, “I was waiting for that one.”

The Seahawks can get out of their contract with quarterback Geno Smith easily enough. Atlanta desperately needs an answer under center. Washington is expected to pick a quarterback second overall in the 2024 draft, as are the Patriots at No. 3. All four teams have new head coaches, too. And we can’t rule out a reunion with Sean Payton on the Broncos.

As for Winston’s preference? He’s eager to embrace any opportunity, though one city stands out from the rest. And Saints fans won’t be happy to hear it.

“Atlanta, I grew up an hour and a half from Atlanta,” Winston mused. “I’m from Birmingham, Alabama. That would be a beautiful time just for my family. That would be beautiful. But I feel like I’m the attraction. I’m the thing, I’m the city, that is going to bring joy, love, trust, peace, and integrity to any location that I’m at. Because I’m a man of increase. Wherever it may be, that city, is going to get someone that is ready. A kingdom man that is prepared to grow everyone around him.”

No one has questioned Winston’s positive mindset and leadership qualities; he’s been loved by every locker room he’s ever joined. And that could help him secure his next NFL opportunity. Whether teams view him as a potential starter or a high-end backup, his services should be in demand. We’ll just have to wait until March to see what’s next for him.

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Where ESPN ranked the 2009 Saints among 57 Super Bowl-winning teams

Did ESPN get it right? Where they ranked the 2009 Saints among 57 Super Bowl-winning teams:

Where do you rank the New Orleans Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV-winning squad among the greatest teams of all time? Or at least, among the NFL’s other 57 champions?

That’s a question that ESPN writer Aaron Schatz set out to answer. Using his advanced-stat DVOA ratings (which you can read more about here), Schatz estimated the play-by-play efficiency for every team to win a Super Bowl.

And his findings have the 2009 Saints at No. 32. New Orleans fielded a high-powered offense and an opportunistic defense that year, outscoring the next-best team by 40 points (at 510, far above the second-place Minnesota Vikings at 470) and nearly tying the league lead with 39 takeaways (the Green Bay Packers had 40).

The Saints achieved a level of dominance that season that’s only rarely seen. We’ll let Schatz explain it further:

The Saints led the NFL in DVOA after a 13-0 start but fell to sixth because of a three-game losing streak to finish off the regular season. (Their starters played in the first two of those three losses, but not the third.) The Saints were second on offense, narrowly behind the Patriots, but 13th on defense and 28th on special teams.

Their DVOA moves up nicely thanks to some big playoff victories. They dominated Arizona 45-14 in the divisional round. The NFC championship required overtime and a Brett Favre interception for a 31-28 victory over the Vikings. But then the Saints beat the Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV, capped off by a Tracy Porter pick-six off Peyton Manning.

It’s disappointing that the 2009 Saints were not ranked higher, but the numbers back it u p. They allowed the 12th-most yards per play that season on defense. No team gave up more yards per punt return (14.3) and they were fourth-worst in yards per kick return (24.5). But they made up for it with an offense that few teams could match and, critically, key stops on defense with sacks and turnovers.

That may have been a difficult strategy to sustain, but it took the Saints all the way to the Super Bowl. And when the chips were down, that same hungry defense sealed the win with one of the most memorable plays in franchise history. And we shouldn’t overlook the benefits of having a Hall of Fame quarterback in the prime of his career leading the way, either.

Now, what’s frustrating — and we’re twisting the knife here, so stop reading if you are not in the right headspace to receive information that could possibly hurt you — is how low Schatz ranked some of the teams that won the Super Bowl in years that got away from New Orleans. The 2011 New York Giants, who advanced on a miracle overtime run over the San Francisco 49ers (and who lost to the Saints in a regular season blowout) clocked in at No. 56 out of 57 Super Bowl winners. If Gregg Williams’ defense had held up against the 49ers in the final minutes of their divisional round classic, Drew Brees might have two Super Bowl rings.

Heck, he could have had three. The 2018 Patriots knocked out the Los Angeles Rams to win a championship after L.A. got through with a lot of help from a botched officiating decision in New Orleans in the conference title game. New England won that title in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl in the history of the sport. Schatz ranked them all the way down at No. 48 in this list. That’s a matchup they could have handled better than the Rams, who lost in a pathetic effort 13-3. Ah well.

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Saints Twitter melts down after Jerrod Johnson backs out of OC search

Saints Twitter reactions to Jerrod Johnson returning to the Texans were mixed, but confidence in the offensive coordinator search is waning

There weren’t many names in this year’s hiring cycle drawing more buzz than Houston Texans quarterbacks coach Jerrod Johnson. The 35-year-old interviewed with the New Orleans Saints and five other teams looking for a new offensive coordinator — including playoff teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns as well as the rebuilding New England Patriots.

Instead, Johnson elected to stay another year in Houston, where he received a raise and an extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’ll continue working with young star quarterback C.J. Stroud under offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik which should give him a great opportunity to improve his stock ahead of the 2025 hiring cycle. If Slowik is hired away next year then Johnson is a natural successor on DeMeco Ryans’ staff.

But that didn’t leave Saints fans feeling happy. Reactions were mixed (some were turned off by Johnson’s lack of experience) but confidence in the offensive coordinator search is waning. Dennis Allen can’t afford to get this hire wrong. Here’s what fans are saying in the aftermath of Johnson returning to Houston: