Tag: Paulson Adebo

Paulson Adebo spoils Cowboys two-minute drive with clutch INT

The New Orleans Saints continued their dominant showing with a Paulson Adebo interception, setting up another touchdown against the Cowboy:

The New Orleans Saints are rolling. Up 28-13 on the Dallas Cowboys, they went to the defensive side, and Paulson Adebo snagged an interception off of Dak Prescott as they tried to execute their two-minute drill. Adebo then returned it for 47 yards, setting the Saints up at the Dallas 20-yard line.

This resulted in the Saints getting another touchdown off of an amazing Chris Olave reception, and then a Derek Carr touchdown run right up the middle. The Saints took the lead 35-13 off of this, setting them up in a good position in the first half. Ultimately this was a good play by Adebo after he had a few holding calls against him earlier in the game and a few tough plays in coverage, as he was able to redeem himself and get the Saints the ball back, while also halting the progress of Dallas. A good start for the Saints to begin their Week 2 matchup.

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Report: Marshon Lattimore is OUT vs. Cowboys

Marshon Lattimore was a game-time decision ahead of Saints vs. Cowboys. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to go on Sunday:

https://twitter.com/josinaanderson/status/1835336487061139546?s=46&t=BGVU6QtA–q5wEiol6W64A

The New Orleans Saints will have to stop the Dallas Cowboys passing attack without Marshon Lattimore this week. He wasn’t spotted warming up before the game, and NFL insider Josina Anderson reports that he will be inactive at kickoff.

The Saints lead corner went down with a hamstring injury versus the Panthers in Week 1. This injury left him unable to practice the entire week and being a game-time decision on Sunday.

Because of his absence, Kool-Aid McKinstry will join the starting secondary alongside Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor. This was the combination that saw the field when Lattimore departed Week 1.

The Saints have to deal with the elite connection of CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott.

Lamb works out of the slot frequently, so this will primarily be Taylor’s matchup. Taylor’s season debut wasn’t just great, it was historic. The day stood out because of his ability to rush the quarterback.

Taylor needs to have an equally strong performance against the Cowboys. This time he’ll need to do it coverage against Lamb and the rest of the receiving corps.

It’ll be interesting if the Cowboys change tendencies because there’s a rookie on the outside. McKinstry’s inexperience could lead to the Cowboys targeting him with their best wideout.

McKinstry was drafted for this exact situation. The Saints knew he may have to step in for someone, and that is already true after the first game. This provides a huge opportunity for McKinstry to get game reps and show he’s prepared to take this job on next year.

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Marshon Lattimore will be a game-time decision vs. Cowboys

Marshon Lattimore is currently nursing a hamstring injury, and will be a game-time decision on Sunday against the Cowboys:

Marshon Lattimore left the New Orleans Saints season opener with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of practice leading up to the game versus the Dallas Cowboys. Right now, he’s a game-time decision.

Dennis Allen has his vision of how things will go this week with his star cornerback. Allen’s vision: “Lattimore’s on the trip. We’ll see where he’s at on game day. If we feel like he’s appropriate to play, he’ll be out there.”

Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are on the other side. You’d like a world where Alontae Taylor, Paulson Adebo and Lattimore are on the field to stop Lamb and company. Former Saint Brandin Cooks doesn’t receive the headlines, but he’s continued to be a solid wide receiver through his tenure.

Being down Lattimore, would push Kool-Aid McKinstry into the starting lineup. This would be the definition of baptism by fire. They’d likely look to test him specifically with Lamb in order to see how the rookie responds.

Lattimore making the trip keeps the optimism alive and all parties involved will know if he can play a couple hours before kickoff.

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How will the Saints cover Cowboys star CeeDee Lamb?

How could Marshon Lattimore’s availability affect the Saints’ game plan for Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on Sunday?

The New Orleans Saints have the tall task of stopping Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on Sunday. Lamb had the most catches, second most yards and third most touchdowns last season.

The Saints ran Cover 1 on 33% of their defensive snaps in Week 1. If they run that much man coverage against the Cowboys, who will be responsible for covering Lamb?

Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor are playing, but will they be joined by Marshon Lattimore or Kool-Aid McKinstry? Lattimore’s health will ultimately make that decision. The answer to that question does affect the strategy.

If Lattimore plays, you likely trust Lattimore, Adebo and Taylor to line up in front of Lamb. The question becomes do you want Lattimore to slide inside to cover Lamb in the slot or let Taylor take on the challenge?

Lattimore has rarely done that through his career, but this is the type of matchup where exceptions could be made. Expect a heavy dosage of Lamb inside, regardless, as over half of his snaps and production came when lined up in the slot.

If Lattimore misses the game, things change. The Cowboys may align Lamb out wide to attack a rookie corner making his first career start. To avoid this, the Saints should consider allowing Adebo to shadow Lamb on the outside then Taylor can cover him on the inside.

Doesn’t matter which of the four corners it is, stopping CeeDee Lamb will be one of the hardest things the Saints have to do on Sunday.

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Paulson Adebo carried over last year’s production vs. Panthers

Paulson Adebo went from a career year to a contract year, and he’s off to a strong start. His next test? Slowing down Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys:

Paulson Adebo is starting the 2024 the same way he ended 2023.

The New Orleans Saints cornerback is coming off a career season where he set single-season highs in interceptions and hit double-digit pass breakups for the first time in his three-year tenure in the NFL.

Adebo now goes from career year to contract year. If he’s able to build on last season’s campaign, Adebo will be a much wealthier man a year from today. Performances like the one he put up on Sunday make the outcome more likely.

Bryce Young targeted Adebo 10 times on Sunday. That’s one of the more impressive aspects of his season last year. Adebo was continuously tested and rose to the occasion. This trend followed him into the season opener.

Of his 10 targets, Adebo only allowed half of them to be completed, and he and forced three incompletions with tight coverage. Forced incompletions shows a larger picture of the impact the cornerback had on attempts directed his way. But his next test is going to be tougher. Newly-paid Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak  Prescott is going to test Adebo early and often, especially if a hamstring injury sidelines Marshon Lattimore for Week 2.

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Who should start at cornerback if Marshon Lattimore can’t play?

If Marshon Lattimore can’t play against the Dallas Cowboys, should Kool-Aid McKinstry or Alontae Taylor start in his place?

Marshon Lattimore left the New Orleans Saints opener with a hamstring injury. It seems to be a minor injury, but hamstrings can be tricky. It could still result in him being out for a week and missing this Sunday’s game with CeeDee Lamb and the Dallas Cowboys. In this case, who is the best option to fill in for him?

Kool-Aid McKinstry stepped up after Lattimore’s injury in Week 1. When Drew Brees, Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill were on the team. Winston filled in after a Brees injury then Hill took over as the starter in their next game. This was the plan and it could be the case here.

Alontae Taylor battled with Paulson Adebo last year for the spot opposite Lattimore. That was his natural position prior to sliding inside to the slot a year ago. Taylor performed well outside as a rookie.

Though Taylor has a track record in the pros outside at cornerback, the Saints should stick with McKinstry if Lattimore misses time. He cross-trained during the offseason in the slot but got most of his work outside due to Lattimore’s absence.

Also, Taylor is settling in at nickel. He’s been one of the best players during training camp in that position and was the star of the game defensively in Week 1.

Keeping him inside seems to work for both guys. That being said it doesn’t seem to be a clearly wrong choice here.

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Second-year referee Alan Eck assigned to Week 1 Saints-Panthers game

Second-year referee Alan Eck has been assigned to Week 1’s Saints-Panthers game. New Orleans went 1-1 with him on the field last season:

The New Orleans Saints will see referee Alan Eck for a third time on Sunday when they kick off their 2024 regular season with the Carolina Panthers; Football Zebras reports that the second-year referee and his crew have been assigned to Week 1’s game at the Caesars Superdome. Eck entered the league’s ranks as a side judge in 2016 before working as an umpire from 2017 to 2022. He was promoted to referee in 2023.

Eck refereed two games for the Saints last season: a road loss to the Houston Texans and a home win over the Carolina Panthers. The black and gold were fouled seven times for 83 yards in that first matchup (with two other fouls called and declined) but drew just three penalties for 30 yards in the follow-up. And the Panthers, this week’s opponent, were fouled four times for a loss of 27 yards in last year’s game at the Caesars Superdome.

The Saints’ costliest errors both came in the Texans game, with Paulson Adebo drawing a 29-yard pass interference foul on third down and Max Garcia getting flagged for a false start on fourth down. Garcia wasn’t re-signed this offseason, and it’s worth noting Adebo had just two more DPI penalties after that one last season.

How did Eck’s crew stack up around the league? They finished with the fourth-fewest total penalties per game (10.4), ranking seventh in average penalty yards per game (87.7). If you include dismissed fouls they had the fewest total flags thrown all year (179 in 15 games). They emphasized false starts (26 for 128 yards) and offensive holding fouls (24 for 227 yards), as well as unnecessary roughness (14 for 194 yards). For the most part they let guys get away with a lot of contact in coverage, with just a dozen DPI fouls, third-fewest. Hopefully Eck and his crew call another clean game on Sunday.

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Paulson Adebo ranked as a top-10 free agent in 2025

B/R says Paulson Adebo is the 7th best free agent next offseason and projects the contract he’ll receive.

Paulson Adebo is the biggest name on the New Orleans Saints with an expiring contract. What makes him such an interesting hypothetical for New Orleans is they’re already paying Marshon Lattimore a healthy contract. It’s unclear what Lattimore’s future is or if the Saints would pay two corners about $20 million.

Bleacher Report’s Kris Knox ranked the cornerback the seventh best free agent next offseason. Big names like Ceedee Lamb and Brandon Aiyuk have recently been removed from the pool due to contract extensions, but Adebo would have still been top-10 on the list.

Knox made his decision based off past production, player upside, age, positional value and player health. Adebo checks off many of these boxes positively. Health is the only thing that could be held against him.

Knox projects Adebo’s contract at four years $78 million. That’s just barely more than Lattimore was paid a few years prior. If the Saints move on from Lattimore, they’re more likely to hold on to Adebo. Money would be a factor, but so would importance to the team. You wouldn’t want to lose your two top corners in an offseason.

Moving on from Lattimore likely means Adebo sustained his play from 2023, when he had the best year of his career. It also means the Adebo would be in line to be the lead corner in New Orleans. Four years, $78 million feels appropriate in those circumstances.

Marshon Lattimore returns to practice ahead of Week 1 kickoff game

Marshon Lattimore may have been limited in Thursday’s practice, but his return to practice is a welcomed sight leading into game week.

The New Orleans Saints are 10 days away from their regular season opener versus the Carolina Panthers and one step closer to a complete secondary.

Marshon Lattimore, the Saints’ star cornerback, return to practice for the first time since suffering a hip flexor injury early in Saints training camp. It’s been a bit of an odd timeline this offseason for Lattimore in relation to his health and relationship with the team.

There was apparent tension between Lattimore and Dennis Allen that was addressed when the cornerback returned for mandatory minicamp. Allen previously said that he wasn’t losing sleep over Lattimore’s status, but he would have been listed as a limited participant on Wednesday if the team had to issue a regular injury report.

It’s been relatively quiet since Lattimore’s injury and has led to some speculating those tensions were either downplayed earlier in the summer or flared back up. Regardless, the silence allowed the narrative of Lattimore’s discontent to further. We saw him work with trainers once, but not much was said about his progress.

Lattimore returned as a limited participant in Thursday’s practice. It may be limited, but it’s a good sign of his availability for Week 1. His running mate, Paulson Adebo, just returned from injury as well. Having both of their cornerbacks was necessary going into the season.

If Lattimore returns in time for kickoff, the Saints’ most formidable position group will be at full strength for the season opener.

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What is Marshon Lattimore’s trade value if Saints make a move?

A Marshon Lattimore trade has been frequently discussed, but how much could the Saints get in return? Bleacher Report says at least a third-round pick:

They’re back at it again. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine took a look at the New Orleans Saints potentially dealing Marshon Lattimore. It’s been discussed frequently, but Ballentine does look at it from a different angle.

Ballentine listed players who should be traded before roster cuts. It’s common to see players get dealt around this time of the year. Ballentine looked at why the Saints should trade Lattimore, and how much they could get back in return.

It’s important the Saints get good value in return for one of their best playmakers. Ballentine argued they should trade their star cornerback to prioritize the future, recouping a draft pick or two and opening up salary cap dollars to be spent elsewhere. That includes paying Paulson Adebo. Solid premise but let’s get to the main event, compensation. Ballentine said the Saints should look for a “at least a third round pick.”

It’s hard to see Lattimore even commanding a third-round pick, let alone “at least” that much. Yes he’s extremely talented and would be worthy of a third and then some if he were healthy. The thing is he hasn’t been for the past two years. Even right now, Lattimore is working his way back from a hip flexor injury.

So what is Lattimore’s trade value? That is a difficult one to really settle in on. For as talented as he is, he’s only played 17 games in two years, the equivalent of a single season. You’re not getting full value on a player with those concerns.

If the Saints trade Lattimore they should look for a trade package with a  conditional pick attached. If you could get a fourth-round pick that could turn into a third-round selection if he hits a threshold for games played or percentage of snaps. But as we’ve said before, if that’s the best they can get then they’re better off not trading him at all. The situation isn’t so toxic that anyone’s hand should be forced. Hopefully Lattimore heals up, plays well, and these questions get answered another time.

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