Tag: Payton Turner

Darren Rizzi explains late-game conversation with Payton Turner

Some Saints fans noticed Darren Rizzi stumbling into Payton Turner late in their win over the Falcons. The coach said a congratulatory shove gave him a stinger:

New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi drew a lot of questions after his team’s 20-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons, but one of them focused on what exactly happened in his late-game interaction with defensive end Payton Turner.

Toward the end of the game, it almost looked as though the coach’s legs had gone numb and that he had lost his balance before he hugged Turner and spoke with him. It also appeared that Rizzi lost balance during the moment, though he walked off the field normally following the incident.

Rizzi said he yelled at Turner with roughly 30 seconds left in the contest because Turner was celebrating before the game had ended.

“So, (I was) screaming at him. So, he’s spraying water and I ripped his (redacted), quite frankly,” Rizzi began. “So, when the game was over, he wanted to get me back, so he came up to me and I wasn’t looking and he jacked me up from the back.”

The interim coach, who won his first game in the position and has instilled a new sense of optimism within the team and the fan base, said that he’s fine after his left arm went numb and that it is nothing new considering that he’s had a “history of stingers.” Still, the sudden loss of balance almost brought his legs out from under him, so he grabbed onto his player for support.

Rizzi and the Saints will look to build upon this statement victory as they head through the final stretch of the season. That journey will start with a matchup against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, Nov. 17. Kickoff is set for Noon CT at the Caesars Superdome.

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Todd Grantham’s responsibilities are changing under Darren Rizzi

Todd Grantham’s responsibilities are changing under Darren Rizzi. He’s moving from defensive line coach to an advisor role:

Todd Grantham’s responsibilities are changing under New Orleans Saints interim head coach Darren Rizzi. He’s moving from defensive line coach to a senior advisor role after the team dismissed Dennis Allen. Rizzi says Brian Young, a 15-year coaching veteran on staff as a pass-rush specialist, will run the defensive line room.

“It’s a shuffle. Shuffle the deck there a little bit on defense,” Rizzi told reporters Wednesday, when asked whether he would characterize these  changes as a demotion and promotion. “You have to understand the workload change because Dennis got removed. Dennis was, daily, in the defensive staff rooms so we quote-unquote lost a defensive coach. Not only a head coach, we lost the play caller. Now Joe, who is doing his stuff, he’s now coordinating, his workload changes. His day-to-day workload the fans may not understand completely, we just re-divvy it up. I just felt this was the best way to shuffle the deck there.”

Grantham’s focus will be advising defensive coordinator Joe Woods as he begins calling plays in Allen’s stead; it’s a less hands-on role than what he’s had here before. That isn’t the only change on the defensive side of the ball, but it is the most notable. Young will work with linebackers coach Michael Hodges to coordinate the defensive run game each week.

But change was needed. The Saints were on pace to set an NFL record for the most yards allowed before contact on running plays, which was a direct reflection on Grantham’s unit. The defensive line was getting pushed off the ball and not making plays. The lack of development for young draft picks like Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey speaks for itself, even if Rizzi took the high road here.

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Saints announce inactive players for Week 5 game vs. Chiefs

The Saints ruled out five starters prior to Monday. Who else will be inactive as they face the Chiefs on ‘Monday Night Football?’

The New Orleans Saints are once again the more injured team entering the game. The Kansas City Chiefs, however, enter the game without Rashee Rice. That is the biggest loss to the Chiefs. The Saints, on the other hand, already ruled out seven players before the game.

The Saints will have to take on Chiefs defensive tackle without two-thirds of their interior offensive line. Cesar Ruiz will miss his second consecutive game, and Erik McCoy is on injured reserve. To make matters worse, Shane Lemieux started at center last week and is already on injured reserve himself.

Demario Davis returning is the best injury news the Saints have received, but it came at the price of losing Pete Werner and Willie Gay.

Here is the full list of inactive players for the Week 5 game versus the Chiefs:

New Orleans Saints inactive players:

  • G Cesar Ruiz (knee)
  • LB Pete Werner (hamstring)
  • LB Willie Gay (hand)
  • DE Payton Turner (knee)
  • TE Taysom Hill (rib)
  • DT Khristian Boyd
  • QB Spencer Rattler (emergency third quarterback)

Kansas City Chiefs inactive players:

  • OL C.J. Hanson
  • OT Ethan Driskell
  • DT  Marlon Tuipulotu
  • DEE Cameron Thomas

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49ers should trade for Saints struggling former 1st-round pick

The 49ers need depth at DE, and the Saints have a player who could be available in a trade that is just San Francisco’s type.

The San Francisco 49ers need to find some help on their defensive line.

That need was highlighted in the preseason finale when defensive ends Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos went down with injuries. Floyd is day-to-day and looks to be on track to play in the season opener on Sept. 9.

There’s more uncertainty with Gross-Matos, who is considered week-to-week according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.

While the 49ers could conceivably scour the free agent pool and waiver wire for DE help, they could also explore the trade market ahead of final cuts.

The New Orleans Saints roster offers an option that may strike the 49ers’ fancy with former first-round pick Payton Turner.

Turner was the No. 28 overall pick in the 2021 draft and he’s yet to get his career off the ground. In three seasons he’s played only 15 games and posted 3.0 sacks. Pro Football Focus has him down for just 26 pressures in those 15 games.

His production certainly doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence that he could help the 49ers. However, he’s the exact type of reclamation project they’ve had some success with. He has all the measurables to be an impactful player on an NFL defensive line, and he has the size to fit a role where he plays on the edge and the interior.

San Francisco isn’t batting 1.000 with such projects, but there’s enough need at the position that sending a sixth-round pick to the Saints in exchange for Turner and a seventh makes sense.

Perhaps the 49ers are happy with the internal depth on their 90-man roster, and they’ll aim to get a DE to the practice squad who can be on the gameday roster in the event of an injury. Signs point to them needing more depth at such a vital position though, and they should shoot to acquire a player with a little upside like Turner.

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Payton Turner’s toe injury flared up again at Saints practice this week

Payton Turner’s toe injury flared up again at Saints practice this week. He’s playing through pain to prove he belongs:

Payton Turner’s toe injury flared up again at New Orleans Saints training camp this week, taking the defensive end out of practice early. It was the second time in as many weeks where Turner’s injury became a problem. And he returned to a full day of reps the next day just like the week before. But this may be something Turner and the Saints medical staff have to manage throughout his time in black and gold.

He’s playing through pain to prove he belongs. It’s not like Turner stubbed his toe or something negligible. He tore a ligament in his foot last year that required surgery and an extensive rehab, and it’s still bothering him. It’s really unfortunate for a player who is working so hard to help his team and salvage his career be slowed down by something outside his control like this.

So what’s to be done? Expect more occasional rest days for Turner throughout the season to help mitigate the weight and stress being put on his surgically-repaired foot. That’s the approach the team has taken with other players battling long-lasting injuries in the past, like Ryan Ramczyk’s degenerative knee condition. But we’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully Turner can continue to play and fight for snaps in the rotation at defensive end behind Chase Young, Carl Granderson, and Cameron Jordan.

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B/R says Saints should put Payton Turner on the trade block

With just one year left on his contract, Bleacher Report argues the New Orleans Saints should put Payton Turner on the trade block:

Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler called for the New Orleans Saints to put Payton Turner on the trade block. Fowler listed a player from each team that should go on the trade block.

Fowler had various reasons for a player’s inclusion. Crowded position group, expiring contract, or a change of scenery. Turner is on the last year of his deal, but him getting a new contract after a trade is doubtful because of the injury history. Change of scenery is obviously the route Fowler is going.

Turner hasn’t turned into the player the Saints desired him to be since drafting him in 2021. Heading into Year 4, he may never turn into that, but he could turn into draft compensation from another team via trade.

A large part of Turner not hitting his ceiling is health-related. In three seasons, he has played just 15 games. Turner’s shown flashes, but flashes aren’t enough at this point. Sustained production of some sort is required, and Turner’s availability removes him from sustaining poor or positive performance.

It’s difficult to predict a change of scenery would lead to Turner staying healthy. It certainly didn’t work for Marcus Davenport. Turner would result in minor compensation if he were traded.

On top of that, the Achilles injury to Tanoh Kpassagnon means Isaiah Foskey would step into fourth pass rusher role. Turner is injury-prone, but Foskey hasn’t even shown the flashes to make you believe in him. Never say never, but Turner is likely staying in New Orleans for the final year of his contract.

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Carl Granderson is the Saints’ surest thing at defensive end

There’s a lot of question marks at defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, but Dennis Allen says Carl Granderson isn’t one of them:

Carl Granderson has earned the full trust of Dennis Allen. In his interview after Day 3 at New Orleans Saints training camp, Allen was asked to clarify a sentiment from a previous interview. He expressed concerns about each of the Saints defensive ends, singling out Cameron Jordan, Chase Young, Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner.

Do you see someone missing? When asked about Granderson’s exclusion, Allen made it clear this wasn’t a memory lapse.

“Carl has earned the right to be someone we’re really going to count on,” Allen said. If that wasn’t clear enough, Allen took it a step farther and named the questions marks and variables surrounding all other players at the position.

“Carl’s a guy who just continued to improve,” Allen added.

This speaks volumes about the view of Granderson inside the locker room. He’s coming off the best year of his career. In 2023, he set career highs in sacks (8.5), tackles for loss (14) and quarterback pressures (58), leading the team in each category. Granderson  hit double-digit tackles for a loss for the first time in his career, and he’s looking to achieve that same accomplishment with sacks this upcoming season.

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Cameron Jordan on being a mentor in Year 14 with the Saints

Cameron Jordan is entering Year 14 with the Saints. As the most experienced pro in the room, he’s embracing his role as a mentor:

Cameron Jordan used to be the young guy in the room. Looking up to proven pros like Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma, and just hoping to make a name for himself, proving why the New Orleans Saints drafted him. But it’s been a long time since then. He’s going into Year 14 with the black and gold, and these days he’s being asked to step into the role of a mentor. There isn’t much that he hasn’t seen or done through 209 games with the Saints, and his younger teammates know it.

Jordan was busy between drills at Wednesday’s first training camp practice of the summer, offering words and examples to those around him. Not just the young draft picks lined up behind him at defensive end, but the offensive linemen opposing him like Trevor Penning.

“This is Year 3 for him. It’s time to figure it out,” Jordan said of Penning after practice. He was seen taking time between reps to give the right tackle pointers, and he said that opportunity to help Penning is important to him. “I don’t know what anybody else is seeing on the outside in, but right now in between those lines, it’s whatever I can do to help us win a Super Bowl. So if I can talk to him, ‘Hey, calm down,’ ‘Don’t worry about it,’ ‘Throw hands, anchor,’ whatever it is, let’s get him right now. Because I don’t want to get to the season and be like, ‘We should’ve (done this),’ because I don’t have time for should’ve, I have right now.”

Still, it’s not like Jordan is neglecting his fellow defensive linemen. He’s excited to see what they can do after putting in the work to prepare for what may be a pivotal training camp for some of them.

“Payton Turner is probably in the best shape of his life right now. He’s in Year 4, he’s got more than a chip (on his shoulder), he’s got everything to prove this year,” Jordan said while rattling off the list of teammates competing around him. He continued, “I just think as we grow right now, it’s the time to grow right now. It’s the time to figure out what we’re good at it, what we want to run. How we can effect the quarterback. How can we implement Chase Young in our defense as a guy we know who can be explosive?”

Not many guys can say they’ve been there, done that in the NFL like Jordan. All he has left is winning a Super Bowl. It’s the last thing he can achieve, and he’s desperate to add a championship to his trophy case. And he knows he won’t get it done alone. Improving those around him and making the team better is his priority. He just needs to keep it up.

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Saints spend top-10 pick on Penn State DE Abdul Carter in 2025 mock draft

It’s still too soon to accurately project the 2025 NFL draft, but Abdul Carter could be a good match for the Saints if they’re picking early again next year:

It’s still too soon to accurately project the 2025 NFL draft, but Penn State star Abdul Carter could be a good match for the New Orleans Saints if they’re picking early again next year. That was the case in this projection from Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy, which had the Saints picking at No. 8 overall.

Carter has the size the Saints covet at a listed 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds, and he comes from a program that’s sent several great pass rushers to the NFL. Defensive ends Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac were both top-100 picks this spring, which opened the door for Carter to move outside after initially playing off-ball linebacker. That was also the case for Micah Parsons, who was picked at No. 12 back in 2021.

And like Parsons, Carter is seen as a versatile defender who can make plays in coverage or rush the quarterback from a two-point stance. He needs experience playing on the line of scrimmage with his hand down but he has Pro Bowl potential if he can keep learning and developing.

He could make sense for the Saints. They haven’t gotten enough production out of high draft picks like Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey or old pros like Cameron Jordan. The hope is Chase Young can transform the group this year but he’s working his way back from neck surgery and is only signed to a one-year deal.

But if the Saints are bad enough this fall to be picking at No. 8, it’s because Derek Carr bombed in Klint Kubiak’s offense. The ramifications for that could be big — how could Mickey Loomis sell fans on a fourth year with Dennis Allen at head coach if the Saints go 7-10 (like last year’s team picking at No. 8, the Atlanta Falcons), giving Allen a 23-28 record with New Orleans? If you include his Las Vegas Raiders run, as you should, Allen’s career record would be 31-56. That’s a win percentage of .356, which would be sixth-worst out of the 128 head coaches who have worked 87 or more games in NFL history.

Neither Allen nor Carr should be in the Saints’ plans if this is where they end up, and letting a new head coach draft a new quarterback should be their priority. It would be great if Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler is ready to compete for the job by this point but there’s no guarantee that either of them will be ready for it. Hopefully the Saints are so successful in 2024 that we aren’t worrying about things like this in the 2025 draft.

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Payton Turner, Isaiah Foskey join Cameron Jordan at Von Miller’s Sack Summit

Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey joined Cameron Jordan at the Sack Summit in Las Vegas, an event he co-hosts with Von Miller and Maxx Crosby:

The NFL is on summer break, but that doesn’t mean everyone is taking it easy. Cameron Jordan was joined by several of his New Orleans Saints teammates at the annual Sack Summit in Las Vegas, an event he now co-hosts along with its founder Von Miller and Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Payton Turner, Isaiah Foskey, and Niko Lalos (who spent the 2023 season on the Saints’ practice squad) spent two days on the practice field and in the film room learning from the best sack artists around the league. Jordan shared photos and video from the event on his official Instagram account highlighting the event.

It’s good to see these young players taking initiative to get better. While the Saints added Chase Young to their defensive ends rotation along with Jordan and breakout starter Carl Granderson, the team is counting on bigger contributions from Turner and Foskey in 2024. An injury limited Foskey to just 10 games in his rookie season, totaling 9 tackles and a pass deflection. Turner missed most of the year with his own injury though he tallied two quarterback hits and a fumble recovery when he returned in Week 18.

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