Tag: pete werner

Saints free agent profile: How Willie Gay Jr. impacts 2024 draft strategy

Willie Gay Jr. gives the Saints a burst of athleticism in the front seven. How does his signing impact the Saints’ draft strategy?

Willie Gay Jr. is another young free agent who comes over to the New Orleans Saints. When the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him out of Mississippi State, Gay’s athleticism was one of his biggest strengths. That aspect of the linebacker’s game carried over to the pros. His time with the Chiefs, however, ended with changes in position and snap count.

Gay brings athleticism to a defense that severely lacked it a year ago, specifically in the front seven. Dennis Allen has made it clear Gay is here to compete with Pete Werner for the starting weak side linebacker spot. Gay’s experience in both outside linebacker roles will lead to him being a starter for the Saints in 2024.

Demario Davis, Werner and Gay will be your starting linebackers in base formation, but the battle between Werner and Gay will determine who is on the field in the Saints more utilized two linebacker set.

New Orleans shouldn’t think of linebacker until the late rounds or with undrafted free agents. The Saints have their big 3 and would only be looking to add bodies. Gay is on a short contract, but unlike Chase Young he will likely be re-signed if he performs well in 2024. The ability to view Gay as a future piece of the team keeps the need to add a linebacker a low priority in this year’s draft.

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Tyrann Mathieu eager to reunite with Willie Gay: ‘The city is going to love him’

Tyrann Mathieu is eager to reunite with his former Chiefs teammate Willie Gay, who he sees as a great fit in New Orleans: ‘The city is going to love him’

Tyrann Mathieu is eager to reunite with Willie Gay. The Kansas City Chiefs linebacker joined Mathieu (and other old teammates like Tanoh Kpassagnon, Khalen Saunders, and Ugo Amadi) on the New Orleans Saints this offseason, and Mathieu says he believes Gay will be a great fit. He discussed what the free agent pickup has to offer on the Green Light with Chris Long podcast.

“It’s amazing. Like coach says, it clears up the picture for you,” Mathieu said, considering the role Gay will play in Dennis Allen’s defense. “He is athletic, man. I think in the game today, when you have linebackers who can run just as fast as a slot receiver, who can handle the Darren Wallers in space, like it gives your defense an advantage, you know what I mean?”

The Saints had some trouble guarding tight ends and slot receivers last year. Pete Werner struggled in those assignments, and Gay will be competing with him for the starting job next to Demario Davis. Pro Football Focus charting found Werner allowed a career-high 470 receiving yards last season (another outlet, Pro Football Research, had him at 450), mostly to tight ends like Waller, T.J. Hockenson, and Luke Musgrave. Gay gives them a better option in those matchups.

Mathieu continued: “He’s going to be big-time for us. I think him coming in on a one-year deal, that’s going to allow him to be hungry, to be motivated. I already reached out to him, kind of talked to him, and let him know.”

And those movement skills in coverage make up just one area Mathieu points to as a strength. He also anticipates Gay bringing positive energy to the locker room, and for the linebacker to quickly endear himself to a new fanbase.

“The city is going to love him. Because he is so high energy, right, all day long. I think the fans are going to love him. Obviously the team will love him. He’s a good dude, a great teammate, he’s one of those linebackers that you’ve got to find a spot for him,” Mathieu said. “On third downs, can’t take him off the field.”

Gay himself has said he hopes to get on the field with Davis and Werner when the Saints run their base defense, but he might be their best bet at stopping the pass on third downs and in obvious passing situations, as Mathieu alluded to. That’s something they’ll be working to find out in training camp this summer. Wherever he’s lining up, Gay is expected to make a positive impact. Those expectations are coming from veteran teammates like Mathieu.

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Newly-signed Saints LB Willie Gay will compete for a starting job in 2024

Willie Gay was signed to be more than the Saints’ third linebacker. Look for him to compete with Pete Werner for a starting job next to Demario Davis:

When Willie Gay signed with the New Orleans Saints, he spoke about not being judged from a limited snap count in his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a clear indication that he believed he would come in and compete for a starting job. Players always feel that way, but head coach Dennis Allen affirmed that on Tuesday morning when speaking with reporters at the NFC coaches breakfast during league ownership meetings in Orlando, Fla.

Don’t expect it to be Demario Davis being pushed out of the lineup; he’s shown his 35 years here and there but is consistently playing at a high level. It’s Pete Werner who fell off last season, particularly against the pass. He was picked on in games against the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.

Still, those struggles shouldn’t have been enough for Werner to lose his job after having a strong first two seasons in the league but adding competition is a good response from Allen. Werner struggled in space, and his athleticism was exploited. Athleticism is Gay’s trademark. That attribute doesn’t guarantee him to be the better player, but it is something to watch.

Gay may end up being the Saints’ strongside linebacker. With the lack of depth at the position, that is the likely outcome if he loses the competition. We could also see a rotation at weakside linebacker with Werner and Gay or Werner could lose his starting job altogether. The true story is the Saints saw enough of a decline in Werner’s performance to bring in competition. We’ll see where it goes from here when training camp kicks off in August.

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Zack Baun says goodbye to Saints fans after ‘unforgettable’ 4 years in New Orleans

Zack Baun said goodbye to Saints fans after an “unforgettable” four years in New Orleans. His departure marks another big swing-and-a-miss:

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Zack Baun was one of the first losses the New Orleans Saints took in free agency, but their former linebacker didn’t waste any time in thanking the city for supporting him during the first four years of his career.

The Saints traded up to get Baun in the 2020 draft, sending their 2021 third-round pick to move up from No. 88 to 74 where they could pick him. New Orleans also got back a seventh-round pick at No. 244 which they traded the next day to go get tight end Adam Trautman.

But the plan for Baun was questionable from the start. His position coach Michael Hodges explained that the Saints planned on converting Baun from the pass-rush role he played at Wisconsin to more of a traditional off-ball coverage role that he hadn’t played before. He struggled so badly playing out of position that they drafted two more linebackers in the next two draft classes (Pete Werner and D’Marco Jackson) before relenting in 2023. When Baun was finally allowed to get after the quarterback, he generated 11 pressures (with a couple of sacks) in the final six games.

Now he’ll be doing that for another team. The Eagles are actively revamping their own pass-rush unit and Baun figures to get more looks in that role than he found in New Orleans, which would explain why he left so quickly. Still, his time with the Saints was a great learning experience, and he’s eager to embrace a new challenge in a new city. Good luck to him. The Eagles will be visiting the Saints for a home game in 2024, so we’ll see what he can do firsthand.

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Willie Gay Jr. eager to compete for snaps in Saints LB corps

Willie Gay Jr. looks forward to making plays with Demario Davis and Pete Werner, but he’ll push one of them off the field if need be:

What’s the vision for Willie Gay Jr.? The New Orleans Saints acted quickly to sign the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker when free agency opened up, and it’s obvious they needed another player in the group after losing Zack Baun to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Many of Gay’s strengths overlap with Pete Werner as a highly athletic linebacker who can run with tight ends and running backs in coverage, but with the quick processing ability to read the field and flow to the ball on running downs. Something he does better than others is tracking a mobile quarterback and limiting big plays with their legs, which has been a major weakness for Dennis Allen’s defense.

And how does Gay see himself fitting into a defense that plays more nickel and dime personnel than plays with its base 4-3? He considered the challenge when introducing himself to local media this week.

“They have two great linebackers right now. Pete going into year four, Pete has been playing amazing, I’ve been watching him since we both were young bucks,” Gay said, noting that he came into the NFL just a year after Werner made the jump. “And of course Demario, he’s a Mississippi guy, from Brandon, Mississippi. I’ve been watching Demario since eighth grade. So just to be able to be on the field with those guys, whenever, definitely I know I’ve got to earn my stripes whatever position that may be, however many reps it may be, I’m excited for it.”

He’s open to anything, characterizing this experience as “a clean slate for me.” But Gay knows he’ll have to work for snaps. And with both him and Werner entering a prove-it year as pending free agents for 2025, he’ll have to fight hard through training camp to carve out a role not just this season, but beyond.

“I mean of course we’ll be competing for snaps, it happened to me last year, my fourth year of my contract,” Gay replied when asked about the training camp battle brewing. “Not to take food off anybody else’s plate but you definitely want to just get in, get to the point where you’re playing — me personally, more than I was last year.”

Gay totaled 698 defensive snaps in 19 games last  year (including the playoffs) for Kansas City, which averages out to 36.7 snaps per game. Compare that to the Saints linebackers:

  • Demario Davis: 1,074 snaps in 17 games (63.2)
  • Pete Werner: 919 snaps in 16 games  (57.4)
  • Zack Baun: 303 snaps in 17 games (17.8)
  • Nephi Sewell: 59 snaps in 7 games (8.4)

He won’t fill the same role as Baun on the strong side, often working as a designated pass rusher; Gay is at his best making plays in space either at the middle spot or on the weak side, where Werner and Davis trade off from one down to the next. So he’ll be looking to displace one of them to earn more reps. Maybe that means scaling back Davis as he ages, or going with a more confident coverage player and rotating Gay in for Werner on passing downs.

But if Gay had it his way, the Saints would just run their base personnel more often so all three of them could share the field: “I actually want to get out there, show what I can do, any way that’s possible. Us three on the field, we had a good room with the Chiefs, but me, Demario, and Pete, I feel like we can make something happen. I’m excited, that’s for sure.”

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NC State’s Payton Wilson could be a great Demario Davis understudy

NC State linebacker Payton Wilson could be a great fit for the Saints. He’s hoping to learn from a veteran in the NFL, and there isn’t one better than Demario Davis:

How important is it for the New Orleans Saints to spend a high draft pick on a linebacker this year? With Demario Davis being the oldest linebacker in the NFL and Pete Werner’s development stalling out — while Zack Baun has a good chance at leaving for a better scheme fit in free agency — you could rank it pretty high among the team’s needs. Davis is entering a contract year, too.

Enter Payton Wilson: arguably the most experienced linebacker in the draft, who is confident he’s this year’s best athlete, too. He’ll have an opportunity to prove it when the linebackers go through speed and agility drills on Thursday night at the NFL Scouting Combine.

But Wilson credits his college success to developing his understanding of the game, and he knows there’s still plenty he needs to learn. When he turns pro, he hopes to find a mentor and soak up every lesson he can like a sponge. We’ll let him tell it.

“I’m going into a whole different world where I’m going to play against literally the smartest players to ever play the game,” Wilson said Wednesday during his media availability session. “Whenever I get to an NFL team I’m going to find the closest vet that I can to me, I’m going to model my routine after them. I’m going to get in the film room with them every single day. I don’t believe you can play fast until you know what’s going on. I personally believe once I know the defense like the back of my hand and my football IQ is where it needs to be, I can be one of the best.”

And there are few better veterans to learn from than Davis. The two-time Pro Bowler and frequent All-Pro linebacker has enjoyed more success in the back half of his career after coming to New Orleans and thriving in Dennis Allen’s defense. Wilson, who weighed in at 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds, sure sounds like a worthy protege after overcoming adversity with a couple of injuries.

Wilson persevered through two ACL tears (one in high school, another at NC State) and shoulder surgery (in 2022), but his medical checks at the combine came back clean and he says feedback from NFL teams was positive. He’s currently seen as someone who could be picked in the second round but his stock could rise through the pre-draft process.

In his career, Wilson has logged more than 2,400 snaps across 47 games for the Wolfpack while recording 48 tackles for loss and intercepting seven passes. And he was recognized as the recipient of the Butkus Award and the Chuck Bednarik Award after his 2023 senior season. He has all the ability in the world, and he’s hoping to land in the right situation to cultivate it in the NFL. Learning from Davis might be the best fit for him.

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Ranking the Saints’ 5 most disappointing players of 2023

The Saints didn’t meet expectations in 2023, but some players have dirtier hands than others. Here are our five most disappointing performances:

The 2023 season was a weird one for the New Orleans Saints. It seemed as if the team was primed for a postseason berth, surging in the back half of the year and winning four of their last five games. That, however, wasn’t the case. The Saints’ season ended in the regular season. That is what’s most disappointing — they’re stuck at home watching the playoffs instead of competing in the postseason.

It wasn’t simply missing the playoffs that made this season a disappointment. The journey along the way was equally as disappointing and frustrating.  And it’s important to acknowledge which position groups and players did not meet expectations. Which performances were the most disappointing in 2023? Here are our five picks:

Saints’ worst 10 defensive players in 2023, per PFF

These were 10 lowest-graded players on the Saints defense in 2023, per Pro Football Focus:

The New Orleans Saints defense was the strength of the team for much of their 2023 season, but the unit still had some vulnerabilities that were exposed against quality opponents. With much of the roster and coaching staff returning for 2024, it’s going to be important for New Orleans to shore up those deficiencies and take pressure off of Derek Carr’s offense.

But where to start? Here’s a quick look at the 10 lowest-graded Saints players on defense (minimum 100 snaps) from Pro Football Focus. It speaks to the quality of the unit that even some of their lower-rated players are grading out as above-average next to standards around the league:

WATCH: Jordan Howden, Pete Werner team up for much-needed takeaway vs. Panthers

WATCH: Jordan Howden, Pete Werner team up for much-needed takeaway vs. Panthers

The New Orleans Saints needed this. Facing the Carolina Panthers offense at midfield, rookie safety Jordan Howden was tasked with blitzing the quarterback — and he did his job well, catching Panthers rookie quarterback  Bryce Young at the top of his drop to jar the ball out of Young’s hand.

And linebacker Pete Werner was in the right spot at the right time to snag the recovery. Initially announced as an interception, the play was reviewed and changed to a sack-fumble for Howden and a fumble recovery for Werner. That’s a small adjustment, but it’s something they’ll be happy to share a laugh over with a win. Let’s see if the Saints can hold onto their league in the second half.

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Saints report inactive players for Week 13 vs. Lions

The Saints ruled four players out prior to the game. Who joins those four players on the inactive list for Week 13 versus the Lions?

Coming into the New Orleans Saints versus Detroit Lions Week 13 showdown, New Orleans had 9 players either limited or a DNP in practice at some point this week. Andrus Peat was also on the injury list with a shoulder injury despite being a full participant everyday. They already ruled out four players prior the game, with Marcus Maye, Kendre Miller, Rashid Shaheed and Pete Werner all being unavailable.

Cameron Jordan was among the four other players who were listed as questionable. Jordan was a game time decision, but he’ll play — and so will Blake Grupe.

Here are the Saints inactive players for Week 13: