Tag: Pierre Thomas

Clyde Edwards-Helaire talks return to Louisiana after first Saints practice

Clyde Edwards-Helaire discussed the opportunity to return to Louisiana after his first practice on Thursday, and the call he received from the Saints:

The New Orleans Saints signing of Clyde Edwards-Helaire brings another Louisiana native back to the state, as he was born and raised in Baton Rouge. Edwards-Helaire then went on to play high school football at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, before moving on to college where he would spend three seasons with LSU, win a National Championship, and move on to the NFL.

He will now have a chance to play at this level with the Saints, and he had the opportunity to discuss this return to the state after his first practice with his new team on Thursday.

Edwards-Helaire told reporters it was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.

“When I saw that 504 number come across my phone the other day, I couldn’t be more than ecstatic. Being able to come home and put on the black and gold was something I dreamed of as a kid,” Edwards-Helaire said.

He’s a lifelong Saints fan, so this was something of a full-circle moment for him. Edwards-Helaire said his mother had just found some of his old Saints gear during some housecleaning before the team called him: “I had multiple Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, and Deuce McAllister posters in my room. My mom was texting me on the way up here, she found my Saints puffer that I used to wear that had my name embroidered on it.”

He will now return home after winning two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, as he looks to make an impact on his home town team.

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Taysom Hill climbs higher among Saints’ all-time leading scorers

Taysom Hill added to his legacy in Sunday’s contest against the Browns, breaking his tie with Pierre Thomas in the Saints’ all-time record books:

Taysom Hill is rungs higher on the list of all-time leading scorers with his 10-yard rushing touchdown against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Hill has now broken his tie with Pierre Thomas for touchdowns scored in Saints history. He now sits at ninth overall with 42 touchdowns combined between his efforts as a runner, receiver and returner, a perfect illustration of just how much of a Swiss army knife he truly is. Eric Martin is next ahead of him with 48 touchdowns scored.

Several teams have tried to replicate Hill over the years and have failed to this point, and it’s easy to get the sense there may never be another quite like him. The Saints get to reap the fortune of that at the rest of the league’s expense.

Sunday’s touchdown run marked the 13th rushing touchdown in his career.

Hill came into the game with 10 receptions on 14 targets for 100 yards, also totaling 130 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.

How he continues to add to his legacy both in this game and down the rest of the schedule will be something to watch.

The Saints lead the Browns, 7-6 at the top of the second quarter.

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Taysom Hill hits important milestone with TD vs. Panthers

New Orleans Saints jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill has hit a new personal milestone with his clutch touchdown against the Panthers:

New Orleans Saints jack-of-all-trades Taysom Hill has hit a new personal milestone during the team’s Sunday matchup against the Carolina Panthers, now totaling 41 career touchdowns. That ties him for ninth in the team record books with standout running back Pierre Thomas.

Hill came into the game totaling four receptions on seven targets for 23 yards over four appearances so far during the 2024 season. He also had carried the ball 18 times for 97 yards with two touchdowns.

In addition to that, Hill is credited with one forced fumble as well. In this particular game, he’s recorded two receptions for 26 yards with a long of 13 yards. For now, that makes him the team’s leading receiver.

He’s also the team’s second-leading rusher behind running back Alvin Kamara today with four carries for 16 yards and the touchdown.

The Saints currently hold a slight lead over the Panthers at halftime, at 13-10 over the first two quarters of action.

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Pierre Thomas’ 38-yard screen TD is the Saints Play of the Day

Pierre Thomas was one of the best running backs on screen passes, and his 38-yard TD in the 2009 NFC title game is the Saints Play of the Day:

You could pick almost any play from the 2009 NFC championship game and argue that it deserves a spot in the highlight reel. Between all of the turnovers taken away, lead changes, touchdowns scored, dramatic field goals and yes, the big hits, it remains one of the hardest-fought games in NFL history.

And this 38-yard touchdown from Pierre Thomas stands as one of the best plays in a game full of standout individual efforts. He was always regarded as one of the best running backs on screen passes, and this scoring play was a great example of it. Thomas caught the ball cleanly out of the backfield from Drew Brees and turned up the field to follow his blockers for 38 yards into the end zone.

Of course he didn’t do it alone. Sean Payton designed a great play and  called it at the perfect time, taking advantage of the Minnesota Vikings defense as they misread what was in front of them. Brees threw a great football. But the offensive line made this happen. Blockers got out in front to clear a path for Thomas, including all-star right guard Jahri Evans, who walled off two Vikings defenders during the play. Wide receiver Marques Colston and tight end Jeremy Shockey cleared out the last ten yards with left guard Carl Nicks escorting Thomas to the end zone, untouched.

And the six points he scored proved to be pivotal. The Saints and Vikings traded body blows before going to overtime, where Garrett Hartley sent New Orleans to Super Bowl XLIV with a game-winning field goal. But they wouldn’t have gotten there in the first place if Thomas didn’t put their first points on the scoreboard.

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Sean Payton’s history is good news for Broncos’ UDFAs

Sean Payton once cut a fourth-round pick to keep an undrafted player. “How they got here at this point is of no importance to us,” he said.

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When coach Sean Payton says it doesn’t matter how a player was acquired, he means it. Whether it’s a first-round draft pick or an undrafted free agent, Payton will give playing time to whoever performs in practice.

Payton, much like the Denver Broncos, has a strong history of finding UDFA gems. He used that to his advantage when recruiting undrafted players following the NFL draft in April.

“[In] my history in New Orleans, [we had] a number of [undrafted] free agents on opening day rosters in 15 years, we were [ranked] first,” Payton said on May 13. “Number of undrafted free agents that played the most amount of snaps in their first year, we were first.

“When you’re on the phone after the draft and you’re recruiting, having 16 years of that [and having] to convince a player to come because once they get here, there’s tape on their helmet with their name and now we just go by what we see. How they got here at this point is of no importance to us.”

Payton went on to recall an example of a UDFA out-performing a fourth-round draft pick. In 2007, the Saints drafted Ohio State running back Antonio Pittman in the fourth round. New Orleans then signed Illinois running back Pierre Thomas as an undrafted free agent.

“Oftentimes in our league, mistakes are made maybe in a draft pick. … we had drafted a running back in the fourth round, Pierre Thomas came and clearly in the middle of training camp, he was performing better,” Payton said. “We cut the fourth-round pick and kept Pierre.

“Two years later, he’s in the NFC Championship Game returning the kick in overtime to the 42-yard line, then converting a fourth and one and becoming a real important part of our team. You have to just go by what you see. There are mistakes that occur every year in the draft, but the key is not to compound them and continue to try to force the player.”

Thomas went on to win a Super Bowl with the Saints and he totaled 6,353 yards from scrimmage and scored 40 touchdowns in eight years in New Orleans. Payton did not overlook Thomas because he was a UDFA, and the coach was willing to admit his mistake and cut a fourth-round draft pick.

That kind of history is good news for Denver’s 2023 UDFA class. Anyone who performs on the field will have a legitimate chance to make the 53-man roster, regardless of their draft pedigree or lack thereof.

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Rookie Saints QB Jake Haener says it’s ‘unbelievable’ to play for his childhood NFL team

Rookie Saints quarterback Jake Haener says it’s ‘unbelievable’ to play for his childhood NFL team:

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It’s always cool to see fans of an NFL team suit up for them, and that’s going to be the case for New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Jake Haener. Haener shared a picture on Instagram of himself from elementary school, wearing what appears to be a Reggie Bush No. 25 jersey while expressing how excited he is to represent his childhood team.

He also told local media during his introductory conference call that Drew Brees was his favorite player growing up, and he’s still got an old Brees jersey in storage somewhere at his parents’ place. He wore No. 9 in high school and college out of respect for his favorite quarterback, and he later got the opportunity to break down Brees’ film with the future Hall of Famer.

Haener recalled, “The Saints were my childhood growing up because I loved watching No. 9 plays. It’s just so unbelievable. I literally wore Brees jerseys, I wore Saints beanies. Having the opportunity to go play in New Orleans is going to be a dream come true.”

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Best New Orleans Saints undrafted free agent signings since 2006

We’re recapping the best New Orleans Saints undrafted free agent signings since 2006, from Pierre Thomas to Rashid Shaheed and everyone in-between:

The New Orleans Saints have a proud history of finding diamonds in the rough during undrafted free agency, signing rookies who weren’t fortunate to be picked during the selection event. It’s something that they’ve always valued with Mickey Loomis as general manager, but which really took off as a point of emphasis once Sean Payton took over as head coach. With the next wave of undrafted rookies looking to make their mark, it’s a great time to look back on the players who came before them.

We’re only counting players who signed with the Saints as rookie free agents — so guys like Delvin Breaux (who played in Canada) and Lance Moore (who started out in NFL Europe) were not included, even if they’re similar success stories who did not hear their names called from the stage on draft day. That’s also the case for former undrafted free agents like Chase Daniel and Brian De La Puente who landed in New Orleans after getting their pro starts elsewhere around the league.

Two Saints fan-favorites made the cut for PFF’s All-Undrafted Team since 2006

A pair of Saints fan-favorites were recognized on the All-Undrafted Team since 2006 from Pro Football Focus: Pierre Thomas and Jabari Greer.

So much focus is given to the players picked in the annual NFL draft (we just recapped all 101 of the New Orleans Saints’ picks since 2006) but there’s a lot to be said for the undrafted rookies who make the most of their very limited opportunities. Some of the best players in NFL history started out as undrafted free agents, and that extends to the Saints.

Two of their own were listed on the All-UDFA offense and defense teams by Pro Football Focus. Fan-favorite former Saints running back Pierre Thomas was ranked as the best player at his position out of former undrafted rookies, with a career player grade of 92.1. Thomas started an exclusive club of players with 5,000 career yards as both runners and receivers in his time with the Saints, always seeming to get the most out of his rushing attempts while refining the screen play into an art form. Not bad for someone who wasn’t drafted after a solid run at Illinois.

Greer, with a career grade of 90.2, was listed as a flex defender. That’s kind of a stretch, seeing as he played 4,882 of his 5,425 career snaps from 2006 to 2013 out wide at cornerback rather than in the slot or at safety, but we’ll take it. He was an underrated player in New Orleans and deserves his flowers. He always tackled well, played clean coverage, and competed hard on passes thrown his way. It’s a shame that his career was cut short by an ugly knee injury in 2013, but he made a lot of great memories with the Saints as a key player on their 2009 Super Bowl-winning team. He’s done well for himself after the Buffalo Bills took a chance on him coming out of Tennessee.

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Alvin Kamara poised to climb higher in Saints rushing leaders rankings

Alvin Kamara poised to climb higher in Saints record books; where he ranks among team rushing leaders

Don’t tell Alvin Kamara it takes a long time to build a legacy. He has only spent five years with the New Orleans Saints but he’s already one of the highest-decorated players in team history, earning five consecutive Pro Bowl nods and high placement in the franchise record books with 47 touchdown carries — he’s closing in on Mark Ingram’s team-record 51 scoring runs, surpassing Deuce McAllister (49) along the way.

But Kamara has done more than score touchdowns at a torrid pace. He’s also the team’s fourth-leading rusher all-time (with 4,328 career rushing yards), narrowly trailing the great George Rogers (4,267) for third-place. Once he’s leapfrogged Rogers he’ll face a tall task in eclipsing McAllister and Ingram, but something tells me he’s up for the challenge.

Still, this is a good opportunity to look back on Saints history and see which other players round out the top-10 rushers in the record book. Let’s dig in:

Saints running backs coach is a big, big fan of signing Ty Montgomery

New Orleans Saints coach Joel Thomas is eager to get to work with ex-Packers RB Ty Montgomery, a versatile pass-catcher with a big toolbox.

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One of the more underrated moves of the New Orleans Saints offseason might be the signing of free agent running back Ty Montgomery, if his new position coach’s thoughts are any indication. Joel Thomas works with the running backs in New Orleans, and he spoke at length on what Montgomery — who experienced some starts and stops with the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens, after rising to prominence for the Green Bay Packers — brings to the table.

Intriguingly, Thomas has something of a history with Montgomery; he saw firsthand what the converted wide receiver can do when Montgomery starred for the Stanford Cardinal against Thomas’s Washington Huskies back in the day. While Montgomery has since lined up more often at running back than at receiver, Thomas still sees plenty of room for growth from the 27-year old.

“When you look back at it, he has only been a running back for five seasons so that is where I see the piece of putty we can hopefully mold into what we want him to be within our offense,” Thomas said in a recent conference call “I love the versatility out of the backfield. We can line him up in empty. We can put him back there as a single back seven-yards deep. I don’t think he’s gonna be put in a single position and that’s what he does.”

Thomas also pointed to a pair of past Saints running backs who made a name for themselves catching passes: Travaris Cadet and Pierre Thomas. But he was quick to clarify that Cadet didn’t have the size or ability to run between the tackles that Montgomery boasts, whereas the “PT Bruiser” lacked his route-running nuance. In some ways, Montgomery has the best of both worlds.

He continued, “The meetings I’ve had with him, he is smart, obviously Stanford educated, but he’s smart, very coachable, I like what he’s bringing to the table as far as what we’ve got with this signing.”

Still, it would be surprising if Montgomery carves out a big role in the offense. He’s behind Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray on the depth chart (at least; special teams ace Dwayne Washington is also in the mix, along with a few other reserves). But if Montgomery can do more than pick up Kamara’s playbook and show enough in training camp to earn snaps once the season starts, his No. 88 might continue to catch the eye.

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