Tag: priority

Ex-Eagles DE Derek Barnett would be a worthwhile waiver claim for the Saints

The Saints have nothing to lose by submitting a waiver claim on Derek Barnett. The former Eagle is affordable and their pass rush needs all the help it can get:

A veteran pass rusher is suddenly available with the Philadelphia Eagles choosing to waive defensive end Derek Barnett after a few years of lukewarm trade rumors. And the New Orleans Saints would be wise to try and pick him up off the waiver wire.

Barnett was Philadelphia’s first round pick back in 2017, selected three slots after the Saints took cornerback Marshon Lattimore; the former Tennessee Volunteer had a solid start to his career as a pressure player off the edge, but he lost his 2022 season to a torn ACL and returned to a diminished role in 2023.

So why would he fit the Saints? New Orleans is tied for the second-fewest sacks in the NFL this season (18). They rank eighth-lowest in pressure rate (18.2%) at Pro Football Reference. Anyone watching their games can tell that their defensive line is a slow unit that struggles to finish plays. Even if Barnett isn’t the same player he once was, he could be an upgrade over other players in their depth chart.

It helps his case that Barnett is affordable — ESPN’s Field Yates reports that the Eagles restructured his contract prior to waiving him, which means an acquiring team like the Saints would only be on the hook for $420,000 in base salary for the rest of this season. That’s a very easy fit even for New Orleans’ complicated salary cap spreadsheet.

Plus, the Saints are slotted pretty high in waiver claim priority after suffering back-to-back losses in recent weeks. They should fall at No. 12 out of the 32 teams. If they want Barnett, there’s a decent chance they could get him. With Cameron Jordan dealing with an ankle injury from Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons and Jason Pierre-Paul not making much impact behind Carl Granderson and Tanoh Kpassagnon (Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner aren’t ready to return to action just yet, either), the Saints have nothing to lose by at least kicking the tires on Barnett and seeing if he can play.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Full waiver wire order for all 32 teams at NFL roster cuts deadline

Full waiver wire for all 32 teams at NFL roster cuts deadline: Where do the New Orleans Saints stand in waiver priority?

More than 1,000 NFL players will be released, waived, or traded ahead of Tuesday afternoon’s annual deadline, with many of them (but not all) eligible for claiming on the waiver wire. That’s an opportunity for the New Orleans Saints and many other teams to get better by acquiring players who either weren’t good fits in their last spot or who were pushed off the depth chart by offseason upgrades.

But where are the Saints picking? At this point on the NFL calendar waiver wire priority is determined by the 2023 draft order, without any trades, meaning the Saints clock in at No. 10 overall. It will change once games are played and teams begin racking up wins or suffering losses. For now, here is where New Orleans slots in:

Where the Saints stand in waiver claim priority after 2023 roster cuts

The Saints will have a great opportunity to claim players off the waiver wire. They’ll slot in at No. 10 out of the league’s 32 teams when roster cuts are processed:

Tuesday’s NFL roster cuts deadline is just half of the week’s business — the New Orleans Saints and every other team will have the opportunity to claim many of the players who were just let go around the league when the waiver wire updates on Wednesday. You can find the full list of waiver claim priority here.

This year’s change to go down to just one day of roster cuts means more than one thousand names will be on the list. But the Saints are in a good spot to find some help. The order for waiver claims is the same as the initial 2023 NFL draft order, without any trades; which means New Orleans is slotted in at No. 10 out of the 32 teams.

But teams rarely find big contributors on the waiver wire. It makes sense, seeing as all of the players available are inexperienced pros who were just let go by their previous team. Sometimes, though, they’ll find a diamond in the rough. Taysom Hill is the Saints’ most notable waiver claim in recent years, with fullback Adam Prentice in second-place, though they’ve also added players like wide receiver Austin Carr and linebacker Michael Mauti.

The Saints have also used the waiver wire as an opportunity to bring back their former players, plugging holes on the roster and quickly addressing needs. Some of the reunions over the years include defensive end Kasim Edebali, plus offensive tackles Bryce Harris and Derrick Kelly.

So will they claim anyone on Wednesday? We’ll just have to wait and see. It’s worth remembering that any pickups will need a corresponding roster move to open a spot, so that could lessen the appeal if the Saints are content with their depth chart as it stands. Additionally, only players with fewer than four years’ experience in the NFL will hit waivers. Everyone with four or more seasons behind them will become a free agent upon their release. Keep that in mind as roster moves roll in over the next few days.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Texans waive RB Eno Benjamin, giving the Saints another shot at adding him

The Texans are waiving RB Eno Benjamin, giving the Saints another shot at adding him. They could use the help after losing RB Mark Ingram II:

Here’s another option for the too-thin New Orleans Saints running backs room. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Houston Texans are waiving running back Eno Benjamin on Tuesday, putting the former Arizona Cardinals backup on the waiver wire. And the Saints were one of four teams to submit waiver claims when Arizona let Benjamin go — Houston had highest priority, so that’s where he landed, though New Orleans was also in the mix along with the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.

The Saints are ahead of both of those teams in waiver priority this time, so they should have a good chance at landing Benjamin if they so choose. They’re currently fifth in waiver priority behind the Texans, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, and Los Angeles Rams, none of whom submitted a waiver claim the last time Benjamin became available. So it’s very possible the Saints get their guy.

They should certainly be motivated after losing Mark Ingram II to a knee injury. Ingram’s year is likely done, leaving a motley crew of Alvin Kamara, Dwayne Washington, and David Johnson on the 53-man roster with Derrick Gore on the practice squad. Benjamin wasn’t able to carve out a role with the Texans behind rookie standout Dameon Pierce. He only saw a dozens snaps on offense in two games with Houston, totaling 3 carries to gain a single yard without catching a pass. Even with Kamara on top of the depth chart, he’d likely get more opportunities in New Orleans.

We’ll find out whether they made a move for Benjamin on Wednesday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire. Benjamin is a 23-year old third-year pro out of Arizona State who averaged 4.1 yards per carry with the Cardinals, catching 24 of his 33 targets for another 184 receiving yards this season. His best game this season came against the Saints back in Week 7 when Benjamin gained 92 rushing yards on 12 carries while catching 4 of his 5 targets for 21 receiving yards, scoring a 5-yard touchdown run to put the game away late in the fourth quarter.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

[listicle id=119393]

Panthers cut Baker Mayfield, offering opportunity for QB-needy Saints

The Panthers cut Baker Mayfield once he asked for it after a demotion; should the QB-needy Saints submit a waiver claim?

There’s no question the New Orleans Saints will be in the quarterback market next year. Jameis Winston has flamed out, they know who Andy Dalton is, and there aren’t any other realistic options on their roster — Taysom Hill’s days as a full-time quarterback are behind him. So you have to think there’s at least some passing interest when the Carolina Panthers waived Baker Mayfield on Monday.

As first reported by the Athletic’s Joe Person, Mayfield was granted his release after being demoted to the third-string unit this week, with the Panthers planning to start Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker tabbed as his backup. It’s been quite a fall from grace for the former No. 1 overall draft pick. He’s looking for a fresh start, but do the Saints make sense for him? Do they even have a shot at winning him from the waiver wire?

Let’s start with that first question. Beggars can’t be choosers, and the Saints are so weak at quarterback now and moving forwards that they can’t afford to blithely pass up on other options. Neither Carolina nor Mayfield’s old Cleveland Browns have been seen as offensive powerhouses in recent years while experiencing a lot of coaching turnover, but Mayfield’s hands are dirty there too. He hasn’t played well enough to elevate either franchise. Things could go differently for him in New Orleans’ established system, but odds are he is who he is after 69 games in the NFL (including the playoffs). It’s worth a shot to see if he offers more than Dalton and Winston. Just don’t bet the farm on him fixing every problem.

Now for the second question. Waiver wire priority this time of year is determined by winning percentage, and that’s at least a silver lining for the Saints after their 4-8 start to the season. They’re currently at No. 7, but they’ll be slotting in somewhere inside the top-11 with a win on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they move into the top-5 with a loss.

Either way, there aren’t many quarterback-needy teams ahead of them between Justin Fields’ Chicago Bears (at No. 2), Russell Wilson’s Denver Broncos (No. 3), and Trevor Lawrence’s Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 6). Maybe the directionless Houston Texans or Matthew Stafford-less Los Angeles Rams roll the dice. Everyone is looking at the San Francisco 49ers here after Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending foot injury, but they won’t have a shot until No. 24.

What about the salary cap? Any team claiming Mayfield off of waivers will be on the hook for less than $2 million in salary over the last stretch of the regular season (specifically $1,349,444), which is affordable even for a team at its limit like New Orleans (who are currently under the cap by roughly $2.4 million). They can fit his contract on the books if they want to.

We’ll find out if the Saints took action here soon, once the daily NFL transactions wire updates on Tuesday (at around 3 p.m. CT). Odds are some team will claim Mayfield, if nothing else off the confidence of their pre-draft evaluation coming out of Oklahoma. New Orleans lacks options, and this could be one path they choose to explore. It wouldn’t hurt anything.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=119179]

Saints made unsuccessful waiver wire bid for former Cardinals RB Eno Benjamin

The Saints were among four teams to try and claim former Cardinals RB Eno Benjamin off of waivers, but he went to the team with highest priority: the Texans

Well that’s disappointing. The Arizona Cardinals made an odd move this week in letting go of running back Eno Benjamin, who had been a big player for them this season; and he was popular on the waiver wire, with ESPN’s Field Yates reporting that four teams submitted claims to add him, including the New Orleans Saints. With the Saints slotted in at No. 4 on waiver wire priority, they had a good chance of getting him.

But the top-ranked Houston Texans submitted a claim too, and that’s where Benjamin wound up. Yates adds that the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs also tried to snag Benjamin off of waivers, but they wouldn’t have had a chance even if the Texans didn’t get involved. Both teams are behind the Saints in waiver priority.

Benjamin would have been a nice addition. The second-year pro has averaged 4.0 yards per carry in the NFL while catching 30 receptions in 19 games, and he’s under contract through 2023. For a team like the Saints that expects to be without its top running back at some point (a suspension is looming for Alvin Kamara after his alleged involvement in a Las Vegas brawl early this year), that matters.

So where do the Saints go from here? New Orleans is also managing an injury to backup Mark Ingram II, and they made the oddly-timed decision to cut both of their practice squad running backs on Tuesday. Their depth chart is in flux, and it remains to be seen how it will stabilize ahead of their Week 11 game with the Los Angeles Rams. Hopefully Ingram can return to back up Kamara along with special teams ace Dwayne Washington, but this feels like a bigger question that won’t be truly answered until the offseason.

[listicle id=118345]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Saints tied for third in NFL waiver wire claim priority

The Saints are tied for third in NFL waiver wire claim priority, making for a razor-thin silver lining after their 1-2 start:

There’s a small, thin, miniscule silver lining for the New Orleans Saints’ ugly 1-2 start. ESPN’s Field Yates shared the updated NFL waiver wire priority on Tuesday, which reflects team records after Week 3 and will be revised accordingly in the weeks ahead. And the Saints are locked in a tie for third after losing two of their first three games.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that they’re tied with seven other teams, including conference rivals like the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and yeah, the Atlanta Falcons. If the Saints file a waiver claim for the same player as one of those other teams, a coin flip will decide the winner.

So what does this mean? Whenever a player is waived from a team’s 53-man roster, every other team will have the opportunity to claim them off the waiver wire and add them to their own 53-man lineup (which bumps another player off the roster). The Saints have already done this a few times, claiming offensive lineman Tanner Owen after he was released by the Buffalo Bills and nearly snagging linebacker Sterling Weatherford, who was claimed by the Chicago Bears. They’ve kept a close eye on the waiver wire early this season.

That’s the gist of it, but as with many things in the NFL it gets more complicated. For one thing, only players with fewer than four accrued seasons are subject to waivers (accrued seasons being years in which they played at least six regular season games), so many of the names on waivers right now and rookies and other younger players.

But wait, there’s more. That changes after the NFL trade deadline on Nov. 1, at which point all players are subject to waivers regardless of experience. The downside is any team claiming them will have to pay the remainder of their base salary, which is why wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. cleared waivers late last season. If they clear the waiver wire, players become free agents and may sign anywhere they like — often at a minimum salary while receiving offsets from the team that cut them.

So there you go. This week, the Saints will be one of the first teams to get a shot at claiming any players cut around the league. Unless one of the other seven teams they’re tied with want that player too, in which case it goes to a coin toss. Let’s hope they find a win this week and we’ll have something better to write home about soon.

[pickup_prop id=”28038″]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=116237]

Where Saints stand in waiver wire priority at NFL roster cuts deadline

Where the Saints stand in waiver wire priority at the NFL roster cuts deadline:

Most of the focus at the NFL roster cuts deadline is on the players going out from their teams, but it’s just as important to consider who may be coming in — and which players could be returning to the practice squad, should they clear waivers. So where do the New Orleans Saints stand?

At this point in the NFL’s calendar the waiver priority is determined by the 2022 NFL draft order, set prior to any trades. So while the Saints made their first selection at No. 12, they won’t have the twelfth pick on the waiver wire — they got to No. 12 by trading up from No. 16, which they acquired after moving up from No. 18. So New Orleans is right in the middle of the pack. Seventeen other teams will have the opportunity to file a waiver claim for any players they like after the roster cuts deadline.

That’s less-than-ideal, but you’ve got to play with the hand you’re dealt. Expect the Saints to try and snag some players off of waivers, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting to see if they successfully land many of them. Unlike in fantasy football, teams can file as many waiver claims as they like, and they aren’t bumped to the end of the waiver order upon a successful claim, but any players they are awarded off of waivers must replace someone on the 53-man roster.

So what’s the deal with the practice squad? Players with fewer than six accrued seasons will be subject to waivers, and if they aren’t claimed they will be eligible to sign with any team’s practice squad. Many of the players the Saints will sign to their practice squad will come from their own roster cuts, but they always bring in two or three (or four or five) new faces. And it’s very common for them to churn that unit throughout the season to see who sticks. Veteran players who have met the accrued-seasons threshold may immediately sign with whoever they please, and teams are allowed to sign up to six veterans to the practice squad (with the other ten spots reserved for first- and second-year players).

There we go. Pay close attention to which players are let go by other teams around the league on Tuesday, but stay tuned to see who ends up where throughout the week. It’ll take some time for the Saints and all their rivals to sort things out.

[lawrence-newsletter]

7 priority undrafted free agent options Chiefs should pursue

Some undrafted free-agent options for the Kansas City Chiefs to consider.

[jwplayer CTHBA6gs-ThvAeFxT]

The Kansas City Chiefs have 14 roster spots to fill in order to complete their 90-man offseason roster. Each year they typically sign between 10-12 undrafted free agents following the draft and add more following rookie minicamp. With the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of things have changed. Many players that would have raised eyebrows and draft stock during the pro day circuit are still available. Rookie minicamps likely won’t happen, so we should see teams fill up their rosters without having any tryout players. It’s also possible that teams refrain from signing undrafted free agents as quickly.

Here’s a quick look at 7 undrafted free agents the Chiefs should pursue following the draft:

Southeast Missouri WR Kristian Wilkerson 

Wilkerson actually is one of the players who had his pro day ahead of the pandemic shutdown. The 6-foot and 200-pound receiver ran a 4.46 40-yard dash in mid-March which turned some heads. That number would have tied for the 13th fastest score at the NFL Scouting Combine among receivers. He was also one of the top performers at the 2020 College Gridiron Showcase.

University of Northern Iowa WR Jaylin James

James is a 6-3 and 206-pound receiver prospect who caught over 30 passes in each of his last three seasons at UNI.

Southern Illinois TE Nigel Kilby 

Another player, who had the luxury of a pro day before the pandemic shutdowns. Kilby is a big and athletic tight end that played with Jeremy Chinn at SIU. He had a little help from a big-name NFL reporter to get his name out there ahead of the draft.

South Dakota State LB Christian Rozeboom

Rozeboom is an intriguing linebacker prospect. He’s listed at 6-2 and 228 pounds. He led the Jackrabbits in tackles for four consecutive seasons. Apart from his production, he was a team leader and captain at South Dakota State. He ha really good instincts in zone coverage.

Indiana State LB Jonas Griffith

At 6-4 and 250 pounds, Griffith would be an intriguing option to play SAM linebacker in Kansas City.

Wyoming CB Tyler Hall

Hall had a really strong pro day ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft. Our friends over at Mountain West Wire detailed it here.

Montreal DB Marc-Antoine Dequoy

International prospects, like Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, have intrigued Kansas City before. Dequoy is a freak athlete at the defensive back position. He ran a sub-4.4 40-yard dash and would have had a top 3-cone score at the combine.

Ranking the top Saints roster needs ahead of undrafted free agency

The New Orleans Saints addressed important roster needs early in the 2020 NFL Draft, but they can still improve with college free agents.

The New Orleans Saints made the most of this year’s draft picks, aggressively moving up the board early on to target upgrades along the offensive line and in the linebacker corps, while laying the groundwork for long-term plans at tight end.

But it cost them a lot to make those moves, and now the Saints must lean heavily on their crop of undrafted free agents to continue plugging holes on the roster. Fortunately, the depth they’ve cultivated over years of drafts and signings should allow them to be highly selective in who they target after the picks conclude.

Here are four positions of need for the Saints to pursue on Saturday night:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5