Tag: Report

Dennis Allen shoots down report about Saints’ Michael Penix Jr. trade talks

Dennis Allen shot down a report about Saints’ Michael Penix Jr. trade talks: ‘It was never discussed that we would move up for a quarterback’

The Atlanta Falcons put themselves in the middle of controversy to kick off the 2024 NFL draft by picking Michael Penix Jr. just one month after they signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a landmark free agent contract — and New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen wants it known that’s a landmine his team wasn’t about to step on.

Dueling reports have said the Saints were among teams looking to trade up into the top 10 picks, targeting Penix, while local outlets have said those conversations never happened. When asked whether they had explored that trade, as had been reported, Allen responded with a flat “No.”

“It was never discussed that we would move up for a quarterback,” Allen continued. “I think any time there’s a quarterback that you think has a chance to be your future quarterback, it’s always something that you’re going to consider. I had heard that report, it was brought to my attention (Thursday) night, but there was zero effort on our part to move up for a quarterback. There’s always discussions about trading up or trading back, but none of those were in an attempt to get a quarterback.”

Allen acknowledged that the quarterback is the most important position on the field, though he noted that the team is happy with the quarterbacks that they have. They didn’t feel a compulsion to chase another quarterback early in this draft, and they didn’t discuss any of this year’s prospects with the 14th pick. It’ll be Derek Carr starting with Jake Haener fighting off Nathan Peterman and Kellen Mond behind him this summer.

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Report: Saints among teams that tried to trade up for Michael Penix Jr.

NFL Media’s James Palmer reports that the Saints were among teams who tried to trade up for Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons’ surprise first-round QB:

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft could have been even wackier. NFL Media’s James Palmer reports that the New Orleans Saints were one of three teams who tried to trade up for Michael Penix Jr., the Atlanta Falcons’ surprise first-round quarterback. Palmer adds that the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas  Raiders also tried to get into the top 10 picks targeting Penix.

And that would have been a baffling pick for New Orleans. Derek Carr has his share of detractors after a rough first season in black and gold, so it’s worth looking into a better backup plan than what the Saints fielded last year. But trading up, spending more picks, and bypassing more immediate needs along the offensive line would have been a mistake.

So it’s a good thing that Penix landed with the Saints’ archrivals instead. No one was more surprised by that development than Kirk Cousins, who the Falcons signed to a lucrative free agent contract just one month ago, and who had not received word that the plan was to draft his replacement. It’s shaping up for a rocky quarterback situation in Atlanta, while the Saints look stronger after drafting a new starter at right tackle in Taliese Fuaga.

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Report: Saints among teams that tried to trade up for Michael Penix Jr.

NFL Media’s James Palmer reports that the Saints were among teams who tried to trade up for Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons’ surprise first-round QB:

The first round of the 2024 NFL draft could have been even wackier. NFL Media’s James Palmer reports that the New Orleans Saints were one of three teams who tried to trade up for Michael Penix Jr., the Atlanta Falcons’ surprise first-round quarterback. Palmer adds that the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas  Raiders also tried to get into the top 10 picks targeting Penix.

And that would have been a baffling pick for New Orleans. Derek Carr has his share of detractors after a rough first season in black and gold, so it’s worth looking into a better backup plan than what the Saints fielded last year. But trading up, spending more picks, and bypassing more immediate needs along the offensive line would have been a mistake.

So it’s a good thing that Penix landed with the Saints’ archrivals instead. No one was more surprised by that development than Kirk Cousins, who the Falcons signed to a lucrative free agent contract just one month ago, and who had not received word that the plan was to draft his replacement. It’s shaping up for a rocky quarterback situation in Atlanta, while the Saints look stronger after drafting a new starter at right tackle in Taliese Fuaga.

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Report: Saints calling teams to trade up in Round 1 of 2024 draft

NFL Media draft expert Daniel Jeremiah reports that the Saints are calling teams about trading up in Round 1 of the 2024 draft:

Are we in for another Mickey Loomis special? NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah shared a big piece of information in his final 2024 mock draft, which he had previously only alluded to on social media.

“The Saints have been calling teams to try to trade up, and I assume they want one of the top offensive tackles,” Jeremiah wrote, predicting the Saints will ultimately stay put and select Washington Huskies left tackle Troy Fautanu. He continued, “I’m not sure how they have the OTs stacked on their board, but I do feel highly confident that New Orleans will be taking a bookend blocker in Round 1.”

Jeremiah has been on the Saints’ case for a while; he previously tweeted that he couldn’t find a team with a bigger need in this draft class than the Saints have at offensive tackle, later adding that everything he’s hearing from sources around the league is that teams are working the phones to move up in trades for their favorite offensive tackles.

Which leads us to two different conclusions. The reasonable takeaway would be that the Saints are such an obvious fit for a first-round offensive tackle that other teams are working to move ahead of them, in case the blocker they like most is in New Orleans’ sights. If a team rates, say, Alabama’s JC Latham highest but fears the Saints will pick him, they’ll be calling now to try and leapfrog New Orleans.

Now the other conclusion: it’s the Saints themselves who are trying to get out in front. That’s backed up by what Jeremiah is reporting in his final mock draft, and it’s reasonable to think Loomis would work the phones upon hearing how other teams are trying to move ahead of him. It’s clear that the Saints desperately need a bookend tackle (two, really; Trevor Penning hasn’t earned anyone’s trust on the left side).

If Loomis sees a path towards getting this year’s best blocker, he’s going to act aggressively and pursue it. He has the rare job security to justify it. If the pick busts like Penning or Marcus Davenport, he’s confident he’ll be safe. He’s gotten away with these bad gambles before and he’ll try them again, sooner or later. Maybe he tries it as soon as Thursday night. It just seems ill-advised when this is such a deep draft class at offensive tackle. The Saints could probably stay put and still get a starting-quality blocker (like Fautanu), or else a difference-maker at another position. We’ll see how it plays out soon enough.

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Chiefs to sign former Pro Bowl QB Carson Wentz

The Kansas City #Chiefs are expected to sign Carson Wentz to serve as Patrick Mahomes’ backup in 2024.

The Kansas City Chiefs are adding extra Pro Bowl experience to their quarterback room this offseason.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, former Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Wentz is signing with the Chiefs. The contract is reportedly a one-year deal, and complete details haven’t been released yet.

Wentz was the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2017. The Eagles won Super Bowl LII that season after Wentz went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 14.

Wentz spent last season as a backup for the Los Angeles Rams, appearing in two games after being signed on Nov. 8. He won his lone start and was 17 of 24 with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score.

After five seasons in Philadelphia, he had one-season stops with the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders.

The Chiefs had Blaine Gabbert as the backup quarterback last season behind Patrick Mahomes, and the veteran victoriously started the regular-season finale. Wentz has significant game experience and should do a sufficient job, assuming Brett Veach doesn’t bring in anyone else before training camp.

Cameron Jordan had ankle surgery, on track for offseason program

A midseason ankle injury slowed Cameron Jordan down in a big way last year. He’s since had surgery, and isn’t expected to miss a day of the Saints’ offseason program:

It’s no secret that Cameron Jordan didn’t look like himself in 2023. He played in all 17 games but only bagged two sacks and three tackles for loss, the lowest totals since his rookie season way back in 2011. The New Orleans Saints defensive end underwent offseason surgery to get right. Both Jordan and his coaches blame his poor production on that midseason ankle injury, but head coach Dennis Allen doesn’t expect him to miss any time in spring training while healing up.

“I don’t think it’s going to be anything that’s going to keep him out of the spring,” Allen told reporters at NFL owners meetings this week. Teams with returning head coaches, like the Saints, are allowed to open their offseason program on April 15.

While he doesn’t anticipate any setbacks from this ankle surgery, Allen did point out that the team plans on lightening Jordan’s offseason work to keep him fresh and rested when the season kicks off in September.

Allen continued: “I do think when you have a guy like Cam who’s getting a little older, how much do we do with him in the spring, how much do we do with him in training camp, I think those are all things that we’ve got to take into account when we’re dealing with a more veteran player.”

Jordan will turn 35 in June, making him one of the oldest players in the NFL along with his teammate Demario Davis. Their only senior among the league’s defenders is Calais Campbell. Left tackle Trent Williams and quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and Russell Wilson are the other active players who can say they’re older than Jordan.

It isn’t unusual for the Saints to scale back practice reps for older players to save them for the regular season. They took that approach with Drew Brees in the final years of his career, too. Giving Jordan a day off here or there could pay off.

But the most important thing is recovering fully from this ankle injury. Jordan’s snap counts plummeted after he suffered both lower and higher ankle sprains in his left foot, and he wasn’t able to push the pocket on passing downs because of it. The hope is he can return to health and bounce back.

What complicates things is that both Jordan and the player he figures to split snaps with, Chase Young, are each recovering from surgeries. Any time they miss — and, again, Allen said Jordan should be back soon — is going to disrupt the chemistry in that group at defensive end. Hopefully everyone can heal up and get time in training camp to work together and develop a plan for attacking Week 1 in September.

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Report: Saints spent ‘extensive time’ with SMU draft prospect Jordan Miller

The Saints were one of two teams to spend ‘extensive time’ with 2024 draft prospect Jordan Miller at SMU’s pro day. The other team was a division rival:

Here’s a name to file away for draft day: Jordan Miller. Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline reports that the New Orleans Saints were one of two teams to spend “extensive time” interviewing the defensive tackle after SMU’s pro day for 2024 NFL draft prospects on Wednesday. The other team, Pauline adds, was a division rival — the Carolina Panthers.

Snubbed by the NFL Scouting Combine after an impressive week of practices at the Shrine Bowl, Miller weighed in at 6-foot-2 and 304 pounds and hit above-average marks in all of his athletic testing drills.

Miller transferred to SMU from Miami as a graduate student in 2023; he never played more than 300 snaps in a single season with the Hurricanes before stepping into a bigger role with the Mustangs, logging 451 reps last season. Miller produced a career-high 26 tackles (12 solo) in 2023, along with 4 tackles for loss, half a sack, and a pass breakup. His work in the middle of SMU’s defensive line helped the Mustangs limit opposing offenses to just 3.4 yards per carry on the way to an 11-3 finish.

He’s seen as a late-round prospect in the 2024 draft, and meetings at pro days in March like this one can pay off later when the Saints are competing with other teams in recruiting undrafted free agents. Like most teams, they also give scouts and position coaches the opportunity to stump for a prospect in the draft’s final rounds, too, and Miller making a good impression here could sway someone to stand on a table for him on the last Saturday in April.

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Injury report released for Wisconsin vs Purdue in Big Ten Tournament semifinal

Update on Wisconsin’s Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl and Purdue’s Braden Smith:

Wisconsin guard Chucky Hepburn and forward Tyler Wahl are listed as questionable for the Badgers’ Big Ten Tournament semifinal matchup with Purdue on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Purdue guard Braden Smith is listed as a game-time decision after leaving the Boilermakers’ win over Michigan State with a knee injury.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers vs Purdue Boilermakers: TV channel, betting line, game notes for Big Ten Tournament semifinal

The No. 5-seed Badgers and No. 1-seed Boilermakers meet with a spot in the Big Ten Tournament final on the line. The winner will take on the winner of No. 6 Indiana vs No. 2 Illinois.

Purdue won both matchups against Wisconsin during the regular season including a narrow 78-70 win in West Lafayette on March 10.

Wisconsin will hope to have its stars available when the game tips off at 1 p.m. eastern.

UPDATE: Both Hepburn and Wahl are starting for Wisconsin

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Report: NFL’s 2024 salary cap may approach $250 million

Pro Football Talk reports that the NFL’s 2024 salary cap may reach $250 million. Every dollar counts when you spend as much as the Saints:

We’re still a ways out from the NFL setting the salary cap for 2024 — it’s expected to be confirmed during or after the league’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next week — but the early murmurs are positive for teams riding tight against the spending limit like the New Orleans Saints.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio shares that one source believes the cap will fall “closer to $250 million” than the previously-expected $243 million. Whether or not Florio’s information is accurate, there is a sentiment around the league that this year’s salary cap will rise further than anticipated.

That’s big news for the Saints, who are spending more money than any other team: Over The Cap estimates that they have more than $325 million on the books right now. A series of restructures following their usual strategy are expected, deferring payments into later years for accounting purposes, which will help the team reach cap compliance and then some. If they’re compelled to open up resources this year and sign more players, they can get under the cap by as much $30 million by maxing out their credit cards.

As always, the question is whether that aggressive approach is worth it. The two most important people in their organization, head coach Dennis Allen and quarterback Derek Carr, have never won a playoff game. The roster is aging — particularly on defense — and there’s an argument to be made that they should play it more conservatively, pay off what they can now, and rebuild for sustained success.

Just don’t expect it. General manager Mickey Loomis is moving desperately to prove he was as responsible for the team’s success when Sean Payton and Drew Brees were in town, and getting the Saints to the playoffs without either of them would help his case. Fans should look for more big moves in New Orleans as the Saints chase what’s become an elusive NFC South title.

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Mickey Loomis shoots down rumor, says he isn’t stepping down as GM

Mickey Loomis shoots down rumor, says he isn’t stepping down or changing his title as Saints general manager and executive vice president:

Forget what you read on social media: Mickey Loomis isn’t going anywhere. The New Orleans Saints general manager and executive vice president was asked about a rumor going around in fan communities online that he would be moving to a different role in the organization, freeing up one of his top assistants to succeed him as general manager.

And Loomis dismissed it as just that: a rumor.

“Somebody just made that up,” Loomis said. “That’s never been discussed or talked about.”

Loomis added that he could wake up one day and feel differently about his place in the organization, but as of now the course is set. He’ll remain in place as the team’s top decision-maker both in title and in practice.

That’s all happening in the wake of interview requests from other teams hoping to poach talent from the Saints’ front office. Loomis acknowledged that assistant general managers Khai Harley and Jeff Ireland were sought out by the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Chargers, respectively, and he added that pro personnel director Michael Parenton is someone else he regards highly within their organization. Harley manages the salary cap, and Ireland covers the college scouting department, and there’s a chance both of them leave town in the near future.

That would be a mistake. Loomis might be the longest-tenured general manager in the league but he doesn’t have much to show for it without Sean Payton and Drew Brees. His Saints teams have gone a combined 44-54 from 2002 to 2005 and 2022 to 2023, before and after Payton was leading them. A lot was made of Loomis guiding the Saints to 200-plus career wins this season but Payton takes credit for 152 of them (and Super Bowl XLIV).

Losing talented executives like Ireland and Harley to protect Loomis’ job security is, well, laughable. But Loomis was all laughs at his end-of-year press conference on Wednesday. He isn’t going anywhere until he’s good and ready, and he took this opportunity to remind everyone watching that he’s in control here. Ownership won’t force him out, and he isn’t about to give up his title to benefit someone else. He wants to prove he can win without Payton. If that means standing by a coach like Dennis Allen, well — good luck.

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