Saints – Page 676 – Syndication Server

Drew Brees Headed to Notre Dame Broadcasts?

What kind of analyst are we talking about here for Drew Brees? Is he going to be in the booth with Mike Tirico or is he going to do the Chris Simms role and only speak before the game and at halftime?

Drew Brees is a sure-fire Pro Football Hall of Fame member the second he becomes eligible but is yet to retire. The 41 year old record holding quarterback is set to quarterback the New Orleans Saints again in 2020 but his plans in broadcasting once he career ends appear to already be set.

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports Brees has chosen NBC Sports over Monday Night Football and ESPN. What his exact role will be is yet to be determined but it may include having in hand in Notre Dame football telecasts on NBC.

When Brees retires from the Saints, he is expected to start as a game analyst on Notre Dame football and as a studio analyst for “Football Night in America.” In its recruitment of Brees, NBC sold him on it being the best place to succeed.

What kind of analyst are we talking about here? Is he going to be in the booth with Mike Tirico or is he going to do the Chris Simms role and only speak before the game and at halftime?

Doug Flutie seems like a nice enough guy but if this means his removal from the booth in favor of Brees I’d be thrilled.

Whatever Brees’ role will be I’m certain Notre Dame fans will handle the idea of a Purdue legend being on the call Fighting Irish football games just like they have with former USC and Boston College stars before.

Saints are re-signing CB P.J. Williams

The Saints are re-signing CB P.J. Williams to a one-year deal.
Last season, Williams played 14 games, making eight starts and picking off one pass.
He’s spent the last four years in New Orleans, starting 23 games in that span

Saints are re-signing CB P.J. Williams

Tom Brady’s last game in New Orleans was a pure masterpiece

Take a look at highlights from the Patriots’ win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 2 of the 2017 season.

Tom Brady signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers isn’t just great for Bucs fans — it’s great for NFL fans everywhere. Brady’s arrival to the NFC South means we’ll get two divisional games next year between the six-time Super Bowl champion and New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Brees and the Saints have been king’s of the south the past few years, a distinction Brady and the Bucs will seek to take. Brady holds a 2-1 career record against a Brees-led Saints team, with his last victory coming back in Week 2 of the 2017 season, when he and the New England Patriots won in the Superdome 36-20.

Brady’s performance in that game was nothing short of a masterpiece. He completed 30-for-39 passes for 447 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. It still ranks as the third-most passing yards Brady has ever thrown in a single game, which bodes well for the Bucs next season.

Here’s a highlight reel of that game for you to enjoy on Throwback Thursday.

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Bills spoke to Emmanuel Sanders right before Stefon Diggs trade

Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs sounds nice, but what about Allen to Emmanuel Sanders? Apparently that was legitimately a possibility.

According to Sanders, on the same day that Buffalo traded for Diggs, he had spoke to the Bills. Sanders was an unrestricted free agents this offseason who eventually signed with the Saints after his Super Bowl run with the 49ers in 2019.

“I spoke with the Bills for a little bit,” Sanders told The Rich Eisen Show. “And I told them, ‘Let me think about the idea, give me a night.’ And 30 minutes later the Stefon Diggs deal went through and I was like, ‘OK.’”

Apparently Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane was in a pretty impatient mood on March 16, the day the deal went down. Had Sanders simply accept their offer on the spot, it’s very unlike the Bills have Diggs.

On Sanders’ experience with the Bills, it does matchup with reports on the deal. Talks between Beane and Vikings general manager Rick Spielman reportedly moved fast that day and a deal came together. Buffalo was said to have “blown them away” with their offer, which included a first-round pick.

In addition, if the Bills did add Sanders instead of Diggs, it really shows how much the Bills don’t value size much. Beane and Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott have said various times that size doesn’t make a good wideout, talent does. The 33-year-old Sanders is only 5-foot-11, not a big-bodied guy… and niether is Diggs, 26, who’s only six-feet tall himself.

Buffalo could still add that type of target later this offseason with the 2020 NFL Draft still to come, but much offseason analysis of the Bills roster saw an opening for a large playmaker immediately. Evidently not. We’ll see if the Bills keep adding.

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Weather, location helped drive WR Emmanuel Sanders to pick Saints over Packers

The cold of Green Bay, a chance to play near family and the length of contract offered all helped drive Emmanuel Sanders to the Saints.

The weather and location of Green Bay were at least contributing factors to why veteran receiver Emmanuel Sanders picked the New Orleans Saints over the Packers in free agency.

Sanders, who agreed to sign a two-year deal with the Saints, told Rich Eisen of “The Rich Eisen Show” that playing indoors in the south appealed more to him than playing in the cold up in Green Bay.

“It’s just Green Bay, that cold weather, Rich, I wasn’t trying to do it, man” Sanders said. “To be in a dome 12 games out of the year in a pass-heavy offense or go to Green Bay? I can’t do it. I’d rather go to New Orleans. I’m from the south. My grandma is six hours away, can come to all the games. I can have my family drive up. It’s just a perfect opportunity for me.”

Sanders, now 33, also said the Packers offered a three-year deal, and he wanted to sign a shorter deal.

The frigid temperatures and wintery conditions in Green Bay during football season can be a major turnoff for some players, especially those from southern regions of the country. Sanders grew up near Houston, Texas, and played college football at SMU in Dallas. Like Sanders mentioned, the drive from Bellville, his hometown, to New Orleans is just over six hours.

The quarterback wasn’t a major factor. He said Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers both offered an opportunity to play with “greatness.”

The receiver-needy Packers were clearly one of the finalists to land Sanders, a two-time Pro Bowler who finished last season with the San Francisco 49ers. After Sanders agreed to sign in New Orleans, the Packers agreed to a one-year deal with former Carolina Panthers receiver Devin Funchess.

Sanders caught 66 passes for 869 yards and five touchdowns last season.

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2020 NFL MVP Odds: Is Drew Brees worth a bet?

Analyzing the betting odds to be named the NFL’s 2020 MVP, with a look at whether Drew Brees is worthy of a bet this season.

Do you think New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees has what it takes to win the 2020 NFL MVP?

We are still months away from the 2020 NFL season but it isn’t too early to start projecting who will step up and be the MVP in the upcoming season. Despite a Hall of Fame career, Brees has never won the award, even with consistently posting dominant numbers as a passer.

The 2020 MVP futures odds are already out. Let’s examine his chances, the BetMGM NFL futures odds around it happening and whether or not Brees is worth a bet.

Recent NFL MVP winners

The last seven league MVPs and 12 of the last 13 have been quarterbacks. Each of the last four MVPs led the NFL in some major passing statistic. 2019 winner Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) and 2018 winner Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) had the most touchdown passes. 2017 winner Tom Brady, then with the New England Patriots, led the NFL in passing yards. 2016 MVP Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons had the highest passer rating. In Cam Newton’s 2015 MVP season, he led the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 regular season. Aaron Rodgers’ 2014 MVP season with the Green Bay Packers was highlighted by 38 TD passes and only five interceptions. All six QBs led their team to the playoffs.

Drew Brees’ 2020 NFL MVP odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, March 27 at 3:20 p.m. ET.

BREES’ odds for winning MVP are +1400. Only three players have shorter odds. Mahomes is +325, while Jackson and Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and both +500. The top 12 favorites are all quarterbacks.

Looking to place a bet on the 2020 NFL MVP? Place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM. Bet now!

Drew Brees’ stats

A thumb injury limited Brees to 11 games last season. He still went 8-3 as the Saints made the postseason, and led the NFL in completion percentage at 74.3%. However, he failed to pass for at least 3,000 yards for the first time since 2003 when he also only played 11 games. He had 27 touchdown passes and only four interceptions last season. It was only the second time since 2007 that he did not reach 30 TD passes. He led them to the playoffs for the third year in a row as the Saints won the NFC South each time.

Is Drew Brees worth a 2020 NFL MVP bet?

This offseason, the Saints added another top receiver by signing free agent Emmanuel Sanders to pair with Michael Thomas. The Saints are set up as the favorites to win the NFC South once again with plans of playing deep into the postseason. If Brees is healthy, he should put up big numbers for a really good Saints team. That makes him ABSOLUTELY WORTH A BET AS THE LEAGUE MVP AT +1400.

Want action on the 2020 NFL MVP award? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Saints sign CB Janoris Jenkins to 2-year extension

The Saints have signed CB Janoris Jenkins to a 2-year extension worth $16.75 million in new money.
Jenkins still had one year left on his deal, so he’s signed through 2022.
Jenkins played two games with the Saints after being acquired from the Giants last year, recording 7 tackles and 1 INT

Saints sign CB Janoris Jenkins to 2-year extension

Saints re-sign DE Noah Spence

The Saints are re-signing defensive end Noah Spence, according to Field Yates of ESPN.
The Saints signed Spence in December after he was cut by the Redskins, but he didn’t appear in any games.
In four NFL seasons, he has 7.5 sacks and 37 tackles