Tag: Stats

Cardinals reunite ex-Saints cornerbacks Ken Crawley, B.W. Webb

The Arizona Cardinals signed free agents Ken Crawley and B.W. Webb, who started much of the 2016 season for the New Orleans Saints.

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Two former members of the New Orleans Saints ended up together again, when the Arizona Cardinals announced the signings of cornerbacks Ken Crawley and B.W. Webb. The moves followed a season-ending injury to starting cornerback Robert Alford, and preceded another veteran pickup in Dre Kirkpatrick. For their part, the Saints recently worked out two undrafted free agent cornerbacks, though neither has been signed just yet.

Webb appeared in 14 games for the Saints back in 2016, logging 8 starts and 587 combined defensive snaps. He’s continued to make a journey around the NFL since then, spending the 2018 season with the New York Giants and playing for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019 (where he and Kirkpatrick were teammates).

As for Crawley: 2016 was his rookie season, and he initially played well in 15 games (starting 5 of them, totaling 502 snaps on defense). But his play trailed off with more exposure to NFL offenses, and he was released in 2019 after appearing in just one game. He played four games with the Miami Dolphins but wasn’t kept around over the summer, and now he has a chance to catch on with Arizona.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Webb and Crawley can carve out a role with the Cardinals. It also says a lot that players who once started frequently for the Saints have been pushed off the depth chart as the team upgraded over the years. It’s just another reminder that the Saints invested a lot of resources into overhauling their roster, and now they’re reaping the benefits.

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Ty Montgomery impressing RB, WR coaches at Saints training camp

Ty Montgomery has been an early standout at New Orleans Saints training camp, impressing coaches at both running back and wide receiver.

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While he may skirt the NFL’s too-strict rules on jersey numbers and get away with wearing No. 88, Ty Montgomery doesn’t play wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints. He’s every inch a running back, even if the Saints coaching staff is open to trying him out at a variety of alignments. Based off what some of Montgomery’s coaches had to say, that’s the only logical move.

“Extremely good player,” said Saints receivers coach Curtis Johnson. “He’s been spending most of time in the running backs room. I love what I see. He has great hands, he can run real, real well. He’s a catch-and-run guy. Extremely good balance, great vision. He runs routes that let you know he’s a receiver, also.”

Johnson added that he’s devoting as much time as he can to coaching up Montgomery, but he’s only allowed so much — at the end of the day, most of Montgomery’s time is spent working alongside the other running backs.

And Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas is eager to work with him, saying: “As a runner I see him as this piece of putty that hasn’t had a lot of experience even though he’s listed as a running back. He’s been moved around from room to room as a running back, wide receiver, maybe a scatback.”

In his NFL career, Montgomery has appeared in 62 games (including the playoffs), but only amassed 2,185 total yards from scrimmage — an average of just 35.2 yards per game. Depending on your perspective, that could mean that Montgomery has plenty of untapped potential, or that he hasn’t played well enough in either role to earn a heavier workload with his previous three teams.

But Thomas can be counted among the optimists on this tone. He pushed back against the notion that Montgomery may be just a “gadget player” limited to screens, sweeps, and other one-dimensional plays; he’s seen the veteran make the right decisions as a runner on inside-zone calls, secure clean catches downfield, and even hold up in pass protection.

He continued, “You can see the versatility that he has that might create a mismatch problem when he gets out on the field. He wears 88, he might be recognized as a receiver at the time. We’ll see how it unfolds.”

So while Montgomery’s path towards making the team will be focused on how well he plays as a conventional running back, position coaches at both spots feel like he has the juice to add an element to the Saints offense. While he still has weeks of work ahead to claim a spot on the 53-man roster, it’s hard to not be excited by these early reviews.

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NFL analyst predicts best & worst case scenarios for Alabama rookies

NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah predicts the best, worst case scenarios for Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy and Henry ruggs in their rookie seasons.

Alabama lost three of their most important offensive pieces to the 2020 NFL draft. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III are now spread throughout the league after all being early first-round selections.

They were all key contributors to the Crimson Tide during their time in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Now, the question we must ask is: “how will they fare in the NFL?”

NFL.com’s media analyst Daniel Jeremiah predicts the best and worst case scenarios for numerous high-profile rookies in the 2020 season, including the former Alabama stars.

Here’s what Jeremiah had to say:

Jerry Jeudy – Denver Broncos

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Jeudy was selected with the No. 15 overall pick by the Denver Broncos and is expected to play well across from pro Bowl receiver Courtland Sutton.

Best case scenario:

“Jeudy benefits from the presence of Courtland Sutton and dominates his one-on-one matchups,” writes Jeremiah. “His quickness causes fits in the slot and he quickly emerges as Drew Lock’s favorite third-down target.”

Worst case scenario;

“The Broncos lean on the running game and that limits Jeudy’s production,” writes Jeremiah. “Lock spreads the ball around to Denver’s talented array of young skill-position players. The offense has success as a group, but there aren’t any eye-popping individual numbers.”

Jeremiah predicts Jeudy will record 58 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns.

Next … another star receiver

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Sean Payton: Deonte Harris is a quick study, and ‘more mature beyond his years’

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton was as impressed as anyone by rookie return man Deonte Harris, and thinks he can take another step.

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It feels like a sure thing that Deonte Harris will make plays for the New Orleans Saints in the return game. His breakout rookie season ended with a trip to the Pro Bowl and recognition on the All-Pro list for his efforts on special teams, giving the Saints their most dynamic threat in the game’s third phase since Darren Sproles was fielding punts and kickoffs.

That part isn’t a mystery. But what has puzzled fans is how big of a role Harris could play on offense in his second year in the NFL. When asked how much development Harris has made over the summer as a conventional wide receiver, Saints coach Sean Payton was all smiles.

“Quite a bit,” Payton replied in his media conference call after practice. “He’s one of those players that is a little bit more mature beyond his years. As you’re around him, for someone who’s come from such a small program, he can pick things up very quickly, retain them, and then take them to the field. And it’s just up to us now really to continue to build and have packages for him and get him more involved offensively as well as in the kicking game. But he is a smart player and there’s a maturity to his game that’s very impressive.”

Harris starred at Assumption College in Massachusetts, winning a couple of NCAA all-division records for the appropriately-named Greyhounds. And he made a seamless transition from playing in front of 1,200-strong crowds to shredding NFL teams in 70,000-seat venues like the Superdome.

Based off what he’s seen so far in training camp, Payton seems optimistic that Harris can handle a heavier workload. If the Saints can get their electric return man more involved in the playbook, whether on designed touches or as one of their top four wideouts, he could add a real second gear to the offense that’s been lacking in recent years. And that should get fans excited.

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Saints coaches talk up Marcus Davenport: ‘He’s really turned the corner’

The hype is building at New Orleans Saints training camp for third-year defensive end Marcus Davenpot, who has his own lofty goals to reach.

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There’s high hopes for Marcus Davenport in 2020, but the New Orleans Saints defensive end might have loftier expectations for himself than what anyone could project onto him. He wants to outplay his All-Pro teammate Cameron Jordan this year, and while his coaches agree that’s a lot to hope for, they’re encouraged by the work Davenport has put in to chase that goal.

“You’re seeing a bigger, stronger, (but) still athletic player out there,” said Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen after Wednesday’s practice. Nielsen clarified that Davenport has gotten his weight up to around 280 pounds, a 15-pound gain from his rookie year, and that Davenport’s 6-foot-6 frame carries it well.

Nielsen continued: “So he’s able to do some things — striking blocks and holding the point and the edge in the run game, create some knock-back and some more power in the pass rush. With that weight and keeping that athleticism, that’s where he’s really turned the corner of like, ‘I really can do the things that they’re asking me to do.'”

Davenport took a big step forward in 2019, ranking second-best on the team in both sacks (6) and quarterback hits (16) while leading the Saints defense in forced fumbles (3). If he can rebound from a season-ending Lisfranc injury and progress even further, as he and his coaches expect him to, there’s no telling how great he can be.

Sean Payton was also pleased by how Davenport started the summer, especially considering how much time he had to spend in the trainers’ room recovering from surgery last year.

“I like how he’s put together right now, his weight’s up, and I think his strength is up,” Payton said in his media conference call after practice. “So, so far, so good. In this camp, I think he certainly understands the defense now. And putting practices together like he’s doing and working on his technique, it’s good to have him back out there.”

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All-Pro Saints returner Deonte Harris placed on reserve/COVID-19 list

The New Orleans Saints designated wide receiver Deonte Harris, a 2019 Pro Bowler and AP All-Pro, to their reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday.

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The latest round of COVID-19 testing from around the NFL has returned results, and New Orleans Saints wide receiver Deonte Harris was designated to the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill first reported the news.

It’s important to remember that this alone doesn’t mean Harris has been infected with COVID-19; his test result could have been a false positive. Two of his Saints teammates rejoined the team last week after initially being listed on reserve/COVID-19, with linebacker Kaden Ellis and long snapper Zach Wood spending a few days away from the Saints until twice retesting negative.

So stay tuned for an update on Harris in the days ahead. He’s probably already scheduled a retest over the weekend.

Harris was a breakout star for the Saints in 2019, playing well enough in training camp and the preseason to earn a spot on the opening-day roster. He went on to earn recognition at the Pro Bowl and on the AP All-Pro list after racking up a league-leading 338 punt return yards, also ranking up NFL leaders in kick return yards (644). He was sensational in the playoffs, too, shredding the Minnesota Vikings with 133 kick return yards and another 44 yards off of punts. Not bad for a rookie out of small-school Assumption College. Hopefully he’ll be cleared to return to the squad soon.

In the meantime, the Saints have a few other candidates to try out for returning punts and kickoffs. Undrafted rookie Marquez Callaway was a successful return man at Tennessee, fielding 40 punts for 543 return yards and three touchdowns in his four-year career. Callaway also returned 8 kickoffs for 86 yards.

On the other hand, free agent pickup Ty Montgomery has plenty of NFL experience in the kicking game. He’s returned 53 kicks in 58 games played, totaling 1,158 return yards. It’s possible the Saints lean on Callaway for punt returns with Montgomery chipping in on kicks during Harris’s absence.

Saints veterans like Alvin Kamara and Taysom Hill have dabbled in the return game in the past; Kamara included a 106-yard kick return touchdown in his 2017 rookie year highlights. But both players are more integral to the offense now than they’ve been in the past, so it would make sense for the team to try out some of the fresh talent joining them in training camp.

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2 former Alabama stars projected to be NFL stat leaders

Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com projects two former Alabama stars to lead the league in their respective stats.

The Alabama Crimson Tide has stars that make headlines and top draft boards every season at the collegiate level. The program’s credibility extends beyond college and enters the NFL. Two former Alabama players are projected to lead the league in stats for their respective positions.

NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund  wrote about her projections for each prominent NFL statistic. She included former Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones and former Crimson Tide running back Derrick Henry in the list.

Receiving yards – Julio Jones

Julio Jones
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Jones is expected to lead the NFL in receiving yards, according to Frelund’s projection, with 1,510. Jones is no stranger to the title, as he has led the league in receiving yards twice in his career, in 2015 and 2018.

Frelund explains why she believes the Falcons wide receiver will be the leader:

“The return of the deep ball in Atlanta?! Last season, Matt Ryan only attempted a deep pass (20-plus air yards, per Next Gen Stats) on 8.9 percent of his throws — the quarterback’s lowest rate since 2016. And in the 2019 campaign, despite the fact that Atlanta’s intended starting O-line played fewer than 10 percent of snaps together, Jones still managed to earn the second-most receiving first downs in the league (77). Given better health on the offensive line, the offseason addition of tight end Hayden Hurst and the intense, high-flying competition we all expect from the NFC South, Jones slightly edges out Michael Thomas in projected receiving yards. The Falcons star earns more than 1,500 receiving yards in 55.1 percent of simulations.”

Rushing yards – Derrick Henry

Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Frelund believes Alabama’s former Heisman-winning running back will lead the NFL in rushing yards for a second consecutive season with 1,380.

The projected amount is fewer than Henry’s 2019 season total, 1540, but is still expected to be enough.

She cites Henry’s ability to be the main contributor to the Tennessee Titans offense as the reason.

“Last season, Henry’s 1,540 rushing yards completely unlocked the Titans’ success on offense. Expect to see more of the same in 2020, with Arthur Smith’s offensive architecture maximizing the strengths of his weapons. Henry earns more than 1,300 yards in a ridiculous 66 percent of simulations and more than 1,500 in 51.6 percent.”

 

C.J. Gardner-Johnson says he’s changing his name

Former Florida Gators DB and New Orleans Saints safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson said on Instagram that he’s changing his name to Ceedy Duce.

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One of the most electrifying players for the New Orleans Saints will be answering to a new name in 2020: second-year safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson announced on his personal Instagram account that he is changing his name to “Ceedy Duce,” describing his decision as it being “time to pave my way for my own.”

It’s not the first time the safety formerly known as Gardner-Johnson has switched things up. He spent his first two years with the Florida Gators listed as Chauncey Gardner Jr.; in his junior year, he hyphenated his last name to honor his stepfather Brian Johnson.

And when he went pro, he began going by C.J., rather than “Chauncey Jr.” So this isn’t a unprecedented behavior for him, though the meaning behind “Ceedy Duce” isn’t very clear. For now, the roster on the official Saints website lists him as C.J. Gardner-Johnson. We’ll keep an eye out for when and if it changes.

Gardner-Johnson, or Duce, joined the Saints as a fourth-round draft pick last summer and rapidly climbed the depth chart for his playmaking ability. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound defensive back started 7 of 16 games played, doing most of his damage while covering the slot. He deflected 8 passes while returning an interception 28 yards, and fielding a fumble 37 yards. 38 of his 49 combined tackles were solo stops, including half a dozen tackles for loss.

It’s a promising start to his career. Now we’ll see whether he can carve out a starting job while surrounded by a group of veterans including Malcolm Jenkins, P.J. Williams, and Patrick Robinson. Whether he ends up playing mostly in the box as a safety or in the slot as the team’s nickel defender, he’s sure to make an impact.

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Bennie Fowler joined Saints after workout with Emmanuel Sanders, Drew Brees

The New Orleans Saints reunited two former Denver Broncos, Emmanuel Sanders and Bennie Fowler, after Drew Brees put them through their paces

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The NFL is woven together by connections. Connections between coaches who have worked together at the pro and college levels, connections between players who were teammates on different squads — you name it, and it’s probably factored into some shot-caller’s decision-making at some point.

And that might be the case for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Bennie Fowler. The 29-year old free agent signed with the Saints earlier this week following a wave of roster cuts and several opt-outs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, helping round out the depth chart to an NFL-mandated 80 contracts.

But before that, Fowler picked up the phone when Emmanuel Sanders called to invite him to a workout with Drew Brees.

Sanders explained his background with Fowler in a media conference call: “Bennie’s been my boy ever since he came into the Broncos locker room. I took him under my wing and he became my workout buddy. So every Tuesday we would have days off, me and Bennie would meet up at the Broncos facility and throw passes for like an hour and work on our game and work on different mentalities.”

Brees flew into Denver back in June, where Sanders lives and trains during the offseason, and where Fowler still resides after joining the Broncos back in 2014. He spent the last two seasons playing a bit part in the New York Giants offense, but maintains a regular workout schedule with Sanders over the summer. That familiarity just might have helped him land a job.

“And then Drew comes in and Drew says that, like if I could bring another guy it would be good because he wanted to get some extra work in as well,” Sanders recounted. “So I told Bennie, who was a free agent, so it worked out that way. Which is pretty cool because now after every practice, me and him we would stay after, just like we did in Denver, working on our game and catching passes. So it has been cool.”

It’s possible that Brees saw something to like in the fleet-footed Fowler; he was credited with a 4.38-second time in the 40-yard dash at his Michigan State pro day, way back when, but Sanders is quick to insist he’s faster now because he’s a little shorter and lighter than his longtime training partner. Whatever influence Brees may have on who joins the Saints for training camp, Fowler fills a hole now as one of the faster receivers on the team.

Fowler also has a footnote in history as the last NFL player to catch a pass thrown by Peyton Manning, having scored on a two-point conversion in Super Bowl 50. Maybe his experience playing with one NFL legend will help him win a roster spot when paired with another.

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Marcus Davenport’s goal for 2020? Outplay Cameron Jordan

New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport has a simple goal for 2020: outplay Cameron Jordan, the All-Pro who had 15.5 sacks in 2019

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Expectations are high for Marcus Davenport. The big defensive end has fought through injuries early in his New Orleans Saints career, slowed by a critical turf toe issue in 2018 before getting sidelined with a Lisfranc break in 2019.

Despite those setbacks, he only needs to log seven sacks in 2020 to crack the Saints’ top-20 sack leaders in franchise history. He bagged six sacks in 13 games last year, and has already notched more of them in first two years put together (10.5) than the superstar lining up opposite him: Cameron Jordan, who racked up nine sacks between his first two seasons.

Davenport has taken what Jordan’s taught him and ran with it. The two got closer during the long offseason while rehabbing injuries (Davenport had his foot issue, while Jordan dealt with post-season surgery), spending a lot of time in the trainer’s room, and Davenport took Jordan’s lessons to heart.

“I had the chance to be around Cam and you know, watch how he works. And so my goal is, shoot, I’m trying to be better than Cam,” Davenport said in a media conference call. Obviously he’s one of the best and I think that’s a good goal, try to model (after him). I would say my aspirations (are) to just try to be better. He always says ‘1% better each day’ and so if I can do better than Cam, I’m doing something right.”

Jordan had a personal-best 15.5 sacks of his own in 2019, so that’s quite a lofty goal to chase. And Davenport knows that. But the 23-year old already understands that the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint, and day-to-day consistency is what will help win the day.

He continued: “I just say better than Cam when I just talk about statistics. I tell Cam I always want one more sack than he has. And so when I think of it as like more of a competition. That’s a driving force always present.”

If nothing else, that’s some serious motivation. And Davenport achieving anything close to Jordan’s production would be tremendous. He started the 2019 season on pace to create nearly 100 quarterback pressures, and still showed great growth over his rookie-year performance. If Davenport’s body recovers well, he just might be able to beat his own sky-high expectations.

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