Tag: Tre’quan Smith

Saints aren’t tendering wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr.

The Saints aren’t tendering Lynn Bowden Jr., which means only 3 of the 11 wide receivers who played for them last year are set to return for 2024:

Get ready for a new-look New Orleans Saints wide receiver corps in 2024. The Saints will not be tendering veteran wideout Lynn Bowden Jr., per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, which will make him a free agent when the new league year begins on March 13.

This isn’t too surprising in itself. Bowden primarily worked as a blocker and decoy for the Saints, only drawing 16 targets in 15 games last year while catching 11 passes for 83 yards, picking up a pair of first downs. He also recorded 5 rushing attempts for 32 yards on the ground, moving the chains three times. He was a serviceable emergency returns specialist, averaging 7.6 yards per punt return and 21.3 yards per kick return. That isn’t production teams pay top-dollar for.

But things are interesting under the surface. Fowler initially said that Bowden was an exclusive rights free agent, not a restricted free agent, which he later said was a mistake. Not tendering Bowden as a restricted free agent made sense because it costs at least $2,985,000. Re-signing Bowden at the league-minimum salary is an option.

Maybe he returns later as a minimum signing, but it’s possible that the Saints will be moving on as offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak revamps the receiving corps. Bowden is the latest wideout from New Orleans’ 2023 team to depart thus far. Let’s break it down:

  • Michael Thomas will enter free agency on Wednesday after being released from his contract
  • Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers after his practice squad deal expired
  • Shaquan Davis chose to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles in similar circumstances
  • Kirk Merritt is playing for the UFL’s Houston Roughnecks
  • Jontre Kirklin is with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas as well
  • Keith Kirkwood will be an unrestricted free agent, too
  • If you’re curious, the Detroit Lions signed Tre’Quan Smith

Which leaves Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and A.T. Perry as the only receivers returning for the 2024 season (so far). It’s possible Kirkwood and Bowden return at some point but Kubiak has a big opportunity to retool this depth chart. Stay tuned to learn what his plan for accomplishing that is.

Update: Fowler corrected his report, clarifying that Bowden was a restricted free agent (RFA), not an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA). So that confusion can be chalked up to a typo. Maybe the NFL can workshop some abbreviations which aren’t so easy to mistake for one another?

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Two other teams sign a couple of former Saints wide receivers

The Saints only have a handful of receivers signed for 2024, and players they brought into training camp last year are getting snapped up by other teams:

Do the New Orleans Saints have a problem at wide receiver? Maybe, maybe not. Not in the sense that they don’t have good players: Chris Olave and A.T. Perry are returning for 2024, and Rashid Shaheed will come back on an exclusive-rights free agent deal, too.

But Michael Thomas is on the way out; his contract is set up for him to be released as a post-June 1 cut in March. And at some point the Saints need to start signing players to fill out practice reps at training camp. New Orleans brought a dozen receivers into camp last summer and right now they only have two (technically three). Of those twelve receivers, three are still with the Saints (including Thomas), three are on other teams, and six are free agents (including Shaheed, whose only CBA-allowed option is to re-sign with the Saints). A thirteenth receiver, Jontre Kirklin, arrived late in camp and is currently competing with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas.

And some of those players who competed in camp last year are getting snapped up by other teams. The New England Patriots signed former seventh-round draft pick Kawaan Baker to a reserve/future deal this week, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. So did Tre’Quan Smith, who is going to the Detroit Lions, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Several practice squad receivers were not retained after the 2023 season. Fan-favorite rookie Shaquan Davis left for the Philadelphia Eagles. Longtime backup Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There aren’t many familiar names left out there.

Ideally the Saints would add enough quality players to keep them on the practice squad if they’re in consideration at all. But that’s not the point. They could run into trouble relying on a ton of undrafted rookies to fill out the depth chart. Odds are they’ll sign some veterans in free agency in March, though it’s possible a couple of qualifying players could sign reserve/future deals in the near future.

Why the delay? The Saints don’t have a wide receivers coach right now. They know that Klint Kubiak will be their offensive coordinator, but missing a position coach could complicate things. They need a clear vision of what to look for in evaluating new additions. Until Kubiak is officially hired and a receivers coach named, this process may continue to draw out.

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Lions sign former Saints WR to reserve/future contract

Lions sign former Saints WR Tre’Quan Smith to reserve/future contract

The burgeoning reserve/future contract stable of players for the Detroit Lions keeps growing. A day after inking offensive lineman Netane Muti to a deal, the Lions locked up wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith to a future contract.

Smith, 28, spent the 2023 season with the Denver Broncos. He played in one game, notching 10 snaps and no stats for Denver. Smith is best known for his years with the New Orleans Saints.

A third-round pick out of UCF in the 2018 NFL draft, Smith started 35 games in five seasons in New Orleans. His best season came in 2020, when the 6-foot-1 Smith caught 34 passes for 448 yards and four touchdowns. He suffered a groin injury at the end of the 2023 preseason and was placed on I.R. by the Saints, then migrated to the Broncos after being released from the I.R.

Smith is known for his vertical speed (4.49 at the 2018 combine) and impressive catch radius. During his time in New Orleans, he played under Lions coach Dan Campbell and others currently on the Lions staff.

 

 

What are the Saints waiting on to let A.T. Perry dress out on game days?

What are the Saints waiting on to let A.T. Perry dress out on game days? They aren’t getting enough out of the other players in their receiving corps to justify leaving him on the bench:

When the New Orleans Saints offense is performing as poorly as it has, every single decision is going under the microscope. Pete Carmichael’s unit has failed to score 25 points in each of their last 10 games. They’ve scored 25 or more points in just six of his 21 games calling plays. So every decision, no matter how small, warrants scrutiny.

Which is why we’re wondering what the plan is for a sixth-round draft pick who hasn’t gotten on the field through five games. What are the Saints waiting on to give A.T. Perry a shot and at least dress him out on game days?

It’s not like the other receivers ahead of him on the depth chart are impressing anyone. And we aren’t talking about Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, or Rashid Shaheed, just to be clear. The other players rounding out the depth chart have left a lot to be desired.

Keith Kirkwood has stepped into Tre’Quan Smith’s old role as a run-blocking specialist — 51 of his 75 snaps have come in that role, telling defenses what the plan is whenever he’s on the field. All three of the passes thrown his way have fallen incomplete.

The decision to play Lynn Bowden Jr. ahead of Perry is even more suspect. He dropped his only target going into Week 5 and has botched his blocking assignments, which isn’t too surprising; he doesn’t have the frame and strength to execute those jobs. He’s built for return duties on special teams at a listed 5-foot-11 and 204 pounds, but the Saints aren’t using him in that role. So why is he getting the nod over Perry?

It’s true that Perry was a more-limited player coming out of college than fans anticipated. He primarily lined up at split end at Wake Forest, giving him few opportunities to work out of the slot, so the Saints have had to coach him up and prepare him for a wider variety of assignments. But is he not ready for the 15 snaps per game that Kirkwood and Bowden have combined for? Is there no way to get the ball to a 6-foot-5, 205-pound rookie eager to make a name for himself in the league?

Every aspect of the Saints offense deserves criticism given how poorly they’ve played over the last calendar year, not just these four games. At some point they must change some things and put different players in position to try and breathe some life into their offense. They need all the help they can get.

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As expected, ex-Saints WR Tre’Quan Smith signs with the Broncos

As expected, ex-Saints wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith signed with the Broncos practice squad. He’s one of nine former Saints players in Denver:

As expected, ex-New Orleans Saints wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith signed with the Denver Broncos practice squad after visiting last week. He’s one of nine former Saints players who made the trip to Denver for a reunion with their old coach Sean Payton.

And Payton’s Broncos are lucky to have started the season with a 1-3 record. Here are all of those former Saints players on their roster or practice squad:

Broncos expected to sign ex-Saints wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith

9 News Denver’s Mike Klis reports that the Broncos are expected to sign ex-Saints wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith

Well this couldn’t have been more obvious. The New Orleans Saints released  Tre’Quan Smith from injured reserve this week and he was in Denver just 24 hours later visiting with the Broncos — and now the wide receiver is expected to sign with them, per 9 News Denver’s Mike Klis.

Klis adds that Smith has received offers from other interested teams but the expectation is that the Broncos will be the ones to get him to sign on the dotted line. Who knew that a blocking specialist coming off a groin muscle injury that sidelined him all summer would be such a hot draw on the free agent market?

Still, good for Smith. He’s caught a lot of flak from disgruntled Saints fans for his limitations and injury history, but he’s always given the team everything he had competing for tough catches and taking some big hits from opposing defenders. He’s never lashed out at his critics online or taken his complaints to the media. We’ll wish him well with this opportunity in Denver working with his old coach Sean Payton.

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Saints opened up more salary cap space by releasing Tre’Quan Smith

The Saints opened up more salary cap space by releasing Tre’Quan Smith. It’s not much, but they’ve got some more wiggle room ahead of the trade deadline:

Tre’Quan Smith was released by the New Orleans Saints this week and immediately booked a flight to visit Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos, but what does his departure mean for the team’s salary cap outlook? The Saints were under the spending limit by about $2.67 million prior to releasing Smith from injured reserve.

Now, the experts at Over The Cap estimate the Saints are under the cap by $4.1 million. That isn’t much (it currently ranks eighth-lowest around the league), but it does give them a little wiggle room ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline.

They wouldn’t be able to take on the full salary for some players — like, say, Las Vegas Raiders receiver Hunter Renfrow at about $5.05 million right now — but the Saints typically ask their trade partners to pay part of the player’s salary to facilitate a trade. That’s what they’ve done in trades for Bradley Roby and Kwon Alexander in recent years. Maybe they circle back to that approach.

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Right now the Saints need to focus on getting back in the win column so they can be in a position to buy, not sell, at that trade deadline next month. Still, moves like this Smith release should be noted when we take a big-picture look at this team.

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After being let go by the Saints, Tre’Quan Smith is visiting the Broncos

This was widely expected. After being let go by the Saints, Tre’Quan Smith is visiting the Broncos:

After being let go by the New Orleans Saints, wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith is visiting the Denver Broncos, per 9 News Denver’s Mike Klis. Smith has an opportunity to team up with his old coach Sean Payton who has struggled to get the Broncos going amid his 0-3 start. Smith was recently released from the Saints injured reserve list after missing the first three games and most of training camp with a groin issue.

Klis reports that Smith will arrive in Denver on Wednesday night for an entry physical and visit at the team facility. If all goes well, he’ll likely sign with the Broncos — joining old teammates like Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Wil Lutz, Jordan Jackson, Dwayne Washington, Michael Burton, Chris Manhertz, Lucas Krull, and Adam Trautman. There has been no shortage of former Saints players in Denver under Payton’s management of the team. Another former Saints wideout, Marquez Callaway, spent the summer with the Broncos before joining the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad after roster cuts in August.

Will Smith join them too? We’ll have to wait and see, but there’s a lot of interest. It’s unlikely he’ll singlehandedly turn things around for Payton’s team but it’s clear that they see a vision for him to help their team.

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Saints release wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith from injured reserve

In a bit of a surprise move, the New Orleans Saints released wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith from injured reserve. ESPN’s Field Yates first reported the news:

Well this was unexpected. ESPN’s Field Yates reports that the New Orleans Saints have released veteran wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith from injured reserve, making him a free agent. Smith missed most of training camp with a groin muscle injury and started the season on injured reserve so he could continue to heal up; he would have been eligible for activation after Week 4’s game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.

Instead, Smith has been let go. He’s now a free agent and can sign with any team should he pass a physical. It’s an odd situation between the timing of his release, his status as an injured player, and the coaching staff’s determination to keep him in the building for so many years despite his limited role as a blocking specialist.

Maybe they’re cooking something up. Stay tuned for updates. For now, here’s the state of their receiving corps:

  • Chris Olave
  • Michael Thomas
  • Rashid Shaheed
  • Keith Kirkwood
  • A.T. Perry
  • Lynn Bowden Jr.
  • Shaquan Davis (practice squad)

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Saints designate WR Tre’Quan Smith to injured reserve

The Saints designated WR Tre’Quan Smith to injured reserve, sidelining him for at least 4 weeks and opening up a roster spot:

There we go: the New Orleans Saints announced Saturday that wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith will go to the injured reserve list, sidelining him for at least four weeks. The Saints are left with five receivers on the 53-man roster: Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed, Keith Kirkwood, and A.T. Perry.

This was always a possibility. Smith went down with a groin injury early in training camp and had to undergo a surgical procedure in Philadelphia when it wouldn’t heal on its own.

He’ll now have the opportunity to heal up without taking up a roster spot, which the Saints may choose to use by promoting one of their three receivers on the practice squad — Lynn Bowden Jr., Jontre Kirklin, or Shaquan Davis. That’s a move we’ll be watching for on Sunday morning leading up to kickoff with the Tennessee Titans.

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