Tag: Wynton McManis

7 toughest cuts from our Saints 53-man roster projection

7 toughest cuts from our Saints 53-man roster projection

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We’ve got less than a week to go until the New Orleans Saints cut their roster down from 80 players to just 53, which prompted a revised roster projection for Week 1 of the regular season. We’ve got enough data and exposure to the team to make some informed decisions but there’s enough time for some players to make their case for a roster spot. So some of these projections may end up looking far-fetched.

With that said: you can find the full roster projection in complete detail here, and a player-by-player summary here. Here are the seven roster cuts that were tougher than others:

Saints roster bubble: Which players helped their case vs. Jaguars?

Saints roster bubble: Which players helped their case vs. Jaguars?

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The next wave of NFL roster cuts is just hours away, meaning the New Orleans Saints must continue to whittle down their depth chart from 85 players to just 80. Next week’s final deadline will see teams trim down to the 53-player limit for the regular season, which raises the pressure on players on the roster bubble across the league.

So these preseason games are great opportunities to build a case for a job. And several Saints players on the bubble seized their chance with both hands. Here is who impressed during New Orleans’ win against the Jacksonville Jaguars:

CFL linebacker Wynton McManis signs reserve/future deal with the Saints

The New Orleans Saints signed a reserve/futures contract with Calgary Stampeders linebacker Wynton McManis, adding him to the 2021 roster.

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The New Orleans Saints have shifted gears and begun signing players to reserve/future contracts to add to their 2021 roster, with the first being former linebacker Wynton McManis, per the NFL wire. McManis won the CFL Grey Cup with the Calgary Stampeders in 2018, having gone north of the border after signing with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted rookie out of Memphis back in 2016.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because McManis has signed with the Saints before. The Olive Branch, Miss. native joined them for the final week of training camp last summer after New Orleans released veteran linebacker Nigel Bradham and once the CFL canceled its 2020 season in light of to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s some of what I wrote of him at the time:

That said, he has the skills to make a splash. McManis broke out in 2019 with 15 starts and 86 combined tackles, including nine stops on special teams. He cut his teeth in the CFL with his efforts in the game’s third phase, having paced the league with 25 special teams tackles in 2018. If he’s going to earn a spot on the Saints roster, it’ll come with big moments in the kicking game.

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Saints fill out the roster with former Chiefs, Chargers pass rusher Anthony Lanier

The New Orleans Saints training camp roster is back at capacity following the signing of former Los Angeles Chargers DE Anthony Lanier.

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The New Orleans Saints hosted half a dozen free agents for a group tryout earlier this week following injuries to the front seven, with defensive end Marcus Davenport and linebackers Zack Baun and Anthony Chickillo held out of Friday’s full-contact scrimmage.

And it appears two of those visitors earned contracts with the Saints for the duration of training camp: per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, defensive end Anthony Lanier will be joining the Saints along with former CFL linebacker Wynton McManis.

Lanier, listed at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, fits the physical profile the Saints like out on the edge from a height-weight standpoint. He spent the 2018 season on the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad after breaking out for Washington in 2017, playing 339 snaps and notching 5 sacks, 10 quarterback hits, 6 pass deflections, and a pair of fumbles (one forced, another recovered). Lanier joined the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason but was released after the 2020 NFL Draft.

He’ll have a week to make a nice impression, but the Saints have a fairly stacked defensive ends rotation — depending on Davenport’s health. The Saints are not required to publish a formal injury report, so it’s unclear what issue he may be dealing with, but he was earning praise from all corners during training camp. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.

While Lanier’s addition rounds out the 80-man roster for training camp, the Saints could churn the bottom of the depth chart with more last-minute signings in an attempt at getting more time with practice squad candidates. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis spoke about the anxieties of evaluating players without extensive preseason game tape, so bringing in players like Lanier and McManis even for a week could help pad out scouting reports. The Saints must cut their roster down to just 53 players by 3 p.m. CT on Sept. 5.

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Report: Saints to sign CFL linebacker Wynton McManis after group tryout

The New Orleans Saints are expected to sign linebacker Wynton McManis, a special teams ace and starter for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders.

The New Orelans Saints are expected to sign Wynton McManis, a linebacker who last played for the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. McManis joined the Stampeders in 2017 after a brief stint with the San Francisco 49ers, who signed McManis as an undrafted rookie out of Memphis.

McManis opted out of his CFL contract on Monday after the Canadian league canceled its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opening up this opportunity in the NFL. He tried out for the Saints on Thursday as part of a six-man group of free agents, which the team reported on the daily NFL transactions wire:

  • DE T.J. Carter (6-foot-4, 289 pounds)
  • DE Anthony Lanier (6-foot-6, 285 pounds)
  • DE Cameron Malveaux (6-foot-5, 265 pounds)
  • LB Mike Hull (6-foot-0, 232 pounds)
  • LB Jan Johnson (6-foot-2, 231 pounds)
  • LB Wynton McManis (6-foot-1, 225 pounds)

The addition of McManis should bring the Saints back to 79 of 80 roster spots filled, with one vacancy remaining. The team recently lost defensive lineman Jalen Dalton and cornerback Johnson Bademosi to injuries that will likely end their seasons.

They also released linebacker Nigel Bradham earlier this week, opening a spot in the rotation for McManis to compete. He’ll be pushing youngsters like Kaden Elliss and Joe Bachie for a backup job, but there are only a handful of practice sessions left for him to make an impression before roster cuts.

That said, he has the skills to make a splash. McManis broke out in 2019 with 15 starts and 86 combined tackles, including nine stops on special teams. He cut his teeth in the CFL with his efforts in the game’s third phase, having paced the league with 25 special teams tackles in 2018. If he’s going to earn a spot on the Saints roster, it’ll come with big moments in the kicking game.

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