Tag: Zack Baun

Stock up, stock down following the Saints’ preseason loss to Ravens

Stock up, stock down following the Saints’ preseason loss to Ravens

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The New Orleans Saints held the lead late into their preseason matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, but a fourth-quarter touchdown run by backup quarterback Tyler Huntley (and successful two-point conversion) put a win out of reach in their 17-14 loss.

But the scoreboard isn’t the most important factor here. Who impressed? Who didn’t? Here’s your first preseason Saints stock report:

Saints snaps counts notes and observations from Week 1 of preseason

New Orleans Saints snaps counts notes and observations from Week 1 of preseason

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The New Orleans Saints fell short in their preseason game with the Baltimore Ravens, but winning wasn’t really the point. These exhibition matchups are all about self-scouting and evaluating players in different roles and situations to see how they respond. And there’s a lot to like if you view the game from that perspective.

To that end, I reviewed snaps counts and took them all in context of what the vision may be for various players up and down the depth chart. Check out each position group and my notes below. All snaps via Pro Football Focus play-by-play charting (and rookies are italicized):

Saints vs. Ravens: 11 storylines fans should watch for

New Orleans Saints vs. Baltimore Ravens: 11 things fans should watch for

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It’s been too long since our last New Orleans Saints gameday, even if it’s only a preseason matchup. Welcome to where everything’s made up and points don’t matter, and nobody cares about who wins (except maybe the Baltimore Ravens, riding a 17-game win streak in exhibition).

But that isn’t really the case. There are dozens of players fighting for their jobs on Saturday night. Plenty of rookies are taking the field for the first time as professionals. Some older veterans are hoping to play well enough so that this isn’t the last time to lace up their cleats. With an unsettled depth chart and so many storylines to keep track of, almost every minute of the game should carry some level of intrigue.

So here is a quick look at 11 things that Saints fans should be watching for:

Saints training camp: Roster locks and long shots at linebacker

The Saints linebackers corps is kind of in flux, with a lot of change flowing around Demario Davis as the unit’s anchor. Who has the best shot at staying around in 2021?

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Who starts next to Demario Davis in the New Orleans Saints linebacker corps? That’s the most pressing question going into training camp, and the calls for Kwon Alexander to be re-signed were boosted when he visited New Orleans for an evaluation on his surgically-repaired Achilles tendon. While the Saints have invested high draft picks in Pete Werner and Zack Baun recently, it doesn’t seem like many fans are eager to see them playing heavy minutes.

So how does the unit look on the eve of training camp? Let’s scout it out:

 

Zack Baun joins fellow Badgers J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt for offseason training

Saints LB Zack Baun training with fellow Badgers J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt

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A couple of former Wisconsin Badgers huddled up this summer, with Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt sharing on Instagram that his younger brother T.J. Watt and New Orleans Saints linebacker Zack Baun joined him for a training session ahead of training camp.

Baun was a college teammate with the younger Watt in 2015 and 2016, and went on to find success in the same pass-rushing role in 2019. But the Saints have tasked him with playing out in space more often, with his focus this summer falling at weakside linebacker. Still, maybe he picked up some tricks from two players with 8 combined Pro Bowls behind them.

He didn’t play much in 2020, even after starting linebacker Alex Anzalone struggled — which prompted a midseason trade for Kwon Alexander. Baun initially trained at strong side linebacker, but totaled just 82 snaps on defense compared to 247 on special teams. Now both Anzalone and Alexander are off the roster, and Baun has an opportunity to compete for snaps.

Still, someone is going to be left on the sidelines between him, rookie draft pick Pete Werner, and Demario Davis, unless the Saints suddenly start fielding three linebackers (something they did on less than 100 snaps last season). Hopefully his hard work this offseason pays off.

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The jury is still out on a frustrating 2020 Saints draft class

The New Orleans Saints got neither quantity nor quality out of their 2020 rookie draft class, picking a part-time starter in the first round

Here’s the final entry in our 2021 NFL draft countdown, recapping last year’s rookie class with just one day left before the cycle starts over. The Saints took a quality over quantity approach in 2020’s pandemic-impacted offseason, but they didn’t get either virtue based on their initial performance. Here’s hoping things improve in 2021. In the meantime, let’s review what happened last year:

How every former Badger in the NFL performed during Wild Card weekend

Quarterback Russell Wilson, running back Jonathan Taylor, defensive end T.J. Watt and others were in action this weekend in NFL Wild Card

Several former Wisconsin Badgers entered NFL Wild Card weekend with a shot at winning and advancing on to the next round.

Although some played well on the field, QB Russell Wilson, OLB T.J. Watt, FB Derek Watt and RB Jonathan Taylor all saw their season end this weekend.

Related: Badgers in the NFL: Top 10 plays of the year

There were a few, however, that were part of the winning side and advanced to the next round—OLB Zack Baun, LB Jack Cichy, OT Rob Havenstein, OT David Edwards.

Here is how every former Badgers performed during NFL Wild Card weekend:

4 New Years Resolutions the Saints should adopt in 2021

The New Orleans Saints have a list of changes and decisions to consider going into 2021, with hours left to figure it out on New Years’ Eve.

Ringing in the new year is a time for change, for big decisions, and for resolutions, and even the New Orleans Saints aren’t exempt from that. They’re knocking on the door of the playoffs with some questions yet to be answered about who they are, where they’re headed, and what sort of legacy they might be leaving behind. Exciting as their season has been, we still don’t really know what their identity is.

And the Saints can change that for the better with some tweaks after flipping to a fresh calendar. They won’t play their next game until 2021 has come around, so it’s time to do some self-scouting and decide what kind of team they want to establish themselves as in the new year.

Kwon Alexander diagnosed with season-ending injury

New Orleans Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander was diagnosed with a season-ending Achilles injury, jeopardizing his future in the NFL.

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The New Orleans Saints’ fears were validated after Friday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings, with the initial belief of an Achilles injury for linebacker Kwon Alexander being ratified by further evaluations. ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the update on Alexander’s condition, which was confirmed by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

It’s a big loss for the Saints defense. Alexander had been a transformational addition to the unit, adding much-needed experience and athleticism next to All-Pro linebacker Demario Davis. Without him, the Saints will have to go back to starting fourth-year pro Alex Anzalone with Davis. Anzalone has shown flashes before, but his mistakes this season prompted the team to trade for Alexander in the first place.

Alexander appeared in seven games for the Saints after their midseason trade with the San Francisco 49ers, totaling 27 tackles (17 solo), 4 pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He’s exactly the sort of playmaking presence the team hoped to get in trading up for Zack Baun in this year’s draft, but the rookie hasn’t gotten on the field much outside of special teams.

Additionally, NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that Alexander’s contract carries a $2 million injury guarantee that will trigger on April 1, 2021 if Alexander remains on the roster. The recovery time for Achilles surgery can last as much as six months, so it’s likely he’ll still be around. Regardless, the Saints were probably going to work on his contract (he’s due to count $13.4 million against the salary cap next season) anyway.

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Kwon Alexander gets the starting nod for Saints vs. 49ers

The New Orleans Saints traded for linebacker Kwon Alexander, who started against his old San Francisco 49ers team after a week of practice.

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New Orleans Saints fans will see a new number in their defense when the black and gold kick off with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday: linebacker No. 58, Kwon Alexander. Acquired in a Nov. 9 trade with the 49ers, Alexander initially spent a week going through COVID-19 testing before practicing with his new teammates during the last week. It didn’t take him long to pick up the playbook.

Reporters on the scene noted that Alexander was warming up with the Saints first-team defense, along with incumbents Demario Davis and rookie Zack Baun. Former starter Alex Anzalone was pushed down to the second unit with backups Craig Robertson and Kaden Elliss, while reserve Chase Hansen was inactive.

How often Alexander will play against his old squad is anyone’s guess, but he practiced fully after missing time in San Francisco with a high-ankle sprain and expressed confidence in his understanding of the playbook. If he can offer them an edge against an offense he knows well, he might be difficult to take off the field.

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