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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints Re-Sign Dwayne Washington

April 18th, 2022 at 8:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Dwayne Washington is staying in New Orleans. The team announced today that they’ve re-signed the veteran running back and special teamer. It’s a one-year deal for the six-year veteran.

A 2016 seventh-round pick, Washington spent the first two seasons of his career with the Lions, including a rookie season where he collected 327 yards from scrimmage. Washington hasn’t come close to replicating those offensive numbers since, but he’s still established an NFL career thanks to his special teams prowess.

Since joining the Saints organization in 2018, Washington has appeared in more than half of his team’s special teams snaps. He’s collected 15 tackles in his four years with New Orleans, and he’s returned six kickoffs for 99 yards. He’s also had a small role on offense, collecting 50 touches for 263 yards from scrimmage.

It’ll probably be more of the same next season for the 27-year-old. Washington will likely be buried on the depth chart behind Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, and Tony Jones Jr., but he’ll continue to be relied on for special teams.

Latest On Free Agent WR Jarvis Landry

April 14th, 2022 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Jarvis Landry is still unsigned, and the veteran receiver may remain a free agent through the end of the month. According to USA Today’s Tyler Dragon, Landry could wait until “dust from the NFL Draft settles” before making a decision on his future.

[RELATED: WR Jarvis Landry Seeking $20MM AAV?]

Landry has been connected to a number of teams since he was released by the Browns last month. Dragon confirms that there are “multiple” teams still interested in adding the wide receiver, and Dragon also reiterates a previous report that Landry could even land back in Cleveland. Besides a Browns reunion, the Chiefs, Saints, and Falcons have been mentioned as suitors for the 29-year-old.

Once Landry joins a new squad, it will be interesting to see how much he’s adjusted his worth since hitting free agency. A report from last month indicated that the veteran was seeking a contract that would pay him at least $20MM per year. His previous contract with Cleveland featured an AAV of just over $15MM, but the expectation is that his next deal will not hit even that yearly average, let alone a $20MM/year rate.

Landry, 30 in November, agreed to a five-year, $75.5MM extension with the Browns after they traded for him in 2018. He delivered two Pro Bowl seasons in Cleveland and served as Baker Mayfield‘s most consistent target. However, the veteran averaged just 47.5 receiving yards per game last season and missed five weeks of action.

QB Matt Corral To Visit Five Teams

April 11th, 2022 at 9:18am CST by Adam La Rose

Much of the buzz around this month’s draft has been generated, not surprisingly, by the quarterback class. One prospect at the position who has received less attention than the likes of Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis is Ole Miss alum Matt Corral. That may change over the coming week, given the team visits he has scheduled. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports (on Twitter) that Corral will meet with the Panthers, Eagles, Steelers, Saints and Falcons. Four of the teams on that list have been regularly linked with a number of the top QB options in this year’s class, and have question marks surrounding their long-term future at the position.

The outlier among those listed is the Eagles. The team has publicly committed to Jalen Hurts as their starter of the present, though they have left the door open to his status as the No. 1 changing in the near future. Many thought Philadelphia would have been active during the QB trade market last month; instead, they tried (unsuccessfully) to trade for a number of high-profile receivers. Then, they traded away one of their 2022 first-round picks to the Saints, adding an extra one next year.

In his final two years at Mississippi, Corral’s production jumped considerably. In 23 games since the 2020 campaign started, he threw for 6,686 yards and 49 touchdowns. He added an additional 1,120 yards and 15 scores on the ground. After leading the Rebels to a 10-3 season in 2021, he finished seventh in Heisman voting. That production is contrasted by many with his frame (six-foot-one, 205 pounds) and subsequent questions relating to whether he can withstand NFL physicality.

As the draft draws closer, it may be become clearer how the QB board will shake out this year. That will include where interested teams – including those five – slot Corral in amongst the other first-round-caliber prospects at the position.

Saints Going All-In For 2022?

April 9th, 2022 at 8:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints were involved in the latest noteworthy trade this offseason, acquiring an extra first-round pick from the Eagles. While many feel that was the precursor to a move for the team’s next long-term quarterback, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reports that at least some executives around the league don’t see it that way. 

As he writes, there are multiple general managers “who believe this trade is more about going all-in right now… than it is about finding their QB of the future or beating someone to the punch for that”. As a result of the trade, New Orleans now owns picks No. 16 and 19; that could put them within range of a signal-caller, or give them a means of trading up ahead of another quarterback-needy team.

Instead, that extra pick could be used to bolster the team’s current roster. If they keep both selections, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the team tries to upgrade its offense. After the re-signing of Jameis Winston, left tackle and wide receiver stand out as sizeable roster holes. The Saints need to replace Terron Armstead, who left in free agency, and compliment Michael Thomas, whose health (and, therefore, ability to return to his All-Pro form) remains in question.

As one general manager said, the Saints could be “looking around at the NFC, and thinking they have as good a shot as anyone, especially if they land two impact players with these picks”. Instead of a rebuilding year in the absence of Super Bowl-winning coach Sean Payton and a short-term deal in place with Winston, 2022 could instead turn out to be a season in which the Saints look to return to playoff contention.

Saints To Meet With CB Andrew Booth

April 6th, 2022 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Andrew Booth may miss his NFL team’s offseason workouts due to hernia surgery, but that should not deter teams from considering the Clemson cornerback in Round 1. Booth has met with the Bills (No. 25) and Eagles, with Rapoport adding Patriots (No. 21) and Saints (Nos. 16 and 19) meetings are also on Booth’s docket.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/5/22

April 5th, 2022 at 7:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Denver Broncos

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Saints Met With Treylon Burks

April 5th, 2022 at 4:33pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Also ranked as a first-round prospect, Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is meeting with a few teams this week. The Cowboys hosted the 225-pound playmaker Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, adding that the Buccaneers will meet with Burks later this week. The Saints are also hosted the 6-foot-2 target last week, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. It would surprise if the Bucs (No. 27) went wideout in Round 1, given their Mike Evans–Chris Godwin–Russell Gage setup, but the team could use a cheap building block due to employing three eight-figure-per-year wideouts. The Saints (Nos. 16, 19) are rather desperate for receiving help, with Michael Thomas having run into significant injury trouble over the past two years. New Orleans now has two first-round picks, putting wideout squarely in play.

Saints To Release Blake Bortles

April 5th, 2022 at 12:51pm CST by Adam La Rose

With the top two spots on the quarterback depth chart accounted for, the Saints will be moving on from Blake Bortles. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports (on Twitter) that the veteran has asked for his release, and that the team will accommodate him. 

The 29-year-old signed with the Saints in December when New Orleans desperately needed help at the position. With Jameis Winston injured and both Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian unavailable due to COVID-19, he provided the team with an experienced backup behind Ian Book. He didn’t see any game action in New Orleans, however, which continued an ongoing trend in that regard.

Bortles has bounced around to the Rams, Broncos, Packers and – most recently – Saints over the course of the last three years. He’s only been on the field for 11 snaps during that span, though. His last meaningful playing time came during his five years with the Jaguars. That span included a trip to the AFC title game in 2017, but was otherwise underwhelming, especially considering his draft status.

New Orleans re-signed Winston to be their starter once again, but also added veteran Andy Dalton to be the backup. With those two on the roster (along with Hill, though the team doesn’t view him as a QB moving forward), the former third overall pick will now look to catch on with another new team.

Tyrann Mathieu To Visit Saints

April 5th, 2022 at 9:47am CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top free agents left on the market is making his first visit. Safety Tyrann Mathieu will meet with the Saints, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter link). 

[RELATED: Saints Sign DE Charlton, S Evans]

The fact that Mathieu is sitting down with the Saints comes as little surprise. He is a native of New Orleans, and played for LSU in college. The team also finds itself undergoing change at the safety position, with Marcus Williams signing in Baltimore and Malcolm Jenkins retiring. In response, the Saints have added Marcus Maye, but they still have a need on the back end.

Mathieu, 29, maintained his high level of play during his three years in Kansas City. He made 213 tackles with the Chiefs, adding 13 interceptions. His time there also saw him win his lone Super Bowl title, and add to his Pro Bowl and All-Pro totals in each campaign. His pedigree in terms of statistical achievements, not to mention his positional versatility and leadership qualities, would make him a sizeable addition to New Orleans or any other interested team.

Rapoport adds that there is “nothing imminent” at this point with respect to any contract offers from the Saints. New Orleans is in an unusually flexible position from a salary cap perspective, though, so they should be able to afford Mathieu on a short- or medium-term deal. His addition, if it were to take place, would represent not only a homecoming and a significant need being filled by the Saints, but it would also remove one of the biggest names from the list of those still available.

Saints Acquire First-Round Pick From Eagles

April 4th, 2022 at 3:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Three weeks away from the draft, the Eagles and Saints made a deal that will shake up the middle of this year’s first round while arming Philadelphia with an additional Round 1 choice in 2023.

The Eagles dealt into their first-round surplus Monday, sending the Saints their Nos. 16 and 19 overall picks in a deal that will provide them with New Orleans’ 2023 first-rounder. Philly, which entered the draft with three first-rounders from No. 15 to No. 19, now holds two first-rounders. The Saints do as well. This gives the Eagles two first-round picks in the next two drafts.

With the dust settled, here is how the full trade looks:

Eagles receive:

  • No. 18 in 2022
  • No. 101
  • No. 237
  • The Saints’ 2023 first-round pick
  • The Saints’ 2024 second-round pick

Saints receive:

  • No. 16 in 2022 (from Colts via Eagles)
  • No. 19
  • No. 194

New Orleans now has additional ammo in this year’s draft, while Philly can potentially plan for a move in a 2023 draft that is expected to feature a better crop of quarterbacks. This year’s group has not generated much buzz, at least compared to most years, and it points to the Eagles giving Jalen Hurts another audition year. The Eagles pursued Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson but did not get far in either derby. Howie Roseman‘s team, which acquired 2022 first-rounders from the Colts and Dolphins last year, can take a more methodical approach over the next two drafts rather than being the rare team to make three first-round picks in one draft.

Next year’s draft could feature Heisman winner Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson. Hurts fared decently in his first full-season audition, driving the Eagles’ No. 1-ranked rushing attack and accounting for 26 touchdowns (16 passing) and nearly 4,000 yards. This move will allow the Eagles to keep their options open, while it equips the Saints with a second first-rounder this year. Eight teams have multiple first-rounders in this month’s draft.

With the Eagles now picking at Nos. 15 and 18 in Round 1, the Saints slid up two spots from their No. 18 position. The Saints re-signed Jameis Winston on a two-year deal, but they do not exactly have their quarterback position checked off long-term. That makes this swap more interesting on New Orleans’ end. Obtaining a second first-rounder could provide a bridge to the Saints trading up again for one of this year’s top two passers, a la the Bills’ Josh Allen climb in 2018, but no member of this year’s QB class has generated considerable interest just yet.

Monday’s move does allow the opportunity for the Saints to acquire a cost-controlled starter. Their previous draft with two first-rounders — 2017, when Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk went to New Orleans — had a significant effect on the team’s trajectory.

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