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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

WR Tommylee Lewis Visits Vikings, Saints

July 29th, 2021 at 6:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

A Saints return man in four of the past five seasons, Tommylee Lewis remains on the team’s radar. Lewis visited the Saints on Thursday, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

This meeting comes days after the Vikings brought in the 5-foot-7 return man/occasional wideout for a visit, according to SI.com’s Howard Balzer (on Twitter). That workout, however, came along with Dede Westbrook‘s. The Vikings agreed to terms with Westbrook last weekend, seemingly signaling Lewis would need to look elsewhere to land a 2021 gig.

The Saints have already agreed to multiple reunions with Lewis, whom they initially signed as a UDFA back in 2016. The team did not tender him a contract as an RFA in 2019, and Lewis signed with the Lions. However, he made his way back to New Orleans via reserve/futures deal in January 2020. The Saints cut him last August, but after the Panthers did the same, Lewis migrated back to the Saints and played five games in 2020. Lewis, 28, has only suited up for the Saints in a regular-season game.

The Lewis-Saints meeting comes after news surfaced of Deonte Harris‘ DWI arrest. New Orleans’ incumbent return man was arrested July 16 in Maryland, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic tweets. Harris, 23, was booked on multiple charges. The ex-UDFA has been with the Saints since 2019, when he broke out for an All-Pro season as a rookie return man.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/21

July 29th, 2021 at 5:34pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Houston Texans

  • Signed: WR Jordan Veasy

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: OT Chidi Okeke
  • Waived: OT Calvin Ashley

Tennessee Titans

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Bud Dupree; Dupree remains on Tennessee’s active/PUP list as well

Washington Football Team

Saints To Sign Chris Hogan

July 26th, 2021 at 3:59pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Chris Hogan‘s professional lacrosse aspirations will have to go on hold. The free agent receiver apparently impressed in his workout with the Saints today, because New Orleans is signing him to a contract, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets.

Hogan, of course, was a star lacrosse player in college and had been chasing an old dream in the Premier Lacrosse League this summer before the Saints decided to pluck him away. Hogan began his NFL career as an unheralded undrafted player, and was able to eventually carve out a heck of a career for himself. After spending his first couple years on practice squads he broke through with the Bills, and ended up becoming a big part of the Patriots’ recent success.

He won two Super Bowls while playing in New England from 2016-18, then signed with the Panthers for 2019. Injuries limited him to seven games that year, and additional injuries limited him to only five with the Jets in 2020. We hadn’t heard of any other known NFL interest before he suddenly resurfaced today.

In those five games with the Jets, he had 14 catches for 118 yards. He’ll turn 33 in October, and will be a depth piece for a Saints offense that is expected to be without star Michael Thomas to begin the year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/21

July 26th, 2021 at 9:48am CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Signed: WR Reece Horn

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

  • Placed on IR: DT Rob Windsor (out for year)

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

  • Signed: TE Carson Meier
  • Cut with injury settlement: TE Jibri Blount

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DB Chris Cooper

Tennessee Titans

Saints To Audition Chris Hogan

July 26th, 2021 at 9:42am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints will work out a group of wide receivers on Monday, including veteran Chris Hogan (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo). Hogan, who most recently played for the Jets, could help fill in for Michael Thomas as he recovers from his ankle injury. 

[RELATED: Michael Thomas To Miss Time]

Hogan has been spending his summer in the Premier Lacrosse League, reliving his days at Penn State. Hogan played only played one season of college football at Monmouth before transferring to the Nittany Lions where he played lacrosse. Then, he hooked on with the Bills practice squad and eventually became a well-known figure with the Patriots from 2016-2018.

The two-time Super Bowl champ has since spent time with the Panthers and Jets, but injuries slowed him at both stops. With Gang Green last year, he recorded 14 catches for 118 yards.

At the age of 33, Hogan doesn’t profile as a perfect replacement for Thomas. However, the Saints hope to have Thomas — with healthy ligaments — on the field sooner rather than later.

Saints To Sign Brian Poole

July 25th, 2021 at 8:38am CST by Rory Parks

The Saints are adding a veteran cornerback to their roster. No, it’s not Richard Sherman or Xavien Howard, but it’s still a player who should be expected to make a significant impact. According to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, New Orleans will sign Brian Poole to a one-year deal tomorrow (Twitter link).

Poole signed with the division-rival Falcons as a UDFA in 2016, and despite his undrafted status, he served as the club’s primary nickel corner over his three seasons in Atlanta. The Falcons opted not to tender him as a restricted free agent following the 2018 campaign, and the fact that Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics graded him as the No. 81 cornerback in the NFL out of 110 qualified players that season justified the decision. He also ranked as bottom-three corner in success rate, per Football Outsiders’ charting data.

But the Florida product hooked on with the Jets shortly after being non-tendered by the Falcons, and he elevated his game with Gang Green. Operating primarily as a slot defender, just as he did in Atlanta, Poole allowed a 71.6 passer rating in 2019 and a 64.7 rating in 2020. PFF gave him strong coverage grades in both seasons.

The thought has been that the Saints would be looking for an outside corner to line up opposite Marshon Lattimore and to serve as a replacement for cap casualty Janoris Jenkins, but as Poole’s experience has mostly been at nickel, he does not fill that void. If New Orleans does not make any other additions, perhaps Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who has generally played well in the slot, will be added to the mix for the team’s CB2 role.

Poole’s 2020 season was cut short due to shoulder and knee injuries. Given that, and in light of his extended stay on the open market — this is the first reported interest in him this offseason — his contract with the Saints is almost certainly light on guaranteed dollars. He does have some chops, though, so a strong showing in 2021 may lead to a lucrative multi-year pact.

Saints’ Michael Thomas To Miss Time

July 23rd, 2021 at 12:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Michael Thomas is expected to miss the start of the Saints’ 2021 season (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The wide receiver underwent ankle surgery in June and doctors say he’ll need about four months to fully recover. 

Thomas’ ligament tear cost him much of 2020. Unfortunately, it’ll also sideline him for a chunk of the early fall. This marks yet another roadblock for the Saints star.

Entering 2020, Thomas had missed just two contests in his pro career. Then came the high ankle sprain in Week 1. He was limited to just seven games and repeatedly clashed Saints brass, leading to trade speculation before the fall deadline.

To recap: The Saints handed Thomas a one-game suspension for striking a teammate. Then, he missed time with a hamstring injury. All in all, Thomas finished out the regular season with just 40 catches for 438 yards. He did manage to catch five passes for 73 yards and one score in the Saints’ playoff win over the Bears, however.

The acrimony has even led to speculation that the Saints would release him, even though terminating his five-year, $100MM deal would have left the team with an absurd dead money hit. Instead, the Saints are sticking with Thomas, who agreed to a cap-friendly restructure earlier this year. Now, they’ll keep their fingers crossed as the 2021 season draws near. They’ll also do their homework on the free agent market — Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears the Saints will audition WRs in the coming days.

LB Kwon Alexander Visiting Saints

July 20th, 2021 at 5:37pm CST by Ben Levine

Kwon Alexander could end up rejoining the Saints. The free agent linebacker is set to visit with his former team today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). The 26-year-old also has a handful of unidentified suitors, according to the report.

Following a half-year stint with the organization, Alexander was released by the Saints back in March. The move was mostly financial, as the transaction helped the team free up $13MM. Now, the Saints could be pushing for an affordable reunion with the linebacker.

Alexander was shipped from San Francisco to New Orleans in November, and he ultimately collected 27 stops, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in seven games with his new squad. A torn Achilles ended his season early, but Schefter notes that the defender has been cleared and is ready to resume football drills.

A torn ACL and a torn pectoral muscle limited Alexander to only 14 games between the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and he only appeared in 12 total games last season. It’s been five seasons since Alexander appeared in all 16 games, and it’s been four seasons since he made a Pro Bowl. Still, he’ll only be 27 by the start of next season, and plenty of teams would be willing to take a gamble on his talent. It sounds like the Saints will be first in line for his services.

Saints To Pursue Xavien Howard If Dolphins Make Him Available For Trade

July 18th, 2021 at 12:09pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints have been linked to free agent cornerback Richard Sherman throughout this offseason, but Sherman’s recent legal troubles have probably severed that link, at least for the time being. Still, New Orleans would probably like another quality corner to line up opposite Marshon Lattimore, and GM Mickey Loomis could have his eye on one of the best DBs in the league.

According to Jeff Duncan of The Athletic (via Twitter), the Saints will be heavily involved in the bidding for Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard should Miami make Howard available via trade. Howard has four years remaining on his current contract, so the Dolphins are understandably reluctant to rework it, but Howard is said to be dug in on his desire for a new deal. If player and team cannot find some common ground, Howard could be on the move, despite the blow that would deal to Miami’s hopes of contention in 2021.

Though the five-year, $75MM pact Howard signed with the ‘Fins in 2019 made him the highest-paid corner in the league at the time, his $15MM AAV is now the sixth-highest mark in football. And on the heels of a terrific 2020 season in which he led the league with 10 interceptions and graded out as the second-best CB in the NFL per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics, Howard is trying to strike while the iron is hot.

Howard is attached to a $12MM salary for 2021, so the Saints, who have about $10MM of cap space, would need to carve out some room to accommodate a Howard acquisition (unless Miami kicks in some cash). But financial constraints never seem to be much of an issue for Loomis, who, along with vice president of football administration Khai Harley, continues to manipulate the cap in new and creative ways.

Obviously, Howard’s desire for a market-topping contract wouldn’t change if he ends up in New Orleans, so Loomis would also need to be prepared to pony up a $20MM/year deal in addition to premium draft capital. Such a maneuver could lead to a Lattimore departure in 2022, but at least for one season, the Saints would boast perhaps the top CB duo in football.

Although the Dolphins still have leverage over Howard given the amount of time left on his contract and the hefty fines that the CBA imposes for training camp holdouts, veteran NFL reporter Michael Silver says trade chatter is swirling around the 28-year-old (Twitter link). Silver adds that Howard is unlikely to get the new deal he wants from Miami, and that there are several teams in win-now mode that are considering a trade. He does not specifically name the Saints as one such club, though New Orleans does profile as a win-now outfit.

With training camp fast approaching, there should be more clarity on Howard’s future fairly soon.

Taysom Hill Favorite To Open Season As Saints’ Starting QB?

July 18th, 2021 at 9:25am CST by Rory Parks

Mike Triplett of ESPN.com wrote several weeks ago that Jameis Winston may have the edge over Taysom Hill in this summer’s battle to be the Saints’ starting quarterback. Triplett pointed to Winston’s first-round pedigree, experience, and upside, though he noted that the former Buccaneer would need to clean up the turnover and accuracy issues that led to his exit from Tampa Bay.

However, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe hears that Hill, not Winston, could have the upper hand. Citing league sources, Volin says that Hill’s abilities as a dual-threat talent might compel head coach Sean Payton to open the year with Hill under center. If Hill should falter, it would be easy enough to insert Winston and install a more traditional offense.

Unlike Triplett, Volin is not a Saints beat, but both writers make valid points. In 2020, Winston’s first in New Orleans, it was Hill who got the nod during Drew Brees’ injury-related absence, and he acquitted himself nicely. He went 3-1 as a starter and, over that four-game stretch, he threw for four touchdowns against two interceptions while completing 72% of his passes. He also rushed for four TDs and maintained a YPC average of about 5.4.

On the other hand, Winston, 27, is over three years younger, and he has started 70 games in his career as opposed to Hill’s four starts. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 draft has also shown plenty of flashes of elite ability, but again, he could never quite shake the turnover bug. In his last season with the Bucs in 2019, he threw an incredible 30 interceptions.

Both Winston and Hill are signed through 2021. In a little more than a week, they will begin their battle for the Saints’ starting job this season, and, perhaps, for a lucrative multi-year contract starting in 2022.

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