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Saints Have One QB They Want In Top 10

April 29th, 2021 at 12:41pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard earlier this morning that the Saints were working the phones to try to move into the top 10 of the draft. New Orleans has been widely rumored to be targeting a cornerback, but they could make a big splash under center if something falls into their lap. 

While the move up would be for another position, “there is 1 QB” who “would change their minds if he was still available,” Dianna Russini of ESPN.com tweets. That’s not going to be welcome news to Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill, both of whom are hoping to be the Saints’ new quarterback of the future.

Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are guaranteed to be off the board before the Saints can pick, so it’d have to be one of Mac Jones, Justin Fields, or Trey Lance that they’re interested in. Assuming the 49ers take Jones, it’d have to be either Fields or Lance.

As for potential trade partners, the Lions would make a lot of sense at seven. As a rebuilding team, they fit the profile of a club that would be willing to stockpile future valuable picks. No matter what, it sounds like the Saints aren’t dead-set on taking a corner after all.

Saints Pushing For Top 10 Pick

April 29th, 2021 at 11:10am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are working the phone lines to try and trade up to the top 10, Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter) hears. Currently, the Saints are heading into tonight with the No. 28 overall pick. 

[RELATED: Saints’ Sean Payton Says Team Has To Add CB]

Earlier this week, we heard that the Saints are looking at Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley. Agent Drew Rosenhaus says his client is on track to be gone by the No. 20 pick, but it’s hard to imagine teams in the top 10 reaching for him. The Virginia Tech product is talented, but he’s undergone multiple surgeries and hasn’t played since 2019.

Instead, if the Saints are thinking cornerback in the early order, they may be eyeing the likes of Patrick Surtain II or Jaycee Horn. Saints GM Mickey Loomis could also consider top-tier quarterbacks in the wake of Drew Brees’ retirement. Other (and perhaps less pressing needs) include linebacker, wide receiver, defensive line and tight end.

2021 NFL Draft: Team By Team

April 29th, 2021 at 10:24am CST by Zachary Links

The 2021 NFL Draft has arrived! Soon, picks will soon be swapped and shuffled at lightning speed. But, before the trading frenzy starts, here’s a look at the draft picks owned by each team:

[RELATED: 2021 NFL Draft Order By Round]

Arizona Cardinals – Picks: 6

Round 1: No. 16 overall
Round 2: No. 49
Round 5: No. 160
Round 6: No. 223 (from Vikings)
Round 7: Nos. 243, 247 (from Bears through Raiders)

Atlanta Falcons — Picks: 9

Round 1: No. 4 overall
Round 2: No. 35
Round 3: No. 68
Round 4: No. 108
Round 5: Nos. 148, 182, 183
Round 6: Nos. 187, 219

Baltimore Ravens – Picks: 10

Round 1: Nos. 27, 31 (from Chiefs) overall
Round 2: No. 58
Round 3: Nos. 94 (from Chiefs), 104
Round 4: Nos. 131, 136 (from Chiefs)
Round 5: Nos. 171, 184
Round 6: No. 210

Buffalo Bills — Picks: 7

Round 1: No. 30 overall
Round 2: No. 61
Round 3: No. 93
Round 5: Nos. 161 (from Raiders), 174
Round 6: No. 213
Round 7: No. 236 (from Panthers)

Carolina Panthers — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 8 overall
Round 2: No. 39
Round 3: No. 73
Round 4: No. 113
Round 5: No. 151
Round 6: Nos. 191 (from Broncos), 193, 222

Chicago Bears — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 20 overall
Round 2: No. 52
Round 3: No. 83
Round 5: No. 164
Round 6: Nos. 204, 208 (from Seahawks through Dolphins), 221, 228

Cincinnati Bengals — Picks: 8

Round 1: No. 5 overall
Round 2: No. 38
Round 3: No. 69
Round 4: No. 111
Round 5: No. 149
Round 6: No. 190
Round 7: Nos. 202 (from Dolphins through Texans), 235 (from Lions through Seahawks)

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Saints Looking To Move Up In First Round?

April 28th, 2021 at 8:47pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints are motivated to add a cornerback in the draft, and the team would consider moving up in the first round to get it done. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans is “weighing a potential move up” in the first round. Yahoo’s Charles Robinson previously reported that the organization was looking to move up for Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley (via The Athletic’s Joe Rexrode on Twitter).

[RELATED: Saints HC Sean Payton Says Team Has To Add Cornerback]

The Saints probably won’t be willing to give up the ammo it’d take to trade up for cornerbacks Patrick Surtain II or Jaycee Horn, so it’d make sense to switch focus to Farley. Robinson notes that the Saints, who are picking at No. 28, believe they may need to jump the Titans at No. 22 if they want to select the Virginia Tech product. For what it’s worth, agent Drew Rosenhaus previously insisted that his client will be taken somewhere in the top 20, so the Saints may need to jump close to 10 spots if they want the cornerback.

Farley hasn’t seen the field since 2019 thanks to a pair of surgeries, but his surgeon told clubs that the player should be cleared prior to training camp in late July. Even though Rosenhaus’ estimation should be taken with a grain of salt, that’s excellent news for Farley in advance of Thursday night. While Farley’s stock already took a small hit after sitting out the 2020 campaign, he saw another slide after irritating a joint at the base of his spine. There was some speculation that he could fall all the way to the second round, but recent reports point to him going in the first.

Originally a quarterback in high school, Farley committed to the Hokies in 2017 as a wide receiver. After an ACL tear wiped out his true freshman season, he was asked to change positions again — this time, he moved to cornerback. By 2019, he was a star for Virginia Tech, racking up four interceptions and 12 passes defensed en route to First-Team All-ACC honors. He also allowed a completion rate of less than 50% on passes thrown in his direction.

Saints HC Sean Payton: We Have To Add Cornerback

April 25th, 2021 at 10:46am CST by Rory Parks

Given their dire salary cap situation, the Saints were unable to do too much in free agency. They watched several high-profile players leave for other clubs, and the contracts they handed out themselves were on the more modest end of the spectrum.

Despite that, and despite the fact that New Orleans is now officially in the post-Drew Brees era, the club still has a talented roster that is capable of competing for a playoff spot. But in order to maintain the level of defensive proficiency the Saints have established under DC Dennis Allen, they will need to address their cornerback situation.

Head coach Sean Payton recently acknowledged as much. “Corner is an area we have to address between now and the season and I think we will be able to find that,” Payton said (via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk). “But yeah, we lost some good players that we knew we might have to to get our numbers below [the salary cap]. I think that’s part of operating in the salary cap era.”

2020 starter Janoris Jenkins became a cap casualty in March, and while the Saints were able to re-sign P.J. Williams, he is a slot corner and safety, not an outside-the-numbers starter. Patrick Robinson will be back, but he hasn’t played more than 24% of the team’s defensive snaps since he returned to New Orleans in 2018. After Williams and Robinson, there is not much else behind CB1 Marshon Lattimore.

The Saints are armed with the No. 28 overall pick in this week’s draft, and if they elect to go CB with that choice, a player like Florida State’s Asante Samuel Jr. or Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley might be available. If they wait until Day 2, UCF’s Aaron Robinson or Kentucky’s Kelvin Joseph could be the pick.

There are also a few intriguing veterans that remain available on the free agent market. The Saints expressed interest in Richard Sherman earlier this offseason, and he is still looking for a new home. Jason McCourty and Steven Nelson are also unsigned and have generated some interest on the open market.

Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order: Round 1

April 23rd, 2021 at 2:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens sent Orlando Brown to the Chiefs on Friday, shuffling the first-round order of the NFL Draft once again. Now, the Ravens are one of four teams to hold multiple first-round picks, joining the Jaguars (Nos. 1 and 25), Jets (Nos. 2 and 23), and Dolphins (Nos. 6 and 18). In turn, Chiefs no longer have a top-32 choice, joining the Seahawks, Texans, and Rams.

As we look ahead to Thursday, here’s how the first round currently stands:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. San Francisco 49ers (from HOU via MIA)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Miami Dolphins (from PHI)
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. Philadelphia Eagles (from SF via MIA)
13. Los Angeles Chargers
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. New England Patriots
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Las Vegas Raiders
18. Miami Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Chicago Bears
21. Indianapolis Colts
22. Tennessee Titans
23. New York Jets (from SEA)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LAR)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints
29. Green Bay Packers
30. Buffalo Bills
31. Baltimore Ravens (from KC)
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Saints Add Two Offensive Linemen

April 20th, 2021 at 5:51pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints are adding to their offensive line. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that New Orleans has re-signed offensive lineman Will Clapp. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the team has also signed center Christian Montano to a one-year deal.

Clapp joined the Saints as a seventh-round pick in 2018, and he’s spent time alternating between the active roster and practice squad over the past three seasons. After appearing in a career-high 14 games (with three starts) in 2019, Clapp appeared in eight games this past year. He collected only 62 offensive snaps and 41 special teams snaps, and he was responsible for only a single penalty.

Montano went undrafted last year following a standout career at both Brown University and Tulane University. He spent most of the preseason with the Steelers, but he was let go by the organization prior to the regular season.

The Saints offensive line is already set to look a bit different next season following the release of Nick Easton. Without a whole lot of financial flexibility, the Saints are going to be depending on young players like Adam Trautman and Zack Baun to protect either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill.

49ers, Ravens, Saints To Skip Offseason Workouts

April 17th, 2021 at 5:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The list of teams preparing to move ahead with a virtual offseason program has nearly reached 20. The 49ers, Ravens and Saints joined the brigade Saturday, voicing support of the NFLPA’s call to boycott voluntary workouts.

Teams can begin onsite offseason work Monday, though on-field work cannot begin until May 17. The 49ers’ statement indicated many players will not attend (on Twitter); the Ravens and Saints’ statements did not include this language (Twitter links). John Harbaugh said a second straight year with a virtual offseason would be a “colossal mistake,” via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley (on Twitter), but the Ravens will proceed in this direction anyway.

Saturday’s three teams (so far) announcing they will not show for the start of the voluntary offseason program makes 19 franchises not expected to attend workouts. However, some players on the first team to stand with the NFLPA — the Broncos — will attend their program, and others are on the fence.

It will be interesting to see if other teams who have seen players vow to stay away see some in their ranks report to workouts. Phase 2 of the offseason program will include a rookie minicamp, which will feature draftees and UDFAs vying to take some veterans’ jobs. The NFL and NFLPA have not reached a resolution on the offseason format, despite the league unilaterally releasing a schedule, but the sides still have some time until on-field work commences. Until then, the NFL will see some teams report to workouts and others stay home.

Here are the teams that are planning to begin a virtual offseason Monday:

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/15/21

April 15th, 2021 at 11:04am CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Cut: QB Kyle Sloter

New Orleans Saints

Saints Eyeing QB Kyle Trask?

April 3rd, 2021 at 11:54am CST by Ben Levine

While it’s been assumed that one of Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston will emerge as Drew Brees‘ heir apparent in New Orleans, it sounds like the organization could end up pivoting to the draft to find their future quarterback. During an appearance on SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Saints are a “sneaky contender to get a quarterback” after the first round, with Fowler pointing to Florida’s Kyle Trask as a main target (video link).

Fowler adds that there was plenty of buzz during Florida’s Pro Day that the Saints could be eyeing the Heisman Trophy finalist. If the team does end up opting for Trask (or another quarterback), Fowler opines that the player probably wouldn’t see the field much as a rookie. However, that QB would likely be in a position to take on the starting gig in 2021, especially if the team uses a second- or third-round pick on the player.

If New Orleans is indeed seeking a rookie quarterback, Trask would make sense. For starters, the Saints will presumably miss out on the grouping of Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones and Trey Lance, so there’s some merit to staying patient and seeing how far the second-tier QBs fall. After their first-round pick (No. 28), the Saints are armed with a second (No. 60) and two thirds (No. 98, No. 105); the team may need to trade up in the second round if they truly have their eye on Trask.

The Florida quarterback broke onto the scene in 2019, and he followed that up with a standout campaign in 2020. Trask ultimately finished this past season having connected on 68.9-percent of his passes for 4,283 yards, 43 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

The Saints made sure to retain Winston via one-year, $12MM deal (including $5.5MM guaranteed) earlier this offseason. Hill will also be playing the 2021 campaign on a one-year, $12MM deal (despite the funky restructuring by the organization last month). Hill got eight starts filling in for an injured Brees in 2020, while Winston was limited to only 11 attempts in four games (although he tossed a 56-yard touchdown during the postseason).

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