Saints To Host Prince Amukamara
The Saints just agreed to terms with running back Devonta Freeman, and he might not be the only big name veteran they add. New Orleans is also hosting cornerback Prince Amukamara for a visit on Saturday, a source told Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football (Twitter link).
The 19th overall pick of the 2011 draft, Amukamara was on the Cardinals’ practice squad last year but didn’t appear in a game. He had spent the previous three seasons as a full-time starter in Chicago. Amukamara was originally drafted by the Giants, and he won Super Bowl XLVI with the team as a rookie. After his first five years in New York he signed a one-year deal with Jacksonville.
After that one season with the Jaguars he signed with the Bears, who gave him a three-year, $27MM extension in March of 2018. In February of 2020, he was cut. He’s never been a top-tier talent but has been a pretty solid starter at times, and he had double digit passes defended in both 2018 and 2019.
New Orleans is also bringing in fellow corner KeiVarae Russell for a workout, as Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Russell, a third-round pick of the Chiefs in the 2016 draft, has appeared in just 21 games (one start) since he entered the league, so he does not offer nearly the same level of experience as Amukamara. The Packers signed Russell to a reserve/futures deal in January but cut him loose in May.
The Saints have been linked to free agent cornerback help all offseason after releasing Janoris Jenkins back in March, so it wouldn’t be shocking if they made a move here. After top corner Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans also has longtime vet Patrick Robinson and youngster Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The club also signed veteran slot man Brian Poole last week.
Saints To Sign Devonta Freeman
Devonta Freeman will have multiple chances to stick it to his old team in 2021. The veteran running back and former Falcons star has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Saints, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Financial terms weren’t immediately available, although it’s fairly safe to assume it was pretty cheap. The Florida State product became a starter for the Falcons in 2015, earning second-team All-Pro honors that year. In both 2015 and 2016 he made the Pro Bowl while having at least 1,500 all-purpose yards and 13 total touchdowns. It wasn’t too long ago that he was considered one of the league’s best backs, and a legit weapon in both the ground and passing games.
Multiple injuries limited him to only two contests in 2018, and despite regaining his starting job in 2019 he was cut the following offseason. He signed a $3MM deal with the Giants for 2020, but injuries limited him to five games for New York before he was cut in January. He was then added to Buffalo’s practice squad for their playoff run.
This was the first known interest he’d received this cycle. The 2014 fourth-rounder will now slot in as the third back on a running back depth chart that already features Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray in New Orleans. It’ll likely take a injury to one of those guys for the 29-year-old to get significant playing time.
WR Tommylee Lewis Visits Vikings, Saints
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
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Arizona Cardinals
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OT Kelvin Beachum, G Deion Calhoun, WR Rico Gafford, C Rodney Hudson, WR Andy Isabella, WR KeeSean Johnson, G Justin Pugh
Houston Texans
- Signed: WR Jordan Veasy
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Holton Hill, DT Joey Ivie
Las Vegas Raiders
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Jalen Richard, RB Theo Riddick
- Signed: RB B.J. Emmons, RB Darius Jackson
- Placed on NFI list: RB Kenyan Drake
New Orleans Saints
- Placed on NFI list: K Wil Lutz, CB P.J. Williams
New York Giants
- Released from IR with injury settlement: RB Taquan Mizzell
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Obi Melifonwu
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
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: DT Matt Ioannidis, CB Chris Miller, WR Curtis Samuel
- Signed: TE Nick Guggemos, LB Justus Reed
Saints To Sign Chris Hogan
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
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here.
Arizona Cardinals
- Signed: OL Marcus Henry
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: LB Emmanuel Ellerbee, OL Jason Spriggs
- Cut: RB Tony Brooks-James
Cincinnati Bengals
- Signed: WR Reece Horn
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: CB Kyron Brown
Denver Broncos
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: S Jamar Johnson, CB Kary Vincent
Houston Texans
- Placed on PUP list: OL Marcus Cannon, OL Lane Taylor
- Cut: LS Mitchell Fraboni
Indianapolis Colts
- Placed on IR: DT Rob Windsor (out for year)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LS James Winchester
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: P Corliss Waitman
- Cut: K Dominik Eberle
Los Angeles Rams
- Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: WR Tutu Atwell
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: TE Carson Meier
- Cut with injury settlement: TE Jibri Blount
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on PUP list: K Riley Patterson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: DE Kendall Donnerson
- Placed on PUP list: WR Michael Thomas
- Placed on NFI list: OL Derrick Kelly
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DE Eddie Yarbrough
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Darece Roberson
- Cut: CB Saivion Smith
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DB Chris Cooper
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DL Kyle Peko, Anthony Rush,
- Cut: DL Bruce Hector
Saints To Audition Chris Hogan
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
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
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
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.