Headlines

New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints Block Nielsen From Going To LSU

By | at January 19, 2021 3:46 pm

  • The Lions are by all accounts planning on hiring Saints assistant Dan Campbell to be their new head coach, although notably no deal has been announced even though it’s been a couple of days now since New Orleans was bounced from the playoffs. Interim coach Darrell Bevell “earned serious consideration for the position,” and it’s possible he could get the job if talks with Campbell fell through, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Bevell was Detroit’s OC before taking over for a fired Matt Patricia. Bevell was 1-4 as interim coach, and was the Seahawks’ OC from 2011-17.
  • LSU was finalizing a deal to make Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen their new defensive coordinator, Jane Slater of NFL Network tweets. However, that hit a snag as it was reported New Orleans was blocking him from getting out of his contract. Things were resolved this morning with Nielsen being given a new three-year contract and the added title of assistant head coach to stay with the Saints, a source told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter link). With Dennis Allen getting a head coaching interview with the Eagles, Nielsen could be a candidate to eventually take over as DC as he’s apparently very highly regarded within the building.
3 comments Detroit Lions Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams New Orleans Saints

Eagles To Interview Dennis Allen For HC

By | at January 19, 2021 1:52 pm

After missing out on the initial round of top candidates, the Eagles are taking their time with their search to replace Doug Pederson. Since they’re one of only two openings left, along with the Texans, there isn’t too much of a rush as they sift through the secondary candidates.

Philly has a new name on their list now, as the team will interview Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen for their vacancy tomorrow, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. Allen has gotten some faint hints of buzz the past couple years, but hasn’t been a real known candidate in any recent cycle. Of course, Allen was the Raiders’ head coach for three seasons from 2012-14.

Like many Raiders coaches of the era, his tenure didn’t go too well, and he was fired after an 0-4 start in 2014. Overall, his record was 8-28 as a head coach. Obviously that record doesn’t inspire much confidence, but he’s done a great job rehabilitating his reputation in New Orleans since landing on Sean Payton’s staff in 2015.

The Saints often had one of the worst defenses in the league before Allen’s arrival, and he stabilized the unit and turned them into an elite group the past few years. New Orleans ranked fourth in total defense in 2020.

The Eagles have already been linked to a slew of coaches, and we heard just yesterday that Patriots OC Josh McDaniels is a “prime candidate for the job.” Clearly, Philadelphia GM Howie Roseman is being quite thorough.

4 comments New Orleans Saints Philadelphia Eagles

Saints’ Michael Thomas To Have Ankle Surgery

By | at January 19, 2021 10:31 am

Michael Thomas is expected to undergo multiple ankle surgeries, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The wide receiver played through the pain down the stretch, hoping to help Drew Brees capture another ring.

Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 and was limited to just seven games in 2020. Later on, the Saints handed Thomas a one-game suspension for striking a teammate. Then, he missed time with a hamstring injury. This year was a bit of a mess for Thomas, who 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.

Entering 2020, Thomas had missed just two contests in his pro career. He was also in much better standing with the Saints, who reportedly considered trading him before the fall deadline.

Thomas inked a massive five-year, $100MM extension with the Saints in July of 2019. At the time of signing, that deal made him the highest-paid receiver in league history. At this point, parting ways with Thomas would leave the Saints with a major dead cap charge — they can ill afford that, given the dead money that would come with a Brees retirement.

Assuming Thomas comes back at 100% health, the Saints’ best bet would be to stay the course with him. Besides, Thomas remains one of the league’s most dangerous offensive weapons.

3 comments New Orleans Saints

Updated 2021 NFL Draft Order

By | at January 18, 2021 11:08 am

With the Divisional Round in the books, the 2021 NFL Draft order is mostly complete. The Rams, Browns, Ravens, and Saints now have their draft spots locked in, though the Rams’ first-round pick belongs to Urban Meyer and the Jaguars. The Rams traded those rights to Jacksonville as a part of the Jalen Ramsey blockbuster.

Here’s the updated draft order, through the top 28:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins (via Texans)
4. Atlanta Falcons
5. Cincinnati Bengals
6. Philadelphia Eagles
7. Detroit Lions
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Denver Broncos
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. New York Giants
12. San Francisco 49ers
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 (via Seahawks)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (via Rams)
26. Cleveland Browns
27. Baltimore Ravens
28. New Orleans Saints

25 comments 2021 NFL Draft Arizona Cardinals Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Carolina Panthers Chicago Bears Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns Dallas Cowboys Denver Broncos Detroit Lions Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Las Vegas Raiders Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams Miami Dolphins Minnesota Vikings New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers San Francisco 49ers Seattle Seahawks Tennessee Titans

Drew Brees To Retire After Postseason

By | at January 17, 2021 5:54 pm

It’s been rumored for a while, but it’s inching closer to being official now. Saints quarterback Drew Brees will indeed retire whenever New Orleans’ season is over, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports (Twitter video link).

That means that no matter what, tonight will be Brees’ last game at the Superdome, as the Saints will be going on the road to Green Bay next if they win. This is in line with what we heard earlier this weekend, when it was reported that those close to the veteran signal-caller believed he’d hang up his cleats. He could always reverse course, but it looks like this is really the end of the line for 42-year-old.

If that’s the case, it’ll wrap up one of the most illustrious careers in NFL history, with Brees’ name going down all over the record books. He currently has the most yards in league history, and the second-most touchdowns behind Tom Brady. Brees signed a deal with NBC Sports last April, so he’s already got his post-playing career lined up.

There’s been speculation for a couple years now that Brees was nearing the end, and he’s missed significant time with health issues in each of the past two seasons. The moment it’s official, all eyes will immediately turn to what New Orleans will do to replace the man who has been the starter since the 2006 season.

Taysom Hill is the only other passer currently on the roster, although that same report from earlier this weekend indicated they’d like to re-sign Jameis Winston, who is set to be a free agent. Hill was up and down during his stretch as the team’s starter this year while Brees missed time with a rib injury.

Reports have indicated in the past that Sean Payton views Hill as the team’s starter of the future, although it’s unclear if he still feels that way after getting a closer look at him under center in 2020. We’ll have a much longer and more sentimental post on Brees’ retirement whenever the Purdue product and Super Bowl XLIV champ confirms the news himself.

38 comments New Orleans Saints Newsstand

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/16/21

By | at January 16, 2021 3:23 pm

Here are the minor moves from divisional-round Saturday:

Cleveland Browns

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1 comment COVID-19 Cleveland Browns Kansas City Chiefs New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers Transactions

Latest On Drew Brees’ Future

By | at January 16, 2021 12:51 pm

While Drew Brees has been quiet about his future, those close to him believe he’ll hang up his cleats following the season. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport relays that “everybody believes that [Brees] will retire at the end of this season” (Twitter link). The 42-year-old is “hoping for one last run through the playoffs…hoping to end his career on the podium holding a big trophy.”

While we’ve yet to hear anything definitive about the future Hall of Fame’s status going forward, the writing has been on the wall for a while. Brees inked a deal with NBC Sports last April, signaling his post-playing career. The organization also agreed to an extension with Taysom Hill this offseason, keeping their backup QB under club control through 2021. Predictably, GM Mickey Loomis recently said that Brees would be welcomed back if he wanted to continue playing beyond this season, but the executive also revealed that no final decision has been made.

The Saints got a glimpse of what a post-Brees team could look like in 2020. The veteran missed four games, with Hill going 3-1 in his stead. While Hill is better known for his versatile skill set (he finished the season with 555 yards from scrimmage and nine rushing and receiving touchdowns), he showed that he’s capable under center. The 30-year-old finished the season having completed 72.7-percent of his passes for 928 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions.

It sounds like the Saints are also interested in retaining the third quarterback on their roster. Rapoport reports that the organization would like to re-sign Jameis Winston, noting that the Saints “love what they’ve seen in practice.” While the team has touted Winston’s arm strength and work ethic, they’re still (predictably) wary of his tendency of interception. The former first-overall pick got into four games this season, completing seven of his 11 pass attempts for 75 yards.

11 comments New Orleans Saints

2021 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

By | at January 15, 2021 1:24 pm

Exiting the regular season, six teams are searching for new head coaches. That number is up from last season but not quite as high as 2019, though there may well be more vacancies that emerge during the playoffs.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 1-27-21 (7:05pm CT)

Atlanta Falcons

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

18 comments Atlanta Falcons Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills Carolina Panthers Cincinnati Bengals Detroit Lions Green Bay Packers Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Jacksonville Jaguars Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Rams New England Patriots New Orleans Saints New York Giants New York Jets PFR Originals Philadelphia Eagles San Francisco 49ers Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tennessee Titans

Falcons To Hire Terry Fontenot?

By | at January 14, 2021 9:47 am

The Falcons have identified Terry Fontenot as their top choice to be their next GM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). New Orleans’ assistant GM for pro personnel could be anointed as soon as the Saints’ season ends. For Fontenot, that could be as soon as Monday, though he’ll be rooting for a February signing.

[RELATED: Falcons Have Second Interview With Arthur Smith]

Fontenot was said to be a finalist for the job, along with Rams college scouting director Brad Holmes. Colts college scouting director Morocco Brown, Bills exec Joe Schoen, and former Texans GM Rick Smith were considered, along with internal candidate Anthony Robinson.

To date, Fontenot has spent his entire 18-year career with the Saints. After seven seasons as a pro scout, seven seasons as director of pro scouting, and four years in his current role, he’ll run his own front office in the same division.

1 comment Atlanta Falcons New Orleans Saints
Show all
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors