New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/12/19

December 12th, 2019 at 5:16pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad moves here:

Cincinnati Bengals

Signed: WR DaMarkus Lodge

Miami Dolphins

Signed: CB Rashard Causey

New Orleans Saints

Signed: TE Jerrell Adams

Saints Sign DT T.Y. McGill

December 12th, 2019 at 10:59am CST by Zachary Links

The season-ending injuries to Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport have prompted the Saints to call for backup. On Thursday, the Saints signed defensive tackle T.Y. McGill to the 53-man roster.

McGill joins defensive end Noah Spence on the depth chart, giving New Orleans some new bodies to help fill in. Getting by without Rankins will be especially tough for the Saints as they look to grab one of the NFC’s top two seeds. Rankins broke out last year with eight sacks, before suffering a torn Achilles in the divisional round of last year’s playoffs, and the Saints were counting on him to pressure opposing QBs in this year’s playoffs.

McGill appeared in three games for the Chargers earlier this year, but was handed his pink slip when safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips returned to the active roster.

He’ll look to make his Saints debut on Sunday in New Orleans against the Colts. After that, the 10-3 Saints will round out the regular season with games against the Titans and Panthers.

Saints Place Sheldon Rankins On IR

December 11th, 2019 at 4:14pm CST by Rory Parks

After learning yesterday that defensive lineman Marcus Davenport would be undergoing season-ending surgery, the Saints have been dealt another blow. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins has a significant ankle injury that will knock him out for the rest of the season (Twitter link). New Orleans placed Rankins on IR and signed defensive tackle T.Y. McGill, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Rankins left the Saints’ difficult loss to the 49ers on Sunday with the injury, and his absence will be missed as the club tries to climb back into one of the NFC’s top two seeds. The 2016 first-rounder is unfortunately no stranger to the training room, as he has also suffered a broken fibula and a torn Achilles in his young career. He played a full 16-game slate in the 2017-18 seasons, and in 2018, he broke out with eight sacks. But he tore his Achilles in the divisional round of last year’s playoffs, and he did not return to the field until Week 4 of the 2019 campaign.

Luckily for the Saints, the defensive front is perhaps their deepest positional group. But given that linebackers A.J. Klein and Kiko Alonso also dealing with injuries, the front seven as a whole has suddenly become something of a question mark.

Saints Sign Noah Spence

December 11th, 2019 at 10:44am CST by Rory Parks

The Saints have lost Marcus Davenport for the season, and they may have lost Sheldon Rankins for the year as well. In an effort to bolster their thinning front seven, the team has signed Noah Spence, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (via Twitter).

The Buccaneers selected Spence in the second round of the 2016 draft, but he did not live up to his draft status. He did put up 5.5 sacks in his rookie campaign, but his sophomore season was largely lost to injury and he didn’t really produce in 12 games in 2018. Tellingly, Tampa Bay waived him prior to the start of the 2019 regular season.

Spence worked out for the Bears and Redskins after being cut by the Bucs, and he ultimately signed with Washington in September. However, he lasted just two months on the Redskins’ roster before being waived again. He picked up one sack in a limited role for Washington.

But with Davenport gone, New Orleans could use some pass rushing depth. Spence still provides some upside in that regard, so it’s a logical move for the Saints.

Saints’ Marcus Davenport Done For The Year

December 10th, 2019 at 5:15pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s already been a lot of big injury news today, and now we have even more. Saints defensive lineman Marcus Davenport is expected to undergo season-ending surgery, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Per Pelissero, Davenport “suffered a significant foot injury” during New Orleans’ loss to the 49ers on Sunday. It’s a huge blow to a Saints defensive front that has been one of the team’s strengths this season. The Saints traded a first-round pick to move up and take Davenport 14th overall in last year’s draft. He dominated against weaker competition in college at UTSA, and was regarded as a highly talented but somewhat raw prospect.

After a relatively quiet rookie year in which he showed plenty of flashes but didn’t start a game, he has been playing a huge role in 2019. He’s started all 13 games for the Saints this season, racking up 31 tackles, six sacks, and three forced fumbles. The Saints’ defense is pretty banged up at the moment, with key linebackers A.J. Klein and Kiko Alonso also dealing with injuries.

They recently re-signed Manti Te’o in response to the health issues. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins was also knocked out of their loss to the 49ers with an ankle injury, although it’s unclear how serious that is. Davenport took a step forward this season, and he will be back as a key piece in 2020.

2020 NFL Draft Order As Of Week 15

December 10th, 2019 at 8:06am CST by Zachary Links

With 14 full weeks of the NFL season in the books, the 2020 draft order is beginning to take shape. Here’s the rundown of where things would stand if the 2019 season ended today:

1. Bengals: 1-12
2. Giants: 2-11
3. Redskins: 3-10
4. Dolphins: 3-10
5. Lions: 3-9-1
6. Cardinals: 3-9-1
7. Jaguars: 4-9
8. Falcons: 4-9
9. Jets: 5-8
10. Chargers: 5-8
11. Broncos 5-8
12. Panthers 5-8
13. Eagles 6-7
14. Raiders 6-7
15. Colts 6-7
16. Buccaneers 6-7
17. Browns 6-7
18. Raiders (via Bears) 6-7
19. Titans 8-5
20. Jaguars (via Rams) 8-5
21. Cowboys 6-7
22. Dolphins (via Steelers) 8-5
23. Dolphins (via Texans) 8-5
24. Vikings 9-4
25. Bills 9-4
26. Chiefs 9-4
27. Packers 10-3
28. Seahawks 10-3
29. Patriots 10-3
30. Saints 10-3
31. Ravens 11-2
32. 49ers 11-2