New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Saints Sign Tommylee Lewis To Reserve/Futures Deal

January 27th, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints are reuniting with old friend Tommylee Lewis by signing him to a reserve/futures deal, as Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Lewis signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in May 2016 and spent the 2016-18 campaigns with the club.

However, the Saints opted against giving him a restricted free agent tender last offseason, so Lewis signed with the Lions. Detroit cut him prior to the start of the regular season, and he was out of football entirely in 2019, despite auditioning for the Bills and Bucs.

But he will be back in the game shortly. The Northern Illinois product was selected by the XFL’s Dallas Renegades in the league’s October draft, and Dallas’ season will start on February 9. If the team advances to the XFL championship, Lewis may miss some practice time with the Saints. The championship game is slated for April 26, but New Orleans can begin its offseason workouts on April 20.

Lewis, a wide receiver by trade, has 20 career receptions, but he’s spent the majority of his pro career on special teams. Lewis averaged 22 yards on kick returns and 9.3 yards on punt returns during his stint in New Orleans. The 27-year-old is perhaps best known for being the intended receiver on the infamous non-pass interference call in the 2018 NFC Championship Game that denied the Saints a chance at a Super Bowl title.

Terron Armstead Battling Wrist Injury

January 26th, 2020 at 7:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Terron Armstead missed only one game because of a high ankle sprain he suffered in November, but the Pro Bowl Saints tackle is also dealing with a wrist injury that may require offseason surgery. Armstead underwent a CT scan recently, and although it showed no broken bones or ligament damage, the seven-year veteran acknowledged an offseason procedure is not off the table.

Although Armstead made the trip to Orlando for the Pro Bowl, he did not play in Sunday’s game. The Saints have their left tackle under contract for two more seasons.

Latest On Drew Brees

January 26th, 2020 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

If Drew Brees decides to play in 2020, it will only be for the Saints. However, it’s still unclear whether he will be returning for his age-41 season.

The New Orleans legend will wait about a month before making that decision, as Amie Just of NOLA.com writes.

“I’m really waiting until football is totally done,” Brees said on Saturday. “Obviously being [at the Pro Bowl], I’m just very much focused on my family and this opportunity to be be around the guys, playing the game. Then, I’ll kind of lay low for a little bit, get away and then assess. I kind of have a process in mind. And I’ll give it a month or so.”

The Saints will obviously give their future Hall-of-Famer all the time he wants, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, the process could be somewhat complicated by the presence of Taysom Hill, a restricted free agent. The Saints love what Hill brings to the field and do not want another club poaching him by giving him an offer that New Orleans cannot match because of its financial commitment to Brees. Of course, that assumes that another team views the 29-year-old Hill as a starting-caliber QB, which is not a given; Hill has thrown just 13 passes in his professional career.

If Brees does decide to hang up the cleats, the Saints could look to Hill as a replacement, or they may choose to re-sign Teddy Bridgewater, who played well in Brees’ injury-related absence in 2019. There are also an unusually high number of potentially intriguing free agent and trade options this year, so the sooner Brees makes up his mind, the happier New Orleans will be.

Drew Brees: I’ll Only Play For The Saints

January 24th, 2020 at 12:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Drew Brees may consider retirement this offseason, but he says he won’t be changing teams. The future Hall of Famer tells NFL.com’s Jane Slater that he’d only suit up for the Saints.

“I have never been in the situation where I was mulling over the thought of [returning],” Brees said. “To me, each one of these contracts, I don’t know how many it’s been with the Saints, I’ve played with them 14 years, it’s not a matter of if it gets done, it’s when. At this stage of my career, it’s not a given that I’m coming back every year, but when that time comes, I’ll always be a Saint.”

It’s no surprise to hear that the 41-year-old isn’t interested in starting over somewhere new. He’s reached the pinnacle of the sport playing in New Orleans, where he’s found unbelievable success in Sean Payton‘s offense. And, even though things didn’t go according to plan in 2019, the QB says the team’s heartbreaking loss to the Vikings has only fueled his fire.

“You’ve got no other choice but to move on and get better as a result of it,” he said. “We learn something every time around. We’re not going to be discouraged. We’re not going to take the results of the last three playoffs — with some crazy things happening, obviously, kind of unprecedented things happening — and deter us from still striving to accomplish the ultimate goal. I feel like we have all the pieces in place. We have a great foundation. Great culture. We have all the makings of a championship team.”

If Brees walks away from the game, he’ll have ample opportunities to stay close to the game, including TV.

Giants Interview Saints Coach Aaron Glenn

January 22nd, 2020 at 9:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Before hiring Patrick Graham as their defensive coordinator, the Giants had interest in Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn, reports Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post (via Twitter). While he missed out on the gig, the 47-year-old still interviewed for another role on the Giants coaching staff today. Prior to this stint with New Orleans, the 1994 first-round pick served as the Browns assistant defensive backs coach.

Saints Add Maurice Harris On Futures Deal

January 16th, 2020 at 3:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the other wide receivers in the Antonio Brown-headlined workout will have a chance to stick with the Saints for next season.

The Saints agreed to terms with Maurice Harris on a reserve/futures deal Thursday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. After failing to make the Patriots’ 53-man roster out of training camp, Harris spent the season on the workout circuit.

Prior to what turned out to be a key Saints audition in late December, Harris worked out for the Lions, Buccaneers and Vikings this season. The Patriots signed him early in free agency, but their steady turnover at wide receiver included placing the ex-Redskins wideout on IR and reaching a subsequent settlement.

Harris, 27, played three seasons with Washington. The ex-UDFA’s most notable work came in 2018, when he caught 28 passes for 304 yards. While at Cal, Harris topped out as a senior with 40 catches for 553 yards and six touchdowns in 2015.

The Saints remain in search for reliable Michael Thomas complementary players and, as their Brown and Dez Bryant workouts showed, are not shy about bringing in help. Ted Ginn‘s three-year contract expired at season’s end, and Tre’Quan Smith caught just 18 passes this season. New Orleans, which employs several UDFAs behind Thomas and Smith, also added two other wideouts — ex-Raven Tim White and 2019 UDFA Emmanuel Butler — on futures deals.

Saints Rejected Panthers' Interview Request

January 15th, 2020 at 8:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Panthers requested permission to interview Saints assistant offensive line coach Brendan Nugent, but New Orleans rejected the ask because Carolina is a division rival, according to Jeff Duncan of The Athletic (Twitter link), who adds Nugent is a longtime friend of new Panthers offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Nugent previously spent time with the Bears as well as in the collegiate ranks.

Saints FB Zach Line Retires From NFL

January 15th, 2020 at 3:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints fullback Zach Line announced his retirement on Wednesday. Line, 29, leaves the league after seven pro seasons.

“As I look back on the last seven seasons in the NFL I cannot help but to feel extremely proud,” Line wrote on Instagram. “I have never bragged about my accomplishments, but knowing the odds and ignoring them, and choosing to instead believe in myself, my faith, and the support of my loving wife and family is something I am proud of. The decision to retire is not easy, which is true for most competitors. This decision is something I have prayed about and communicated with those that I love.”

Line first broke into the NFL with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent out of SMU. In four years with the Vikings and three years with the Saints, Line appeared in 75 games, including 22 starts. Used mostly as a blocking back, Line logged 275 career all-purpose yards and six touchdowns (four receiving, two rushing). This year, a knee injury kept Line out of the regular season finale and the Saints’ Wild Card loss.

We wish Line the best in retirement.

Updated 2020 NFL Draft Order

January 13th, 2020 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The stage has been set for the conference championships. The Titans, Chiefs, 49ers, and Packers are moving on to the semifinals, while the Texans, Seahawks, Ravens, and Vikings will begin planning for the offseason ahead. Unfortunately for the Texans, their first round pick belongs to the Dolphins.

Here’s an updated look at the 2020 NFL Draft order from Nos. 1-28:

1. Bengals (2-14)

2. Redskins (3-13)

3. Lions (3-12-1)

4. Giants (4-12)

5 Dolphins (5-11)

6. Chargers (5-11)

7. Panthers (5-11)

8. Cardinals (5-10-1)

9. Jaguars (6-10)

10. Browns (6-10)

11. Jets (7-9)

12. Raiders (7-9)

13. Colts (7-9)

14. Buccaneers (7-9)

15. Broncos (7-9)

16. Falcons (7-9)

17. Cowboys (8-8)

18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)

19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)

20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)

21. Eagles (9-7)

22. Bills (10-6)

23. Patriots (12-4)

24. Saints (13-3)

25. Vikings (10-6)

26. Dolphins (via Texans 10-6)

27. Seahawks (11-5)

28. Ravens (14-2)

Saints To Lose Mike Nolan To Cowboys?

January 7th, 2020 at 7:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Other candidates have surfaced to relocate to Texas. Cowboys assistants expect Saints linebackers coach Mike Nolan to be named Dallas’ new defensive coordinator, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Nolan was the 49ers’ head coach in 2005, when McCarthy served as San Francisco’s OC. Additionally, Redskins defensive line coach Jim Tomsula is on McCarthy’s radar, per Pelissero (on Twitter). Tomsula was the 49ers’ HC in 2015 and has been the Redskins’ D-line coach since 2017.

New Orleans Saints News & Rumors