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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints Host OL Patrick Omameh

July 28th, 2019 at 8:58am CST by Rory Parks

Free agent O-lineman Patrick Omameh will try out for the Saints today, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Omameh would provide experienced depth at either guard or tackle for the NFC South favorites.

Omameh has done well for himself considering he entered the league as a UDFA back in 2013, though he has bounced around quite a bit. He started all 16 games for the Buccaneers in 2014, and he played 14 games (nine starts) for the Bears in 2015. He suited up for the Jaguars over the following two seasons before inking a three-year, $15MM contract with the Giants last March.

At the time, that deal felt like an overpay and an overreaction to the fact that Big Blue missed out on one of their top free agent targets, Andrew Norwell. And indeed, Omameh didn’t even last a full season with the Giants, who benched him in October and cut him in November after an underwhelming showing.

The Michigan product rejoined the Jaguars — who, coincidentally, were the winners of the Norwell sweepstakes — and proceeded to start the final five games of the season for them. However, he did not do much to earn significant interest on the open market this year, and his visit to New Orleans marks the first reported interest in him in 2019.

Still, he has started 56 games over his career, and it makes sense that New Orleans would want to kick the tires on such a player at this point in the year.

Theo Riddick To Visit Saints

July 27th, 2019 at 4:40pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Theo Riddick was surprisingly cut by the Lions earlier today, and he isn’t wasting any time searching for a new home. The veteran running back will take his first visit with the Saints, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

The Lions drafted Riddick in the sixth round back in 2013, and he’d been with them ever since. Riddick has always operated primarily as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, and he often shined in that role with Detroit. In each of the past four seasons, he eclipsed 50 receptions, and he was a nice safety blanket for Matthew Stafford. Riddick had been set to enter the final year of a three-year, $11.5MM extension he signed in 2016. Last year he had 40 carries for 171 yards and 61 receptions for 384 yards. His best year was in 2015, when he had 80 receptions for 697 yards.

There were some inklings that the Lions might move on, so he likely wasn’t caught too off-guard. The Lions signed C.J. Anderson this offseason, and also wanted to give promising second-year player Kerryon Johnson more playing time. The Saints aren’t going to be the only team interested in Riddick, but they’ll have the chance to sign him first. Still only 28 and never used too much as a runner, he should have plenty left in the tank physically

New Orleans’ interest is intriguing since they already have Alvin Kamara as an excellent pass-catcher out of the backfield. The Saints did lose Mark Ingram this offseason but his style of play isn’t at all similar to Riddick’s, and they also signed Latavius Murray to backup Kamara. Still, the Saints struggled for consistent receiving options behind Michael Thomas and Kamara last year, and Sean Payton can never have too many weapons. We’ll keep you posted as we hear anything else.

Saints GM Frustrated With Michael Thomas' Camp

July 26th, 2019 at 9:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We heard earlier today that the Saints were close to getting a deal done with receiver Michael Thomas, but it apparently hasn’t been the smoothest process. Saints GM Mickey Loomis has been frustrated with the negotiations, sources told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). “The Saints have offered to make Thomas the highest paid wideout in the NFL, with a contract that solidly exceeds Odell Beckham Jr. Loomis feels it’s a great offer w/ great structure,” Robinson writes. Loomis seems to feel like an agreement should’ve been reached by now, but Thomas’ camp is clearly still holding out for something more. Meanwhile, Thomas will continue to stay away from training camp as he awaits his new contract.

Saints coach Sean Payton addressed the media after practice today, and said he isn’t worried about the fact Thomas isn’t at camp (Twitter video link). Payton seemed confident that he’ll be back before too long, saying he’s “optimistic it’ll get done soon.” The most recent reporting suggests the Ohio State product will be getting $19-20MM annually. Thomas has established himself as one of the league’s best receivers the past couple of years, and New Orleans’ offense relies on him heavily. Thomas has the most receptions ever for a player through his first three years, and it sounds like it’s only a matter of time before the Saints break the bank for him.

Saints, Michael Thomas Nearing Deal

July 26th, 2019 at 8:23am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints and Michael Thomas are “close” to getting a deal done, Mike Florio of PFT hears. It’s still not a done deal, but Florio expects a five-year extension worth either $19MM or $20MM per season. 

There might not be much left to debate in terms of overall value, but as with any NFL deal, the two sides are probably still haggling over guarantees, bonuses, and the all-important cash flow. In the interim, Thomas will reportedly continue to stay away from training camp.

At one point in time, Thomas was reportedly pushing for $22MM per year, which would have blown the contracts of Odell Beckham Jr. and Antonio Brown out of the water. Thomas’ reduced ask should be more palatable for the Saints, who are still in a tricky cap situation thanks in large part to Drew Brees‘ contract.

Still only 26, Thomas is one of the best young wide receivers in the NFL. Last year, he led the league with 125 catches while recording 1,405 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Reportedly, fellow NFC South star Julio Jones is also on the cusp of a new extension. His brand new deal with the Falcons could become official before the end of business on Friday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/19

July 25th, 2019 at 8:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Waived: DL Fred Jones

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Saints Sign LB Josh Martin

July 25th, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have signed linebacker Josh Martin, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Martin, 27, spent most of last year on injured reserve with the Jets after suffering a concussion in Week Four. He has also spent time with the Chiefs, Bucs, and Colts.

Martin was placed on IR in early October after suffering his second concussion in five weeks. After he missed eight weeks of action, the Jets had the option of bringing him back, but chose to keep him sidelined once they were clearly out of playoff contention. In theory, the Jets’ lackluster pass rush could have used him.

Martin profiles as a depth option and special teams player for New Orleans.

Saints’ Michael Thomas To Skip Camp

July 25th, 2019 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Michael Thomas has not arrived at Saints training camp and won’t attend until the two sides agree on a new deal, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). It’s a surprising stance from the wide receiver, particularly since he is an enthusiastic player in scrimmage. 

The Saints and Thomas also seem to be rather close on terms. Last month, Thomas lowered his demand to $22MM/year. Then, this week, we learned that the Saints offered him something with an average annual value of $18-$19MM. Still, he’s looking to push the pace and is willing to potentially absorb fines in order to get the deal that he wants.

The former second-round pick leads the league in receptions (321) over the past three seasons and ranks fifth in yards (3,787) since the start of the 2016 season. Thomas’ 1,405 receiving yards last season broke the Saints’ single-season record.

For now, the 26-year-old Thomas is slated for free agency after the final year of his rookie contract. Without a new deal, he’ll earn just $1.148MM in 2019.

Saints To Sign DT Ziggy Hood

July 24th, 2019 at 1:36pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints are making a move to address a sudden hole on the interior of their defensive line. The team is signing veteran defensive tackle Ziggy Hood, a source told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).

David Onyemata was slapped with a one game suspension last month, which left the Saints a bit thin at defensive tackle. Stud tackle Sheldon Rankins tore his Achilles in the playoffs last year, and isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season. With Onyematta sidelined for the first game, the Saints were going to need some defensive tackle help for Week 1.

Hood was the 32nd overall pick of the Steelers all the way back in 2009. He’s bounced around ever since, spending time with five different teams. Hood was a starter for the Redskins in 2016 and 2017, but was relegated to a backup role last season. He was then cut in October, but got swooped up by the Dolphins not long after. This is the first we’ve heard of him all offseason, and he didn’t draw much known interest on the open market.

Hood is 32 now, and ideally the Saints won’t count on him for too much. In his lengthy career, he has 141 appearances and 73 starts under his belt. He’s always been primarily used as a run-stuffer, entering the 2019 campaign with 235 career tackles and 14 sacks.

Workout Notes: Dolphins, Texans, Saints

July 23rd, 2019 at 9:22pm CST by Rory Parks

Here are today’s workouts and auditions:

  • Cornerback Dexter McDonald worked out for the Dolphins, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). McDonald was a seventh-round pick of the Raiders in 2015 and appeared in 27 games (six starts) for Oakland from 2015-17. He spent all of last year on IR with an ankle injury.
  • The Texans worked out running back Johnny Thomas, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Thomas signed with the Bengals this year as a UDFA out of Penn State, where he was primarily a special teams contributor.
  • The Saints worked out safety Jordan Moore, per Wilson (Twitter link). Moore, who played for both TCU and the University of Texas at San Antonio as a collegian, signed with the Falcons as a UDFA in 2017. He was cut in August of that year and later caught on with the Broncos’ taxi squad, but Denver waived/injured him last September.

Saints To Work Out DeShawn Shead

July 23rd, 2019 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Veteran defensive back DeShawn Shead will work out for the Saints on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). This marks Shead’s first known workout of the offseason.

Shead spent the first six seasons of his career with the Seahawks, making 22 starts across 54 appearances. Unfortunately, a knee injury suffered in the 2016 playoffs altered the trajectory of his career. After appearing in just two games for Seattle in ’17, Shead hooked on with the Lions in March of last year. After missing the final cut, he was re-signed to a lower cost deal and appeared in 12 games before landing on IR once again.

The 30-year-old, who once played opposite of Richard Sherman, could serve as a valued backup behind Eli Apple and Marshon Lattimore.

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