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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

DeMarco Murray Declines Saints Workout

June 13th, 2018 at 11:36am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints reached out to running DeMarco Murray to bring him to New Orleans for a Wednesday workout, but he declined, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Apparently, Murray did not want to work out as a part of a large group of running backs. 

Schefter hears that Murray is still very much intent on playing and believes that he can be a significant contributor in 2018, but he is also waiting for the right opportunity. The right opportunity, apparently, was not an audition with the Saints on the same week as Tim Hightower, Jamaal Charles, and Terrance West.

The Titans kicked Murray to the curb in March and he has not found a new NFL home despite meeting with the Lions, Seahawks, and Dolphins since his release. Murray, 30, is coming off of a down season in which he amassed just 659 yards and averaged 3.6 yards per carry. On a per-tote basis, it matched the career low he set in his lone season with the Eagles. He did have 39 catches for 266 yards, however, and may be capable of getting back to his old form with a new team. Murray ultimately graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 40 running back in the league.

The Saints, who will be without Mark Ingram for the first four games of the season, are exploring veteran additions to support top rusher Alvin Kamara.

Saints Notes: Ingram, Davenport, Koo

June 12th, 2018 at 8:29pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Running back Mark Ingram is back at Saints practice after skipping organized team activities in May, tweets Nick Underhill of the Advocate. Ingram’s presence doesn’t come as a surprise, as he indicated late last month that he’d been in attendance for mandatory minicamp. A free agent at the end of the 2018 season, Ingram will begin the campaign by serving a four-game performance-enhancing drug suspension. New Orleans figures to hand a full workload to second-year running back Alvin Kamara, although the club is scheduled to audition veteran runners Jamaal Charles and Terrance West this week.

Here’s more on the Saints:

  • Rookie defensive end Marcus Davenport will undergo thumb surgery on a minor injury, but is expected to return in time for training camp, as Underhill writes in a full piece. Davenport will wait until after minicamp to have the operation, so he’s unlikely to miss any practice sessions. The Saints sacrificed a great deal of draft capital in order to land Davenport, trading two first-round selections and a fifth-rounder for the right to move up to pick No. 14. While Davenport’s injury seems negligible, New Orleans should have enough defensive end depth if he does end up missing significant action, as Alex Okafor (recovering from his own injury), Trey Hendrickson, and George Johnson, among others, are available.
  • In addition to Charles and West, the Saints plan to work out a number of players during their minicamp, including kicker Younghoe Koo (Twitter link via Larry Holder of NOLA.com); wide receiver Kevin Snead, tight end Jack Tabb, punter Jonathan Hernandez, and offensive lineman Trevor Darling (Twitter links via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com); and wide receiver Josh Smith (Twitter link via Underhill). Of the group, Koo is the only member with NFL experience, as he spent four games as the Chargers’ kicker in 2017 before being waived.
  • In case you missed it, the Saints were one of five teams to use a post-June 1 release designation, meaning they were able to free up $3MM in cap space on June 1 as a result of tight end Coby Fleener‘s release.

Saints To Meet With Former Ravens RB Terrance West

June 12th, 2018 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are doing their homework on free agent running backs. Terrance West is scheduled to visit the Saints on Wednesday, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). 

News of West’s impending visit comes hours after word of Tim Hightower‘s Tuesday tryout and Jamaal Charles‘ Wednesday tryout emerged. The Saints were said to be content with their group of running backs despite Mark Ingram‘s four-game ban to start the season, but that might not be the case.

The Saints’ running back group presently consists of Ingram, young star Alvin Kamara, Trey Edmunds, Daniel Lasco, rookie Boston Scott, and Jonathan Williams. If there is a running back to be added, Hightower’s familiarity with the offense could give him a leg up, but the experience of Charles and the past performance of West could give the Saints something to think about.

West’s 2017 season was cut short due to a calf injury suffered in October. He didn’t do much in his 39 rushing attempts last year, but he did average a respectable 4.0 yards per carry as the Ravens’ leading ball carrier in 2016.

West met with the Colts, Eagles, and Jaguars in the spring, but has yet to sign with any club this offseason.

Jamaal Charles To Visit Saints

June 12th, 2018 at 1:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Jamaal Charles will visit the Saints on Wednesday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). We haven’t heard much about Charles since the end of the season, but he may finally get a chance to find an NFL home for 2018. 

After an exceptional, albeit injury-riddled, career with the Chiefs that included four Pro Bowl selections and two First Team All-Pro nods, Charles signed a one-year deal with the Broncos last year. Coming off multiple knee surgeries, he joined a crowded backfield that included C.J. Anderson and second-year back Devontae Booker and never established himself as the dominant force of years past.

Last year, Charles tallied 69 carries for 296 yards and a touchdown. The 31-year-old was a healthy scratch to close out the year and expressed his frustration with the team.

In addition to Charles, the Saints are also looking at old friend Tim Hightower, according to Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter). Hightower was spotted on the practice field Tuesday morning as he auditioned with the team’s running backs.

The Saints will be without Mark Ingram for the first four games of the season thanks to his suspension. The Saints have said that they’re comfortable with their remaining group – which includes Alvin Kamara, Trey Edmunds, Daniel Lasco, and roster hopefuls Boston Scott and Jonathan Williams – but they are giving some thought to adding some veteran reinforcement.

Saints Continue To Shift Focus To Young, Inexpensive Talent

June 3rd, 2018 at 11:20am CST by Rory Parks
  • Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune believes the Saints were wise to put a “ceiling price” on big-name free agents like Jimmy Graham and Ndamukong Suh this offseason, and he says the approach to Graham and Suh was emblematic of the team’s overall effort to rely more on young, cheap talent rather than high-priced veterans. That shift has been difficult because of New Orleans’ poor draft record in recent years, but while the Saints have a long way to go, Holder says they are moving in the right direction. Indeed, although the offense is heavy on expensive contracts, the defense is largely built on youth and thrift.

Five Teams Use Post-June 1 Designation

June 1st, 2018 at 9:25am CST by Zachary Links

Lingering guarantees can be a rough pill to swallow for NFL teams as they move on from players, but the league’s post-June 1 designation allows clubs to spread out the dead money hit over two seasons while reaping greater benefits in the current year. This offseason, five teams took advantage of the rule to carve out some cap space. As Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes, the following clubs now have some extra breathing room to sign draft picks and add veterans in the late stages of free agency: 

The additional cap space will be particularly useful for the Dolphins and Eagles, who have about $400K in cap room combined. The Falcons ($3.7MM),Saints ($4.2MM), and Cowboys ($8.5MM) are also looking forward to the extra fiscal flexibility. The extra cap room may help to jumpstart the free agent market for players such as Dez Bryant, Tre Boston, Kenny Vaccaro, Eric Reid, and others without a home at this stage of the offseason.

The Dolphins have yet to sign any of their 2018 draft picks, including top choice Minkah Fitzpatrick, but you can expect to see some movement on that front once they receive their $17MM reprieve. The Cowboys, Saints, and Eagles have already wrapped their respective draft classes and the Falcons have signed every pick except for first rounder Calvin Ridley, so those four clubs can concentrate on using their extra room for veteran additions, or new deals/contract sweeteners for current players.

Saints Sign S Sharrod Neasman

May 31st, 2018 at 11:33am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have signed safety Sharrod Neasman, according to Herbie Teope of NFL.com (on Twitter). To make room, the team cut fellow safety Mykkele Thompson, who signed a reserve/futures deal with the team in January. 

[RELATED: Follow Pro Football Rumors On Twitter]

Neasman worked out with the Saints during their rookie camp in May. The 26-year-old has been on the Saints’ radar for a while and New Orleans even tried to sign him off of the Falcons’ practice squad in the last two years. If Neasman continues to perform in practice, he could have a real chance at sticking on the roster.

Neasman saw time in 14 games for the Falcons from 2016-17 but was non-tendered this offseason. An April audition with the Chiefs didn’t yield a deal, but he has found a home with the Saints.

As shown on Roster Resource, Neasman will be competing with Kurt Coleman, Chris Banjo, and fifth-round pick Natrell Jamerson for playing time and a place on the final roster this offseason. The Saints will return Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell as their starters in 2018.

Cameron Meredith Ahead Of Schedule

May 27th, 2018 at 8:49am CST by Rory Parks

Cameron Meredith, who entered this offseason as a restricted free agent, provided a rather interesting case study. The Bears signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois State in 2015, and he showed enough during training camp and preseason that year to stick on Chicago’s roster. Although he recorded just 11 receptions in 2015, he exploded in 2016, posting 66 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns. His physical gifts were beginning to translate to on-field production, and he entered 2017 looking to cement himself as the Bears’ No. 1 WR and one of the better wideouts in the league.

Unfortunately, he tore his ACL and MCL last preseason, so he entered restricted free agency as a player with tantalizing athleticism and measurables (6-3, 207), but also a major medical red flag and a UDFA pedigree. Plus, his route running is not yet as refined as it needs to be for him to truly take the next step.

However, he drew significant interest from both the Saints and Ravens — he also visited with the Colts — before choosing to sign an offer sheet with New Orleans. The Bears were reportedly too wary of Meredith’s medicals to match the offer, so Meredith became a Saint, and the early returns are promising.

Head coach Sean Payton said Meredith is “way ahead of schedule” in his recovery (via Amos Morale III of the Times-Picayune). Although the 25-year-old receiver is not participating in team drills every day just yet. Payton said, “Just watching him move around and, you guys saw him, he’s way ahead of schedule. And certainly where our doctor our doctors had hoped and even better. So, he’s going to factor in this year. He’s a player that we’ve got a real clear vision for.”

Meredith could be a force in the slot in 2018, with Ted Ginn and Michael Thomas currently expected to operate outside the numbers. His contract with New Orleans is a two-year, $9.6MM pact, so he could also represent a major bargain for the Saints if he remains healthy.

Saints Optimistic About Mike Westhoff's Return

May 26th, 2018 at 10:59am CST by Ben Levine
  • The Saints are still hoping that special teams coach Mike Westhoff will return to the organization after he successfully completes recovery from offseason surgery, according to Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. The 70-year-old underwent surgery for “an issue from his hip all the way down his leg,” and he’s yet to return to New Orleans. Sean Payton had previously expressed some optimism in Westhoff’s return, but he also said he didn’t expect the coach to come back until training camp. After retiring in 2012, Payton convinced Westhoff to return to the NFL towards the end of last season.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Saints’ Mark Ingram Reports To Minicamp

May 24th, 2018 at 1:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints running back Mark Ingram has stayed away from the team so far this offseason has he angles for a new contract. However, he plans on being in attendance for the team’s mandatory minicamp in mid-June, according to coach Sean Payton (via Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune). 

Offseason Team Activities (OTAs) are voluntary and some players choose not to attend, whether it be because of contract issues or personal preference. In Ingram’s case, he is sitting out OTAs to try and push the Saints to give him a new contract. A holdout during mandatory minicamp would be costly, so it only makes sense for Ingram to report to New Orleans in June.

In light of Ingram’s four-game PED suspension to start the year, it seems unlikely that the Saints will give him a new deal right now. His best bet might be to perform at a high level starting in Week 5 to compel the team to give him an extension, but the Saints may only be willing to go so far with young star Alvin Kamara and a cast of quality backups in the mix. The Saints were also open to dealing Ingram this offseason, though a pre-Halloween midseason trade could be a possibility.

Last year, Ingram posted career-highs in carries (230), yards (1,124), rushing touchdowns (12), and receptions (58). He’ll turn 29 in December.

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