Saints Work Out Two Linebackers
The Saints are hunting for some linebacker depth. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that free agent Scooby Wright worked out for the team yesterday. Meanwhile, Herbie Teope of NFL.com tweets that the Saints also auditioned linebacker Zaire Anderson.
The Saints could definitely use some reinforcement at the position, as they’re currently rostering five linebackers. The grouping includes A.J. Klein, Manti Te’o, Demario Davis, Alex Anzalone, and Craig Robertson, so the could surely benefit from some additional depth.
Wright, 24, has seen the field for 13 regular season games throughout his career. The 2016 seventh-round pick has seven career tackles, and he’s had stints with the Cardinals and Browns. He was cut by Arizona in late August.
Anderson, a 2015 undrafted free agent out of Nebraska, had spent his entire career with the Broncos. The 26-year-old appeared in every regular season game over the past two years, including a 2017 campaign where he compiled 23 tackles.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/18
Today’s practice squad transactions:
New Orleans Saints
- Cut: QB J.T. Barrett
New York Giants
- Cut: DT Josh Banks
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: DT Treyvon Hester
- Cut: WR Greg Ward, WR Rashard Davis and DT Winston Craig
Tennessee Titans
- Cut (left squad): WR Damore’ea Stringfellow
Saints, Teddy Bridgewater Restructure Contract
The Saints have created $2.71MM in cap space by restructuring quarterback Teddy Bridgewater‘s contract, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Bridgewater, whom New Orleans acquired (along with a sixth-round pick) from the Jets last month in exchange for a third-rounder, had been due a base salary of $5MM. The Saints converted just over $4MM of his salary into a signing bonus, but because Bridgewater is on a one-year deal, the club also had to add two voidable years to the end of the contract. That allows New Orleans to spread out some of Bridgwater’s cap hit (for now).
The Saints’ front office is known for kicking the can down the road financially, and while moving a bit of Bridgewater’s money to future years isn’t as odious as some of the club’s previous contract errors, his salary will hit New Orleans’ cap at some point. Specifically, the Saints will be docked cap space in 2019 when Bridgewater’s one-year deal voids after the season.
Bridgewater will serve as Drew Brees‘ backup in 2018, but it’s unclear if the Saints view Bridgewater as Brees’ heir and therefore want to sign him to an extension. If Bridgewater is forced to play this season, he could earn up to $9MM via performance and playtime incentives.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/18
Today’s practice squad transactions:
New England Patriots
- Signed: TE Stephen Anderson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: RB Boston Scott
New York Giants
- Signed: RB Robert Martin
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: CB De’Vante Bausby
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DL Daeshon Hall
- Waived: DL Niles Scott
Saints Authorize Big P-Squad Payment
- Both the Buccaneers and Saints paid premiums to sign certain practice squad players. Tampa Bay went well above the minimum $7.6K-per-week wages to add linebacker Azeem Victor, agreeing to pay him $28K per week, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Saints are paying wide receiver Keith Kirkwood that amount as well, per Pelissero. Kirkwood is a rookie UDFA out of Temple who went to Saints camp, while Victor was sixth-round Raiders pick in April.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/5/18
Today’s minor moves:
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: S Isaiah Johnson
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: OL Michael Ola
- Waived: RB Boston Scott
New York Giants
- Waived: RB Robert Martin
Washington Redskins
- Signed: LB Josh Keyes
- Placed on injured reserve: RB Byron Marshall
NFC Minor Moves: 9/3/18
There have been plenty of transactions across the league today. While the big names all garnered headlines of their own, there were tons of more under-the-radar signings and cuts as well. Here are all the additional moves from the NFC so far today:
Detroit Lions
- Waived: WR Trevor Bates
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: RB Darius Jackson
- Waived: CB Herb Waters
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Josh LeRibeus
- Released: LB Nathan Stupar
- Waived: RB Trey Edmunds
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: DB Antone Exum, OL Matt Tobin
- Placed on IR: S Marcell Harris, RB Jerick McKinnon
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LS Garrison Sanborn
- Placed on IR: DT Mitch Unrein
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DL Caleb Brantley
- Waived: DE Anthony Lanier
Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC South
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC South teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Buccaneers are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s NFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Atlanta Falcons
Practice squad:
- QB Kurt Benkert
- OT Daniel Brunskill
- DB Deante Burton
- TE Jaeden Graham
- TE Alex Gray
- WR Devin Gray
- C J.C. Hassenauer
- DB Ryan Neal
- LS Jeff Overbaugh
- DT Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
Carolina Panthers
Placed on injured reserve:
Signed:
- CB Lorenzo Doss
Practice squad:
- QB Kyle Allen
- RB Reggie Bonnafon
- WR Mose Frazier
- TE Jason Vander Laan
- G Taylor Hearn
- OL Dorian Johnson
- DE Kiante Anderson
- DT Kendrick Norton
- CB Cole Luke
- S Dezmen Southward
New Orleans Saints
Signed to practice squad:
- QB J.T. Barrett
- LB Vince Biegel
- TE Garrett Griffin
- DT Woodrow Hamilton
- DE Alex Jenkins
- WR Keith Kirkwood
- T Rick Leonard
- RB Dwayne Washington
- RB Jonathan Williams
- OL Nate Wozniak
- TE Deon Yelder
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Saints Sign RB Mike Gillislee
The Saints are adding a running back, signing veteran Mike Gillislee according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Rapsheet reports that it’s a one-year deal for Gillislee. The Saints were looking for running back help with Mark Ingram suspended for the first four games of the season. Saints coach Sean Payton has emphasized over and over that the team wants to avoid putting too much wear on Alvin Kamara, so Gillislee could play a significant role on early downs.
Gillislee was cut by the Patriots as they trimmed their roster to 53 yesterday. New England was very high on Gillislee when they signed him away from the Bills as a restricted free agent before the 2017 season. He scored three touchdowns in week one of last year, but his role gradually decreased as the season went on and he was a healthy scratch down the stretch.
The writing was on the wall for Gillislee when the Patriots signed Jeremy Hill in free agency and drafted Sony Michel in the first round of this year’s draft. He now finds a new home in New Orleans after the Saints surprisingly cut preseason star Jonathan Williams yesterday. They wasted no time bringing in Gillislee, and he should stick with the team the entire season.
Mike Gillislee To Visit Saints
Running back Mike Gillislee, whom the Patriots released yesterday, is visiting with the Saints this morning, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Herbie Teope of NFL.com tweets, New Orleans would be a logical fit for Gillislee, as the club currently has just two running backs on the active roster after yesterday’s cuts (Alvin Kamara and rookie Boston Scott).
Last offseason, Gillislee signed with New England as a restricted free agent after an excellent 2016 campaign in Buffalo. But despite a three-touchdown debut for the Pats in the 2017 season opener, he could not carve out much of a role in Foxborough, and his release yesterday was anything but surprising. He finished his New England tenure with 383 rushing yards (3.7 per carry) and five touchdowns.
But the 27-year-old has plenty of ability, and he and Kamara could form a nice 1-2 punch in the Big Easy. When Mark Ingram returns from suspension, that trio would represent one of the best RB corps in the league, especially as they have complementary skill-sets.
Gillislee, a Florida product, was selected by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. He has spent his entire career in the AFC East, having played two seasons in Miami, two in Buffalo, and one in New England.