December 28th, 2017 at 4:31pm CST by GregGoldstein
The Saints have added a familiar face as the team gets ready for its first postseason appearance since 2013. The team has claimed linebacker Kasim Edebali off waivers from the Rams, according to Josh Katzenstein of the The Times-Picayune. To free up a roster spot, New Orleans has placed linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha on injured reserve.
Edebali, 28, had previously been employed by the Saints from 2014-16. His best year in New Orleans came in 2015 when he racked up five sacks in a full season of work. Edebali has bounced around a bit this season, having started the year with the Broncos, before making stops with the Lions, Rams and now the Saints after being cut on three different occasions.
The Saints likely made this move to help replace Kikaha as a reserve pass rusher for the remainder of the season. The third-year player out of Washington University had appeared in 12 games with the Saints, collecting four sacks behind the likes Manti Te’o and Michael Mauti on the depth chart. The former 2015 third-round pick had suffered an ankle injury in last week’s win over the Falcons, which surely prompted his move to the IR.
Scandrick is unlikely suit up for the team’s finale vs. Philadelphia after missing the team’s previous three games with fractured bones in his back and with the Cowboys eliminated from playoff contention. In his absence, the team has relied on rookie cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis, and second-year CB Anthony Brown. Those results have been favorable and could make the 10-year veteran expendable.
Though signed through the 2019 season, Scandrick, as Hill notes, is in a favorable contract that will pay the 30-year-old cornerback $3 MM in 2018 and $4 MM in 2019. The team could again target Vaccaro, who was placed on IR earlier this month with a wrist injury, though it is not known if the Saints will be willing to part with the former first-round pick who played a role in helping New Orleans dramatically improve its defense in 2018.
Though known in the past as one of the league’s top slot cornerbacks, Scandrick has endured a down year. Entering Week 17, Scandrick has not registered an interception and has just three passes defensed on the season. Pro Football Focus ranked the veteran as the No. 113 cornerback heading into the season finale.
John Kuhn‘s complicated Saints season looks like it will have another key chapter. The team plans to use its second IR-return slot on the veteran fullback, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com reports.
This will finish the Saints’ IR-boomerang itinerary this season. The team already brought Delvin Breaux off IR but did not end up activating him. The team had hoped Zach Strief would be ready to return, but the tackle already underwent surgery that will prevent that from happening.
Kuhn has not played since September. A biceps injury sent him to IR. Once he returns to practice, Kuhn could return to game action for the Saints at any time. The Saints’ employment of fellow fullback Zach Line may make the 35-year-old Kuhn a superfluous addition, but Katzenstein notes (on Twitter) this made the most sense for a second IR-return choice.
The Saints, though, released Kuhn twice this season only to re-sign him shortly after each of those transactions processed. He’s played in 15 postseason games as a member of the Packers.
After being released by the 49ers in mid-November, veteran defensive tackle Tony McDaniel has found a new home in New Orleans after signing with the Saints, Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune writes. The team has placed defensive tackle John Hughes III to accommodate the signing, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
It is the 12-year lineman’s second stint with the Saints in 2017. McDaniel appeared in all four preseason games with the team before being released at the start of the season. He then signed with San Francisco and appeared in four games, making five tackles, before being released on November 13.
The Saints will mark the sixth team McDaniel has suited up for since entering the league in 2006 as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee. After stays with Jacksonville and Miami, McDaniel enjoyed his breakout campaigns with Seattle in 2013 and 2014, winning a Super Bowl during that stretch. He made a stop in Tampa Bay, another round in Seattle before ending up with the Niners and Saints in 2017.
December 22nd, 2017 at 8:45pm CST by GregGoldstein
The playoff picture is starting to come into fruition with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. But is there a clear favorite for who will be holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy come the conclusion of Super Bowl 52?
The defending champion Patriots are coming off a dramatic road win over the Steelers, but have shown clear weaknesses. Pittsburgh will also be getting Antonio Brown back during the postseason, so the matchup could be more evenly matched should they meet for a second time in January.
However, while New England and Pittsburgh are the clear front runners in the AFC, the NFC has a number of teams that could be considered the “favorite” entering postseason play. Although the Eagles don’t have star second-year quarterback Carson Wentz, the team will likely have home field advantage with a very well rounded roster. The Vikings, Saints and Rams have all had their moments where they look like the team to beat as well. You can also see the defending NFC champ Falcons, Panthers and even the the Cowboys advancing now that they have Zeke back in the fold.
Here’s further breakdowns of the likely Super Bowl favorites with the end of the regular season inching ever closer:
New England Patriots: Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are simply the best coach-quarterback duo that this league has ever seen. The pair is set up perfectly to go to their seventh straight AFC championship game after beating the Steelers in Week 15. Both haven’t let age slow them down either. At 40 years old, Brady is the front runner for NFL MVP once again and his team is clicking late in the season. The Pats has a ton of weapons on offense and their defense is improving as the year goes along, which is typical of Belichick coached squads. This team isn’t unbeatable as they do have a few bad losses in 2017, but playoffs and New England have gone side-by-side since the team won their first Super Bowl back in 2002.
Pittsburgh Steelers: If Jesse James would have held onto the ball during the final drive in last Sunday’s instant classic matchup, then the Steelers would be 13-2 and have a very clear path to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way for Mike Tomlin and Co., so they will likely have to win on the road in January in order to secure the AFC Championship. Nevertheless, Ben Roethlisberger is playing his best football of the season right now and Le’Veon Bell may be the best overall offensive weapon in the game at the moment. Although, the loss of middle linebacker Ryan Shazier certainly does put the defense in a bit of a hole. But the offense with the expected return of their star wideout can score with anyone and will give the Steelers a chance in any game.
Philadelphia Egales: If Carson Wentz was healthy, the Eagles would clearly the best team in football. Now with Nick Foles at the helm, they are clearly still a good team, but just not even close to as dominant as they were with their second-year signal caller on the field. Still, as you could see in the their Week 15 victory over the Giants, Philadelphia found a way to win thanks to the overall quality of their roster. Without Wentz, the defense will have to shoulder more of the load, but the likes of Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, Chris Long, Nigel Bradham and others should be up to the task. The trade for Jay Ajayi also seems much more crucial now as there will likely be more of an emphasis on the running game. Foles is serviceable quarterback, but the Eagles will have to elevate in other areas in order to even win a postseason game in the difficult NFC.
Minnesota Vikings: Case Keenum was not the name you expected to see when talking about which quarterback led his team to a first round bye. However, that is the case and he’s been playing like it will translate to postseason football. The journeyman signal caller has been excellent this season, but his weapons have really risen to the occasion as well. Wide receiver Adam Thielen has solidified himself as one of the league’s best, Stefon Diggs is as talented as ever and Kyle Rudolph has been a touchdown machine. Even without Dalvin Cook, Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon have performed very well with increased workloads. The defense remains one of the best that the NFL has to offer led by the likes of Everson Griffen, Eric Kendricks, Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith. This team lacks real star power, but doesn’t have a noticeable weakness, which will make them very dangerous come playoff time.
Los Angeles Rams: The Rams have been a nice story all year long, but it wasn’t until their beatdown of the Seahawks on the road that you can see them advancing deep into the postseason. Head coach Sean McVay is the clear front runner for Coach of the Year and he has his team clicking on all cylinders at the moment. Todd Gurley has a case as the top offensive player in football and Jared Goff has made incredible strides after how he performed just a season ago. Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins and Cooper Kupp lead a solid group of receivers. Plus when you have Aaron Donald on defense, it’s easy to get pressure on opposing QB’s. This team has many ways to beat you and is very well coached. That’s something that very much converts in January football.
New Orleans Saints: Foles, Keenum, Goff and Drew Brees. Only one of those is a Super Bowl winner. While the top three teams according to record in the NFC all have their strengths, there’s something to be said for experience, and New Orleans has that at head coach and behind center. But while Brees has been very good this year, the team is actually led by Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara coming out of the backfield. They can ground and pound better than any team in the league, which is something that can help them control the clock in a postseason contest. The defense has also been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this year as they can take the ball away at any moment. The Saints control the game offensively and can force mistakes defensively, which is a formula that has worked for postseason success in the past and should continue to bring positive results in the future.
December 21st, 2017 at 2:11pm CST by Zachary Links
Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro will be placed on the injured reserve list, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Vaccaro has been playing on an adductor completely torn off the bone as well as an injured wrist and he’ll need surgery to repair both.
At 10-4, the Saints are likely headed to the postseason, but they’ll have to forge ahead without the services of their starting strong safety. The advanced numbers aren’t presently fond of Vaccaro (he rates as Pro Football Focus’ worst safety out of any qualified player this year), but he is a valuable five-year veteran of the defense. It’s another tough blow to a Saints team that just placed middle linebacker A.J. Klein on injured reserve a few days ago.
Clearly, Vaccaro has been at less than 100% throughout the year. Although Vaccaro has started in all 12 of his games this year, the team has had to take him off the field for large chunks of time. The 27-year-old (28 on New Year’s Day) has tried to tough it out, but the maladies have finally caught up with him.
Last year, Vaccaro ranked an above-average 38th in performance among PFF’s 90 qualified safeties. He’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency in March.
December 21st, 2017 at 1:43pm CST by Zachary Links
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. The Saints have re-signed cornerback Sterling Moore, a source tells Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter).
Moore most recent stint with the team came to an end on December 14th, when the team claimed linebacker Jonathan Freeny off waivers. He now returns to the team prior to a pivotal game against the Falcons on Sunday.
Moore will provide depth to the secondary in the wake of Kenny Vaccaro‘s season-ending injuries. Vaccaro was dealing with a groin injury and a wrist injury, both of which will require surgery.
If the Saints beat the Falcons on Sunday, they’ll secure their spot in the playoffs. They can also lock down the NFC South this weekend with a victory coupled with a Panthers loss.
December 21st, 2017 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links
Each year, the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel releases a list of candidates for head coaching jobs. According to Mike Lombardi of The Ringer (Twitter link), that list includes:
Dan Campbell (Assistant Head Coach/TE coach, Saints)
Jim Bob Cooter (Offensive Coordinator, Lions)
John DeFilippo (Quarterbacks Coach, Eagles)
George Edwards (Defensive Coordinator, Vikings)
Josh McDaniels (Offensive Coordinator, Patriots)
Matt Nagy (Offensive Coordinator, Chiefs)
Matt Patricia (Defensive Coordinator, Patriots)
Jim Schwartz (Defensive Coordinator, Eagles)
Pat Shurmur (Offensive Coordinator, Vikings)
Dave Toub (Special Teams Coach, Chiefs)
Steve Wilks (Defensive Coordinator, Panthers)
Mike Vrabel (Defensive Coordinator, Texans)
McDaniels, of course, comes with previous head coaching experience. He was probably too young to handle those responsibilities in Denver, but he has reasserted himself as an offensive wunderkind. Both McDaniels and Patricia will be hot candidates for head coaching jobs this year, so the Patriots may have to make serious changes on the coaching staff.
There is some overlap with the list of minority candidates recommended by the Fritz Pollard Alliance, though Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and Titans offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie did not make the cut on this list. Austin received head coaching interviews in each of the last two offseasons, so he seems likely to garner some consideration this time around.
