New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Ravens Had Interest In Adrian Peterson

The Ravens had interest in trading for running back Adrian Peterson before the Saints dealt him to the Cardinals, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (video link).Adrian Peterson (vertical)

New Orleans ultimately acquired a 2018 conditional sixth-round pick for Peterson, so it’s unclear if Baltimore simply didn’t want to meet that asking price, or if Peterson perhaps indicated he’d prefer to play for the Cardinals. Peterson claims he did not request a trade away from the Saints, but it’s entirely possible general manager Mickey Loomis & Co. allowed him some say on his destination.

Baltimore has dealt with a number of injuries at the running back position, as Kenneth Dixon and Danny Woodhead are both on injured reserve. While Woodhead is eligible to begin practicing again in late October, the Ravens don’t currently have a timeline for his return, reports Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Dixon, meanwhile, will miss the entirety of the season, while Terrance West will be sidelined for a few weeks with a calf injury.

Javorius Allen and Alex Collins have handled the bulk of the Ravens’ carries in recent weeks, and figure to do so going forward. After missing out on Peterson, Baltimore re-signed veteran journeyman Bobby Rainey, who has already earned his paycheck in Week 6 by returning a kickoff for a 96-yard touchdown against the Bears.

Could Saints Trade Hau'oli Kikaha?

  • Rapoport believes the Saints may be in the trading mood after failing to trade for Bowman, and he says the team could consider trading LB Hau’oli Kikaha (Twitter link). Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune, however, suggests (via Twitter) that is not likely.

49ers Agreed To Trade NaVorro Bowman To Saints

We learned last night that at least two teams had serious interest in trading for former 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman before he was released by San Francisco, and it turns out that one of those interested teams was the Saints. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports, the 49ers agreed to trade Bowman to New Orleans for a seventh-round draft pick, but the Saints learned the veteran linebacker preferred to be a free agent and talk to all teams before deciding on one. As such, the 49ers opted to grant Bowman’s wish and give him his release instead of going forward with the trade.

NaVorro Bowman (vertical)

Schefter adds that San Francisco also engaged in trade talks with the Ravens, Browns, and Panthers, but none of those teams appear to be vying for Bowman’s services in free agency. Instead, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, there is strong mutual interest between Bowman and the Raiders, and Bowman appears set to visit Oakland in the coming days.

In related news, Schefter reports that the 49ers have not had any trade talks involving running back Carlos Hyde — despite speculation to the contrary — and they do not plan to have any such talks. We heard just last week, of course, that San Francisco was attempting to extend the oft-injured RB, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/12/17

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Giants promoted cornerback Donte Deayon off their practice squad to replace the suspended Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on their 53-man roster. Cromartie was suspended indefinitely earlier on Thursday. This marks the latest in a string of practice squad promotions for Big Blue this week. The Giants summoned three wide receivers from their taxi squad due to the string of injuries they suffered at that position. As for Deayon, he signed a Giants reserve/futures deal in January and latched on with their practice squad in September.
  • Linebacker Adam Bighill will rise from the Saints‘ practice squad to their active roster, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com tweets. The Saints kept Bighill on a futures deal and used him in one game earlier this season.

Adrian Peterson: I Did Not Request Trade

Adrian Peterson is happy to have left the Saints. But, he also says that he did not force his way into a trade sending him to the Cardinals. Adrian Peterson (vertical)

I’ll be lying to you to say that I didn’t want a change of scenery after four weeks of seeing how things played out,” Peterson said (via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss). “So, yeah, it was something that I was praying about — ‘Hey, God, I need you to answer this prayer for me. Are you listening to me?’ But in the midst of that, I was still tuned in and locked in. I had a great day of practice Monday, great day of practice. It was hot, too. It was outside. It was a good day. It was rough, but I was still locked in and taking care of my business, and the prayer was answered.”

Peterson is jazzed about the fresh start, but it’s not clear exactly what the Cardinals will be able to get out of him. Last year, Peterson spent the majority of the season hurt and averaged only 1.9 yards per carry when on the field. Meanwhile, he’s not getting any younger and while some quarterbacks seem to age like fine wine, running backs tend to age like seafood. Despite what the critics have to say, the 32-year-old insists that he has plenty left in the tank.

I have so much left,” Peterson said. “I look to play at least four to five more years, God willing. I have a lot left in the tank. Stay tuned and you guys will be able to see that first-hand.

We’ll soon find out what Peterson is capable of, starting with Sunday’s game against the Bucs.

Saints To Sign LB Gerald Hodges

The Saints are signing linebacker Gerald Hodges, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Hodges worked out for the Saints earlier this month and he finally got the call he was waiting for today. Gerald Hodges (Vertical)

After putting Alex Anzalone on injured reserve, the Saints were looking a little thin at linebacker. The addition of Hodges, who racked up 83 tackles, three sacks, and two interceptions in 15 games with the 49ers in 2016, should help in that regard. He also graded out as the league’s No. 21 linebacker, per the metrics at Pro Football Focus.

Hodges was set to spend the season with the Bills but wound up as a surprise cut in early September. The 26-year-old had to watch the first five weeks of the season from his couch, but the good news is that he should receive a healthy amount of playing time in New Orleans.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/10/17

Today’s practice squad updates:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/17

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Promoted to active roster: WR Ed Eagan

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers