Nick Fairley‘s heart issue has stalled his career to the point the Saints are preparing for this season as if the recently re-signed defensive tackle won’t play, Larry Holder of NOLA.com reports. Last we heard, the 29-year-old defender was getting a third opinion on the condition. Fairley signed a four-year, $28MM deal to stay in New Orleans in March. But if he’s not going to play this season, Holder notes the Saints are going to be at a loss. They used 2016 fourth-rounder David Onyemata alongside Sheldon Rankins on the first-string defense during minicamp, but Holder notes the starting nose tackle will probably be Tyeler Davison, a 2015 fifth-rounder who started 15 games last season. Davison is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
Adrian Peterson averaged just 1.9 yards per carry during an injury-marred season that featured just 37 totes, but that per-handoff figure was by far a career-low mark. That said, Vikings staffers did not believe Peterson lost much physically before the torn meniscus shelved him for months, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. However, they saw avoiding future injury at an advanced age and adjusting to a new offense as potential impediments to a bounce-back tenure in New Orleans.
A string of prominent Saints lavished praise upon the 32-year-old with praise during the team’s minicamp this week. As for Peterson himself, he detailed what kind of damage he did to his meniscus and why he feels confident he can return to previous levels.
“It’s knowing what I was able to do on the field before I got injured, knowing that the meniscus was completely healed. I tore 90 percent of it, and it was no longer a factor (during his Saints work thus far),” Peterson said, via Breer, from Saints minicamp. “And then it was getting into my regimen—nothing had changed. I was still explosive, fast, working with all the young guys, I didn’t have no doubt at all.”
But after the abbreviated season and an untenable 2017 salary, the Vikings cut Peterson. And although he also visited the Seahawks and Patriots and was connected to other teams, the four-time All-Pro was unemployed for 47 days before catching on with the Saints. The future Hall of Fame running back, though, knew that long stay as a free agent was a possibility.
“Yeah, it was different,” Peterson told Breer about his sudden status change in the NFL after 10 seasons being the unquestioned Minnesota starter. “But I knew coming off the meniscus tear, it could happen. If I came out and led the league in rushing (last season), I’d have been off the market. That wasn’t the situation I was in. So in my mind — this is the situation, this is the position you’re in. It’s not what you envisioned going into the offseason, but this is where you’re at. So how are you gonna handle it?
Peterson joined a backfield that as of now has Mark Ingram atop the depth chart and one that now has rookie Alvin Kamara installed as the passing-down back. Peterson famously returned from a torn ACL to post the second-most rushing yards in a season in NFL history, in 2012. He points out that he led the league in rushing yards just two years ago as evidence he can still function at a high level.
“Outside sources that doubt because of age? I led the league when I was 30, and it was the same thing then,” Peterson said. “‘He’s going downhill.’ I played with a mediocre offensive line and still led the league at 30. I just look at things different. If I started buying into what everyone was saying, I probably would’ve retired three or four years ago.”
Bad news for the Saints. Left tackle Terron Armstead has suffered a torn labrum and will require surgery, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The timetable to return is 4-6 months. 
The Saints can be expected to explore out-of-house options now that their starting left tackle will be out for at least the early portion of the season. Ryan Clady is perhaps the best free agent tackle left in free agency. Will Beatty and the versatile Austin Pasztor are also available.
Alternatively, the Saints could promote from within and move first round pick Ryan Ramczyk from the right side to the left. Zach Strief, who was supposed to be the main backup to Armstead and Ramczyk, could slide into the starting role at right tackle. However, in a year where the Saints are hoping to get back into the championship picture with Drew Brees and Adrian Peterson, it stands to reason that they will want some better protection on the O-Line.
Armstead, 27 in August, missed nine games due to injury in 2016. However, he still graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 21 tackle on the year. In 2015, Armstead played in 13 of 16 possible regular season games and earned one of the highest scores of any tackle in the NFL.
- Wide receiver Willie Snead remains optimistic and hopeful that he’ll sign a long-term deal with the Saints before the season starts, Joel Erickson of The Advocate writes. “I think the guys upstairs are working on it,” Snead said. “I’m hopeful, and I just have to keep worrying about myself and staying healthy and doing all the right things. I know it’s going to be a handled, it’s going to take time, but I feel like we’ll get it done sooner or later.” Snead was retained for this year via the $615K exclusive rights free agent tender.
- The Saints intend to sign linebacker/defensive end Royce LaFrance before the start of training camp, Nick Underhill of The Advocate hears (on Twitter).
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: OL Marquis Lucas
- Waived: LB Christian Tago
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: WR Harvey Binford, WR Fred Brown, LB Jeremiah George
- Waived: WR Marcus Leak, WR Al-Damion Riles, DT Kristjan Sokoli
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Claimed off waivers: CB Taurean Nixon (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9News)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: CB Trevon Hartfield, T Donald Hawkins
- Waived: OL Corin Brooks, CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: QB Dylan Thompson
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: LS Thomas Gafford (Twitter link via Joel Erickson of the Advocate)
- Waived: OL Cameron Lee (Twitter link via Erickson), LS Jesse Schmitt (Twitter link via Herbie Teope of NOLA.com)
- Waived/injured: WR Dan Arnold
Defensive tackle Tony McDaniel has signed with the Saints, his agency announced Thursday (on Twitter).
The 32-year-old McDaniel could end up in a prominent role for the Saints, who are awaiting word on whether starting defensive tackle Nick Fairley will be able to overcome heart problems to continue his career. Like Fairley, McDaniel brings plenty of experience, having logged 141 appearances and 48 starts with the Jaguars, Dolphins, Buccaneers and Seahawks since entering the NFL in 2006.
McDaniel is coming off the fourth 16-game season of his career, in which he started 11 contests, totaled 43 tackles and finished a respectable 52nd in performance among 127 qualified interior defensive linemen at Pro Football Focus. In New Orleans, he’ll join a D-tackle contingent that includes Fairley (for now, at least), 2016 first-rounder Sheldon Rankins, Tyeler Davison and David Onyemata.
Safety Kenny Vaccaro has made it clear this offseason that he’d rather sign an extension with the Saints than test free agency next winter. Vaccaro’s willing to risk departing New Orleans, though, as he said Tuesday that he’s not going to allow extension talks to drag into the season.
“I’m not going to do any contract talks during the season, so, if not, then I’ll be a free agent,” Vaccaro said (via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com). “If it doesn’t get done, then it doesn’t. I want to concentrate. I don’t want it to be a distraction.”
Of course, if the Saints are motivated to retain Vaccaro beyond this season, the 27-year-old’s deadline could hasten talks. Vaccaro expects his agent to begin discussions with the Saints sometime in the next two weeks. But even if he doesn’t receive either a long-term deal or the franchise tag by next March, Vaccaro would be open to re-signing with New Orleans after free agency opens.
“Even if I do make it to free agency, I still want to play (here). This is my home,” he declared. “My family loves it, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to make the right decisions for your family. I’m not really worried about my contract at all right now. I want us to win now. If we win, everything will take care of itself. If we’d have won last year, maybe something already would’ve happened.”
Vaccaro added that he’d like to stay with the Saints for the rest of his career, but he noted, “If I play good and I hit the open market, then it’s a bidding war and you get overpaid.”
Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2013, Vaccaro has been one of the few quality pieces of a New Orleans defense that has typically struggled. The ex-Texas Longhorn has started in 55 of 56 appearances, including all 11 last season, when he finished an above-average 38th among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties. Vaccaro did miss a quarter of the season on account of a suspension for Adderall use, though, and New Orleans perhaps prepared itself for his exit next year when it used a second-round pick this spring on former Utah safety Marcus Williams.
The Saints are are auditioning linebacker Mike Morgan and defensive tackle Tony McDaniel during their minicamp, according to Herbie Teope of NOLA.com and Joel Erickson of the Advocate (Twitter link).
Morgan, 29, was nominally the Seahawks’ starting strongside linebacker in 2016, but because Seattle spent so much time in nickel, Morgan’s defensive snaps were limited. Morgan’s contributions were further restricted by injury last year, as he spent eight weeks on injured reserve while dealing with a sports hernia. All told, Morgan played only 138 defensive snaps and posted just 10 tackles. His only other known interest this offseason came from the Jaguars, for whom he auditioned last month.
New Orleans has already augmented its linebacking corps this offseason, as the club signed free agents Manti Te’o and A.J. Klein while using a third-round pick on Florida’s Alex Anzalone. Those three ‘backers will add to an already crowded unit that also includes Craig Robertson, Dannell Ellerbe, Stephone Anthony, and Nathan Stupar.
Like Morgan, McDaniel also spent the 2016 campaign with Seattle, and has in fact played for the Seahawks in three of the past four years. The 32-year-old McDaniel played on 45% of Seattle’s defensive snaps a season ago, racking up 43 tackles and grading as the league’s No. 52 interior defender in the process, per Pro Football Focus. McDaniel could have a path to playing time in New Orleans alongside Sheldon Rankins, especially if Nick Fairley‘s heart condition restricts his ability.
Other notable players working out for the Saints this week include offensive lineman Chris Watt, kicker Patrick Murray, and long snapper Thomas Gafford, per Teope.
- Saints defensive lineman Nick Fairley is still waiting for results from his third medical opinion regarding a heart condition. Today, coach Sean Payton acknowledged that the team hasn’t received any updates on his availability. However, Payton did say that the organization would consider all of the opinions as they determine what to do with the veteran. “We will weigh in on all of those things,” he said (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “We will meet with him and his agent and kind of weigh in on the three different opinions. Like I said, I anticipate that being sooner than later.”
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- The Saints may be shopping Travaris Cadet, but Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune does not believe they can realistically expect to get any takers, so the team will probably be forced to release him.