HEADLINES

New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Payton: Wasn't Serious About Leaving

August 9th, 2016 at 9:02am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints are considering several scenarios with fullback Austin Johnson, according to Nick Underhill of the Advocate. Johnson recently suffered a knee injury in camp, and New Orleans is hoping that he’ll be able to return in a few weeks and continue to work towards a roster spot. But while they wait for more information, the Saints have signed veteran John Kuhn to compete with incumbent fullback Sione Huma.

  • Although rumors persisted that Sean Payton would leave the Saints for a new team, it doesn’t as though the New Orleans head coach ever seriously considered defecting. “I understand how that began to build steam, and yet [GM] Mickey [Loomis] and I have a great relationship,” Payton told Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com. “That took basically a day-and-a-half of us sitting down and outlining the next five years and what our goals are and where we see this team going.” Payton is now locked up through the 2020 campaign.

Saints Sign LS Chris Highland

August 8th, 2016 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links
  • The Saints have signed long snapper Chris Highland, according to a source who spoke with Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter).

Saints Release Hakeem Nicks

August 8th, 2016 at 10:56am CST by Zachary Links

Hakeem Nicks‘ time with the Saints has already come to an end. On Monday morning, coach Sean Payton told reporters that Nicks has been released (Twitter link via Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune). New Orleans signed Nicks less than two weeks ago.Hakeem Nicks (vertical)

[RELATED: Lance Moore Retires From Football]

Nicks, still only 28, spent the first five years of his career in New York with the Giants, enjoying the most productive stint of his career with the team. Posting consecutive seasons of 75+ receptions and 1,000+ receiving yards in 2010 and 2011, Nicks totaled 311 catches, 4,622 yards, and 27 TDs from 2009 to 2013. The Saints were the fourth NFL stop for the 28-year-old Nicks, who signed contracts with the Colts and Titans between his two Giants stints.

With the Colts in 2014, Nicks registered 38 receptions and four TDs. He was briefly a member of the Titans, but he did not crack their roster. All told, the 6-foot-1, 208-pounder has 92 appearances (67 starts), 356 grabs, 14.3 yards per catch, and 31 TDs on his stat sheet.

For New Orleans, the addition of Nicks came just one day after the team placed fellow wideout Vincent Brown on season-ending IR. Nicks was fighting for space in a crowded receiving corps that already includes Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead, second-round pick Michael Thomas, Brandon Coleman, Reggie Bell, and Kyle Prater, as Roster Resource shows. Now, he’ll look for employment elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lance Moore Retires From Football

August 8th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

Just days after signing with the Falcons, wide receiver Lance Moore has announced his retirement from the NFL, according to a press release from the team. 

Moore, who entered the league as a UDFA in 2005, played for three different teams during his ten year career, spending eight seasons with the Saints. During his time with the Saints, he recorded 346 receptions for 4,281 yards and 38 touchdowns. Moore tallied 389 career receptions for 4,816 yards and 44 touchdowns in his career.

Moore, who turns 33 later this month, auditioned for the Chargers recently before the team ultimately chose to sign James Jones instead. On Friday, the veteran reached agreement on a deal with the Falcons. Apparently, Moore had a change of heart over the weekend and opted to hang ’em up instead.

Moore was a favored target of Drew Brees‘ for years before he was released by the team in March 2014. In 2013, Moore’s receptions (37), receiving yards (457), and receiving touchdowns (two) were his worst totals since an injury-plagued 2009. Unfortunately, things didn’t pick up when he joined the Steelers. In 2014, he caught just 14 balls with Pittsburgh, matching his lowest total since his rookie year. Following that disappointing season, he asked for his release and then hooked on with the Lions. His performance was roughly the same there as he caught 29 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns.

We here at PFR wish Moore all the best in retirement.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Saints Reach Injury Settlement With Alden Darby

August 7th, 2016 at 3:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Saints Waive-Injured D.J. Pettway

August 6th, 2016 at 7:19pm CST by Ben Levine
  • To make room for fullback John Kuhn, the Saints have waived-injured defensive lineman D.J. Pettway, according to The Advocate’s Nick Underhill on Twitter. Following a tumultuous tenure at Alabama, Pettway joined the Saints as an undrafted free agent.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Saints To Sign John Kuhn

August 5th, 2016 at 6:29pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent fullback John Kuhn has agreed to a one-year deal with the Saints. The four-time Pro Bowler had been on the market since it opened in March, but he has finally found a new home just over a month before the beginning of the regular season.

"<strong

Kuhn, 33, signed with the Steelers in 2005 as an undrafted free agent from Division II Shippensburg University. He appeared in nine games in Pittsburgh, all in 2006, before joining Green Bay. While fullbacks aren’t exactly high-impact players these days, Kuhn nonetheless factored into the Packers’ game plan during his nine years with the organization. All told, he appeared in 148 regular-season games (32 starts) and scored 23 combined touchdowns as a runner and receiver, adding seven more scores in 15 playoff contests.

The Saints rarely made use of a fullback last season, so they seem like a curious fit for Kuhn. However, starter Austin Johnson suffered a knee injury Thursday, the severity of which remains unknown.

New Orleans involved Johnson in its offensive attack on just 7.9 percent of snaps in 2015, though he did appear in 38.9 percent of special teams plays. Kuhn, on the other hand, partook in 26.6 percent of Green Bay’s offensive plays last year and lined up on special teams 34.7 percent of the time. He now joins the 27-year-old Johnson as one of two fullbacks on New Orleans’ roster, as its depth chart shows.

Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com first reported the agreement. Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate reported the length of the deal. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Saints Interested In Cowboys OL Ronald Leary

August 4th, 2016 at 9:43am CST by Zachary Links

Back in May, offensive lineman Ronald Leary requested a trade from the Cowboys. Months later, Leary remains in Dallas, but that’s not necessarily for a lack of interest. The Saints have been pursuing a Leary trade for months to no avail, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. "<strong

[RELATED: Nick Foles Signs With Chiefs, Despite Cowboys Offer]

Meanwhile, NFL GMs hear that the Cowboys are thinking about trading La’el Collins somewhere in order to acquire a defensive end, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. However, when Werder asked a Cowboys source about those rumblings, the team official replied, “That’s stupid.”

Leary started at left guard for the Cowboys in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, he started the season in the same role, but Collins – who was graded as a first-round talent before his infamous draft day slide – eventually took the job from him. The Cowboys are planning to start Collins at left guard once again in 2016, but they want all of the help they can get on the offensive line with Tony Romo returning from injury and rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott leading the team’s running back committee.

Leary was on the field for only 137 pass snaps and 84 run snaps in 2015, according to the stats compiled by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Although he did not qualify to be ranked based on that limited sample size, Leary was given an overall grade of 72.2, which would have placed him among the top 30 guards in the NFL last season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Saints Sign Golden, Walsh

August 3rd, 2016 at 4:41pm CST by Zachary Links
  • The Saints announced that they have added UDFAs safety Jamal Golden and guard Jordan Walsh. In a corresponding move, the Saints waived defensive tackle Lawrence Virgil and waived/injured wide receiver Kyle Prater and safety Alden Darby.

Saints Notes: Nicks, Byrd

August 2nd, 2016 at 7:21pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons and Saints have each added former Cardinals edge rushers over the past 24 hours, as Atlanta agreed to terms with Dwight Freeney while New Orleans inked Matt Shaughnessy. Both defenses were among the worst in the league at generating pressure last season, and the Falcons and Saints will hope that their new additions will help them get after opposing quarterbacks. For more on the Falcons, check back in with PFR later tonight for a recap of the Freeney signing and the rest of Atlanta’s moves in our latest Offseason in Review.

  • Hakeem Nicks‘ one-year deal with the Saints is a minimum salary benefit contract and contains no guaranteed money, reports Nick Underhill of the Advocate. As such, Nicks is essentially joining New Orleans on nothing more than a tryout basis, and will seek to earn a role behind Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead, Michael Thomas, and Brandon Coleman. Nicks reportedly stayed in contact with Saints head coach Sean Payton after a workout earlier this year, texting Payton on a weekly basis and sending along workout videos.
  • Former South Florida defensive back Jamie Byrd tried out for the Saints today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). In his senior season with the Bulls, Byrd posted 80 tackles and finished second on the team with 11 tackles for loss, and said earlier this year that he had “no answers” for not being selected in the draft or being offered a UDFA deal.
Load More Posts