Saints’ Sheldon Rankins Suffers Broken Fibula
Saints first-round defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins is believed to have suffered a broken fibula based on the initial tests conducted, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). If that’s the case, the first-round pick is likely a candidate for the IR-DTR list, which would allow for a mid-season return to action.
Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that Rankins is likely to be sidelined for about six weeks. Another person familiar with Rankins’ injury said the initial prognosis has him missing 6-8 weeks, Schefter tweets. 
Rankins has more tests on the docket to learn what other damage there could be besides the broken fibula (link). If those tests come back clean, a return is possible.
Scouting guru and PFR contributor Dave-Te Thomas has been looking forward to Rankins’ debut for some time now.
“Rankins is a strong tackler who will strike and deliver a blow,” Thomas wrote for NFL Draft Report. “He is conscious of wrapping the outside leg of ball carriers to prevent the opponent from leaning forward to gain extra yardage after that initial hit…As a pass rusher, Rankins can beat you with either his speed or power. He has very good body control and excellent hip snap. His hand usage and quick burst off the snap lets him consistently pressure the quarterback. He also has very good confidence in using his rip and club moves on the bull rush and has very good agility to spin away from the initial block and stymie the counter moves.”
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Drew Brees Doesn't See End In Sight
- Though he’s now 37 years old and entering a contract year, Saints quarterback Drew Brees tells Breer that he sees no end in sight. “I don’t think about the end. I don’t,” said Brees. “I do have a great sense of urgency for each year, though, because I understand no matter what your contract says, you’re really on a year-to-year basis. That goes for everybody. You gotta prove it every year.” Brees is set to count a league-high $30MM against New Orleans’ cap before becoming a free agent next spring.
Saints Waive Rookie OL Walsh
- The Saints waived rookie offensive lineman Jordan Walsh, Joel Erickson of The Advocate reports (on Twitter). Walsh’s departure clears space on the 90-man roster for Cortland Finnegan, whom the Saints signed on Friday.
Keenan Lewis Doesn't Believe He's Headed Towards IR
- After being activated from the PUP list, Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis missed the majority of this past week’s practices. The veteran admitted that he was relieved that the lingering injury popped up during the preseason, and he added that he doesn’t anticipate a trip to the injured reserve. “I ain’t (going on) IR,” he told Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. “That definitely ain’t my plan. I worked too hard this offseason. I stayed in New Orleans the whole time and grinded. So, offseason is definitely not on my calendar or in my notebook.”
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Saints Sign Cortland Finnegan
The Saints have signed cornerback Cortland Finnegan to an undisclosed contract, reports Sean Fazende of FOX 8 (Twitter link). New Orleans was expected to add Finnegan after he visited with the team Friday, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweeted.
The 32-year-old Finnegan announced his retirement in March 2015, but his hiatus from football was fleeting. The veteran signed with the Panthers in November and wound up playing in five regular-season games and all three of the NFC champions’ playoff contests, including Super Bowl 50. Finnegan, who recorded 18 tackles, failed to add to his career interception total (18) for the second straight year.
Finnegan spent 2014 with the Dolphins and appeared in 12 games; his performance that year earned him a 74th-place ranking among 108 qualified corners from Pro Football Focus. Finnegan’s unsuccessful stint in Miami came after a six-year run in Tennessee, where he was a standout, and two seasons in St. Louis. In 2013 with the Rams, PFF ranked Finnegan next to last in output among 110 qualified corners.
The Saints are slated to start Delvin Breaux and P.J. Williams at cornerback, as shown on Roster Resource, with Brian Dixon, Damian Swann, and Keenan Lewis in support. Finnegan’s presence could shake things up at the position and impact Brandon Dixon and Tony Carter, both of whom are fighting to make the team.
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Saints Likely To Sign Cortland Finnegan
Cornerback Cortland Finnegan is visiting the Saints, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets. Barring anything unforeseen, he’s expected to sign today. 
[RELATED: Saints Release Hakeem Nicks]
Finnegan, 32, announced his retirement in March of 2015, but his hiatus from football did not last long. In November, the veteran signed on with the Panthers and wound up playing in five regular season games and three playoff games.
In 2013 with the Rams, Finnegan was one of the league’s worst cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games. He was a little better for the Dolphins in 2014, but still placed just 74th out of 108 corners, with a -4.4 grade in 2014.
The Saints are slated to start Delvin Breaux and P.J. Williams at cornerback, as shown on Roster Resource, with Brian Dixon, Damian Swann, and Keenan Lewis in support. Finnegan could shake things up at CB and also impact Brandon Dixon and Tony Carter who are fighting to make the team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Payton: Wasn't Serious About Leaving
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
- 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
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.
[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.
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Lance Moore Retires From Football
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.
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