New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Notes: Cousins, Welker, Patterson, Rams

October 4th, 2015 at 1:38pm CST by Rory Parks

Connor Orr of NFL.com (via colleague Albert Breer) says Washington is fully committed to Kirk Cousins as its long-term starter under center. As head coach Jay Gruden says, “We’re all sticking by the plan and we’re showing Kirk that we have confidence in him. And hopefully it pays off and he’ll get better every game.” As Orr writes, the team never made such a statement about Robert Griffin III, who remains an “organizational window dressing.”

Now for some more links from around the NFC:

After trading Chris Givens to Baltimore in exchange for a future seventh-round draft pick, the Rams have an open spot on their roster. Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, RB Trey Watts is eligible to return from suspension after today, and he would be the logical choice to fill that spot (Twitter link).
Wes Welker was very impressive in his recent workout with the Giants, and if Big Blue does not generate much production from the slot against Buffalo today, Gary Myers of The New York Daily News says the team may sign Welker to a contract, despite the obvious health concerns.
Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson has not had much opportunity to live up to his promising 2013 rookie campaign, when he hauled in 43 receptions for four touchdowns and added three rushing touchdowns and two kickoff return TDs to his final tally. However, given the injuries to Charles Johnson and Jarius Wright, Chris Miller of The Star Tribune writes that Patterson may finally get a chance to prove to head coach Mike Zimmer that he can be a productive member of the team’s offense.
With the Saints having traded Akiem Hicks to the Patriots last week, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com looks at who might replace Hicks at defensive end, pointing to Bobby Richardson and Tavaris Barnes as linemen who could see more playing time.

NFC South Notes: Shanahan, Norman, Saints

October 1st, 2015 at 7:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the NFC South..

Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan should be near the top of any watch list for head coaching vacancies at the end of this season, Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports writes. Shanahan’s creativity has the Atlanta offense clicking and that’s with a undermanned offensive line. The Falcons are only three games in, but Matt Ryan’s 98.6 passer rating would be his highest since the Falcons’ last playoff season in 2012.
Panthers cornerback Josh Norman spent the offseason telling people that he’s one of the elite cover men in the NFL. Now, he’s backing up those claims in his contract year, Steve Reed of The Associated Press writes. The former fifth-round pick has 15 tackles, five pass breakups, and two interceptions. One of those picks he returned for a momentum-turning touchdown in Week 1 against the Jaguars and another last Sunday that helped seal Carolina’s 27-22 win over the Saints. He’s also forced and recovered a fumble.
The Akiem Hicks trade marks a failure for the Saints, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com opines. Hicks, he writes, has rare physical talents and with enough patience from the organization, the defensive end could have blossomed into a contributor for New Orleans. Hicks hasn’t done much over the last two weeks or even the last two years, but Triplett is disappointed that a player who once had tremendous potential to become a core player has now been traded away for a reserve tight end.

NFC South Notes: Hicks, Saints, Jordan

September 30th, 2015 at 8:26pm CST by Zachary Links

This week, the Saints and quarterback Drew Brees agreed to a contract restructuring which gave the club a little bit more breathing room in 2015. New Orleans now has $2.6MM in additional cap room this season, but Brees’ cap hit for 2016 has been raised to an eye-popping $30MM, the highest in the NFL. Obviously, Brees is very unlikely to play out ’16 at that rate. The Saints will have to figure out a course of action with the veteran and that could mean an extension or a pay cut, but a trade or release might also be in play.

Here’s more out of the NFC South..

The Saints‘ trade of Akiem Hicks another blow to the team’s dismal scouting record, Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune writes. Hicks is the third draft pick the Saints have traded in the past seven months, joining former core players Jimmy Graham (Seahawks) and Kenny Stills (Dolphins). Hicks has been phased out of the Saints’ defensive plans and in a vacuum, the trade doesn’t come as a great shock. However, Duncan finds it disappointing that the Saints have traded a player who was slated to be a big part of the front seven last summer.
The New Orleans Police Department has closed its investigation into an incident at a night club involving Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan without bringing charges, as Matt Sledge of The Advocate writes. The local district attorney could still decide to take the case to a grand jury, however.
Running back Antone Smith, who reached an injury settlement with the Falcons at the final roster cutdown, has now been given the green light to resume football activities and sign with a team, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

Saints Acquire Hoomanawanui From Patriots

September 30th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have acquired tight end Michael Hoomanawanui from the Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). In return, the Patriots will receive defensive end Akiem Hicks (link).

Hoomanawanui, 27, has spent the last three seasons and change in New England after starting his career with the Rams. The former fifth-round pick played more than 700 snaps in 2013, grabbing 12 balls for 136 yards and a touchdown. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), Hoomanawanui wasn’t an effective run blocker in that season, though he graded as slightly above average as a pass blocker. Last year, the Illinois product played in all 16 games but saw an even smaller role in the passing game, catching only three passes out of six targets.

Hicks was in the Saints locker room on Wednesday, Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune tweets, so it would appear that the deal really gained momentum later in the afternoon. Hicks is set to become a free this offseason and despite a solid showing in training camp, he wasn’t given the opportunity to make an impact on the field this year. The defensive end was a third-round choice in 2012 but was actually the Saints’ top pick in that year thanks to the Bountygate sanctions imposed against them.

Hoomanawanui is set to earn $850K in 2015 while Hicks will make $1.53MM.

Saints Rework Drew Brees’ Contract

September 30th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have created a little additional breathing room under the cap this season by converting $5.2MM of Drew Brees‘ base salary into a signing bonus, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move creates $2.6MM of cap room for 2015, since the bonus is prorated over the two years remaining on Brees’ deal.

While the restructure creates cap room this year, it increases Brees’ 2016 cap hit to $30MM, exceeding Ndamukong Suh‘s and Joe Flacco‘s cap numbers and making it the highest in the NFL. Of course, it’s unlikely that the Saints will carry Brees at that $30MM figure next year, but the latest tweaking of his contract makes things a little trickier for New Orleans.

As I observed last week when I examined the Saints’ cap outlook for 2016, no NFL team has more salary on its 2016 books, so addressing Brees’ contract is crucial in order for the club to reduce its cap commitments for next season. Extending the Pro Bowl signal-caller – who is currently battling a shoulder injury – makes the most sense, though a trade, release, or pay cut could also be in play, depending on how this season plays out.

Trading or cutting Brees would leave the Saints with $10MM in dead money on their cap, creating $20MM in cap savings, but they’d have to make that decision quickly. As Joel Corry of CBSSports.com notes (via Twitter), over half of the quarterback’s $19.75MM base salary for 2016 becomes guaranteed on the third day of the league’s waiver period in February.

As for the short-term benefits of the Saints’ reworking of Brees’ contract, head coach Sean Payton says his club is “one short at tight end” and would like to add another player at that position. However, he cautioned that Brees’ contract adjustment wasn’t done for the purpose of adding a single player — it’s more about creating “wiggle room” for typical in-season moves (Twitter links via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune).

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/29/15

September 29th, 2015 at 9:48pm CST by Zachary Links

To make room for the newly acquired Jonathan Bostic, the Patriots announced that they have released running back Travaris Cadet. Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year. Cadet has played in 42 career NFL games and has 11 rushing attempts for 37 yards, 46 receptions for 346 yards with two touchdowns, 50 kickoff returns for 1,293 yards, and two punt returns for two yards.

Here’s a rundown of Tuesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves around the NFL..

The Chargers announced that they have signed veteran center J.D. Walton, as Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com writes. Walton started 16 games at center for the Giants last season and played for Mike McCoy when he served as offensive coordinator in Denver.
The Chargers have waived tight end Kyle Miller, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes.
The Chargers informed tackle Tyreek Burwell that he’ll be promoted from the practice squad, a source told Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. Burwell will help provide San Diego with depth in the wake of recent injuries on the O-Line.
The Cowboys signed defensive lineman David Irving to their active roster off of the Chiefs‘ practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
The Colts added cornerback Shaun Prater and dropped fellow corner Eric Patterson, as Mike Florio of PFT writes. Patterson played in the first two games for the Colts but was cut last week, signed back to the practice squad, then promoted again last Friday.
The Vikings cut wide receiver Gavin Lutman from injured reserve, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.

NFC Notes: Panthers, Brooks, Parkey

September 29th, 2015 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Although defensive end Charles Johnson is expected to miss multiple games due to a hamstring injury, the Panthers aren’t considering placing him on the injured reserve list with the designation to return, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Carolina acquired Jared Allen this week to help boost the pass rush in Johnson’s absence, and according to agent Ken Harris, the Panthers were one of five teams that he and his client identified as potential landing spots (link via David Newton of ESPN.com). Carolina was “by far” their No. 1 choice, per Harris.

Let’s round up several more items from across the NFC….

49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks wasn’t present in court today, but his lawyer put in a plea of “not guilty” for his client on a misdemeanor sexual battery charge, reports Damian Trujillo of NBC Bay Area (Twitter link). Brooks seems likely to face discipline from the NFL sometime after the legal process plays out.
Cody Parkey‘s groin injury is more serious than it initially sounded, with the Eagles kicker telling reporters today that he tore three muscles in his groin. While he landed on the IR today, Parkey fully expects to be kicking again for the Eagles again in 2016 (Twitter links via Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer).
The Bears may not be done making trades this season, but the Cowboys haven’t discussed the possibility of acquiring a player like Matt Forte or Alshon Jeffery, says Ed Werder of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
No outside free agent got a larger contract from the Saints than the $16MM deal C.J. Spiller signed this offseason, and head coach Sean Payton admits that he needs to get the running back more involved in the offense, according to Christopher Dabe of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, who was taken out of Monday night’s game against the Chiefs, re-aggravated his high ankle sprain, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Adams is expected to miss some time, though it’s too early for an exact timetable. As for tight end Andrew Quarless, he has a sprained MCL, and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, per Rapoport (Twitter link).

Community Tailgate: Winless Teams

September 28th, 2015 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NFL season underway, we have a whole new series of topics to discuss, and PFR’s Community Tailgate is designed to address those topics. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.

Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.

Through three weeks of the 2015 NFL season, 28 of the league’s 32 teams have managed to record at least one victory, with the Seahawks, Eagles, and Colts among the clubs that got into the win column in Week 3. However, that still leaves four teams that have lost all three of their games so far — the Ravens, Bears, Lions, and Saints.

While most of those teams didn’t show up in many preseason Super Bowl predictions, they all had playoff aspirations, and it will be a significant uphill battle for any of them to earn a postseason berth now. The Bears and Saints are in particularly rough shape, with their starting quarterbacks banged up and out of action this past weekend.

Here are the upcoming schedules for all four teams over the next five weeks, as they look to turn their respective seasons around:

Baltimore Ravens: at Steelers, vs. Browns, at 49ers, at Cardinals, vs. Chargers
Chicago Bears: vs. Raiders, at Chiefs, at Lions, Bye, vs. Vikings
Detroit Lions: at Seahawks, vs. Cardinals, vs. Bears, vs. Vikings, at Chiefs
New Orleans Saints: vs. Cowboys, at Eagles, vs. Falcons, at Colts, vs. Giants

None of those schedules are a cakewalk, but there are some winnable games in the mix. The Saints, for instance, should be favored against the Tony Romo-less Cowboys if Drew Brees returns to action this weekend. The Ravens have the underachieving Browns and Niners on their schedule. And the Bears and Lions play each other in Week 6, so at least one of them should come out of that game with a victory.

What are your thoughts on the NFL’s four remaining winless team? Will any of them turn things around and make a run at a postseason spot? Which team will take the longest to pick up a win? Will be seeing two or three of these clubs at the top of the 2016 draft order? Weigh in below in the comments section!

Sunday Roundup: Browns, Whitworth, Brees

September 27th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Dwayne Bowe is a healthy scratch for the Browns in Week 3, which, given Cleveland’s dearth of talent at wide receiver, speaks volumes about Bowe’s present ability. Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com appears to believe that the team will cut ties with Bowe sooner rather than later, tweeting that the team will wait for GM Ray Farmer to return from suspension after next week’s game and then pull the plug on Bowe. Grossi’s ESPN colleagues Adam Caplan and Jeremy Fowler, however, disagree. Fowler tweets that the Browns will at least wait to see if Bowe can get himself into game shape, while Caplan tweets that, between the $9MM in guaranteed money the Browns invested in Bowe, combined with the team’s need at wideout, Bowe will have a little more time to prove himself.

Now let’s take a peek at a few more links from around the league:

Johnny Manziel may not be playing for the Browns this week, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, he continues to impress Cleveland brass with the strides he has made both on and off the field. The team will continue to roll with veteran Josh McCown for the time being, but if the Browns should begin to slip from the playoff picture, Manziel will get the chance to prove he is the team’s long-awaited solution under center.
Coley Harvey of ESPN.com believes the extension that the Bengals recently gave to Andrew Whitworth is a clear indication that the team does not see its window of opportunity closing, and that they will continue to be championship contenders for the foreseeable future. Although the team has not officially announced the extension, Harvey tweets that the announcement could come after today’s game against Baltimore.
Drew Brees‘ injury clouds his future with the Saints, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the team could free up $20MM in salary cap room by parting ways with Brees next year and beginning the rebuilding process. Of course, before that happens, the team would have to have a viable alternative under center; Luke McCown is not the answer, and rookie Garrett Grayson, needless to say, has a long way to go.
If Brees should end up looking for a new home next year, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com says the Jets would likely be a strong contender for his services.
Chuck Pagano may be coaching his last season in Indianapolis, but he is apparently unafraid to make drastic changes to jump start his struggling club. As Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets, the Colts went with a new-look offensive line today, starting Jack Mewhort at left guard, Hugh Thornton at right guard, and Joe Reitz at right tackle. Free agent acquisition Todd Herremans, notably, moves to the bench.
During the 2009 draft, the Jaguars traded their seventh-round pick in that draft and their second-round pick in the 2010 draft to the Patriots in exchange for New England’s third-round pick in 2009. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets, Jacksonville selected Derek Cox with that third-round pick, and the Pats parlayed their two choices into Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.

Injury Updates: 9/27/15

September 27th, 2015 at 10:38am CST by Rory Parks

We’ll keep an eye on any major injury news throughout the course of the day and add to this post as necessary to reflect any updates:

DeMarco Murray is inactive for the Eagles this afternoon, per Howard Eskin of Fox 29 Philadelphia (via Twitter). Murray has been bothered by a hamstring injury, and though he had been expected to play today, his hamstring did not respond well to his morning workouts. It is unclear how the injury will impact his status moving forward, but at this point it appears as though he should be ready for Week 4.

Earlier updates

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport says Saints QB Drew Brees, who has already been ruled out for Week 3, is a long-shot to return for his team’s Week 4 matchup against Dallas (Twitter link). Interestingly, Rapoport adds in a separate tweet that Brees’ injury, which has been called a bruise, is actually a rotator cuff sprain. A sprain indicates a stretch or tear in a ligament, and we heard from ESPN’s Ed Werder just a few days ago that Dr. James Andrews had confirmed Brees did not, in fact, suffer a torn rotator cuff. This is not the first time in recent memory that Werder and Rapoport have delivered conflicting news regarding a major injury; the two well-known scribes also issued differing reports on when Dez Bryant might return to the field in 2015.

New Orleans Saints News & Rumors