New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Links: Colston, Cutler, Bucs, Packers

December 24th, 2014 at 8:23pm CST by Ben Levine

ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett explores a couple reasons why Marques Colston‘s future with the Saints is uncertain. The 31-year-old’s production has dropped the past three seasons, and he’s set to make $7MM in 2015. Of course, the veteran wideout could agree to a pay cut, and that would certainly make teammate Drew Brees a happy camper.

“First of all, I think he’s gonna be here for a long time,” Brees said. “But just as I talk about him as a player, as a person, as a teammate and all those things, he’s everything you would want. Everything you would want. And I’ve been lucky to have him for nine years, and I’m gonna be lucky to have him for a few more.

“I mean he’s a mainstay. There’s not any person who I’ve ever played with who has been more steady, more consistent in every way. He’s the consummate teammate.”

Let’s take a look at some other notes from around the NFC…

Despite making only four appearances this season, the Saints still claim they haven’t given up on second-round pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste. Both coach Sean Payton and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan said they knew the cornerback would be a project, and they continue to echo that sentiment. “When we made that selection, we kind of understood exactly what we were receiving from an experience standpoint,” Payton said (via Triplett). “I like what I’ve been seeing from him. … For us, we like a lot of the characteristics we value in that position, and he has them. I think with the selection there were certain things we understood regarding him, and you have to have a vision. I think we had that.”
Jay Cutler will return as the Bears starting quarterback this weekend, and the embattled star says he’ll be playing for “the guys that have been in the huddle all year long.” As Michael C. Wright explains, Cutler understands that there could be some drastic changes within the organization this offseason. “I think you’ve just got to prepare yourself that anything could happen,” Cutler said. “That’s kind of what I’m prepared for. I mean, everyone could stay. Everyone could get axed. You just never know what direction it’s going to go. You just have to stay open-minded and know that things happen for a reason.”
The Buccaneers haven’t been particularly good recently, but that hasn’t prevented Mason Foster from wanting to stick around. The linebacker has battled injuries, and ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas says there’s no guarantee the 25-year-old will return. However, if it were up to Foster, he’d make Tampa Bay is permanent home. “I definitely want to stay in Tampa,’’ Foster said. “Both my sons were born in Tampa. I’ve got a lot of ties down here, and I love Tampa. It would be great. It would be amazing to stay here. But football is a business so you know there’s a chance you won’t be here.’’
Packers cornerback Davon House has missed the last two games as he tries to recover from a fractured right scapula. The upcoming free agent understands that his season may be over, and that means his tenure in Green Bay could also be finished. “I’m still not cleared, so if the season were to end this Sunday I played my last game as a Packer probably,” House said (via Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press Gazette). “You have to be real in my shoes. You have to be real. It’s my fourth year. It’s not guaranteed I’ll be back in March, so it’s a chance I played my last game. Is that highly (likely), no? But it’s still possible.”

Extra Points: Grossman, Hoyer, Philbin

December 22nd, 2014 at 10:18pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns could use some depth at quarterback with injuries to Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer and they called on Rex Grossman to serve as a backup. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Sexy Rexy isn’t interested, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. Grossman is hosting his whole family for the holidays and he says he would rather spent Christmas with them than with the 7-8 Browns. Here’s more from around the NFL..

It sounds like Hoyer could be healthy enough to serve as an emergency backup for the Browns in their season finale, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Meanwhile, signal caller Connor Shaw could be promoted from the practice squad for additional depth.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross kept coach Joe Philbin because he likes him as a person and he refused to hire a GM who wanted him gone, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (on Twitter).
With the Saints now eliminated from playoff contention and headed for a top 15 draft pick, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap looks at what they can do next season. Much of the Saints savings, he explains, will probably come through contract restructuring with veterans.

Coaching, GM Notes: 49ers, Sparano, Jets, Saints

December 22nd, 2014 at 3:04pm CST by Rob DiRe

Saints‘ defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has been disappointing this season, and with the team eliminated from playoff contention in a historically lackluster division, Ryan’s job could be in jeopardy, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN. The Saints’ players, however, expect their coach back next year, including defensive backs Kenny Vaccaro and Keenan Lewis.

“Rob will be here,” Vaccaro said. “Rob’s my guy. I love Rob. I’ll fight for Rob every game. I’m a Rob guy, so there’s no point even asking me about Rob. He’ll ride with me until the end.”

“I want him back. I’m gonna ride with him 100, no matter what the situation is. A great coordinator,” said Lewis. “You can’t just blame him when things go wrong.”

Here some other organizational notes as we approach the end of this NFL regular season:

The 49ers are already vetting potential head coaches, and could look to a division rival to find their man, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report. In the video clip associated with that Bleacher Report article, Cole puts the spotlight on Seahawks‘ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as a top option to replace Jim Harbaugh. Cole also believes the team could target Patriots‘ offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The top in-house candidate is defensive line coach Jim Tomsula.
Tony Sparano has gone 3-8 as interim head coach of the Raiders, and while he isn’t expected to be the team’s first choice, he is a legitimate candidate to be the head coach in 2015, writes Bill Williamson of ESPN.com. Harbaugh is thought to be the team’s number one option, but if he decides to take a different job either in the NFL or with the University of Michigan, Williamson believes that Sparano will be among a group of coaches considered for the job.
Williamson also notes that among other coaching candidates to emerge for the Raiders will be Broncos‘ defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Del Rio has previous head coaching experience with the Jaguars.
After hiring Charlie Casserly as a consultant, Jason La Canfora has made a connection between the potential general manager opening with the Jets and Texans‘ scouting director Mike Maccagnan (via Twitter). He believes Maccagnan has a strong relationship with Casserly. La Canfora also highlights Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles as a coaching candidate due to his relationship with Casserly from their time together in Washington (via Twitter).

Poll: Which Team Will Win NFC South?

December 20th, 2014 at 6:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2014 NFL schedule saw the NFC South plays its inter-conference games against the four AFC North teams, and the three clubs still in the hunt for the NFC South crown didn’t fare so well in those games against the AFC — the Falcons, Saints, and Panthers have combined to go 1-9-1 against the Bengals, Ravens, Steelers, and Browns.

Nonetheless, at least one of those AFC North teams – and perhaps more than one – will be left out of the postseason, and at least one team from the NFC South will host a playoff game. The 6-8 Saints, 5-8-1 Panthers, and 5-9 Falcons continue to vie for a division that could end up being won with just seven – or even six – victories.

With two weeks left in the season, the third-place Falcons are the key team in the race. Atlanta, already 4-0 in divisional games, plays both the Saints and the Panthers to finish the regular season, and if the Falcons win both contests, they’ll win the NFC South with a 7-9 record. Still, that won’t be easy — the Saints haven’t been their usual dominant selves in the Superdome this season, but they still enter tomorrow’s game as solid favorites over Atlanta, and then would just have to defeat the South’s last-place team (Tampa Bay) in Week 17 to clinch the division. In fact, a Week 16 win could guarantee New Orleans a division title if the Panthers don’t keep pace with a victory of their own against the Browns.

The Saints look like the current frontrunners, but the Falcons control their fate, and the Panthers’ tie means they could finish a half-game ahead of their division rivals and not have to worry about tiebreaker scenarios. What do you think? Which of these teams wins the South and hosts a first-round playoff game?

NFC Mailbags: Panthers, Saints, Packers

December 20th, 2014 at 9:53am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now focus on what the NFC writers had to say…

Even if the Panthers make the playoffs, David Newton wouldn’t be surprised if the organization makes some changes. The writer believes it would be difficult to let go of offensive coordinator Mike Shula (especially if the team finishes strong), but they could make a move to help improve the special teams.
Newton would offer Panthers offensive tackle Mike Remmers a contract extension, but he warns that the money can’t get out of hand.
Mike Triplett writes that the Saints may be able to retain defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Akiem Hicks at a reduced value. The duo’s subpar season will benefit New Orleans, but Triplett points out that the process is unpredictable.
While the Saints normally stick with a platoon at running back, Triplett says a player like Mark Ingram may be worth re-signing. As the team transitions into a new era, it may be worth the gamble to keep the veteran.
Rob Demovsky believes it would be a “major surprise” if the Packers didn’t re-sign Randall Cobb. While the negotiations may drag out, Demovsky says general manager Ted Thompson won’t let the wide receiver get away.
With the emergence of Letroy Guion on the Packers defensive line, one reader asked Demovsky about the future of B.J. Raji. The writer opines that the defensive tackle won’t have much interest coming off a missed season, and the Packers could likely snag the veteran on a cheap, one-year deal.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

December 17th, 2014 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of practice squad players have received promotions to their respective clubs’ 53-man rosters this week, or have been signed by a rival club. As such, we should expect plenty of signings today, as teams fill in their openings. Here’s the latest:

After his suspension was lifted by the league, fullback Nikita Whitlock signed on with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
Chargers taxi squad guard Craig Watts has been suspended four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). To replace him, the Bolts signed former San Diego State offensive lineman Bryce Quigley (link).
Wide receiver and kick returner Greg Jenkins, who spent last season with the Raiders, has returned to the club, signing today with the taxi squad, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the signing, tweeting that defensive back Vernon Kearney has joined the practice squad as well.
The Saints have filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing kicker Dustin Hopkins, head coach Sean Payton confirmed today to reporters (Twitter link via Chad Sabadie of FOX8).

Earlier updates:

The Vikings have signed rookie guard Jordan McCray to their practice squad to fill the spot vacated when Ahmad Dixon received a promotion, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Minnesota will have another spot to fill after losing cornerback Chris Greenwood to the Ravens.
In addition to making changes to their 53-man roster today, the Patriots also tweaked their practice squad, adding quarterback Garrett Gilbert, according to a team release.
The Packers have filled out their practice squad by signing safety Jean Fanor to the unit, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Fanor played for the Arena League’s Tampa Bay Storm this year, setting a team record for tackles in a season.
Former sixth-round guard Jon Halapio has signed with the Broncos‘ practice squad, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
Having entered the day with three openings on their practice squad, the Dolphins added a pair of players to the unit, signing defensive end Emmanuel Dieke and guard Mark Asper, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their practice squad by signing cornerback Jordan Mabin, the team announced today in a press release. The opening was created earlier in the week when the club promoted cornerback Ricardo Allen to the 53-man roster.
The Steelers have also filled out their taxi squad, signing former South Carolina offensive lineman Ronald Patrick, tweets Burt Lauten, the team’s PR rep.
Defensive back Varmah Sonie, who played this year for Portland’s Arena League team, has signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
The Panthers have signed linebacker Horace Miller to their practice squad, giving them a full 10-man unit, tweets David Newton of ESPN.com. Miller was cut by Carolina over the weekend and has since cleared waivers.
Offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, who started the season with a brief stint on the Colts‘ practice squad and has since spent time with the Eagles as well, has rejoined Indianapolis’ squad, according to Mike Chappell of RTV6 (Twitter link).

Workout Notes: Wednesday

December 17th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s workouts, auditions, visits, pow-wows, get togethers, tryouts, and pop-ins..

The Raiders worked out former Saints wide receiver Joe Morgan, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Saints worked out offensive lineman Will Simmons and Andre Miller, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
The Buccaneers worked out linebacker Brandon Denmark, safety M.D. Jennings, and defensive back Jocquel Skinner , Wilson tweets. The Bucs also tried out defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, who wound up being signed to the active roster, and defensive back Varmah Sonie, who has joined their taxi squad.
Defensive end Sammy Brown visited the Buccaneers, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
The Seahawks worked out former Memphis defensive linemen Johnnie Farms, Marcus Forston, Rufus Johnson, Zach Minter, Brandon Moore, Will Pericak, Andru Pulu, and Jared Wheeler, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
The Cardinals tried out defensive end Shawn Lemon, wide receiver Jalil Carter, and defensive back Delvin Breaux, according to Wilson (on Twitter).

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

December 16th, 2014 at 7:18pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve already got one ongoing post designed to track today’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the league, but we’ll use this space to keep tabs on Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts. Here’s the latest:

The Saints added guard Andrew Miller to the taxi squad while releasing offensive tackle DeMarcus Love and defensive tackle Garrison Smith, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Panthers cut running back Tauren Poole from their taxi squad yet again and replaced him by re-signing Micanor Regis, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
A source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) that the Chiefs have cut tight end Adam Schiltz, creating a second open spot on the Kansas City practice squad.
The Cowboys have their practice squad back up to 10 players, signing linebacker Mister Alexander to fill the final opening, says Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
Wide receiver Travis Labhart has been placed on the Texans‘ practice squad-injured list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
Having lost cornerback Chance Casey to the Raiders, the 49ers replaced him on their practice squad by signing cornerback Cameron Fuller, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Earlier updates:

The Ravens have filled up their practice squad by signing cornerback Quinton Pointer, the team announced today.
Earlier today, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported (via Twitter) that the Texans were working out quarterback Seth Lobato, but the club ended up signing another quarterback to its taxi squad. Ricky Stanzi is the signal-caller that landed with the Texans, tweets Wilson.
The Jets have signed former Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey to their practice squad, according to the team (Twitter link).
After cutting him over the weekend, Washington has re-signed linebacker Steve Beauharnais to the club’s practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team also added defensive tackle Isaako Aaitui to the unit, cutting linebacker Justin Jackson to accommodate the move (Twitter link).
Having lost Zach Mettenberger and Jake Locker to injuries, the Titans added quarterback Jordan Palmer to their active roster yesterday, and have added another signal-caller to their practice squad today for emergency purposes. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweets that QB Alex Tanney has signed with Tennessee’s taxi squad.
Former Wake Forest defensive lineman Zach Thompson is signing to the Ravens‘ practice squad, taking one of the two open spots on the unit, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
The 49ers have brought back a player who was part of the club’s practice squad earlier this season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve re-added tight end Xavier Grimble.

NFC Notes: Bears, Saints, Giants

December 13th, 2014 at 6:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Aaron Kromer saga continues in Chicago. It was revealed yesterday that the Bears offensive coordinator was the anonymous source who claimed the organization had doubts about Jay Cutler as their quarterback. Kromer eventually addressed those comments (via ESPN.com’s Michael C. Wright):

“I made a very poor decision of talking about things outside the building and I admit that, can’t take that back. But I recognize I made a mistake. When I did, [I] instantly went right to the offensive unit and apologized as well as apologized to Jay in front of the offense that he was singled out in the situation. I wish I wouldn’t have made that mistake. It’s happened, and we’re a group and a unit. We worked it out together. The rest will be handled internally, and we’ll work through that.”

Meanwhile, head coach Marc Trestman gave a brief opinion on the situation:

“I was clearly disappointed with Aaron. He clearly knows what he did was wrong.”

Let’s take a look at some other assorted notes from around the NFC…

A couple of teams had their eye on Bears quarterback David Fales prior to his promotion from the practice squad. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times says (via Twitter) that the Patriots and Chargers had interest in the sixth-round pick.
Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun tweeted a list of players who tried out for the Saints: kicker Dustin Hopkins and wide receivers Michael Campbell, Danny Coale, Willie Snead and Ifeanyi Momah.
Saints coach Sean Payton dismissed reports that he’d be a candidate for the open Michigan job, stating he has “no interest in any other job but this one” (via team’s Twitter).
Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News explored the Giants draft options outside of the quarterback position. The writer mentioned Nebraska defensive lineman Randy Gregory, Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, Alabama wideout Amari Cooper, and Alabama safety Landon Collins.

NFC Links: Quinn, Colston, Sanchez, Warner

December 13th, 2014 at 12:49pm CST by Rob DiRe

With the resurgence of the Seahawks‘ defense, the team’s defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has re-emerged as a top head coaching candidate this offseason, according to Chris Wesseling of NFL.com.

Here are some other links from around the NFC:

The Saints are looking at salary cap hell in the coming seasons, which could lead the team to move on from some veterans. According to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, the Saints could release Brodrick Bunkley, David Hawthorne, and Marques Colston this offseason due to their high salaries.
The Falcons are 5-8 but in first place in the dismal NFC South. Despite looking at a playoff berth, the team has already started preparing for the 2015 NFL Draft. Their biggest need is at pass rusher, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. He writes that the team will also look closely at receivers, a receiving tight end, and linebackers.
Eagles‘ quarterback Mark Sanchez has played well in starter Nick Foles‘ absence, but has looked bad against the Seahawks and Packers. He will likely need to impress during these next three games in order to keep Foles from usurping the starting job for the playoff run, if they even stay in contention with Sanchez, writes Jeff McClaine of the Philadelphia Inquirer. With the Eagles likely to only keep one of the two going forward into 2015, Sanchez could also be auditioning for next season.
With the Cardinals‘ quarterback situation potentially in ruins after losing Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton to injuries, thoughts of Kurt Warner returning to save the 10-3 Cardinals from an early playoff exit have been floated. Those hoping for Warner to save them shouldn’t hold their breath, according to Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com. He writes that while Warner may have thought about it, the idea of him stepping in after not playing for five years is unrealistic.
Giants‘ quarterback Eli Manning has not been spectacular the last few seasons, but it isn’t time to look for his replacement, writes Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. The team has more pressing needs along the offensive line, at pass rusher, safety, and even possibly receiver, according to Vacchiano.
As the problems in Washington continue, Bill Simmons of ESPN and Grantland posed in interesting question to Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post: Would the fans be willing to give up the team to another city and go without NFL football for three years, with the promise of getting an expansion team (retaining the rights to the colors and name if they want it) along with a new ownership group? Definitely a loaded question, but Steinberg initially thought 75% of fans would make that trade, and based on response from fans, he thinks he may have underestimated that number.

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