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Saints, Cameron Jordan Agree To Extension

August 4th, 2023 at 10:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

The latest new deal keeping Cameron Jordan in New Orleans has been worked out. The parties agreed to a two-year extension which is worth a fully-guaranteed $27.5MM, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the news.

Jordan is now on the books through 2025, which should set him up well to meet his stated goal of continuing his career for roughly three to four more seasons. Indeed, while Jordan would not rule out a return in 2026 — which would be his 16th year in the league — he expects the 2025 campaign to be his last (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football).

The new money and guarantees included in this pact are the largest ever provided to a defensive player at the age of 34, showcasing Jordan’s ongoing value to New Orleans even in the latter stages of his playing days. The eight-time Pro Bowler began extension talks earlier this offseason, and a strong mutual interest existed to ensure he would not play for a franchise other than the Saints. General manager Mickey Loomis made it clear a deal would be worked out, and Jordan’s future is now secure. The latter will move into second in franchise history in games played if he remains durable during the 2023 season, something which has never been an issue to date.

Jordan has played exactly 16 games in each of his 12 seasons in the NFL, remaining consistently productive over that span. He has reached double-digit sacks six times, and earned a Pro Bowl nod each year since 2017. Amidst his remarks confirming his wishes to remain in New Orleans to finish out his career, the former first-rounder said he intended to retire when it became clear he could no longer operate as a full-time starter. With 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2022, Jordan will still be counted on as an anchor of the Saints’ defensive front moving forward.

New Orleans saw former first-rounder Marcus Davenport depart in free agency, which will leave plenty of snaps available for Payton Turner and second-round rookie Isaiah Foskey this season. Jordan will still be at the heart of the team’s edge rushing contingent, though, as he looks to extend his franchise record in sacks (115.5) while climbing the NFL’s all-time list in that department. Only Von Miller has more sacks amongst active players, and three years of runway will give Jordan considerable opportunity to improve on his current NFL rank of 23rd.

The Cal product was set to count for $15.1MM against the Saints’ cap this season, and it will be interesting to see if this agreement alters that figure. More importantly, though, New Orleans will now not be facing the prospect of seeing a $23.3MM cap charge next season as a result of the numerous void years tacked onto his deal. A multi-year extension should provide the Saints – a team forever tasked with salary cap gymnastics to retain its veterans – some clarity and stability moving forward.

Jordan is now well-positioned to help guide the Saints back to the postseason while adding further to his personal accolades. The 2010s All-Decade member will have a clearer picture of his remaining playing days as he winds down what will likely be a Hall of Fame career.

Injury Updates: Mitchell, Vikings, Becton

August 4th, 2023 at 9:50pm CST by Ely Allen

The past few years in San Francisco have seen a procession of running back injuries. One such player who has been at the center of that issue the past two years is third-year back Elijah Mitchell. Unfortunately, Mitchell isn’t in quite in the clear going into Year 3 for the 49ers. According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle, Mitchell has suffered an abductor strain that will hold him out for a bit.

Injuries have been a bit of an issue for Mitchell to start his career. While playing as an injury replacement in his rookie year for Raheem Mostert, Mitchell was forced to miss six games due to injury himself. Things went further downhill in his sophomore season as he suffered a sprained MCL in the first game of the season. He was able to return in mid-November, but by the time he was back, Christian McCaffrey had arrived and staked his claim atop the depth chart. Mitchell would only play in five games last year.

Now, for the first time in his career, Mitchell will not be expected to carry the weight at running back. With McCaffrey firmly leading the group, Mitchell should be able to take his time coming back from the strain. Head coach Kyle Shanahan told the media that Mitchell should be back “in a week.” While that’s an encouraging timeline to hear, Mitchell’s injury history warrants a bit of cautious optimism from fans.

Here are a few other injury updates from around the league:

  • We saw Saints linebacker Andrew Dowell land on injured reserve earlier this week. Thanks to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, we now know that he was placed on the injured list after suffering a torn ACL. After only missing one game in the past two seasons, Dowell is now likely to miss the entire 2023 season.
  • Another player who unfortunately went down with a torn ACL this week is Vikings defensive lineman James Lynch, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Lynch was a tied for the fourth-most snaps on the defensive line for Minnesota last year, a defensive line that is also playing without Dalvin Tomlinson this year. Lynch has missed games in each year of his young career, but 2023 will see him miss the entire season.
  • After only two years in the league, Seahawks edge rusher Darrell Taylor has already established himself as a main contributor on the Seattle defense with 16.0 sacks over his first two seasons. According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, Taylor showed up to practice on Thursday with his left arm in a sling. Head coach Pete Carroll informed the media that he was dealing with a sprained shoulder. A recovery timeline was not provided.
  • The Seahawks held a scrimmage tonight and saw two rookies sustain injuries in the simulated game. The team’s injury woes in the running backs room continue as rookie seventh-round pick Kenny McIntosh suffered what Carroll is calling a sprained knee, according to Brady Henderson of ESPN. Luckily, they will be getting another rookie rusher back, as Carroll told the media that second-round rookie Zach Charbonnet will return “full-go” following the team’s off day tomorrow. The other rookie to go down with an injury was undrafted cornerback Andrew Whitaker. The diagnosis is unclear, but Whitaker was carted off the field after sustaining an injury in the contest, according to Condotta.
  • Jets offensive tackle Mekhi Becton missed the entire 2022 season after suffering an avulsion fracture in his right kneecap. The veteran made his return to the field in last night’s Hall of Fame game but left after only playing seven snaps. He reported today that, while he didn’t feel like there was any setback with his surgically repaired knee, he decided to be overly cautious with playing on turf, according to Andy Vasquez of NJ.com. In recent years, many non-contact injuries have been attributed to turf fields around the league. With this in mind, Becton got a good sense of where his knee was at and decided to work the rest out in practice. The team plans to test him more as camp progresses and the season draws nearer.

Saints’ Alvin Kamara, Colts’ Chris Lammons Issued Three-Game Suspensions

August 4th, 2023 at 1:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after Alvin Kamara‘s sit-down with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, his disciplinary situation has been clarified. Kamara has been suspended three games for his role in a violent altercation dating back to February 2022 (Twitter link via ESPN’s Adam Schefter).

Kamara and Colts cornerback Chris Lammons were involved in an incident which initially resulted in criminal charges being filed. The latter will also be banned for the opening three games of the season, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). Kamara and Lammons are not planning to appeal, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets, concluding this matter 18 months after the incident occurred.

Both players were indicted by a grand jury on felony charges in March, but they reached a settlement with the victim last month. Part of that process included pleading no contest to a misdemeanor, something which brought clarity to his legal status and thus paved the way for the league’s decision on the matter to be made. Kamara was initially feared to be facing a six-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy last season, but delays in court proceedings pushed his case into 2023.

Earlier this week, the 28-year-old met with Goodell to discuss potential punishments. It comes as little surprise that news of the suspension has quickly followed that summit. Kamara will miss games against the Titans, Panthers and Packers as a result of this action. He will be eligible to return to the lineup in Week 4, when the Saints play the Buccaneers.

When speaking to the media earlier today, Kamara repeated his remorse regarding the situation while indicating he was unsure how the league would proceed with respect to supplemental discipline. Now, his fate has been determined and New Orleans can move forward with the other members of its backfield, one which illustrates the team’s awareness a Kamara absence was likely.

The Saints signed veteran Jamaal Williams to a three-year deal in free agency, giving them an experienced backfield presence even without Kamara being available to start the season. New Orleans also selected Kendre Miller in the third round of this year’s draft to give them further insurance. Williams and Miller will carry the load during the first three weeks of the campaign, but Kamara will still be a focal point of the team’s offense upon return.

The former first-rounder failed to earn a Pro Bowl nod for the first time in his six-year career in 2022. Still, he managed to eclipse 1,300 scrimmage yards, something he has done every year in the NFL. Kamara will be hard-pressed to replicate that success with the missed time, but the Saints appear to be well-equipped to handle his short-term absence.

Lammons, meanwhile, signed in Indianapolis recently amidst the uncertainty surrounding his status. His ban will delay his Colts debut, but the team has a limited number of experienced corners especially in the wake of Isaiah Rodgers being suspended for the season and subsequently let go. A veteran of 42 games with the Chiefs, Lammons could see signficant playing time upon reinstatement.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/23

August 3rd, 2023 at 9:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s minor moves:

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: LB Austin Ajiake

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on IR: RB Alfonzo Graham

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/23

August 2nd, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

  • Waived: WR Ed Lee

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Moseley reportedly had a small clean-up procedure on his knee the other day as he continues to come back from last year’s ACL tear. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, it doesn’t appear to be a major setback, and head coach Dan Campbell expects Moseley back on Monday.

The news on Harris’s retirement comes from KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, who reports that the two sides “are parting ways as (Harris) plans to retire.” If this is truly the end of the road for Harris, then the transaction puts a cap on a five-year career that saw Harris rack up 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits in the NFL.

Turk was urgently brought on as an undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma to compete with free agent addition Jake Bailey, formerly with the Patriots. The punter competition may be over quickly as Bailey is the only punter on the roster now.

Trice, the Steelers’ first of two seventh-round picks this year, suffered a non-contact injury at camp yesterday. His placement on injured reserve indicates that his rookie season has unfortunately come to an end before it had the chance to begin.

TE Jimmy Graham Addresses Saints Reunion

August 1st, 2023 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose

Jimmy Graham‘s career appeared to be over when he sat out the 2022 campaign, but he began the comeback process last week when he signed a deal with the Saints. That reunion allowed the All-Pro tight end to return to where his career began, something he said was necessary for him to avoid retirement.

Graham signed for $1.3MM (just over the veteran minimum) to compete for a spot on New Orleans’ 53-man roster out of training gamp. That deal marked the culmination of a lengthy courtship process on the team’s part. The Saints discussed a reunion with Graham multiple times, including last year, as noted by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. Their most recent efforts will allow the 36-year-old the opportunity to put off retirement for the time being.

“I had a couple of teams that were reaching out, all teams that made the playoffs,” Graham said, via Terrell. “I just couldn’t see myself wearing another jersey again. I just wanted, hopefully, if there was ever another opportunity to come back home, to make it happen. It did, and I’m here now… I talked to [agent] Jimmy Sexton and just made it clear if I don’t retire as a Saint, then I wasn’t going to play again.”

Graham spent his first five years in New Orleans, a stretch which included his two most productive campaigns (2011 and 2013). He earned three Pro Bowl nods and his lone first-team All-Pro acclaim with the Saints, before being traded to the Seahawks in 2015. The former third-rounder spent three years in Seattle before playing two years each with the Packers and Bears.

The end of his stint in Chicago appeared to mark the conclusion of Graham’s playing career, but mutual interest with the Saints obviously remained through his idle 2022 season. The team has a number of other options at the position (including Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill), so Graham will need to demonstrate a continued ability to produce in the red zone in particular to turn his hopes of a Saints reunion into a reality. A strong season could help the team return to the playoffs, while allowing him to finish his career where it started.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/23

July 31st, 2023 at 8:14pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: CB Lorenzo Burns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: CB Anthony Witherstone
  • Placed on IR: LB Isaiah Moore

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Derrick Gore is probably the most intriguing signee on the list, with the running back having seen time in 11 games for the Chiefs in 2021. He finished that season with 361 yards from scrimmage and a pair of touchdowns, but he didn’t have a chance for a followup performance in Kansas City. After landing on IR in late August last year, he was ultimately released by the Chiefs. Gore caught on with the Saints and spent the majority of the 2022 season on their practice squad.

Yasir Durant is another Chiefs product, with the lineman getting into 11 games for Kansas City in 2020. He appeared in seven games for the Patriots in 2021 before spending most of last season on the Saints practice squad. He’ll be taking the roster spot previously held by Christian DiLauro, who got into five games for the Titans and Broncos over the past two years.

Darius Harris will be joining the Raiders following a career year in Kansas City. After being limited to only 11 games through his first two seasons in the NFL, Harris got into all 17 games for the Chiefs last year, including four starts. The former UDFA finished the year with 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and he added another five tackles in three playoff games. One of Harris’s strongest performances of the 2022 season came against the Raiders when he had 10 tackles and a sack.

Saints To Sign DE Kyle Phillips

July 31st, 2023 at 10:44am CST by Adam La Rose

After spending the past season out of the NFL, Kyle Phillips has found a new home. The defensive end has agreed to a deal with the Saints, as noted (on Twitter) by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

[RELATED: Saints DE Zuniga Retires]

Phillips joined the Jets as a UFDA in 2019, and he carved out a considerable role for himself as a rookie. He started four of 15 games played, logging a snap share of 53%. The Tennessee alum was credited with four sacks and 17 pressures by PFF that year, earning him an overall grade of 66. His follow-up campaigns were not as productive, however.

In both 2020 and 2021, Philips was limited to just seven games played. An ankle injury suffered in the former campaign shut him down for the remainder of the season, one in which his playing time dropped considerably. The 26-year-old’s snap share rose again in 2021, checking in at 47%, but he managed only one sack, along with 13 pressures and the same number of tackles for loss between his final two seasons in New York.

The Jets have invested heavily on the edge in recent years, signing Carl Lawson to a $45MM deal in 2021 and using first-round picks on pass rushers (Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald) in each of the past two drafts. It thus comes as little surprise that Phillips’ return to the league will see him head elsewhere. In New Orleans, he will look to again earn a rotational role.

The Saints’ edge room is led by Cameron Jordan, who recently indicated he is not eyeing retirement any time soon. New Orleans lost former first-rounder Marcus Davenport in free agency, but the team still has another ex-Day 1 pick (Payton Turner) in the fold. Carl Granderson, Tanoh Kpassagnon and second-round rookie Isaiah Foskey represent the other pass-rushers Phillips will compete with in training camp. A return to the form of his rookie season could not only earn the latter a 53-man roster spot but also provide the Saints with an effective depth contributor.

Saints DE Jabari Zuniga Retires

July 30th, 2023 at 6:23pm CST by Ely Allen

After three short seasons, Saints pass rusher Jabari Zuniga has chosen to hang up his cleats, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. It’s unclear for now as to why Zuniga is retiring, but after spending a good portion of his rookie year on injured reserve, health might have factored into the decision.

Zuniga came into the league with big expectations. After redshirting his true freshman year at Florida, Zuniga burst onto the scene, leading the Gators in sacks as a redshirt freshman. He never reached an elite level of play as a pass rusher, but over three and a half seasons in Gainesville, Zuniga racked up 18.5 sacks and 33.0 tackles for loss.

He entered his redshirt senior season as an All-SEC preseason pick and started the season on a strong note, but three games into the year, he suffered a high ankle sprain that would cause him to miss time throughout the rest of the season. The recurring ankle injury hurt his draft stock a bit, but the promise shown during a strong junior season helped him to still get drafted in the third round of the 2020 Draft by the Jets.

He started his rookie year on IR for New York as he dealt with a quadriceps injury. He finally made his NFL debut after seven weeks on IR, playing sparingly against the Chiefs. That minimal usage would continue throughout the rest of the season as he never logged more than 23 percent of the team’s defensive snaps in a game as a rookie.

In his sophomore season, he failed to make the 53-man roster and spent the year on the practice squad for New York, getting called up for three games. In two of those games, he got a bit more run, even earning his first (and what would end up being his only) career sack. He once again failed to make the 53-man roster last year but would sign with the Seahawks‘ practice squad instead. Seattle would release him about a month later, and he would sign with the Saints‘ practice squad and would make one appearance on the team.

The Saints liked enough of what they saw to sign Zuniga to a reserve/futures contract, keeping him on the roster for 2023. Instead, Zuniga made the decision to walk away from the game. It could be that the injuries he suffered lingered throughout the following seasons enough to keep him from ever reaching 100 percent. Regardless, he’s made his decision, and for now, his time in the league is over.

With the roster spot opened up by Zuniga’s departure, the Saints have signed offensive guard Koda Martin, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN. Martin was waived earlier this week but will make his way back to camp to fill the vacancy formed by Zuniga’s retirement.

Saints RB Alvin Kamara Plans To Meet With Roger Goodell

July 30th, 2023 at 1:03pm CST by Rory Parks

Saints running back Alvin Kamara recently resolved his criminal and civil cases stemming from his involvement in the assault of a man in a Las Vegas nightclub in February 2022. As PFR’s Sam Robinson observed when the resolution was reported, it is now much likelier that the league will hit Kamara with a suspension before the 2023 campaign gets underway. Before that happens, however, Kamara plans to have an in-person meeting with league commissioner Roger Goodell to tell his side of the story, as Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com reports.

Per Duncan, the Saints encouraged Kamara to set up the meeting in an attempt to reduce the size of his suspension, which could be up to six games. It is unclear when the meeting will take place, but it seems that Kamara and Goodell will get together in the next couple of days. Kamara has told reporters that he plans to meet with the media on Wednesday, August 2, saying, “I’ll talk to you all on August 2 after I talk to [Goodell].”

The Las Vegas incident represents the first off-field transgression in Kamara’s seven-year career, as Duncan observes. Nonetheless, it is a serious one, and GM Mickey Loomis has said that the league has not provided any timeline for its decision.

Kamara’s legal matter encountered frequent delays, leaving him free to play throughout the 2022 season. The Saints were less prepared for a Kamara ban last year, but the team has made preparations this offseason. New Orleans agreed to terms on a three-year, $12MM deal with former Packer and Lion Jamaal Williams — last season’s rushing touchdowns leader — and used a third-round pick on TCU back Kendre Miller.

Nonetheless, Kamara should remain the Saints’ top back whenever he is eligible to play, and he will continue to be a focal point of the club’s offense. He is coming off something of a down year, having scored just four total TDs in 2022, but he still posted nearly 1,400 all-purpose yards on 280 touches. While he is techincially under club control through 2025 on his $15MM/year contract, it seems unlikely he will make it to that season without being released or having his contract restructured (his base salary balloons to over $22MM in 2025). If Kamara should turn in a disappointing year in 2023, New Orleans could save some cap space by designating him a post-June 1 cut next year, though the team would also be saddled with a fair amount of dead money in that scenario.

The NFL has declined to comment on the Kamara-Goodell summit.

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