NFC South Notes: Saints, Aguayo, Panthers

The Saints released Keenan Lewis last week, and the veteran cornerback thinks his relationship with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen led to his ousting, as he tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Facebook link) that he and the New Orleans DC never got along. Allen, for his part, denies any rift with Lewis, and head coach Sean Payton says other issues went into the decision to cut Lewis. “He’s 52 weeks post-surgery…Just availability, ultimately. We wish him well,” Payton told Joel Erickson of the Advocate. “I think ultimately, it was just trying to get him on the field. It’s just been, it seems like, a long time.”

Let’s check out the latest from the NFC South:

• When asked about bringing in a second kicker, Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter said “I wouldn’t think that’s an option,” though he said that is a better question for GM Jason Licht (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times). So far, second-round selection Roberto Aguayo has been struggling, which has led to even more scrutiny on the team’s unorthodox pick.
• Former Duke linebacker Jeremy Cash had a fairly quiet training camp, but he helped his cause for making the team in the preseason game against the Titans on Saturday, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. The 6’0″, 215-pound athlete is fighting to make the Panthers with a sizable group of linebackers in front of him on the depth chart.
• While the two sides in the Saints‘ ownership spat want until October to decide to on the terms of the settlement that was agreed to earlier this year, the judge in charge of the case has not yet granted that request, writes Ramon Antonio Vargas of the Advocate. Instead, the parties will come together for a conference on the issue tomorrow.
• Earlier this week, we learned that wide receiver Brandon Coleman is not a lock for the Saints‘ roster.