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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints Facing COVID-19 Discipline

February 6th, 2021 at 9:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are facing discipline from the league office for violating COVID-19 safety policies, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport. This marks the third such violation for Sean Payton & Co., so the punishment is likely to be even larger. 

Between the two previous penalties, the Saints have already been docked $750K plus the forfeiture of a seventh-round pick. First, there was the lack of mask-wearing in Week 2. Then, the Saints were seen celebrating sans face coverings again in Week 9. The latest flag stems from a late-season incident in which running back Alvin Kamara came in contact with a COVID-19 positive person at the team facility. That person was not employed by the Saints, even though non-team personnel have been barred from entering this season.

When Kamara contracted the coronavirus, the timing couldn’t have been worse. In Week 16 against the Vikings, he registered six touchdowns on the ground, matching a 91-year-old record. Forced out of the season finale, Kamara still finished the year with an NFL-high 21 TDs. Meanwhile, several other Saints RBs were forced out of Week 17, putting increased attention on the Saints and their protocols.

Interestingly, Kamara himself was not an innocent party in this. According to Jeff Duncan of The Athletic, Kamara’s refusal to wear a contract-tracing device was a problem all season, so the club had no way to trace his close contacts after he tested positive (Twitter link). The league’s investigation into the latest alleged violation could presumably lead to discipline for Kamara as well as the Saints.

The Saints project to have four, or possibly five, selections in the 2021 draft. Currently, they have only their first-, second-, and fourth-round picks. However, they are slated receive a pair of third-round compensatory picks for hiring Terry Fontenot and losing Teddy Bridgewater. In the coming days, the Saints could wind up losing more from their stockpile, though as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets, they are confident that Kamara did not contract COVID-19 from contact with anyone inside the team facility (though that might not really matter, as the mere presence of non-team personnel is a protocol violation).

Triplett goes on to say that New Orleans has not yet been notified of any further discipline, and that the club would appeal any such discipline if the NFL imposes it (Twitter link).

Saints, QB Drew Brees Renegotiate Contract

February 6th, 2021 at 8:31am CST by Ben Levine

In a move that further signals the future Hall of Famer’s impending retirement, Drew Brees has reworked his contract. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com reports (via Twitter) that the Saints have renegotiated the quarterback’s deal. The move frees up nearly $24MM in cap space for 2021.

NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets that Brees has agreed to drop his 2021 base salary to the league minimum. New Orleans will temporarily carry a $12MM cap charge for Brees until June, a drastic decrease from his previous $36MM cap charge. Thanks to these cap machinations, the Saints will be able to keep Brees on their roster past June 1 while opening an abundance of cap space (assuming the veteran ultimately hangs up his cleats). Pelissero notes that the move also results in an $11.5MM cap charge in 2022.

The move does more than provide the Saints (who are an estimated $78MM over the cap) with some much-needed financial relief. Rather, as Fitzgerald writes, the restructuring buys Brees some time as he determines whether or not he’ll retire. Either way, the transaction is another major hint that Brees career may have come to an end. Indeed, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football seems to be hinting at the impending retirement announcement, tweeting that “one thing seems to be foreshadowing another.”

Of course, the writing’s been on the wall for a while. There were whispers about a potential retirement throughout the 2020 season, and the rumor mill has naturally heated up following the Saints’ elimination from the playoffs. While GM Mickey Loomis kept the door open on a potential return, there have been several subsequent reports stating that Brees will retire.

If this is truly the end for Brees, it will wrap up a bona fide Hall of Famer career. The 42-year-old has the most yards in league history, and he’s collected the second-most touchdowns behind Tom Brady. The next time we see Brees could be in the booth, as he signed a deal with NBC Sports last April.

Saints’ Sean Payton: “Big Interest” In Re-Signing Jameis Winston

February 3rd, 2021 at 9:49am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints like what they’ve seen from Jameis Winston. On Wednesday, Saints head coach Sean Payton said there’s “big interest” in bringing the quarterback back for 2021. 

[RELATED: Drew Brees To Retire]

“We had a great exposure for one year with Jameis Winston,” Payton told NFL Network (Twitter link). “We didn’t have a normal offseason, but we had enough time to see what we had with him as a player, as a leader, and as an athlete. I really like what we had a chance to see. He was a tremendous leader for this team. That’s hard to do when you come in new in free agency your first year as a backup quarterback. So that’ll be an important checkmark for us.

“And, a lot of times, you want to hold your cards closer to the vest and he is a free agent. But him, along with Taysom Hill who’s in the building, we’ve said it all along: We’re going to develop and coach those guys. And Jameis is one of those guys that we have a big interest in.”

In 2019, Winston set career-highs in passing yards (5,109) and touchdowns (33) in 2019, while also setting a league-wide watermark with 30 interceptions. After that, Winston joined the Saints on a modest one-year, $1MM pact last year in an effort to rebuild his value. He’s done that, to some extent, by impressing his coaches in practice.

Payton had “great” exposure to Winston, even though the volume wasn’t tremendous. Winston served as the Saints’ QB3, slotted behind both Drew Brees and Taysom Hill. The former No.1 overall pick made four appearances this season, completing seven of his eleven pass attempts for 75 yards. The highlight of his year came in the playoffs, when he threw for a touchdown against his pals.

Now, with Brees set to retire, the Saints could have more reps available for the 27-year-old signal caller.

Jim Leonhard, Others In Contention For Packers’ DC Job

February 2nd, 2021 at 4:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Packers are conducting an expansive search to replace Mike Pettine as defensive coordinator. Several more names joined the early wave of candidates.

Former Chiefs DC Bob Sutton interviewed for the position recently, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, who adds five other new candidates emerged on Green Bay’s radar as well. This comes after news of the Packers interviewing former Seahawks DC Kris Richard, Chargers passing-game coordinator Joe Barry, Washington secondary coach Chris Harris and Rams safeties coach Ejiro Evero. Richard and Sutton have since lined up positions with the Saints and Jaguars, respectively. Perhaps a sign about the direction the Packers’ search has taken.

Ten-year NFL safety-turned-Wisconsin DC Jim Leonhard, former Dolphins DC Matt Burke, Browns defensive line coach Chris Kiffin, Saints D-line coach Ryan Nielsen and Packers secondary coach Jerry Gray either have interviewed for the position or will do so by Wednesday, per Demovsky.

Leonhard, whose NFL playing career wrapped up after the 2014 season, has not coached at the NFL level. But he has been the Badgers’ DC since 2017. Three times in the past four seasons, Wisconsin has deployed a top-10 scoring defense in Division I-FBS. Although Leonhard’s nomadic career did not include a Packers stop, the 38-year-old is a Wisconsin native.

Gray served as the Titans’ DC from 2011-13, spent the next six seasons as Vikings secondary coach and signed on as Packers secondary coach last season. The former NFL cornerback has been an assistant in the league since the late 1990s. Kiffin spent 2020 with the Browns but worked with Matt LaFleur‘s brother Mike with the 49ers previously. Burke oversaw the Dolphins’ defense from 2017-18 and was with the Eagles during the past two seasons, while Nielsen has spent the past four seasons as New Orleans’ D-line coach.

Saints Hire Kris Richard To Staff

February 2nd, 2021 at 12:39pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints lost secondary coach Aaron Glenn when he left to become Dan Campbell’s defensive coordinator in Detroit, and now they’re bringing in a big name to replace him. New Orleans is hiring Kris Richard to be their new secondary coach, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.

We just learned yesterday that Richard was talking to the Packers about their defensive coordinator job, but obviously he won’t be getting that gig. He also interviewed with the Raiders last month for the DC position that ended up going to Gus Bradley. Still only 41, Richard will have a lot more high-level experience than your typical secondary coach.

He served as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator from 2015-17, and then was the passing game coordinator and defensive play-caller with the Cowboys from 2018-19. A third-round pick by the Seahawks out of USC back in 2002, Richard spent six years in the league as a player with a few teams.

He spent 2020 out of the league before landing on Sean Payton’s staff. Current Saints DC Dennis Allen interviewed with the Eagles about their head coaching vacancy this cycle, and Richard could be a prime candidate to succeed him should Allen move on in the near future.

Bolts, Seahawks Eyeing Joe Lombardi For OC

January 22nd, 2021 at 6:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints have lost two assistants this month, seeing Dan Campbell take Aaron Glenn with him to Detroit. They may be set to see a third depart. The Chargers and Seahawks have requested interviews with Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, The Athletic’s Jeff Duncan tweets.

Lombardi has been with the Saints for the past five seasons, catching on with New Orleans after the Lions ended his OC tenure after less than two years in 2015. The Saints have seen some interesting developments transpire at quarterback during Lombardi’s tenure.

After Drew Brees endured his first significant injury as a Saint in 2019, backup Teddy Bridgewater led the team to five straight wins. This season, Brees’ broken ribs brought New Orleans’ Taysom Hill experiment to the forefront. To the surprise of some, the former UDFA showed promise as a passer. Hill completed 73% of his passes at 7.7 yards per attempt and continued to mix in as a gadget player in the games in which Brees started.

Lombardi, 49, has a clear connection with the new Chargers staff. He worked as Mercyhurst’s offensive coordinator and QBs coach from 2002-05. One of Lombardi’s pupils at the Division II school during that time — newly hired Bolts HC Brandon Staley. The fast-rising coach transferred to Mercyhurst from Dayton in 2005, playing under Lombardi as a senior. Lombardi left the college ranks after that season, joining the Falcons as an assistant.

Lombardi is the second name mentioned as a Bolts OC candidate. The Rams blocked the first — Kevin O’Connell — from interviewing for the job. After the Lions went 11-5 with Lombardi as OC in 2014, they fired him after starting 1-6 the following year.

The Seahawks have been connected to big names since splitting with three-year OC Brian Schottenheimer. Anthony Lynn, Adam Gase and Doug Pederson have discussed the position with Pete Carroll. While Pederson indicated he will not coach next season, Lynn and Gase remain unattached. Lynn is also in the mix for the Lions’ OC position. The Seahawks have also interviewed Raiders running backs coach Kirby Wilson, who worked with Carroll at multiple stops, for the post.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/21/21

January 21st, 2021 at 7:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s reserve/futures deals:

Arizona Cardinals

New Orleans Saints

Tennessee Titans

  • WR Mason Kinsey

Lions Hire Aaron Glenn As DC

January 21st, 2021 at 1:46pm CST by Zachary Links

After a false start, Detroit has sealed the deal. The Lions have agreed to hire Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn as their defensive coordinator (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). 

[RELATED: Lions Hire Dan Campbell]

Glenn’s stock has skyrocketed in recent years. The longtime NFL cornerback was even considered for the Jets’ head coaching vacancy, before Robert Saleh came away with the job. The Bengals also tried to interview him for their DC role back in 2019, before they were blocked by the Saints.

Glenn entered the league as a first-round pick of the Jets and went on to enjoy 15 years in the league. He stayed in the game after his retirement in 2008 with scouting role before launching his coaching career with the Browns in 2014.

Saints head coach Sean Payton has spoken highly of Glenn, so it’s no surprise to see him move up the ladder. With offensively-minded head coach Dan Campbell at the helm, Glenn figures to have ample control over the other side of the ball.

Lions To Hire Saints’ Aaron Glenn As DC?

January 19th, 2021 at 8:01pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

8:01pm: This may not be a done deal just yet. While the Lions may well be set to bring Campbell and Glenn to Michigan, the latter assistant has other options. Two other teams have expressed interest in hiring Glenn as defensive coordinator, and veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweets the veteran secondary coach is still determining which job he will take.

2:55pm: The Lions are expected to hire Saints assistant Dan Campbell as their new head coach, and he’s bringing another Sean Payton protégé with him. Detroit is hiring Aaron Glenn to be their defensive coordinator, sources told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Glenn is currently the secondary coach in New Orleans. His profile has been growing rapidly recently, and he even got a head coaching interview with the Jets a couple weeks back. His star has been rising for a while now, as the Bengals tried to interview him for their DC role back in 2019 but were blocked by the Saints

Glenn had a prolific playing career, as he spent 15 years in the league as a corner after getting drafted 12th overall by the Jets back in 1994. His last pro season was in 2008 with the Saints, and after a brief stint as a scout he broke into the coaching ranks with the Browns as an assistant DBs coach in 2014.

He joined Payton’s staff in 2016, and has been on it ever since. He’s clearly highly regarded around the league, and if Detroit has any success on defense he’ll be a name to keep an eye on in future head coaching searches.

Saints Block Nielsen From Going To LSU

January 19th, 2021 at 3:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • The Lions are by all accounts planning on hiring Saints assistant Dan Campbell to be their new head coach, although notably no deal has been announced even though it’s been a couple of days now since New Orleans was bounced from the playoffs. Interim coach Darrell Bevell “earned serious consideration for the position,” and it’s possible he could get the job if talks with Campbell fell through, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Bevell was Detroit’s OC before taking over for a fired Matt Patricia. Bevell was 1-4 as interim coach, and was the Seahawks’ OC from 2011-17.
  • LSU was finalizing a deal to make Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen their new defensive coordinator, Jane Slater of NFL Network tweets. However, that hit a snag as it was reported New Orleans was blocking him from getting out of his contract. Things were resolved this morning with Nielsen being given a new three-year contract and the added title of assistant head coach to stay with the Saints, a source told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (Twitter link). With Dennis Allen getting a head coaching interview with the Eagles, Nielsen could be a candidate to eventually take over as DC as he’s apparently very highly regarded within the building.
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