New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

2020 Draft Order

February 3rd, 2020 at 2:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Super Bowl LIV is in the books, which means the order for the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft is set. By virtue of their 31-20 win Sunday night, the Chiefs will have the final pick in the first round. The 49ers dropping to 5-2 in Super Bowls will result in the NFC champions approaching the podium at No. 31.

Here is the full first-round order:

1. Bengals (2-14)

2. Redskins (3-13)

3. Lions (3-12-1)

4. Giants (4-12)

5 Dolphins (5-11)

6. Chargers (5-11)

7. Panthers (5-11)

8. Cardinals (5-10-1)

9. Jaguars (6-10)

10. Browns (6-10)

11. Jets (7-9)

12. Raiders (7-9)

13. Colts (7-9)

14. Buccaneers (7-9)

15. Broncos (7-9)

16. Falcons (7-9)

17. Cowboys (8-8)

18. Dolphins (via Steelers 8-8)

19. Raiders (via Bears 8-8)

20. Jaguars (via Rams 9-7)

21. Eagles (9-7)

22. Bills (10-6)

23. Patriots (12-4)

24. Saints (13-3)

25. Vikings (10-6)

26. Dolphins (via Texans 10-6)

27. Seahawks (11-5)

28. Ravens (14-2)

29. Titans (9-7)

30. Packers (13-3)

31. 49ers (13-3)

32. Chiefs (12-4)

Drew Brees Expected To Return To Saints

February 2nd, 2020 at 7:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There’s been a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Saints’ quarterback situation recently. The consensus seems to be that New Orleans envisions Taysom Hill taking over as their starter in 2021, but that they’d like Drew Brees back for a bridge year.

Given that Brees is facing the possibility of splitting more snaps with Hill and recent comments that he made indicating he’s seriously considering retirement, it seemed very much up in the air whether or not he’d return. That being said, the tide seems to be turning back toward him coming back for one more run at another Super Bowl. Brees is expected by people around him and the team to play in 2020, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter video link).

Garafolo cautions that it’s not 100 percent, but that it’s the “educated guess” of everybody around the situation. Head coach Sean Payton recently admitted it was “unrealistic” to bring back Teddy Bridgewater with Brees and Hill, which could indicate he expects to have his 41-year-old passer.

His numbers were still very solid in 2019, but seemingly everyone has acknowledged that the end is near. He’s said he won’t play anywhere other than New Orleans, so it sounds like 2020 will definitely be his last season if he does play. Brees was sidelined for an extended period due to injury for the first time since 2003 this past season, as he missed five games due to a torn ligament in his thumb.

Latest On Saints’ QB Situation

February 1st, 2020 at 2:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints may have a long-term plan that includes a Drew Brees-to-Taysom Hill baton pass. This may leave Teddy Bridgewater out of the equation.

Bridgewater turned down a chance to become the Dolphins starter last year, instead re-signing with the Saints on a one-year deal worth $7.25MM. The former first-round pick again is free agency-bound, but Sean Payton does not appear to envision another year with the Brees-Bridgewater-Hill troika together. The 14-year Saints coach said it is “unrealistic” to bring all three back, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Although Bridgewater helped the Saints to a 5-0 mark as a starter while Brees recovered from injury, the 27-year-old passer may be closer to one of the free agency dominoes than set for another year as Brees’ backup. The priority appears to be Hill, who is a restricted free agent.

If Brees comes back to start a possible multiyear transition to Hill, the Saints are expected to place a first-round RFA tender on the latter, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN note. The 2019 first-round tender price was $4.4MM.

It would represent a remarkable rise for the ex-UDFA to receive the rare first-round tender, and it may remain a slight stretch to envision Hill becoming a surefire quarterback option. The unique passing-rushing-receiving weapon has only thrown 13 career passes. The prospect of a 2021 Brees-to-Hill transition makes more sense because sources informed Fowler and Graziano that Hill may not be ready to handle being New Orleans’ starter in 2020. This would shift the focus to Brees, whose retirement talk is believed to be genuine.

A BYU alum, Hill will turn 30 before Week 1 of next season. Brees recently turned 41. Brees has said he is not going anywhere else; the future first-ballot Hall of Famer will play for the Saints in 2020 or retire.

Latest On Saints’ Drew Brees

January 31st, 2020 at 10:27am CST by Zachary Links

Saints quarterback Drew Brees says he isn’t bothered by the prospect of ceding snaps to Taysom Hill (Twitter link via Chris Simms of PFT). Brees is still deciding whether he’ll return for another season, but a larger role for Hill won’t dissuade him from playing.

“If I’m back, and Taysom’s along side me, call the plays that puts us in the best position to win. If that means Taysom Hill is taking 30 snaps a game, 25 snaps a game, so be it. I’m all for that,” Brees said.

The Saints would like to have Brees back for a bridge year, allowing them to make a smooth handoff to Hill for 2021 and beyond. Brees, 41, is on board with that plan, if he decides to play.

Brees, of course, has nothing left to prove in the NFL and has already earned more money than he could ever hope to spend. Over the next month or so, he’ll weigh his options, which include a potential career in broadcasting.

Brees completed a league-high 74.3% of his passes in 2019, marking his third straight year at the top of the category. In his injury-shortened eleven-game campaign, he threw for 2,979 yards with 27 touchdowns against just four interceptions. In the regular season finale against the Colts, Brees connected on 29 of 30 passes and set the NFL’s new record for touchdown throws.

Latest On Saints QB Drew Brees

January 28th, 2020 at 11:53am CST by Zachary Links

Saints quarterback Drew Brees is giving serious thought to retirement, PFT’s Mike Florio hears. The Saints, obviously, want the future Hall of Famer to return, but a source tells PFT that the club wants him back for what would essentially amount to a bridge year. In 2021, they envision Taysom Hill taking over as the team’s starter.

If Brees returns for a 15th season, he’d be the starter, but he’d also yield some spotlight and snaps to Hill. That plan may or may not suit Brees, who could walk away from the game with his fortune and still earn plenty more off the field, perhaps as a TV analyst.

Meanwhile, the Saints have some offseason work to do when it comes to Hill and Teddy Bridgewater. Hill will be a restricted free agent in March and another club could conceivably match their offer sheet, even at the first-round level. Bridgewater, who is beloved in New Orleans and all around the NFL, could be lured away by an opportunity to start with a contract befitting of a QB1.

As for Brees, he’s indicated that he’ll take a month to or so to weigh his options. If he does return, Brees says he’ll only suit up for the Saints.

Brees, 41, completed a league-high 74.3% of his passes in 2019, marking his third straight year at the top of the category. In his injury-shortened eleven-game campaign, he tallied 2,979 yards with 27 touchdowns against just four interceptions. The wild card round against the Vikings didn’t go as planned, but Brees did cap off the regular season in remarkable fashion by completing 29 of 30 passes against the Colts and setting the NFL’s new record for touchdown throws.

Saints Sign Tommylee Lewis To Reserve/Futures Deal

January 27th, 2020 at 4:55pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints are reuniting with old friend Tommylee Lewis by signing him to a reserve/futures deal, as Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Lewis signed with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent in May 2016 and spent the 2016-18 campaigns with the club.

However, the Saints opted against giving him a restricted free agent tender last offseason, so Lewis signed with the Lions. Detroit cut him prior to the start of the regular season, and he was out of football entirely in 2019, despite auditioning for the Bills and Bucs.

But he will be back in the game shortly. The Northern Illinois product was selected by the XFL’s Dallas Renegades in the league’s October draft, and Dallas’ season will start on February 9. If the team advances to the XFL championship, Lewis may miss some practice time with the Saints. The championship game is slated for April 26, but New Orleans can begin its offseason workouts on April 20.

Lewis, a wide receiver by trade, has 20 career receptions, but he’s spent the majority of his pro career on special teams. Lewis averaged 22 yards on kick returns and 9.3 yards on punt returns during his stint in New Orleans. The 27-year-old is perhaps best known for being the intended receiver on the infamous non-pass interference call in the 2018 NFC Championship Game that denied the Saints a chance at a Super Bowl title.

Terron Armstead Battling Wrist Injury

January 26th, 2020 at 7:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

Terron Armstead missed only one game because of a high ankle sprain he suffered in November, but the Pro Bowl Saints tackle is also dealing with a wrist injury that may require offseason surgery. Armstead underwent a CT scan recently, and although it showed no broken bones or ligament damage, the seven-year veteran acknowledged an offseason procedure is not off the table.

Although Armstead made the trip to Orlando for the Pro Bowl, he did not play in Sunday’s game. The Saints have their left tackle under contract for two more seasons.

Latest On Drew Brees

January 26th, 2020 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

If Drew Brees decides to play in 2020, it will only be for the Saints. However, it’s still unclear whether he will be returning for his age-41 season.

The New Orleans legend will wait about a month before making that decision, as Amie Just of NOLA.com writes.

“I’m really waiting until football is totally done,” Brees said on Saturday. “Obviously being [at the Pro Bowl], I’m just very much focused on my family and this opportunity to be be around the guys, playing the game. Then, I’ll kind of lay low for a little bit, get away and then assess. I kind of have a process in mind. And I’ll give it a month or so.”

The Saints will obviously give their future Hall-of-Famer all the time he wants, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, the process could be somewhat complicated by the presence of Taysom Hill, a restricted free agent. The Saints love what Hill brings to the field and do not want another club poaching him by giving him an offer that New Orleans cannot match because of its financial commitment to Brees. Of course, that assumes that another team views the 29-year-old Hill as a starting-caliber QB, which is not a given; Hill has thrown just 13 passes in his professional career.

If Brees does decide to hang up the cleats, the Saints could look to Hill as a replacement, or they may choose to re-sign Teddy Bridgewater, who played well in Brees’ injury-related absence in 2019. There are also an unusually high number of potentially intriguing free agent and trade options this year, so the sooner Brees makes up his mind, the happier New Orleans will be.

Drew Brees: I’ll Only Play For The Saints

January 24th, 2020 at 12:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Drew Brees may consider retirement this offseason, but he says he won’t be changing teams. The future Hall of Famer tells NFL.com’s Jane Slater that he’d only suit up for the Saints.

“I have never been in the situation where I was mulling over the thought of [returning],” Brees said. “To me, each one of these contracts, I don’t know how many it’s been with the Saints, I’ve played with them 14 years, it’s not a matter of if it gets done, it’s when. At this stage of my career, it’s not a given that I’m coming back every year, but when that time comes, I’ll always be a Saint.”

It’s no surprise to hear that the 41-year-old isn’t interested in starting over somewhere new. He’s reached the pinnacle of the sport playing in New Orleans, where he’s found unbelievable success in Sean Payton‘s offense. And, even though things didn’t go according to plan in 2019, the QB says the team’s heartbreaking loss to the Vikings has only fueled his fire.

“You’ve got no other choice but to move on and get better as a result of it,” he said. “We learn something every time around. We’re not going to be discouraged. We’re not going to take the results of the last three playoffs — with some crazy things happening, obviously, kind of unprecedented things happening — and deter us from still striving to accomplish the ultimate goal. I feel like we have all the pieces in place. We have a great foundation. Great culture. We have all the makings of a championship team.”

If Brees walks away from the game, he’ll have ample opportunities to stay close to the game, including TV.

Giants Interview Saints Coach Aaron Glenn

January 22nd, 2020 at 9:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Before hiring Patrick Graham as their defensive coordinator, the Giants had interest in Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn, reports Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post (via Twitter). While he missed out on the gig, the 47-year-old still interviewed for another role on the Giants coaching staff today. Prior to this stint with New Orleans, the 1994 first-round pick served as the Browns assistant defensive backs coach.

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