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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Surgery, IR Stint Expected For Erik McCoy After Groin Injury

September 24th, 2024 at 11:18am CST by Nikhil Mehta

Saints center Erik McCoy suffered a groin injury in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles that is expected to require surgery, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. With a recovery period of six-to-eight weeks, McCoy is likely to land on injured reserve, though the injury is not expected to end the 2023 Pro Bowler’s season.

McCoy had been an integral part of the Saints’ new-look offense under offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak that has produced 34.3 points per game, second-most in the NFL. His 95.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required) leads all offensive linemen with just one pressure allowed so far this year.

Starting left guard Lucas Patrick is listed as the backup center on the Saints’ depth chart and took over for McCoy on Sunday, so he’s likely the long-term replacement at center. Oli Udoh slid into Patrick’s vacated left guard spot, but both Landon Young and Nick Saldiveri have taken left guard snaps during the regular season. Another week of practice could give either player the opportunity to take over the starting gig until McCoy is healthy.

McCoy’s current timeline indicates that he could return as soon as Week 10, but the Saints will not want to rush his recovery from surgery. New Orleans may take a conservative approach and hold McCoy out until after their Week 12 bye to ensure that he’s fully healthy.

The Saints selected McCoy with the 48th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the Texas A&M standout immediately slotted in as the team’s starting center. When healthy, McCoy has been one of the league’s best at his position, but this year will mark the third time in the last four seasons that McCoy has missed at least four games due to injury.

McCoy’s absence only adds to the injury woes along the offensive line in New Orleans, which has lost tackles Ryan Ramczyk and James Hurst since last season. Hurst retired after a decade in the NFL, while Ramczyk was placed on the Reserve/PUP list in July, ending his 2024 season before it even began.

Latest On Saints-Alvin Kamara Negotiations

September 22nd, 2024 at 12:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

Alvin Kamara walked out on the final day of the Saints’ minicamp as part of his effort to secure a new contract. No agreement was reached, but the veteran back has enjoyed a stellar start to the season while putting negotiations on hold.

A deal was within reach at times during the offseason. As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network writes, talks on a new pact took place throughout the spring with a resolution appearing to be “close” at points during that process. At issue, to no surprise, was the 2025 season. The final year of Kamara’s deal calls for a non-guaranteed base salary of $22.4MM and an untenable cap hit of just over $29MM. Both team and player have operated on the assumption that year will not play out as it is currently projected to.

New Orleans’ efforts to work out an agreement were aimed to attaining clarity for 2025 (and, no doubt, lowering Kamara’s cap hit in the process). The 29-year-old sought a market-level agreement with respect to guaranteed compensation, a price point which changed as the offseason unfolded. Saquon Barkley landed an Eagles deal averaging over $12.5MM per season; that pact includes $26MM in locked in compensation. Christian McCaffrey then agreed to a 49ers extension and in doing so moved the top of the RB market to $19MM per season.

Kamara sits second at an AAV of $15MM, but that figure is inflated by his projected 2025 earnings. The Barkley and McCaffrey accords, Rapoport notes, altered the nature of negotiations between Kamara and the Saints. The sides were unable to come to terms on a pact including a new figure for 2025 but also years tacked onto that point, resulting in the eventual stalemate.

A strong season would help the five-time Pro Bowler’s chances of landing another lucrative Saints contract in the spring. Kamara racked up 110 scrimmage yards in the season opener, then topped that with a four-touchdown showing in Week 2 which included 180 total yards. New Orleans’ offense has been impressive to date, and remaining a focal point for the unit would increase his leverage during the next round of contract talks.

Kamara is due a $2MM roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2025 league year, so it would come as no surprise if a new arrangement were to be in place before that point. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the campaign unfolds as it pertains to Kamara’s production after he had a career-low output in 2023. A mutual interest clearly exists between team and player, though, and the coming offseason is unlikely to see as many financial developments at the running back position as the 2024 one, meaning clarity could emerge in this case.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/24

September 21st, 2024 at 5:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.

Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.

The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.

With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/24

September 14th, 2024 at 8:06pm CST by Ely Allen

Saturday’s minor transactions and gameday practice squad callups:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Patrick was among the Broncos’ final roster cuts after a Saints trade was discussed. The 30-year-old missed the 2022 and ’23 campaigns due to ACL and Achilles tears, respectively. Patrick did not need to wait long to find a new opportunity, though, quickly landing a practice squad deal with the Lions. He is now positioned make his season debut tomorrow as a complementary option in Detroit’s passing attack.

Olszewski is dealing with a groin injury and he was known to be facing a long-term absence. Today’s move thus comes as no surprise, but it ensures at least a four-week absence. The former All-Pro scored a punt return touchdown with Pittsburgh early last season and added another during his 10-game Giants stretch to close out the year. The team will need to rely on other options in the return game for the time being.

Injury Notes: Bears, Walker, Murray, Bosa

September 11th, 2024 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears got good news surrounding the knee injury that knocked Rome Odunze out of Sunday’s season opener. Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the rookie wide receiver suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain, the “best-case scenario” for the team and player.

Odunze suffered his MCL injury while blocking for Velus Jones Jr. during a fourth-quarter screen pass. The rookie stayed in the game for one additional play before exiting for good. The wideout is officially considered week-to-week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and there’s been no indication that the ninth-overall pick will have a stay on injured reserve. Coach Matt Eberflus said the Bears were “lucky” to avoid a serious injury, and he even kept the door open to Odunze playing in Week 2.

Wednesday’s injury report also showed that fellow receiver Keenan Allen didn’t practice while nursing a heel injury. Eberflus later clarified that the wideout was considered day-to-day, and there’s hope the offseason acquisition can hit the practice field on Thursday and Friday following his day off.

In the unlikely event that both Odunze and Allen are sidelined, the Bears’ deep wide receiver grouping will be down to just D.J. Moore. Rookie QB Caleb Williams is certainly hoping for his full arsenal of wideouts following an NFL debut where he completed only 14 of 29 pass attempts for 93 yards.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • Kenneth Walker left Sunday’s game with an oblique injury and didn’t practice on Wednesday, per the Seahawks‘ injury report. Mike Macdonald said the running back is day-to-day (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson), but another missed practice would obviously put the player’s Week 2 availability in doubt. Walker exited the season opener after compiling 103 rushing yards and one touchdown. Zach Charbonnet finished the game at running back, scoring a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
  • Kyler Murray was a full participant at today’s practice, but the Cardinals QB still showed up on the injury report with a knee injury. Murray, of course, suffered an ACL injury during the 2022 campaign, and 2024 represented his first healthy offseason in a few years. Murray didn’t miss a snap on Sunday, and it seemed like his knee was in good shape after he ran for 57 yards. Clayton Tune is the only other QB currently on the active roster.
  • The Chargers announced that Joey Bosa was a limited participant at Wednesday’s practice while dealing with a back injury. The pass rusher appeared in 60 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in Week 1, collecting a sack and a forced fumble along the way. The long-time Charger has been snake bitten by injuries over the past few years, missing 20 total games.
  • NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport passes along a list of other notable players who didn’t practice on Wednesday, including Bengals receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring), Chiefs receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder), Browns tight end David Njoku (ankle), Packers quarterback Jordan Love (MCL), and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hip/hamstring).

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/11/24

September 11th, 2024 at 8:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

  • Signed: WR Kaden Davis

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed: LB Jackson Sirmon

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Browns Add LB Khaleke Hudson Off Saints’ Practice Squad

September 10th, 2024 at 9:54pm CST by Ely Allen

Saints practice squad linebacker Khaleke Hudson is heading to Cleveland, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Hudson will join the Browns‘ active roster after being signed from the practice squad in New Orleans. A gameday elevation this past weekend, Hudson could be one of the first players in the league to play for more than one team this season.

Hudson signed with the Saints in the offseason after playing out his rookie contract as a fifth-round pick in Washington. A solid rotation player through the first three years of his career, Hudson earned a bigger role in 2023, starting eight games for the Commanders and tallying career highs in total tackles (74), tackles for loss (5), sacks (1), quarterback hits (2), and passes defensed (2).

Despite the strong contract year that led to his deal with the Saints, Hudson didn’t end up making the initial 53-man roster, though New Orleans did retain him on the practice squad. Now, though, he’ll get a new opportunity to play in Cleveland, where Brandon Bouyer-Randle sits on injured reserve and Mohamoud Diabate and Tony Fields II take up spots on the injury report. He provides some experienced, starting depth on the defense.

Additionally, with Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku facing a potential absence due to an ankle injury, the Browns added veteran Geoff Swaim to the practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. Jordan Akins sits on the roster behind Njoku, and Swaim will now add some additional experience and depth from the practice squad, if necessary.

NFC Restructures: Hockenson, Giants, Saints

September 8th, 2024 at 8:15pm CST by Ely Allen

The Vikings were in an uncomfortable position entering the season with less than $1MM in salary cap space. Such a low allowance would restrict the team in making any deadline or practice squad additions, so it was necessary for the team to rework somebody’s contract in order to free up a bit of cap space.

That player happened to be tight end T.J. Hockenson, per Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune. While the exact details are unavailable at the moment, the Vikings converted a good amount of Hockenson’s $9.9MM base salary in 2024 into a signing bonus. The move cleared up around $7.92MM of cap space. They avoided utilizing a void year at the end of his contract to stash future cap since he already had one in his previous deal.

Here are a few other restructures from around the NFC:

  • The Giants also looked to restructure a veteran’s contract on the eve of the season, choosing to rework the deal of linebacker Bobby Okereke, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. The team converted $6.78MM of Okereke’s 2024 salary into a signing bonus. The move cleared up $4.51MM of cap space for New York this season.
  • Lastly, we recently mentioned that New Orleans worked to restructure the contract of tight end Juwan Johnson to clear up $3.5MM of cap space. Katherine Terrell of ESPN provided a few more details on the reworked deal, informing that the team converted $4.38MM of Johnson’s 2024 base salary into a signing bonus and added one additional void year to the end of his contract in order to achieve their desired result. In effect, his cap impact with the Saints was reduced from $7.01MM to $3.51MM.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/7/24

September 7th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are all the NFL’s minor transactions for Saturday, including the gameday callups leading into the first Sunday of the 2024 season:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

With regular kicker Matt Gay listed as questionable for the season opener after hernia surgery, the Colts will call up Shrader from the practice squad as an emergency option. The 25-year-old has not made a regular season appearance in his career, but that could very well change tomorrow.

Broncos, Saints Discussed Tim Patrick Trade

September 5th, 2024 at 7:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tim Patrick regularly saw time with Broncos starters during training camp and the preseason, but it now looks like the team was attempting to showcase the recovered wide receiver for trades. After the Broncos tried to trade Patrick, they ended up releasing him.

This led the veteran wide receiver to the Lions’ practice squad. Patrick is expected to move up to Detroit’s 53-man roster soon, and a role as an auxiliary wide receiver — for a team that saw previous Amon-Ra St. Brown complementary target Josh Reynolds sign with the Broncos — appears on tap. But Patrick was nearly traded to a team that features more questions at receiver.

Patrick said Thursday (via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett) the Broncos informed him of talks with the Saints before cutdown day. A Saints-to-Broncos pipeline has certainly formed since Sean Payton‘s Denver arrival, but this would have sent a player the other way. Patrick, 30, does have a tie in New Orleans; new Saints OC Klint Kubiak was in Denver for multiple stints during Patrick’s career. Kubiak served as an offensive assistant from 2016-18, overlapping with Patrick’s Denver P-squad time and 2018 move onto the active roster, and returned as QBs coach in 2022.

The Saints have an established top two of Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed; questions exist beyond this duo, however. New Orleans considered Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency and ended up with recent Dolphins WR3 Cedrick Wilson Jr. on their roster. The team drafted A.T. Perry in the 2023 sixth round, as part of a trade that sent tight end Adam Trautman to Denver, and used a fifth-round pick on Bub Means this year.

Although Payton has touted the Broncos’ newfound receiving depth, the team is attempting to elevate Marvin Mims to a regular role post-Jerry Jeudy and may need to rely on Reynolds alongside Courtland Sutton as well. The Broncos drafted two Day 3 wideouts (fourth-rounder Troy Franklin, seventh-rounder Devaughn Vele), only keeping five on their 53-man roster. Denver memorably turned down a third-round offer for Sutton (from the 49ers, in what would have effectively been a three-team trade that sent Brandon Aiyuk to the Steelers), despite trading Jeudy to the Browns for fifth- and sixth-round picks in March.

With the team since the final days of its Demaryius Thomas–Emmanuel Sanders duo, Patrick excelled as an auxiliary receiver for the Broncos from 2020-21. Denver gave the former UDFA a three-year, $30MM extension but saw him suffer ACL (2022) and Achilles (2023) tears during training camp. Patrick has made it back, playing in Denver’s first two preseason games and catching a touchdown pass from Bo Nix against the Packers.

The Lions will attempt to get him up to speed, as a role alongside St. Brown and Jameson Williams could await despite Detroit not needing to part with any trade compensation.

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