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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Alvin Kamara Holding Out For New Deal?

August 31st, 2020 at 1:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Alvin Kamara has not been present for the last three days of Saints training camp and his absence is unexcused (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). This absence is believed to be contract-related, Schefter reports. 

The Saints have been discussing a new deal with Kamara throughout the summer, though it’s not clear if they’ve made him a concrete offer just yet. The final year of Kamara’s third-round rookie contract calls for a $2.13MM base salary.

Kamara said earlier this year that he wants to stay with the Saints, though he is equally eager for a pay bump after watching Panthers star Christian McCaffrey set a new all-time record for the position. While Kamara probably will not top McCaffrey’s $16MM-AAV deal and may not get to the Ezekiel Elliott price point ($15MM/ year), the Saints will have to make him one of the league’s highest-paid backs to keep him for the long haul.

Kamara and Mark Ingram became the first running back duo to each surpass 1,500 yards from scrimmage in a season in 2017, and Kamara eclipsed 1,500 scrimmage yards again in 2018 — when he scored 18 touchdowns. Since 2017, Kamara’s 4,476 scrimmage yards rank fifth in the NFL.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/29/20

August 29th, 2020 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Saturday’s minor moves:

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/20

August 28th, 2020 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Parks

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves in this post. In addition to the transactions listed below, note that Broncos DT Joel Heath and Giants CB Shakial Taylor, who had previously been listed as cut, actually opted out of the 2020 season. As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, both players were reinstated to their teams’ rosters and placed on the Reserve/Opt-Out List. The full (and final) opt-out tracker can be found here:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

South Notes: Ngakoue, Benson, Campbell

August 28th, 2020 at 2:55pm CST by Rory Parks

A little over a week ago, Michael Lombardi of The Athletic reported that the Jaguars were on the verge of a deal that would ship disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue out of Jacksonville. Jags GM Dave Caldwell refuted the report, saying no trade involving Ngakoue is imminent.

But Lombardi has doubled down and insists a trade will happen soon (subscription required). He says Ngakoue is not motivated by money right now, he is motivated by a change of scenery, so he is not worried about missing game checks. According to Lombardi, if Ngakoue is not traded, he will not report until the 10th game of the season, the deadline for him to be able to count the 2020 season as an accredited year towards free agency. And at that point, the trade deadline will be in the rear-view mirror and the Jaguars will be left with nothing but a comp pick when Ngakoue signs elsewhere.

On the other hand, Lombardi’s second report linked above was published on August 21, and nothing has materialized on the Ngakoue front since then. It is, as ever, a situation to keep an eye on.

Now for more from the league’s south divisions:

  • Saints owner Gayle Benson tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced. Luckily, the 73-year-old was not hospitalized and is recovering at her New Orleans home. Benson is the second NFL owner to test positive, joining the Cardinals’ Michael Bidwill. Bidwill was hospitalized for his symptoms but appears to have made a full recovery, and it sounds as if Benson will do the same.
  • Mike Chappell of Fox 59 reports that Colts wide receiver Parris Campbell is in the concussion protocol following a minor car accident earlier this week. Indianapolis nabbed the Ohio State speedster in the second round of last year’s draft, and after his rookie campaign was derailed due to injury, he was in the midst of a solid training camp this year. He is a roster lock, of course, but it’s unfortunate that his positive momentum has been slowed a bit.
  • The Texans activated Gareon Conley from the PUP list earlier this month, and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports that the 2017 first-rounder is progressing well from his offseason arthroscopic ankle surgery. Houston declined Conley’s fifth-year option for 2021, so he will be eligible for free agency next year and could cash in with a strong platform campaign. However, Wilson says second-year pro Lonnie Johnson and Conley are neck-and-neck for a starting job, as Conley has been inconsistent since his return to the field.
  • We learned earlier today that the Buccaneers are interested in extending longtime LB Lavonte David.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/26/20

August 26th, 2020 at 3:12pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: TE Dominique Dafney
  • Released: RB Bruce Anderson III

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadephia Eagles

  • Waived: LB Dante Olson
  • Placed on IR: TE Josh Perkins

Tennessee Titans

Alvin Kamara, Saints Far Apart In Talks

August 24th, 2020 at 5:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are currently without one of their starting offensive linemen. That may be the case for a bit. Andrus Peat suffered a broken thumb, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Recently re-signed to a lucrative deal, Peat is set to be out up to three weeks, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com notes. While the sixth-year guard could be ready for Week 1, the Saints have an experienced interior-line swing man ready to fill in. Former Vikings starter Nick Easton is now working in Peat’s place at left guard. Easton replaced an injured Peat as a starter in six games last season.

  • Alvin Kamara and the Saints began extension talks last week, but the sides may be far apart on terms. A deal is not particularly close at this juncture, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. Kamara is going into the final year of his third-round rookie contract. The three-time Pro Bowler will make just $2.13MM this season. Kamara joins Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones and Joe Mixon among 2017 running back draftees in negotiations. This group will battle a few hurdles — short running back primes, the position’s low value, poor returns on a few recent high-end running back deals and a likely 2021 cap reduction — as they attempt to secure long-term deals.
  • Jameis Winston has hired a new agent. The new Saints QB2 has selected Reggie Johnson of Stellar Group to represent him, Greg Auman of The Athletic tweets. Johnson will be Winston’s third agent since 2018. The former Buccaneers starter may be a long-term option for the Saints, but unlike Drew Brees and Taysom Hill, Winston is signed only through 2020. He could also be set to test the market again next year.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/20

August 24th, 2020 at 3:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Waived: CB Duke Thomas

Buffalo Bills

  • Placed on reserve/retired list: CB Ike Brown

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Saints Cut LB Nigel Bradham

August 24th, 2020 at 8:57am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints will release linebacker Nigel Bradham, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The longtime Eagles linebacker joined the team just one month ago. 

Bradham, 31 in September, played at least 900 defensive snaps from 2016-18 but logged just 717 last year as he battled an ankle injury. The veteran graded as a top-35 linebacker, per Pro Football Focus, in three of his four seasons in Philly, including the Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl slate.

Instead of a reunion with former Eagles teammate Malcolm Jenkins, Bradham finds himself on the job hunt all over again with just a few weeks to go before the start of the season. The Saints, meanwhile, seem poised to move ahead with their current linebacker group, led by Demario Davis, Kiko Alonso, and Alex Anzalone. New Orleans lost A.J. Klein in free agency but used a third-round pick on Wisconsin’s Zack Baun, who worked as both an off-ball defender and a pass rusher for the Big Ten program.

All in all, Bradham appeared in 58 regular season games for the Eagles – all starts. He’s been first-string throughout his career, pretty much, save for his 2013 season with the Bills. He finished out 2019 with 61 total stops, one interception, and five passes defensed.

Saints, Alvin Kamara Begin Negotiations

August 20th, 2020 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints and Alvin Kamara have begun work on a longer-term partnership. The sides are now negotiating an extension to keep the dynamic running back in New Orleans beyond 2020, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports (video link).

Nothing is yet imminent, but the Saints have made an offer, Fowler adds. Kamara’s rookie contract has one season remaining, putting him in a similar boat with other talented running backs from the 2017 draft class.

As several 2017 running back draftees either cash in (Christian McCaffrey) or began contract talks earlier (Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones, Joe Mixon), not much has transpired on the Kamara front this offseason. But the three-down back said earlier this year he wants to stay with the Saints.

Kamara’s timeline parallels Michael Thomas‘ from 2019. The former second-round pick-turned-star was going into his walk year but reached an agreement on a then-record wide receiver deal during Saints training camp last year. Kamara’s situation is a bit more complicated. Recent monster running back contracts have not exactly benefited teams, and the salary cap is expected to drop for just the second time ever. But it’s clear the Saints would prefer Kamara not play this season on his third-round rookie deal.

Beginning his career in the Reggie Bush/Darren Sproles role in Sean Payton‘s offense, Kamara quickly became more than a complementary piece. He and Mark Ingram became the first running back teammates to each surpass 1,500 yards from scrimmage in a season in 2017, and Kamara eclipsed 1,500 scrimmage yards again in 2018 — when he scored 18 touchdowns. Since 2017, Kamara’s 4,476 scrimmage yards rank fifth in the NFL.

While Kamara probably will not top McCaffrey’s $16MM-AAV deal and may not get to the Ezekiel Elliott price point ($15MM per year), the Saints will certainly have to make him one of the league’s highest-paid backs to retain him. How the Kamara, Cook, Mixon and Jones talks proceed will bring more clarity to how teams view running backs as the 2020s begin.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/20/20

August 20th, 2020 at 5:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the afternoon:

Carolina Panthers

  • Claimed (from Bills): K/P Kaare Vedvik
  • Waived: TE Andrew Vollert

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Washington Football Team

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