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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Bengals Cast Wide Net In DC Search

February 7th, 2019 at 9:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals are casting a wide net in their search for a defensive coordinator and other defensive staffers, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The club is expected to request (or has requested) interviews with former Falcons defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, Texas A&M DC Mike Elko, Florida DC Todd Grantham, and Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn.

The Bengals made an offer to veteran coach Dom Capers this week, but he turned them down and is now believed to be Miami-bound. Capers, 68, would have given the Bengals a Rams replica of sorts as he would have supported 33-year-old head coach Zac Taylor. The Bengals also flirted with former Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, an indication they would prefer a veteran counterweight to Taylor.

Outside of Grantham, however, the coaches they’re now considering are on the younger side of 50. That could indicate a change in philosophy for Cincinnati. Or, it could be a case of the old adage – beggars can’t be choosers.

As previously reported, the Bengals also requested an interview with Rams DB coach Aubrey Pleasant.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/6/19

February 6th, 2019 at 7:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters:

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • RB Martez Carter

Latest On Dennis Allen's Saints Deal

February 4th, 2019 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Dennis Allen‘s new Saints contract is a three-year agreement, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. The former Raiders HC has been the Saints’ DC since the 2015 season. His unit has gone from one of the worst in NFL history, in ’15, to one of the top groups in the league.

Saints To Retain DC Dennis Allen

February 3rd, 2019 at 4:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Saints defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is expected to sign a new deal that will keep him in New Orleans, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Earlier today, reports surfaced indicating Allen was presumptive Bengals head coach Zac Taylor‘s top choice to take over as DC in Cincinnati. Allen’s contract with the Saints had expired, so the Bengals wouldn’t have had to negotiate any sort of compensation in order to land Allen. However, it appears New Orleans was able to convince Allen to stay in the role he’s held since 2015.

The Bengal weren’t the only rival club to express interest in Allen this offseason, as the Dolphins also interviewed him for their head coaching position. Allen, spent three seasons as the Raiders’ head coach, compiling an abysmal record of 8-28. But he’s respected in coaching circles, and his work with the Saints has not gone unnoticed.

Under former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, New Orleans regularly posted one of the NFL’s worst results, and the unit continued to struggle during Allen’s first full season as DC (2016), finishing 31st in DVOA, Football Outsiders’ efficiency metric. However, the Saints vaulted up to eighth in defensive DVOA in 2017 and ranked 11th this past season. New Orleans ranked 14th and 19th in points allowed and yardage allowed, respectively, in 2018.

While players such as defensive end Alex Okafor, linebacker Craig Robertson, and cornerback P.J. Williams are set to reach unrestricted free agency in March, the Saints don’t project to lose any key defensive pieces this offseason. As such, Allen could find himself in head coaching rumors again next year, provided New Orleans’ defense continues to excel.

Bengals Interested In Dennis Allen For DC

February 3rd, 2019 at 9:04am CST by Rory Parks

The Bengals will formally announce Zac Taylor as their next head coach tomorrow, and the team has already tabbed Brian Callahan to serve as Taylor’s offensive coordinator.

There is less clarity on Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator vacancy, though a couple of big-name candidates have been mentioned as possibilities. Reports from two weeks ago suggested that Jack Del Rio and John Fox are potential targets, and now Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio has added another name to the mix.

Per Marvez (Twitter link), the Bengals are interested in Dennis Allen, who has served as the Saints’ DC since taking over for Rob Ryan during the 2015 season. Allen has rebuilt his reputation in coaching circles after a difficult stint as the Raiders’ head coach from 2012-14, and his name has popped up as a head coaching candidate in the last couple of years. His unit ranked second in the league against the run and tied for fifth in the NFL in sacks in 2018.

In a separate tweet, Marvez appears to suggest that Allen is the Bengals’ top choice for the job and that Del Rio and Fox may no longer be under strong consideration. Marvez reports that, if Cincinnati cannot get Allen, the club will turn its attention to Dom Capers, who worked as the Packers’ DC from 2009-17.

We recently learned that Allen’s contract with New Orleans is up, so he is a free agent at the moment. The Saints reportedly want to keep him, but they now have some serious competition for his services.

Regardless of whom the Bengals hire as their next defensive coordinator, it looks as though they want an experienced candidate to pair with rookie head coach Taylor and rookie offensive coordinator Callahan.

Saints Lose Assistant To LSU

January 26th, 2019 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

On the surface, the Saints reluctantly enter their offseason without many avenues to improve their roster. They traded away their 2019 first-, third- and fourth-round picks and stand to hold less than $20MM in cap space. However, they may be open to another extension that knocks down Drew Brees‘ NFL-high $33.5MM cap figure. Another place the team could look to for potential cap savings is Andrus Peat‘s contract. The 2015 first-round pick has a $9.625MM fifth-year option salary, but with those deals guaranteed for injury only, The Athletic’s Larry Holder writes (subscription required) the guard is not a lock to return to New Orleans in 2019. Four of the Saints’ top six cap charges stand to go to offensive linemen, and Peat graded out as Pro Football Focus’ worst full-time guard this season. Peat broke his hand in December, but having played in both New Orleans’ playoff games, passing the fifth-year option physical before the new league year seems like a decent bet.

  • Shifting back to the Saints, they will lose a staffer to the college ranks. Offensive assistant Joe Brady will become LSU’s passing game coordinator, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic tweets. Brady spent two years with the Saints.

Saints Address Drew Brees, Cap Situation

January 25th, 2019 at 3:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

Drew Brees will carry an NFL-high $33.5MM cap charge in 2019, but the Saints could potentially make moves to reduce that hit, as Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com writes. “We’ll see what happens,” general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday. “We know it’s coming at some point, and we’ve kind of kicked the can down the road a number of times, haven’t we?” Indeed, New Orleans has pushed Brees’ cap charges into future years on multiple occasions. Just last year, Brees inked a two-year contract which includes a voidable year in 2020, which allowed the Saints to move $10.5MM of Brees’ commitment to that season’s books. As Loomis notes, New Orleans has “a lot of mechanisms to maneuver the cap,” so another extension or restructure could be in the offing.

Saints CB P.J. Williams Arrested For DUI

January 23rd, 2019 at 7:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Saints cornerback P.J. Williams was arrested in New Orleans for driving under the influence early Wednesday morning, reports Ramon Antonio Vargas of The Advocate.

Williams, 25, was allegedly driving 80 miles per hour in a 50 mph zone, while authorities also indicated Williams failed to used a traffic lane properly and failed to signal a turn. After being stopped, Williams refused a Breathalyzer test, which — as Vargas notes — is grounds for a drunk-driving arrest in Louisiana.

Williams was previously arrested for DUI in early April 2015, but those charges were later dropped just before the NFL draft. Still, the incident may have forced Williams’ draft stock to tumble, as he was subsequently chosen in the third round by the Saints after being identified as a potential Day 1 selection. In 2014, while Williams was still at Florida State, he crashed his vehicle into another car and left the scene, but eventually received only a traffic ticket.

Last season, Williams appeared in 15 games and played the second-most snaps of any Saints cornerback, but graded as a bottom-six CB league-wide, per Pro Football Focus. His rookie contract with New Orleans expires in March, at which point he will hit the free agent market. Given his off-field issues and his lackluster play, Williams may struggle to find guaranteed money this offseason.

Saints Sign Six Players To Futures Deals

January 21st, 2019 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints’ season is officially in the books, which means that it’s on to the offseason for New Orleans. To kick things off, the Saints signed the following six practice squad players to reserve/futures deals:

Barrett has been jockeyed on and off of the Saints’ practice squad all year. Over the weekend, Barrett was signed to the Saints’ taxi squad for the 13th time this season. In total, he was involved in a whopping 25 transactions during the 2018 campaign and was released 12 times. Barrett frequently switched placed with wide receiver Paul Turner, but there’s no word yet on whether Turner will be retained via a futures contract.

Sankey, 25 in October, appeared in six games for the Colts last season. This year, he did not see live action for the Saints, but he was on the scout team for most of the year.

Wozniak, a tight end at the University of Minnesota, was signed as a UDFA last year. The Saints moved the 6’10” prospect over to offensive tackle and they’re hoping he’ll be able to use his size and length to his advantage.

Saints’ Drew Brees Plans On Playing In 2019

January 21st, 2019 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

Things didn’t go the Saints’ way on Sunday and Drew Brees is determined to go out on a higher note. After the loss to the Rams, Brees told reporters that he plans on sticking around for at least one more season.

[RELATED: Saints TE Josh Hill Sustains Concussion]

“I plan on being here next year and making another run at it,” Brees said (via Luke Johnson of the Times-Picayune).

Brees, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday, turned in one of his very best seasons to date. Brees completed an NFL record 74.4% of his throws and also had a career high in passer rating at 115.7. In the regular season, he threw for 32 touchdowns against just five interceptions and, if not for a controversial no-call on Sunday, he would be gearing up for an attempt at a second career Super Bowl ring.

Thanks to the two-year deal he signed with the Saints in March of last year, Brees is under contract for 2019 at a $33.5MM cap number. The Saints could seek an extension to smooth out the cap hit (and overhaul the voidable year in 2020), but New Orleans will be glad to have Brees back in any scenario.

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