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Derek Carr Discusses Raiders Departure

June 26th, 2023 at 10:05pm CST by Ben Levine

Derek Carr isn’t happy with how his Raiders tenure came to an end. With questions surrounding his future in Las Vegas, Carr was benched for the Raiders’ final two games of the 2022 season. That decision truly marked the end of Carr’s nine-year stint with the organization, and the quarterback was ultimately cut in February.

The veteran has since caught on with the Saints, and he told Anthony Galaviz of the Fresno Bee that his experience at the end of the 2022 campaign is motivating him heading into 2023.

“I was, for lack of a better term, I was very upset; I was mad,” he said. “You spend nine years in a place, you have all the records and you can play at a high level and for something to get in the way, whether it was whatever reason, money related or whatever, injury related, I would have said I don’t even want the money, just to play two more times in front of our fans. I didn’t get that opportunity. So it definitely lit a fire inside me to keep going.”

The Raiders gave Carr a long leash after selecting him in the second round of the 2014 draft. The Raiders would only have a winning record in two of the next nine years, including a 2016 campaign where Carr went 12-3 as a starter but was sidelined for the team’s eventual playoff loss. When all was said and done, Carr only got into a single playoff game during his tenure with the Raiders, and he started 142 of the team’s 146 regular season games.

Over the quarterback’s nine-year tenure with the team, the Raiders went through six head coaches (including two interim HCs). Without any postseason success, Carr understood that he’d eventually be on the hot seat

“If you win more games and you keep being productive, you stay there forever,” Carr said. “But we didn’t win enough games and that’s the kind of stuff that happens with all the turnover of coaches; with all the different things. Eventually, the last guy in the room is usually going to be out at some point. And that’s really what happened.

“I’ve survived about 20 coaches and that’s how it goes and it is what it is.”

The Saints have been seeking some stability at the quarterback position since Drew Brees retired following the 2020 season. Neither Jameis Winston nor Andy Dalton did enough in 2022 to dissuade the front office from pursuing an upgrade, and Carr is optimistic that he can help the Saints compete for a playoff spot in 2023.

“There’s a lot of work and we have a tough division that we are going to have to compete against and we’re excited about the challenge,” he said.

30 Unsigned Draft Picks Remain

June 26th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

With training camps less than a month away, 30 members of the 2023 draft class remain unsigned. Several teams have agreed to terms with their entire draft classes, but a handful of teams have multiple players still unsigned. Draft slots largely explain this. First- and second-rounders comprise the bulk of the unsigned lot, with guarantees the core issue for the latter group. Here are the unsigned draftees:

Round 1:

Round 2:

Round 3:

Round 4:

Round 6:

The second-round slowdown continues a trend. Last year, more Round 2 choices received three fully guaranteed years compared to prior drafts. This year’s No. 39 overall pick — Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo (Ole Miss) — broke through with three locked-in years and a partial 2026 guarantee. This would explain the next nine players drafted being unsigned, with the agents for the players chosen immediately after Mingo angling for the same terms or guarantees in the same ballpark.

No. 31 overall choice Felix Anudike-Uzomah‘s four-year Chiefs deal is fully guaranteed, while No. 34 pick Sam LaPorta (Lions) has a partial 2026 guarantee. This would explain the Nos. 32 and 33 choices remaining unsigned. Other issues — like offset language and signing bonus payouts — annually arise in rookie-deal negotiations, but most of these players will be signed by the time teams head to training camp. A few stragglers report late due to their contracts each year, but the 2011 CBA’s slot system — which the 2020 CBA kept in place — largely addressed the issues that once emerged frequently regarding rookie pacts.

Saints CBs Alontae Taylor, Paulson Adebo Competing For Starting Role

June 26th, 2023 at 11:30am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints already have one starting cornerback spot spoken for with four-time Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore. The competition to determine who will line up opposite him will take place during training camp.

Alontae Taylor and Paulson Adebo are vying for a first-team role, as detailed by ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. The pair split reps with the starting defense during OTAs, allowing each to state their case as a full-time outside corner (although the former has also spent time practicing in the slot). Their performances in the summer will determine the pecking order behind Lattimore for New Orleans.

When addressing the situation, head coach Dennis Allen said, “the great thing about it, those two particular players… both of them are fully capable of being starters and playing at a high level for us, but we’re going to let that competition play out.”

Both Adebo and Taylor have already seen signficant playing time early in their respective careers. Adebo, a 2021 third-rounder, has started all but one of his 30 career appearances and logged a snap share of 94% last season, one in which Lattimore was limited to just seven contests. The latter’s injury allowed Taylor, a second-round pick, to start nine games in his rookie season.

Taylor registered 11 pass breakups and posted much better coverage statistics than Adebo during his first-team audition in 2022. Given the potential for growth both players have (each will be 24 at the start of the regular season), though, plenty remains to be determined heading into the 2023 campaign. Regardless of how the competition for the outside corner spot shakes out, each could see a notable workload since the Saints’ lone free agent CB addition was Lonnie Johnson and the team elected not to add further to the position during the draft.

Michael Thomas Did Not Aim To Test Free Agency; Latest On WR’s Saints Deal

June 20th, 2023 at 4:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the league’s restructure bastions, the Saints went to this well with Michael Thomas‘ previous contract on a few occasions. A 2023 reworking looked to point Thomas to free agency, but the former All-Pro re-signed to stay in New Orleans.

Thomas agreed to terms on a one-year, $10MM deal that comes with $6.26MM fully guaranteed. Void years spread out Thomas’ cap hit through 2027 while providing a steep 2024 penalty ($18.2MM in dead money) if the contract is not adjusted before the ’24 league year. While the 30-year-old pass catcher once signed a monster extension that made him the league’s second-highest-paid receiver, a spree of injuries during the 2020s have thrown his career off course.

For his part, Thomas said he did not make a genuine effort to leave New Orleans this offseason, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes (on Twitter). Describing the contract talk as “fluff,” the league’s single-season reception record holder said he has a great relationship with the organization. Thomas’ 2021 could have irrevocably altered this relationship, as a disagreement regarding his recovery timetable from a 2020 ankle injury preceded him missing all of that season. Thomas then missed 14 games in 2022, running his absence count to 40 during the 2020s.

The Saints included incentives in Thomas’ latest agreement, escalators that could bump the contract to $15MM in total. While Thomas’ 2010s version would be positioned to cash in, the developments since do not indicate a strong likelihood he will add to his new deal. There are $750K in incentives tied to receptions and another $750K tethered to receiving yards. The three-tiered receptions structure begins at 100, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill (on Twitter), including $250K bonuses for 100, 110 and 120 catches. For receiving yardage, Thomas can collect $250K bonuses at 1,000, 1,150 and 1,300.

Thomas earned his initial Saints extension — a five-year, $96.25MM pact agreed to during the 2019 offseason — on the back of consecutive first-team All-Pro honors. He led the NFL in receptions in 2018 (125) and 2019 (a record-setting 149) but only reached 40 in a seven-game 2020 slate. After four straight 1,100-plus-yard seasons to start his career, the former second-round pick has not topped 450 in a season since. The Saints have also placed a $250K bonus at the seven-touchdown barrier and another $250K bump if Thomas earns original-ballot Pro Bowl Games entry, which will only vest if the Saints make the playoffs. The other $2.5MM in incentives are even less likely to be earned, as they are tied to top-tier achievements (first-team All-Pro, Offensive Player of the Year, Super Bowl MVP) or honors never before attained by a wideout (NFL MVP).

Although the Saints were connected to trading up for a wide receiver — believed to be USC’s Jordan Addison — in the first round, they left the draft with only sixth-rounder A.T. Perry in their class. The team has not re-signed Jarvis Landry and will count on speedy second-year UDFA Rashid Shaheed taking another step alongside Chris Olave. New Orleans also has vets Bryan Edwards, Tre’Quan Smith, James Washington, Keke Coutee and Lynn Bowden rostered. But Thomas represents a key part of their receiver plan. While Thomas did not participate in New Orleans’ offseason program for a third straight year — this time due to rehab from toe surgery — he is on track to give it another go in training camp.

Cameron Jordan Addresses Saints Extension Talks

June 19th, 2023 at 11:46am CST by Adam La Rose

Talks are underway on another new contract for Cameron Jordan, something which would further extend his career-long stint in New Orleans. Recent remarks made by general manager Mickey Loomis pointed to an extension being worked out soon, something the franchise icon would welcome.

“That’s a huge blessing,” Jordan said, via John DeShazier of the team’s website, in reaction to Loomis’ guarantee regarding his future with the Saints. “I want what I’ve always wanted, to be Black and Gold. I’ve said that plenty of times, whether I play 15 years or 16 years, I want to be here.”

The 33-year-old has remained highly productive during his 12 seasons in New Orleans, thanks in no small part to his sterling record of durability. Jordan has suited up for exactly 16 games every year to date, giving him the opportunity to break the franchise’s all-time sack lead amongst his many individual accomplishments. 2022 marked the sixth consecutive season (and eighth overall) in which he was named a Pro Bowler.

It thus came as little surprise when it was learned contract talks were underway earlier this offseason between Jordan and the Saints. One year remains on his current deal, one which has been restructured like those of many other Saints in recent years. A new deal would not only achieve the mutual goal of ensuring 2010s All-Decade member retires in New Orleans, it would also help the team’s cap situation. A short-term extension would help soften the void money charge currently in place for 2024 ($23.2MM).

It would also, of course, allow Jordan to continue climbing the Saints’ games played list and that of the NFL’s all-time sack leaders. He sits at 115.5 in the latter regard, which places him 23rd on the official count. Considering Jordan has racked up at least 7.5 sacks in every season except his rookie campaign, it would be reasonable to expect a move inside the top 20 in 2023. How much further he would be able to ascend would depend on the length of his next, and likely final, contract, one for which there is certainly a mutual desire.

Saints’ Taysom Hill Content With Current Role

June 18th, 2023 at 3:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints’ offense will have a new look under center this year with Derek Carr in place. The process of tailoring the unit to the free agent addition has been an important one for New Orleans, but the team has once again been tasked with finding the right balance of alignments and playing time for Taysom Hill.

The veteran Swiss Army knife was, as expected, not used as a long-term option as a quarterback last season. Instead, he transitioned to more of a hybrid tight end role (albeit one which involved only nine receptions on 13 targets) last season. Hill’s most effective usage was on the ground, as usual. The 32-year-old registered 575 yards and seven touchdowns on a career-high 96 carries. More of the same in that regard is expecting heading into the coming campaign.

“I feel like we’re starting to figure out what is normal again,” Hill said, via John DeShazler of the team’s website. “I felt like ’20 and ’21 were so abnormal that I don’t know what that is now. We’ve had a lot of change here the last few years, and I feel like being here the last few days with the guys and the team, I feel like everyone is gelling really well… I think we’re trying to find this happy medium and happy balance of like, hey, let’s be realistic with what we’re going to ask you do to this season and make sure that you’re getting the time and the reps on those things.”

The Saints have Carr on the books through 2026 after making a splash in free agency to acquire him in March, and the team retained Jameis Winston as well. With those two comfortably atop the QB depth chart, Hill and the team’s coaching staff can turn their attention to his usage as a rusher and pass-catcher. More emphasis in the latter department would suit Hill as he looks to keep adapting his game, though.

“I think that’s kind of stuff that hasn’t been explored a ton with me here,” he added. “I think running routes and catching balls, that was a foreign thing for me and I also think because of that, we haven’t done a ton of it and I think there’s some opportunities there that we just haven’t explored yet. As I look at next season, I think the hope and the expectation is that that expands a little bit.”

New Orleans has a crowded TE room with Foster Moreau and Juwan Johnson each set to take up signficant snaps and targets. Hill will compete with those two for playing time in a pass-catching role during training camp, but his abilities on the ground as well as special teams figure to allow him to remain a key player in the Saints’ overall success. His restructured contract runs through 2025, so he should be in place in his current role for years to come.

Saints IOL Cesar Ruiz Still Has Potential Future In New Orleans

June 17th, 2023 at 3:42pm CST by Ely Allen

In three years of professional football, interior offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz has struggled to live up to his first-round potential. Despite the Saints essentially echoing that sentiment by declining his fifth-year option, general manager Mickey Loomis seems to have implied that Ruiz still has a future with the team, according to Jeff Nowak of Audacy Sports.

After excelling as a pass-blocking center at Michigan in college, Ruiz hasn’t been able to find the same success at the NFL level. He has spent most of his time in New Orleans as the team’s primary right guard while filling in at times at his old center position. Ruiz found starts as a rookie thanks to injuries to Andrus Peat and Nick Easton and became a full time starter in his sophomore season.

He’s started every game he’s appeared in since taking over as a starter but has missed four games over his career, including three to end the 2022 regular season. Ruiz suffered a Lisfranc injury that held him out of the team’s final games of the year. He hasn’t practiced since the injury but was scheduled this week for a procedure to remove hardware from the initial surgery to repair his foot. The follow-up procedure was set to take place yesterday, according to Jeff Duncan of nola.com, which should give him enough recovery time to be back for training camp.

Given his on-field and injury struggles, it’s hard to see where his future lies with the Saints. According to Nowak, Loomis referred to Ruiz as an “ascending player,” saying he has high expectations for the fourth-year player. So why decline his fifth-year option?

Declining Ruiz’s fifth-year option makes 2023 a contract year for the lineman. He’ll have one year to prove he deserves a fifth year with the team and beyond. This season, he’ll need to prove that he is improving and ascending, as his general manager hopes. He’ll also need to display an ability to rebound from the season-ending injury from last year. Lisfranc injuries have a tendency to linger, but if Ruiz’s health holds up throughout the season, Nowak feels that an eventual extension is inevitable.

New Orleans signed veteran center Billy Price this week, as well. The move could be insurance in case Ruiz is unable to recover fully. It could also be in service of the goal to keep Ruiz at guard full-time. Without Price, Ruiz is the team’s primary backup at center behind Erik McCoy. If Price can earn the backup role, it would allow Ruiz to focus solely on his work at guard, potentially helping him to ascend to a level worthy of an extension.

NFC South Notes: White, Falcons, Saints

June 16th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Sam Robinson

Weeks after making a trade request, Devin White showed for Buccaneers minicamp this week. This was the expected outcome, but the talented linebacker did not participate. Still, Todd Bowles did not refer to this as a hold-in measure. The second-year Tampa Bay HC said (via ESPN’s Jenna Laine) the team wanted to gauge White’s readiness, though it is unclear if the former top-five pick is dealing with a specific injury. Bowles said he expects White to be ready to go for training camp. Though, that could be when a hold-in effort takes place in earnest. White, who avoided nearly $100K in fines by reporting to minicamp, is tied to an $11.7MM fifth-year option salary. Although White wants top-five ILB money and has not yet seen the Bucs show interest in signing off on such an extension, team brass said multiple times this offseason no trade desire exists on the organization’s part.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • It appears the Falcons‘ big-ticket Jessie Bates acquisition will displace Jaylinn Hawkins. After the former fourth-round pick started 16 games last season, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes it will likely be Bates teaming with Richie Grant — a 17-game starter in 2022 — this year. Pro Football Focus’ No. 66 safety last season, Hawkins may factor in when the team uses three-safety looks. But a contract-year demotion looks set to commence.
  • Falcons defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham missed last season’s final seven games due a full MCL tear, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. After not participating in OTAs, the third-year defender was back on the field at minicamp. Like Hawkins, Graham might see the Falcons’ free agency moves affect his role. The team signed David Onyemata and Calais Campbell, and Eddie Goldman is attempting to return after a 2022 retirement call. Goldman, however, did not work with the team during minicamp.
  • Trevor Penning already underwent surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury sustained in Week 18. While the Saints tackle is expected to be ready for training camp, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan notes he is undergoing a second procedure Friday to remove hardware from the repaired foot. Penning started just one game as a rookie, seeing another injury — a torn foot ligament — delay his NFL debut by nearly three months. But the 2022 first-round pick is on track to be New Orleans’ Week 1 left tackle starter this year. James Hurst, the team’s primary blind-sider last season, shared first-team duties with third-year blocker Landon Young at minicamp.
  • After spending the past two seasons as a Saints staffer, Sterling Moore will not be with the team going forward. The Saints dismissed the former cornerback from their staff, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Moore worked as New Orleans’ assistant DBs coach last season. Moore, 33, started 12 games for the Saints in 2016 and played two seasons with the team. The Saints hired a new defensive coordinator this offseason — Joe Woods — but it is unclear if that move will directly lead to Moore’s summer exit.
  • The Saints made an addition to their scouting department recently, with InsidetheLeague.com’s Neil Stratton relaying (via Twitter) the team hired former Louisiana Tech staffer Ziad Qubti as their college scouting coordinator. This will be Qubti’s first NFL gig.

Saints Sign C Billy Price

June 15th, 2023 at 7:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints aren’t done making moves on offense. After adding a pair of pass-catchers earlier today, the team has now added an offensive lineman. The team announced that they’ve signed veteran offensive lineman Billy Price.

[RELATED: Saints Sign WRs Keke Coutee, Lynn Bowden]

Price was a first-round pick by the Bengals back in 2018. The lineman missed a chunk of his rookie season due to a foot injury, but he otherwise started all 10 of his appearances. After that, he found himself in and out of Cincy’s lineup. Price started 10 of his 16 appearances during the 2019 campaign, and he started only one of his 16 games in 2020 (while appearing in a career-low 207 offensive snaps).

The lineman had his fifth-year option declined before getting dealt to the Giants for the 2021 season. He started 15 of his 16 appearances in New York, but he still had to settle for a practice squad gig with the Raiders to begin the 2022 campaign. He eventually caught on with the Cardinals and proceeded to start all 11 of his appearances for his new squad. Pro Football Focus didn’t love his performance in Arizona, grading him as the 35th center among 36 qualified players.

Price didn’t grade much better at his previous stops, but he’ll still provide New Orleans with some experience at the position. Per Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com (via Twitter), the Saints have been hunting around for some reinforcement at center. Erik McCoy has a firm hold of the starting center gig, but the lineman has missed nine games over the past two seasons. If McCoy goes down again (and if the team hopes to keep Cesar Ruiz permanently at guard), then they’d be looking at UDFA Alex Pihlstrom as their only option at center.

Earlier today, the team added Keke Coutee and Lynn Bowden to their squad. The team also cut wideout Malik Flowers, running backSaRodorick Thompson, and offensive lineman Yasir Durant.

Saints Sign WRs Keke Coutee, Lynn Bowden

June 15th, 2023 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Keke Coutee and Lynn Bowden worked out for the Saints at their minicamp this week, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill notes (Twitter links). Each will earn an invitation to the next Saints round of practices.

The Saints are signing both wide receivers, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Additionally, New Orleans waived wideout Malik Flowers, running back SaRodorick Thompson and offensive lineman Yasir Durant.

Coutee, 26, spent last season with the Colts; Bowden, 25, logged time on the Patriots’ practice squad. The former mid-round picks will vie for backup spots in New Orleans, which lost Jarvis Landry this offseason. The Saints still re-signed Michael Thomas, hoping the NFL single-season reception record holder can shake the injuries that have defined his 2020s, and return second-year speedster Rashid Shaheed. Longtime tertiary option Tre’Quan Smith also remains rostered, while the Saints signed Bryan Edwards and drafted A.T. Perry in the sixth round.

Best known for his time as a Texans slot receiver, Coutee failed to make Houston’s 2021 active roster and trekked to Indianapolis. The Texas Tech alum served as a regular punt returner with the Colts last season. That represented his most notable work since 2020, when the former fourth-round pick established a career highs with 33 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns. Since Deshaun Watson‘s on-field Houston finale, however, Coutee has only caught two passes. He auditioned for the Packers earlier this offseason.

A former third-round Raiders pick, Bowden is probably best known for being traded to the Dolphins before he could suit up for a game in Las Vegas. The 2020 draftee saw some action as a Dolphins slot/gadget performer as a rookie, hauling in 28 passes for 211 yards. He has not caught a pass since. The Dolphins dangled Bowden in trades last year before ultimately cutting him. The Patriots picked up the Kentucky alum and stashed him on their practice squad. The Pats waived Bowden in May. Like Coutee, Bowden has a return background — just not in the NFL. He saw punt-return action at Kentucky in each of his three seasons.

A three-year veteran, Durant played in one game for the Saints last season. The 6-foot-7 tackle out of Missouri has two career starts on his resume. A rookie out of Texas Tech, Thompson was part of New Orleans’ UDFA contingent last month. Flowers set the Division I-FCS record for kick-return touchdowns, with seven, and sits behind only Shaheed in Big Sky Conference history in return average.

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