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Saints To Sign LB Kiko Alonso

August 4th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite working out multiple linebackers who have been steady starters over the past two years, the Saints are reuniting with Kiko Alonso. The well-traveled defender has not played since 2019, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (via Twitter) the Saints are giving him another shot. It’s a one-year deal, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell (on Twitter).

Going into what would be his age-32 season, Alonso looks to have shown enough at his Thursday workout to vie for a depth role. Once a longtime starter, Alonso has not played since suffering an ACL tear in New Orleans’ wild-card loss to Minnesota in January 2020.

New Orleans also worked out Anthony Hitchens and Jon Bostic on Thursday. Both players have been starters for the past several years. Alonso is the oldest member of the trio to participate in this audition. While the Oregon alum was with the Saints in 2019, he worked as a starter in just four of the 13 games he played with the team. He will follow former Vikings and Eagles defender Eric Wilson in being a Saints veteran linebacker addition this year.

Alonso stormed onto the NFL scene in 2013, producing a standout rookie season that pushed Sheldon Richardson for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors (a 23-19 vote). The first of Alonso’s two ACL tears as a pro stalled that momentum, knocking him out for all of the 2014 season. He then embarked on a rare NFL path, becoming a four-time trade piece.

The Bills traded Alonso to the Eagles, who dealt him to the Dolphins after one season. With Miami, Alonso was a steady starter. He started 46 games with Miami and signed a four-year, $28.9MM extension during the 2017 offseason. During their rebuilding year, one that later became the subject of multiple NFL investigations, the Dolphins made Alonso one of the many veteran exits by dealing him to the Saints for linebacker Vince Biegel. The Saints dealt Alonso to the 49ers in a trade that brought back Kwon Alexander; the 49ers cut Alonso shortly after that November 2020 swap.

With the Saints in 2019, Alonso made 31 tackles (two for loss). Since Alonso’s last regular-season game, the Saints drafted Zack Baun in the 2020 third round and Pete Werner in the 2021 second. The latter profiles as a better bet to start alongside Demario Davis this season. Wilson, 28, started 15 games with the Vikings in 2020 but was cut midway through his lone Eagles season. The sixth-year veteran is pushing for a starting job as well. Alexander, a regular Saints starter from 2020-21, is now with the Jets.

Saints To Audition LBs Kiko Alonso, Anthony Hitchens, Jon Bostic

August 4th, 2022 at 2:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Former Saints linebacker Kiko Alonso is attempting to catch on with the team again. The 2013 second-round pick has not played in a game since spending the 2019 season with the Saints, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets the Saints are holding an audition.

This workout also includes former Washington starter Jon Bostic and veteran Anthony Hitchens. The Saints were interested in Anthony Barr as well, but the longtime Vikings starter signed with the Cowboys.

Alonso, Hitchens and Bostic each have at least seven years’ experience. Hitchens and Bostic both worked as starters last season, but an early-season pectoral injury cut Bostic’s run short. The Chiefs released Hitchens earlier this offseason, cutting bait four years into a five-year contract. Alonso was last with a team in 2020, but his 49ers stay — which ended in November of that year — did not come with any regular-season action.

[RELATED: Saints Sign LB Eric Wilson]

The Saints moved on from Alonso in 2020, trading him to the 49ers in the Kwon Alexander in-season swap. Set to turn 32 next week, Alonso has not been on a team since the 49ers cut him weeks after that deal. While Alonso began the 2020 season on the Saints’ PUP list, stemming from his January 2020 ACL tear, he played 13 games for the Saints in 2019 and started four. Prior to his New Orleans arrival, the Oregon alum strung together back-to-back-to-back seasons of at least 115 tackles with the Dolphins.

Hitchens, 30, kept his Chiefs starting job despite the presences of Nick Bolton and Willie Gay. The former Cowboys draftee nearly played out the five-year, $45MM contract he signed with the Chiefs in 2018. Hitchens started in two Super Bowls, though his Kansas City usage rate dropped after the 2018 season. The run-stopping ‘backer went from an 85% defensive snap rate in 2018 to sub-70% in each of his final three Chiefs slates.

After reviving his career in Washington, Bostic saw the pec injury blunt his momentum. After one-year stints as a starter with the Colts (2017) and Steelers (’18), Bostic spent the past three seasons with Washington. In his most recent full season, the ex-second-round pick totaled 118 tackles and three sacks. Bostic, now 31, landed a two-year, $5MM extension from Washington in 2020.

Demario Davis still leads New Orleans’ linebacking corps; he signed a one-year, $12MM extension earlier this summer. The Saints used second- and third-round picks at this position over the past two years, drafting Pete Werner and Zack Baun on Day 2. The Saints let Alexander walk this offseason; the veteran signed with the Jets last week. Any member of audition group to sign would vie for time alongside the two Day 2 picks and Wilson, who signed with the team in May.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/3/22

August 3rd, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Signed: LS Harrison Elliott
  • Activated from PUP: DB Tristin McCollum
  • Waived-injured: WR Davion Davis

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

*Per Dan Duggan of The Athletic (on Twitter), Gono has left the squad due to an undisclosed physical issue. The lineman will meet with a doctor tomorrow, which should provide some clarity.

Cowboys, LB Anthony Barr Agree To Deal

August 3rd, 2022 at 3:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Connected to Anthony Barr for a bit now, the Cowboys are moving forward with a deal for the veteran linebacker. The sides agreed to terms Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

It’s a one-year contract worth up to $3MM, per Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter links). The deal carries a $2MM base value, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.

Barr, who had spent his entire career with the Vikings, did have another option. The Broncos pursued him as well, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. But the four-time Pro Bowler is heading to Dallas.

The former first-round pick had a choice between two reunions. He had Broncos GM George Paton, previously the Vikings’ assistant GM, and Cowboys assistant George Edwards — previously Minnesota’s defensive coordinator. Currently a Cowboys senior defensive assistant, Edwards was the Vikings’ DC from 2014-19. The Saints also showed interest earlier this offseason, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com tweets.

A college edge rusher, Barr transitioned to an off-ball role in Mike Zimmer‘s 4-3 defense. Barr still enjoyed some pass-rushing opportunities (17.5 career sacks), but for the most part, he operated a traditional linebacker. The early-career momentum that led Barr to four straight Pro Bowls from 2015-18 has faded. Barr, 30, missed 14 games in 2020 after tearing a pectoral muscle. He also missed six contests last year, and the Vikings’ new regime moved on.

Dallas parted ways with Jaylon Smith last season, but despite turning down Leighton Vander Esch‘s fifth-year option, the team circled back to the former first-rounder this year (via a one-year, $2MM deal). Vander Esch, however, is one of the NFL’s more injury-prone players. The Cowboys also have rookie fifth-round linebacker Damone Clark set to miss most of this season because of offseason spinal fusion surgery. Second-year ‘backer Jabril Cox is also making his way back from a rookie-year ACL tear. The combination of injury risks here likely induced the Cowboys to add a veteran.

Despite agreeing to an offseason pay cut last year, Barr still recorded a decent season in his Vikes finale. He notched 72 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three interceptions and five passes defensed. The UCLA product played a key role on stout Zimmer- and Edwards-led defenses during the latter part of the 2010s. The Vikings ranked in the top 11 defensively from 2015-19, leading to three playoff berths and one NFC championship game run. He will join a Cowboys linebacking corps headlined by Micah Parsons, a hybrid player coming off one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.

Dallas’ injury issues notwithstanding, Denver had a more apparent linebacker need. The Broncos have not brought back top tackler Alexander Johnson, who remains a free agent. While the team did re-sign Josey Jewell, it has not invested much elsewhere at the inside linebacker spot. The team also moved 2021 ILB starter Baron Browning to outside ‘backer. The Broncos have signaled their interest in making a late-summer augmentation here via the Barr interest and a recent Joe Schobert visit. Perhaps Barr’s Cowboys decision leads the Broncos back to Schobert. Given the recent connections, it would surprise if the Broncos did not add a veteran at this spot soon.

Saints’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson Attempting To Secure New Deal

August 3rd, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints’ defensive back equation includes two new safeties, has two recent Day 2 draftees and is anchored by perennial Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore. But a former fourth-round pick is set to carry a substantial workload.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson is on track to reprise his role as New Orleans’ slot cornerback, a job at which he has become one of the game’s best. The fourth-year veteran is entering his contract season, and he looks to be joining the hold-in trend. Gardner-Johnson is reducing his training camp workload as he aims to secure a new deal, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football reports (on Twitter). This move comes after Gardner-Johnson stayed away from the Saints’ voluntary offseason workouts.

It is not clear by how much Gardner-Johnson will tamp down his practice work, but players have laid out the hold-in game plan since the 2020 CBA made holding out much more difficult. Derwin James, Diontae Johnson and Roquan Smith are staging hold-in efforts, while D.K. Metcalf and Deebo Samuel began their respective training camps doing so. Metcalf and Samuel’s efforts resulted in quick extensions. The other three players here have not been rewarded yet. In Johnson’s case, it is unclear if the team plans to do so.

Gardner-Johnson, whom Pro Football Focus rated as the NFL’s No. 5 slot corner, played 626 defensive snaps last season. A midseason foot injury led to an IR stay, but the plus defender/high-end trash talker returned to help New Orleans’ finish — one that included a Week 15 shutout win in Tampa. Gardner-Johnson’s 24 plays on the ball from the slot lead the league since 2019, when the Florida alum entered the league. He finished with a career-high three interceptions in 2021 and posted a career-best mark in passer rating allowed as the closest defender, holding quarterbacks to a collective 67.7 mark.

The Saints have some notable cash allocated to their secondary, which includes a few veteran contracts. However, only Lattimore — at $19.4MM per year — is tied to a big-ticket deal. Both Tyrann Mathieu and Bradley Roby are attached to mid-tier accords at their respective positions.

Slot corners also are not presently expensive. Gardner-Johnson’s decision follows Kenny Moore lobbying for a raise earlier this offseason. While Moore is participating fully in Colts camp, the Pro Bowl slot and Indianapolis are not close on terms. Slot players are still maxing out below the eight-figure-per-year mark. It would seem that status will change soon, with Moore’s contract year coming in 2023. But Gardner-Johnson could get there first, depending on how the Saints value his skillset.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Elflein, Falcons

August 3rd, 2022 at 9:49am CST by Sam Robinson

A potential Alvin Kamara suspension does not appear to be coming to start the 2022 season. The Saints running back’s hearing on charges of conspiracy to commit battery and battery with substantial bodily harm, which was scheduled for this week, has been delayed 60 days, according to KLAS-TV’s David Charns. Kamara, Chiefs cornerback Chris Lammons and two other men face charges in connection with a Feb. 5 assault committed against a man in Las Vegas. The Saints Pro Bowler is bracing for a six-game suspension, but depending on when this hearing ends up taking place, that potential ban may come either during the 2022 season or to start the ’23 campaign.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Tyrann Mathieu is back with the Saints. The offseason addition is making his training camp debut six days late after being excused for a personal matter, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Signed to a three-year deal worth $28.3MM, Mathieu is believed to have returned to New Orleans on Tuesday night. The 29-year-old All-Pro joins Marcus Maye as the safeties on track to replace the Marcus Williams–Malcolm Jenkins tandem.
  • Pat Elflein has played both guard and center for the Panthers, but Matt Rhule said recently the veteran will be working at the latter spot during training camp. Elflein is battling the recently signed Bradley Bozeman for the center gig. Despite Bozeman being one of the team’s offseason additions up front, along with projected starters Austin Corbett and Ikem Ekwonu, The Athletic’s Joe Person noted ahead of camp Elflein had a slight lead for the pivot job (subscription required). A former Vikings center starter, Elflein signed a three-year, $13.5MM deal with the Panthers in 2021. He started nine games with Carolina last season, though Pro Football Focus graded him as one of the league’s worst interior O-linemen.
  • The Panthers made some changes to their scouting department recently. They bumped Rob Hanrahan from assistant director of pro scouting to pro scouting director and gave his old gig to Tyler Ramsey, Person tweets. Hanrahan will replace Matt Allen, whom the team parted ways with in February. Additionally, Robert Haynes will rise from the area-scout level to a national scouting post, and former Lions wide receiver Corey Fuller — brother of Kyle and Kendall Fuller — is moving from the assistant level to west coast area scout (Twitter link).
  • Jahri Evans and Ty Warren are attempting to break into the coaching ranks. Both are interning as Saints staffers at camp, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A 12-year veteran who made four straight All-Pro teams as a Saints guard, Evans, 38, hung up his cleats after the 2017 season. Warren, 41, spent 10 seasons with the Patriots and Broncos, being a starting defensive lineman for two Pats Super Bowl-bound squads. He retired after the 2012 season.
  • The Falcons also made some staff adjustments. They promoted Sal Conti to pro scout and Rushell Harvey to player personnel coordinator, per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Both staffers joined the team last year under GM Terry Fontenot. The team also hired Donavan Ellison, previously a Panthers assistant, to work as a football analyst.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/2/22

August 2nd, 2022 at 7:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

  • Reverted to IR: WR Isaiah Weston

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: C Alex Mollette
  • Placed on IR: WR John Hurst, G/T Carter O’Donnell

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Waived: OL Chris Glaser

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Saints To Sign TE Chris Herndon

August 2nd, 2022 at 3:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Chris Herndon will make his way to a third NFL team. The former Jets starter and Vikings contributor will join the Saints, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

This will be another new start for Herndon, whose market was quiet after his lone Minnesota season. The Jets shipped Herndon to the Vikings, who had recently lost Irv Smith Jr. for the season, prior to Week 1 last year. Herndon, 26, caught just four passes for 40 yards in 2021, seeing Tyler Conklin — whom the Jets signed this year — take over as the team’s top tight end.

A former fourth-round pick, Herndon is best known for his productive rookie season with the Jets. The Miami alum caught 39 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns, helping fellow rookie Sam Darnold in 2018. But Herndon has not been able to follow that up.

The 6-foot-4 pass catcher began the 2019 season suspended for a personal conduct policy violation and suffered a hamstring injury while preparing for that truncated slate. In Herndon’s one 2019 game, he suffered a fractured rib. In 2020, Herndon struggled to find the form of his rookie year, totaling just 287 receiving yards.

The Saints have ex-third-rounder Adam Trautman (263 receiving yards in 2021, most among Saints tight ends) going into his third season and have moved Taysom Hill out of the quarterback conversation. The ex-starter is still expected to factor in on gadget plays as a QB, but his primary position will be tight end. Juwan Johnson, who led Saints tight ends in TDs last year with four, is also on the roster.

New Orleans also considered another former Viking, MyCole Pruitt, with Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com noting the veteran tight end worked out for the team (Twitter link). Pruitt’s Minnesota days came back in the mid-2010s, however. He spent the past four seasons with the Titans, working more as a blocking tight end.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/22

August 1st, 2022 at 6:40pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the first minor moves of August:

Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos

  • Activated from active/PUP list: WR KJ Hamler

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

The Lions’ new running back, Jackson, has found a second home after playing out his rookie contract in Los Angeles. The former seventh-round pick out of Northwestern spent his time with the Chargers backing up starting running back Austin Ekeler, earning a few starts during Ekeler’s more injury-riddled periods. Despite not receiving many touches, Jackson has made the most of each one averaging 5.0 yards per carry during his four-year career in the NFL to total 1,040 rushing yards and four touchdowns, adding 508 yards receiving on 65 receptions. Jackson will compete with Craig Reynolds and Jermar Jefferson for the reserve positions behind the top-two backs, D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/27/22

July 27th, 2022 at 5:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: OL Keenan Forbes, G Eric Wilson
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