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Saints’ Michael Thomas Returns To Practice

July 27th, 2022 at 10:38am CST by Sam Robinson

Saints GM Mickey Loomis said Michael Thomas‘ stay on the team’s active/PUP list would not last long. That translated to a rather notable transaction Wednesday.

Thomas was back at practice for the Saints, marking a long-awaited return after the former All-Pro had missed the entire offseason program and the bulk of New Orleans’ 2020s game action. A Thomas return would give the Saints one of the NFL’s most intriguing wideout crews, with Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave on this year’s roster.

When Thomas last played a full season, he finished as the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after breaking Marvin Harrison‘s single-season reception record. A spate of injuries — headlined by a troublesome ankle ailment — have headlined Thomas’ 2020s career path. Thomas, 29, missed all of last season after undergoing surgery later than the Saints hoped he would. A subsequent setback that occurred during the season caused Thomas to be shut down for all of 2021.

His missing a second straight offseason program this year certainly represented cause for concern, but if the All-Pro playmaker can distance himself from this period, a path toward the Saints deploying one of the NFL’s best skill-position groups is in play. There are notable moving parts here. Thomas initially suffered his ankle injury in Week 1 of the 2020 season. This being a storyline nearly two years later remains an issue for the Saints, who have Alvin Kamara potentially set for a six-game suspension.

Prior to Thomas’ injury-plagued 2020 ending with just 438 receiving yards, he ripped off back-to-back All-Pro campaigns. The second of which included an NFL-most 1,725 yards. That performance came just after the Saints gave Thomas a five-year, $96.25MM extension. Thanks to restructuring, Thomas is on New Orleans’ 2022 payroll at $13MM. That number spikes to $28.3MM in 2023.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/22

July 26th, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor NFL transactions, including a handful of notable names landing on the physically unable to perform list and the non-football injury list as teams open up camp:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

  • Released with NFI designation: WR Cody Core

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Saints Sign Malcolm Brown, Nick Martin

July 26th, 2022 at 4:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

With an Alvin Kamara suspension in play for 2022, the Saints have been looking at veteran running backs. They added one to their mix Tuesday.

The Saints added former Rams and Dolphins back Malcolm Brown, doing so on a day in which they also signed center Nick Martin. The Brown addition comes after a fairly thorough look into the position this offseason, while Martin — after five years with the Texans and one with the Raiders — should be expected to compete for a backup job.

New Orleans brought in both Sony Michel and David Johnson this year, while also auditioning USFL Offensive Player of the Year Darius Victor. Johnson is believed to have come with too high a price tag for the Saints, per NFL.com’s Jane Slater (video link). The Michel workout also came just before the former Patriots and Rams starter signed with the Dolphins, who opted to let Brown walk as they transitioned to a new coaching staff.

Although Mark Ingram is positioned to be Kamara’s top backup, Slater adds the Saints would not plan to use the 33-year-old as a full-timer at this stage of his career. Brown coming in provides insurance, with a Kamara suspension — for a February brawl in Las Vegas that led to an arrest and a civil lawsuit — potentially coming down this season. A Kamara ban would obviously make a significant impact on the Saints’ offense, judging by how it looked last season when the Pro Bowl back missed time, but Brown does provide a potential upgrade alongside Ingram.

Brown, 29, suffered a quadriceps injury last season; he played just seven games during his short Dolphins tenure. While Brown rushed for just 125 yards in 2021, he gained 419 and scored five touchdowns as part of a 2020 Rams committee. The former Todd Gurley backup also held regular special teams roles in Los Angeles, giving him a potential boost to make New Orleans’ 53-man roster. The Saints also have veteran special-teamer Dwayne Washington, recent signing Devine Ozigbo and third-year back Tony Jones on their 90-man offseason roster.

Martin, also 29, worked as Houston’s full-time starting center from 2017-20, earning an extension in that time. Despite missing his entire rookie season, Martin has proven durable since. He has not missed a game since 2017, when he was sidelined for two, and has 62 career starts. The former second-round pick, however, did not start a game for the Raiders in 2021, and lingered in free agency for months. He joins Forrest Lamp and Josh Andrews as notable Saints interior O-line depth. The team’s inside trio of Andrus Peat, Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz is set.

The Saints also signed defensive end Scott Patchan and waived punter Daniel Whelan, offensive lineman Derek Schweiger and cornerback Jordan Miller on Tuesday.

USFL DPOY Chris Odom Auditions For Bengals, Cardinals, Saints

July 26th, 2022 at 3:13pm CST by Ben Levine

JULY 26: Odom’s workout itinerary surfaced Tuesday. The USFL Defensive Player of the Year auditioned for the Bengals, Cardinals and Saints, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Odom first trekked to Arizona and Cincinnati but headed to New Orleans today. It certainly looks like he will have options to tack an NFL season onto his spring-summer USFL work. He would be following a few others once he latches on with a team.

JULY 9: Chris Odom put himself back on the NFL map with a strong performance in the USFL. The edge rusher’s agent announced that Odom has three upcoming workouts with NFL teams (h/t to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). The agent didn’t reveal the three squads, but he said the “calls are starting to come in fast” for his client.

The son of longtime Colts linebacker Cliff Odom, Chris Odom went undrafted out of Arkansas State in 2017. He bounced around the NFL a bit, spending time with the Falcons (two stints), Packers, and Washington. He’s ultimately saw time in 11 NFL games, collecting 16 tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. He also spent time in the AAF and the CFL before landing his most recent gig is the United States Football League.

Back in February, Odom was selected in the second round of the USFL draft. He proceeded to have a standout season with the Houston Gamblers, earning league Defensive Player of the Years honors after compiling 41 tackles, 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and four blocked field goals. That performance has apparently put him back on the NFL radar, but during a conversation with Yahoo’s Chris Estrada, Odom was still focused on his USFL squad. While he acknowledged that “whatever opportunity presents itself [after the USFL season], then so be it,” he reiterated how important it was to him that the USFL gave him the opportunity to showcase his skills.

“I have teammates that haven’t played football in a year, two years, three years, some even four years – whether it wasn’t the right opportunity, injury, COVID,” Odom said. “We all just were happy to be able to play football again. So we all just wanted to show everybody what we were capable of.”

We recently saw one USFL player take his talents back to the NFL when linebacker Christian Sam signed with the Cowboys.

Latest On Alvin Kamara, Saints RB Depth

July 23rd, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Ben Levine

The NFL continues to monitor Alvin Kamara‘s legal situation. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the running back’s February arrest remains “under league review” while the NFL continues to monitor “all legal developments.” This includes Kamara’s scheduled court date on August 1.

Kamara was charged with felony battery following an altercation in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend. Video surveillance showed Kamara punching Darnell Greene eight times following an argument, with Greene being knocked unconscious and sustaining an orbital bone fracture. Greene has since sued Kamara for monetary damages.

The NFL’s personal conduct policy calls for a six-game suspension for felony battery. As Fowler writes, there’s no “firm timeline” regarding when a potential suspension would be handed out. League sources told Fowler that they believe Kamara will ultimately be suspended, but a lot depends on the legal findings. If the legal proceedings are dragged out, Kamara might be allowed to suit up for Week 1, although the NFL also has the ability to put the RB on paid leave via the commissioner’s exempt list.

Regardless of how Kamara’s legal issues unfold, the Saints are still hunting for RB depth. As Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com writes, the Saints would clearly like to add some reinforcement at the position. While Duncan categorizes the RB pursuit as a “want” and notes that there isn’t any immediate urgency, the pursuit could easily evolve into a “need” if Kamara is ultimately slapped with a ban. If the Pro Bowler is forced to miss time, the Saints would turn to veteran Mark Ingram, but the team otherwise has inexperienced depth in Tony Jones, Dwayne Washington, Devine Ozigbo, and UDFA Abram Smith.

As Duncan notes, we’ve already seen the Saints be aggressive when it comes to adding at the position. The team put in a bid for Sony Michel before he landed with the Dolphins, and they’ve also hosted veteran David Johnson and USFL standout Darius Victor on visits. The team even outbid the rest of the NFL in order to add Smith, who was “one of the Class of 2022’s prize undrafted free agents.”

Saints Place WR Michael Thomas, DE Marcus Davenport On PUP

July 21st, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by Ben Levine

A pair of Saints players have landed on PUP ahead of training camp. According to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter), the Saints have placed wideout Michael Thomas and defensive end Marcus Davenport on the physically unable to perform list.

Thomas’s placement on PUP seems mostly procedural after he’s been limited to only seven games over the past two seasons. We heard last month that the wideout had progressed to running sprints, and the wideout recently posted a video that showed him running routes. The Saints have expressed optimism that Thomas will be back at some point during training camp, so it doesn’t seem like this delay will end up working its way into the preseason.

The last time the wideout was fully healthy, he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after hauling in 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. The receiver’s lengthy absence stems from a high ankle sprain suffered during the Saints’ 2020 season opener. The injury continued to linger, and while the Saints wanted Thomas to immediately go under the knife once the 2020 season ended, the player decided to hold off on surgery until last summer. The subsequent rehab plus a new ankle injury derailed any chance that he’d be able to return for the 2021 campaign.

Davenport’s placement on PUP is equally unsurprising, but it’s uncertain how long the veteran defensive lineman will be sidelined. We heard recently that Davenport had a pair of surgeries on his knee and three surgeries on his left hand just this offseason. Davenport had a stint on IR last season while dealing with a shoulder ailment, so his two surgeries were likely intended to fix that injury. Meanwhile, Davenport said he’s been dealing with a pinkie injury that dates back to college, but the injury has progressively gotten worse and culminated in Davenport having part of the finger amputated.

The 2018 first-round pick has spent his entire career with New Orleans, missing 17 games in four seasons. While he was limited to only 11 games (nine starts) last season, he still finished with career-highs in tackles (39), sacks (nine), and forced fumbles (three). In total, Davenport has 21 sacks in 48 games.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/22

July 19th, 2022 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

  • Waived: QB Nate Stanley

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Placed on NFI: WR Rashid Shaheed

New York Jets

Saints Sign Round 2 CB Alontae Taylor

July 19th, 2022 at 12:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

As rookies begin reporting to training camp, teams are ending unusually lengthy negotiations with second-round picks. After the Jets came to terms with Breece Hall on Tuesday morning, the Saints signed their second-round pick — cornerback Alontae Taylor — to wrap their draft class, per NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill (on Twitter).

One of 10 unsigned second-rounders, Taylor finishes out New Orleans’ five-man 2022 draft class. The holdup likely stemmed from how much of Taylor’s third-year salary would be guaranteed. That issue has led to a gridlock atop the second round, and a few mid-second-round draftees have taken months to sign as well.

The Saints chose Taylor 49th out of Tennessee. This marks the second straight year the Saints have used a second-day pick on a corner, with the team choosing Stanford’s Paulson Adebo in the 2021 third round. Taylor and Adebo together gives the Saints a rather crowded corner cadre. New Orleans still rosters Bradley Roby alongside Marshon Lattimore, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson is back to patrol the slot. Gardner-Johnson is going into a contract year. The team also has corner/safety P.J. Williams rostered; this will be Williams’ eighth NFL season.

Taylor represents the Saints’ top draft investment at the position since Lattimore came off the 2017 draft board in Round 1. ESPN ranked Taylor as this year’s 109th-best prospect, but the Saints clearly see more in the 6-foot defender.

At Tennessee, Taylor started a chunk of games in each of his four seasons. He intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, last season and broke up six more. Taylor’s rookie deal runs through 2025. Here is how the Saints’ draft class rounds up:

Round 1: No. 11 (from Commanders) Chris Olave, WR (Ohio State) (signed)
Round 1: No. 19 (from Eagles) Trevor Penning, OT (Northern Iowa) (signed)
Round 2: No. 49 Alontae Taylor, CB (Tennessee)
Round 5: No. 161 D’Marco Jackson, LB (Appalachian State) (signed)
Round 6: No. 194 (from Colts through Eagles) Jordan Jackson, DT (Air Force) (signed)
Round 6: No. — Selection forfeited

Saints To Work Out USFL RB Darius Victor

July 19th, 2022 at 10:14am CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints have met with some well-known running backs this offseason, but neither Sony Michel nor David Johnson ended up on New Orleans’ 90-man offseason roster. One of the USFL’s top players might, however.

USFL Offensive MVP Darius Victor will audition for the Saints, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. As a member of the New Jersey Generals, Victor led the latest spring-league upstart with nine rushing touchdowns. While his 577 rushing yards did not lead the league, placing third, Victor earned MVP acclaim.

Like many in the USFL, Victor has an NFL past. Part of it came with the Saints, who signed the Division I-FCS product in August 2017. Victor’s New Orleans stay did not last beyond the 2017 training camp, and after he landed on the Cardinals’ practice squad later that year, the 5-foot-8 back was out of the NFL following Arizona’s 2018 camp.

Victor, 28, did not play in a regular-season game during his first go-round. The Towson alum saw CFL and XFL action over the next two years, however, and made his strongest impression this year. It would certainly an interesting re-emergence for Victor, given his short Saints stay five years ago, but the team does have questions in its backfield. The running backs coach in place during Victor’s 2017 Saints stint, Joel Thomas, also remains on staff under Dennis Allen.

Alvin Kamara‘s participation in a Las Vegas brawl during Pro Bowl weekend opens the door to a six-game suspension taking place this year. The Saints are thin behind their perennial Pro Bowl back. Mark Ingram is going into a rare age-33 running back season, and the team has Tony Jones, longtime special-teamer Dwayne Washington and ex-Jaguar Devine Ozigbo behind the well-known pair. Victor would face an uphill battle, USFL accolades notwithstanding, but the Saints are in need ahead of camp.

Latest On Former Saints HC Sean Payton

July 14th, 2022 at 9:48pm CST by Ben Levine

Sean Payton was linked to a number of a head coaching gigs this offseason, but it sounds like the former Saints HC was legitimately looking to take a break in 2022. There’s still a chance he’ll be ready to return to the sideline for the 2023 campaign, and if that’s the case, the long-time coach would have a few preferred destinations.

[RELATED: Sean Payton To Be Fox Analyst In 2022]

A source told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Chargers would interest Payton if the jobs became available. Of course, the source was also adamant that Payton “would never lobby for a filled job” and would only have interest if those organizations move on from their current coaches. Further, the source indicated that Payton valued “warm weather, a roster good enough to compete and most importantly, control over personnel decisions” at a new stop, and while a good QB would be helpful, that’d be secondary to his other priorities.

If you’ve been following the Payton rumblings throughout the offseason, you’re certainly not surprised about the Miami connection. There was a reported deal in place with the Dolphins that would have seen him join Miami alongside Tom Brady if not for Brian Flores‘ racial discrimination lawsuit. As Jackson writes, Payton was “flattered” by the Dolphins interest, but he truly intends to take time away from coaching in 2022. Further, while a previous source indicated that the Dolphins offered Payton a five-year, $100MM contract, Jackson notes that the Dolphins never had the opportunity to offer the contract since they were never granted permission by the Saints to speak to the coach.

Of course, the Dolphins ended up pivoting to Mike McDaniel, and the organization is hoping they won’t even have to think about a Payton pursuit next year. There’s also the status of general manager Chris Grier, but Jackson opines that the executive wouldn’t have an issue with deferring to Payton.

Payton has also previously been connected to Dallas, where he spent three seasons as the QBs coach before landing the HC gig with the Saints in 2006. Mike McCarthy has had a roller coaster two years in Dallas; after a 6-10 campaign in 2020, the former Packers HC led the team to an NFC East title last season. Unfortunately, that brief success was overshadowed by an underwhelming playoff loss, leading some to speculate that McCarthy could be on the hot seat. Jerry Jones made it clear that he’s committed to McCarthy, but things could obviously change if Dallas underwhelms in 2022.

The Chargers are an interesting inclusion on Payton’s list. The organization gave Anthony Lynn four seasons before replacing him with Brandon Staley, and there’s a good chance that the replacement will have just as long of a leash as his predecessor. Staley would surely get more than two seasons to guide the Chargers back to the postseason, but things could have obviously change if the organization has a chance to lure a coach with Payton’s resume.

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