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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints G Trai Turner Out For Season

July 28th, 2023 at 1:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not long after the ink dried on Trai Turner‘s Saints contract, said deal will not end up leading to a cameo with the NFC South team. Turner suffered a torn quadriceps during practice, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.

The Saints took a few fliers this week, including a Jimmy Graham reunion. They added two guards, Turner and Max Garcia, in that process. Garcia’s chances of making New Orleans’ roster look to have improved as a result of Turner’s quick setback, which will sideline him for the season.

A former Panthers regular who has since bounced to the Chargers, Steelers and Commanders over the past three years, Turner signed league-minimum Saints deal on Tuesday. While Turner is a nine-year veteran, he is only going into his age-30 season. This certainly represents a blow toward the former third-round pick continuing his career. While Turner had spent his pro career elsewhere, he is a New Orleans native who played at LSU.

Not viewed as the same player he was while in Carolina, Turner has nevertheless been a regular starter with his past three teams. He started 12 games for the Commanders last season, stepping in for ex-Panthers coach Ron Rivera. The Commanders have since made changes at both guard spots, letting Turner walk in free agency and cutting Andrew Norwell. It took Turner until training camp to find another deal, and this injury figures to delay a potential 2024 signing for a while as well.

The Saints return both their guard starters from the past three years — Andrus Peat and Cesar Ruiz — and also traded up for fourth-rounder Nick Saldiveri in April. Garcia joins swingman James Hurst, the team’s primary left tackle last year due to Trevor Penning‘s injury, and Calvin Throckmorton (20 starts from 2021-22) as depth pieces.

Saints Sign G Trai Turner, Reunite With TE Jimmy Graham

July 28th, 2023 at 8:21am CST by Adam La Rose

JULY 28: Graham has earned more than $81MM during his 12-year career, but he will attempt to earn a Saints roster spot on a deal near the league minimum. The Saints are giving Turner the veteran minimum and Graham $1.3MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson and WWL-TV’s Brooke Kirchhofer (Twitter links). Graham will see a $153K guarantee, per Spotrac, while Turner’s NFL service-time bracket makes his league-minimum payment $1.17MM. Recently signed guard Max Garcia also received league-minimum money from New Orleans, Wilson tweets.

JULY 25: Tuesday has brought a new face to the Saints’ offensive line along with a familiar one to its tight end group. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that guard Trai Turner is signing in New Orleans, while the team announced the signing of Jimmy Graham on a one-year contract.

The news represents a homecoming for Turner (who conducted a free agent visit yesterday), and a depth addition to the Saints’ interior O-line. The 30-year-old was one of the top guards in the NFL during his time with the Panthers, earning a Pro Bowl nod each season between 2015 and 2019. His career has seen him bounce around since then, however, with one-year Chargers, Steelers and Commanders tenures.

The LSU alum battled injuries in Los Angeles, leading to his release following the 2020 season. He inked a $3MM deal in Pittsburgh, then secured a contract with the same terms last year in Washington. Turner worked as the team’s right guard starter to begin the season, but he was benched in favor of Saahdiq Charles for Week 5. In spite of that move, the veteran wound up seeing a 69% snap share over the course of the season in the nation’s capital, and he will look to earn another starting position with his hometown team.

New Orleans has Cesar Ruiz and Andrus Peat in place as their guard starters, though both have dealt with injuries in their career. Veteran swingman James Hurst is also a starting option on the inside, so Turner will have plenty of competition in training camp as he looks to carve out a role and re-establish his value. Like the offensive line, the team’s TE competition will be worth watching closely.

Graham began his career in New Orleans, earning three Pro Bowl nods and one All-Pro honor across five Saints seasons. He recorded 4,752 yards and 51 touchdowns during that span, leading the league in the latter category with 16 scores in 2013. His time as a favored Drew Brees target came to an end when he was traded to the Seahawks, a deal which began a series of moves around the NFC.

Graham remained productive during his time in Seattle, recording a 900-yard season in 2016 and earning two more Pro Bowl invitations. His production dipped during his two-year stints in Green Bay and Chicago, however, and his $16MM deal signed with the latter team came as a surprise to many. After the end of the 2020 season, Graham contemplated retirement but instead remained in the Windy City for one more year.

He recorded just 14 catches in 2021, however, and spent the past year out of the NFL. Now 36, Graham will need to prove a continued red zone ability to earn a spot with his original team. New Orleans has incumbent Juwan Johnson, free agent signing (and cancer survivor) Foster Moreau and Swiss Army knife Taysom Hill at the top of the depth chart. Graham thus faces a steep challenge to make the 53-man roster out of training camp.

The 2023 season will be the start of the Derek Carr era on offense in New Orleans. Both Turner and Graham could play a complementary role for the unit if they remain healthy and productive over the next several weeks, but at a minimum their additions represent a feel-good move in both cases.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/23

July 25th, 2023 at 7:43pm CST by Ben Levine

With a number of teams preparing for the start of training camp, a long list of players were placed on inactive lists today. We’ve compiled all of those and today’s other minor moves below:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Free Agents

Isaiah Wilson hasn’t had an NFL gig since he was released by the Giants in January of 2022. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweets that the free agent lineman was slapped with a three-game suspension, but it’s uncertain what led to the temporary ban. Wilson was a first-round pick by the Titans in 2020 but got into only one game with Tennessee before getting shipped off to Miami. He was waived by Miami after showing up late to his team physical, and his practice squad stint with New York only lasted one season.

Max Garcia is an experienced addition to the Saints OL room, with the veteran having most recently started seven of his 12 appearances with the Cardinals in 2022. The 31-year-old has 59 games of starting experience, although Pro Football Focus was iffy on his production last year (63rd among 77 qualifying offensive guards).

Following a three-year stint in Cleveland, Terrance Mitchell has spent the past two seasons bouncing around the NFL. He got into 14 games (13 starts) for the Texans in 2021, finishing with 60 tackles and 10 passes defended. He spent the 2022 season with the Titans, finishing with 39 tackles in 11 games (five starts). 49ers fifth-round pick Darrell Luter Jr. is set to miss some time with a knee injury, providing Mitchell with an opportunity during training camp.

Saints Release C Billy Price

July 20th, 2023 at 8:35pm CST by Ben Levine

After signing with the Saints last month, Billy Price‘s stint with the organization has already come to an end. The team announced today that they’ve released the veteran center with a non-football injury designation. The team also announced that they placed tight end Miller Forristall on the physically unable to perform list.

When the Saints first signed Price a month ago, it was assumed the veteran would provide some experienced depth behind starting center Erik McCoy, who has missed nine games over the past two seasons. While Price’s “non-football injury” likely contributed to his release, there’s also a chance the Saints are optimistic about their backup center options heading into 2023. Assuming the team wants to keep Cesar Ruiz at guard, then UDFA Alex Pihlstrom will likely be in the drivers seat for the backup center gig.

Price has 45 games of starting experience under his belt, so a center-needy team will likely consider adding him to the ranks. The former first-round pick found himself in and out of the Bengals’ starting lineup to begin his career, but he’s recently settled into a starting role elsewhere. He started 15 of his 16 appearances for the Giants in 2021, and after starting the 2022 campaign on the Raiders’ practice squad, he started all 11 of his appearances for the Cardinals last year. Pro Football Focus didn’t love his performance in Arizona, grading him as the 35th center among 36 qualified players.

Forristall was a two-time champion at Alabama before going undrafted in 2021. He got into six games with the Browns between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams. He signed a reserve/futures contract with the Saints back in January. With Juwan Johnson, Foster Moreau, and Taysom Hill leading the tight ends depth chart, Forristall’s best chance of making the Saints roster will likely come via special teams.

Saints Sign Round 2 DE Isaiah Foskey, Wrap Draft Class Deals

July 19th, 2023 at 10:17am CST by Sam Robinson

Add the Saints to the list of teams to complete their draft class signings. Second-round defensive end Isaiah Foskey signed his rookie contract Wednesday morning.

The Saints added Foskey with the No. 40 overall pick in April. The terms of this contract will be of interest to the lot of players drafted immediately after Foskey, as this sector of the second round represents the largest unsigned contingent remaining.

[RELATED: Saints, Cameron Jordan Discussing Extension]

Carolina authorizing three fully guaranteed years and a partial guarantee of Year 4 in No. 39 overall pick Jonathan Mingo‘s contract last month slowed negotiations for second-rounders. Foskey receiving similar terms will further move the needle for second-round picks, who have made steady gains on the guarantee front in the years since the 2011 CBA reorganized rookie contracts.

Foskey represents the second major D-end draft investment the Saints have made since 2021, when they drafted Payton Turner in Round 1. Turner has not developed like the team hoped he would, and the Houston alum’s roster spot may not be a lock. It would still surprise if Turner were not on the team come September, but after being a healthy scratch at points last season, the third-year pass rusher’s stock has dropped. The Saints also let Marcus Davenport walk in free agency and have their top sack artist — Jordan — going into his age-34 season.

A Notre Dame product, Foskey delivered strong production during his final two years with the storied program. He notched two 10-sack seasons in that span, totaling 20.5. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. still viewed Foskey as more of a third-round talent, slotting him 77th in this class. But the Saints disagreed and will hope the 6-foot-5 edge player can become a fixture as Jordan moves into his mid-30s.

The Saints centered their draft plan around the defensive line, taking Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee in Round 1. Here is New Orleans’ 2023 draft class:

Round 1, No. 29 (from 49ers through Dolphins and Broncos): Bryan Bresee, DT (Clemson) (signed)
Round 2, No. 40: Isaiah Foskey, DE (Notre Dame) (signed)
Round 3, No. 71: Kendre Miller, RB (TCU) (signed)
Round 4, No. 103 (from Bears): Nick Saldiveri, G (Old Dominion) (signed)
Round 4, No. 127 (from Jaguars): Jake Haener, QB (Fresno State) (signed)
Round 5, No. 146: Jordan Howden, S (Minnesota) (signed)
Round 6, No. 195 (from Steelers through Broncos): A.T. Perry, WR (Wake Forest) (signed)

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/18/23

July 18th, 2023 at 7:35pm CST by Ben Levine

As teams welcomed in rookies for camp this week, they began to reorganize their rosters. Today’s minor moves:

Miami Dolphins

  • Placed on NFI: CB Ethan Bonner
  • Placed on IR: LB Zeke Vandenburgh

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Vandenburgh, an undrafted rookie out of Illinois State, suffered an injury while training this offseason, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (on Twitter). His placement on IR means he won’t be able to play for the Dolphins in 2023, but he could work his way onto the field with another squad. Bonner, meanwhile, is dealing with a minor illness and should be good to go later this week.

Miller, a third-round pick by the Saints, is still recovering from a meniscus injury that kept him off the field for TCU’s National Championship game. The Saints were always planning to ease in the running back during training camp, and it sounds like he’s still expected to be a full-go by the time the regular season comes around.

NFC South Notes: Falcons, Saints, Shenault

July 18th, 2023 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

A 16-game starter as a rookie in 2021, Jalen Mayfield missed all of last season due to injury. The Falcons designated the former third-round pick for return but let his practice period expire without an activation. Prior to the injury, Mayfield lost a competition for the team’s left guard gig last summer. They have since moved in another direction at guard, both sliding ex-center starter Matt Hennessy to that post and drafting Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron in Round 2. As a result, Mayfield spent this offseason primarily at tackle, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes.

Mayfield started 15 of the 18 games he played at Michigan at right tackle. He struggled at guard as a rookie; Pro Football Focus rated him as one of the NFL’s worst O-linemen that year. Guard does not appear to be in Mayfield’s past, however, with Arthur Smith suggesting a swing backup role is likely. The Falcons re-signed right tackle Kaleb McGary this offseason and look to have a fairly set O-line, with Chris Lindstrom, longtime left tackle Jake Matthews and center Drew Dalman rounding out the unit.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Calais Campbell is expected to play a true edge role in Atlanta, to the point Ledbetter slots the 300-pound defender as an outside linebacker in the Falcons’ defense. It should not be expected Campbell will spend much time in a standup position outside, but it is interesting the career-long D-lineman is even mentioned as a candidate to do so. Campbell is aiming to play around 60% of the Falcons’ defensive snaps, per Ledbetter. That would be in line with the veteran’s Ravens role; he respectively logged 64% and 62% snap rates over the past two seasons. Campbell, who signed a one-year deal worth $7MM, will turn 37 in September.
  • On the topic of positional adjustments, the Panthers are giving Jordan Thomas a shot as an edge rusher. Formerly a sixth-round Texans pick in 2018, Thomas was a tight end during his previous NFL run. He caught 20 passes as a Houston rookie. Thomas, however, saw some time as an edge rusher in the XFL, and Joe Person of The Athletic notes he will attempt to make the Panthers’ 53-man roster as an outside linebacker (subscription required). This is a somewhat unusual transition, as Thomas still primarily played tight end in the XFL. He caught three TD passes this season.
  • Through two seasons, the Saints have not seen much from first-round pick Payton Turner. The 2021 draftee should not be considered a lock to make New Orleans’ 53-man roster, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football writes. While Turner will be expected to make the team, due to his draft status and contract, the defensive end has three sacks in two seasons and was a healthy scratch at points last year. The Saints used a second-round pick on a D-end (Isaiah Foskey) and re-signed Tanoh Kpassagnon, but the team also let Marcus Davenport leave in free agency. The Saints would eat $3.2MM in dead money by waiving Turner; the Houston alum showing belated development would obviously be the best-case scenario for the team.
  • New Orleans also did not re-sign Jarvis Landry this offseason, leaving some competition for the receiver spots alongside Chris Olave and Michael Thomas. James Washington is not a lock to make the Saints’ roster, but Underhill adds the ex-Steelers second-rounder impressed during the offseason program and will be in the mix to snag one of the backup jobs. The Saints signed Washington to a league-minimum deal with nothing guaranteed.
  • The Panthers are still determining the best way to deploy Laviska Shenault, but Person notes a bigger run-game role will likely be in the cards. A fourth-year wide receiver, Shenault totaled nine carries last season. One of them went for a 41-yard touchdown. The former second-round pick worked in a hybrid capacity at points in Jacksonville as well and has logged 38 career carries.

NFL Staff Updates: Cowboys, Falcons, Ravens, Lions, Chiefs, 49ers, Saints, Caminiti

July 16th, 2023 at 9:43pm CST by Ely Allen

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy has made analytics a focus since joining the staff three years ago. That trend has continued into 2023 as Dallas made three hires this week, all of them in the analytics department. The Cowboys even took a page out of another sport’s book, as baseball has taken the lead in analytics over the past several years.

Bryant Davis will join the team as a strategic football analyst, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. For the last four years, Davis has been a research and development analyst for the Tampa Bay Rays of the MLB. Even in a sport that’s already more analytical than football, the Rays are one of the more advanced teams in their use of analytics.

Joining Davis as a strategic football analyst, according to Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, is William Britt, a former Steelers staffer. Britt spent the past two seasons as a data analyst in Pittsburgh. Along with Davis and Sarah Mallepalle, this is the third person the Cowboys have hired to that role this offseason.

Finally, Dallas has convinced Max Lyons to return to the NFL in the role of football data engineer, according to Marcus Mosher of Pro Football Focus. Lyons has been out of the league for about ten years, founding and maintaining the website Gridiron Rank over that period. After working with the Eagles and Jaguars all the way back in 2012, he finally makes his return to the league.

Here are some other staff updates from around the NFL:

  • After joining the Falcons as a scouting assistant a year ago, Hakeem Smith has been promoted to assistant pro scout, according to Neil Stratton of SucceedinFootball.com. Before coming to the NFL, Smith had spent three years working in the Pittsburgh Panthers recruiting department. Another scouting assistant hired last summer out of the college ranks, James McClintock has been promoted to a BLESTO scout for Atlanta, according to Stratton. McClintock’s time in the collegiate ranks was spent at Auburn, North Carolina, and Liberty.
  • The Ravens are also reportedly hiring out of the college arena. According to Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports, Baltimore is expected to hire Adam Neuman as chief of staff and special advisor to the president. Not to be confused with Adam Neumann, the founder of WeWork, Neuman has served the last four years as chief of staff for strategy and operations for college football’s Big Ten conference.
  • There’s been a promotion in the Lions‘ analytics department, according to Seth Walder of ESPN. After joining the team in 2020 as an analytics assistant, Caio Brighenti will now be in the role of football information manager. Brighenti has served as football information analyst for Detroit since March 2021.
  • Chiefs‘ staffer Anthony McGee has finally climbed the ranks to become a pro scout, according to Stratton. After interning for the team in different roles from 2018 to 2021, McGee was hired in the personnel department as a player personnel assistant. Two years later, he’ll get his chance at a scouting role.
  • A personnel staffer who got his chance as a pro scout last year, J.P. Crowley Hanlon of the 49ers has been promoted to West Coast area scout, according to Stratton. Crowley Hanlon joined San Francisco after gaining some experience with the Eagles and a sports agency.
  • The Saints poached an analytics staffer from the Jets this week, according to Walder. After serving in New York as football analytics coordinator since 2020, Zach Stuart will head south to New Orleans as director of analytics.
  • Lastly, the Patriots will lose a scout this summer, according to Stratton. Chris Caminiti will be departing for a role to head the Disruptive Sports firm’s coaching representation division. Caminiti has been an area scout for New England since 2021 after serving in operations and coaching roles previously with the Browns, Chiefs, and Chargers.

2023 NFL Dead Money, By Team

July 14th, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Accounting for players who appear on teams’ cap sheets but not on their rosters, dead money is a factor for all 32 teams. This year, dead money comprises more than 20% of five teams’ payrolls. Two teams who followed through (successfully) with all-in missions in recent years — the Buccaneers and Rams — each have more than 30% of their payrolls devoted to dead-cap hits.

Going into training camp, here is how dead money factors into each team’s cap sheet:

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $75.32MM
  2. Los Angeles Rams: $74.23MM
  3. Green Bay Packers: $57.14MM
  4. Philadelphia Eagles: $54.73MM
  5. Carolina Panthers: $51.54MM
  6. Arizona Cardinals: $36.96MM
  7. Tennessee Titans: $36.56MM
  8. Minnesota Vikings: $35.54MM
  9. Houston Texans: $31.72MM
  10. Las Vegas Raiders: $29.95MM
  11. Indianapolis Colts: $24.89MM
  12. New Orleans Saints: $24.58MM
  13. Chicago Bears: $23.52MM
  14. Washington Commanders: $23.01MM
  15. New York Giants: $22.74MM
  16. New England Patriots: $21.82MM
  17. Atlanta Falcons: $18.78MM
  18. Detroit Lions: $18.69MM
  19. Seattle Seahawks: $17.91MM
  20. San Francisco 49ers: $17.16MM
  21. Cleveland Browns: $16MM
  22. Dallas Cowboys: $14.64MM
  23. Pittsburgh Steelers: $13.26MM
  24. Baltimore Ravens: $10.78MM
  25. Denver Broncos: $9.72MM
  26. Miami Dolphins: $8.43MM
  27. New York Jets: $7.95MM
  28. Kansas City Chiefs: $7.65MM
  29. Buffalo Bills: $5.23MM
  30. Jacksonville Jaguars: $4.7MM
  31. Los Angeles Chargers: $2.19MM
  32. Cincinnati Bengals: $593K

No team broke the Falcons’ record for dead money devoted to a single player. The Falcons’ Matt Ryan trade left them with $40.52MM last year. But the Bucs and Rams incurred some dead money collectively this offseason.

Tom Brady‘s Tampa Bay exit created much of the Bucs’ issue here. Brady not signing another Bucs deal, instead retiring for a second time, accelerated $35.1MM in dead money onto the Bucs’ 2023 cap sheet. The team had used void years increasingly during Brady’s tenure, and his second restructure created the $35.1MM figure. The Bucs will swallow the post-Brady pill this year, with no dead money related to that contract on their books in 2024.

Three ex-Rams combine to take up $55MM of their dead-money haul. The Rams traded Allen Robinson to the Steelers earlier this year, but that three-year, $46.5MM deal Los Angeles authorized in 2022 will result in Robinson’s former team carrying a $21.5MM dead-money hit in 2023. The Rams are eating $19.6MM of Jalen Ramsey‘s contract, and bailing on Leonard Floyd‘s four-year, $64MM extension after two seasons moved $19MM in dead money to L.A.’s 2023 payroll. The Rams did not use the post-June 1 designation to release Floyd, keeping the dead money on that deal tied to 2023 only.

The Packers did come close to breaking the Falcons’ record for dead money on a single contract. Green Bay following through on the Aaron Rodgers trade left $40.31MM in dead money on this year’s Packers cap. Because the Packers traded Rodgers before June 1, that hit will be entirely absorbed this year. It also took a Rodgers restructure on his way out to move the cap damage down to $40MM. The Panthers trading Christian McCaffrey after June 1 last year left the second chunk of dead money ($18.35MM) to be carried on this year’s cap. It also cost Carolina $14.63MM in dead cap to trade D.J. Moore to the Bears.

The Bears used both their post-June 1 cut designations last year (Tarik Cohen, Danny Trevathan) and also have a $13.23MM Robert Quinn cap hold. The Cardinals had already used their two allotted post-June 1 cut designations this offseason. As result, DeAndre Hopkins is on Arizona’s books at $21.1MM this year. Because they cut the All-Pro wide receiver before June 1, the Cards will be free of Hopkins obligations after this year.

While the Raiders built in the escape hatch in Derek Carr‘s 2022 extension, keeping the dead money on their nine-year QB’s contract low, Cory Littleton — a 2022 post-June 1 cut — still counts nearly $10MM on their cap sheet. Fellow 2022 post-June 1 release Julio Jones still counts more than $8MM on the Titans’ payroll. The Cowboys went to the post-June 1 well with Ezekiel Elliott this year, but their 2022 designation (La’el Collins) leads the way with $8.2MM on this year’s Dallas payroll.

Saints’ Alvin Kamara Pleads No Contest To Misdemeanor Charge

July 11th, 2023 at 7:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:07pm: Greene has also resolved his civil case against defensive back Chris Lammons, NewOrleans.football’s Mike Triplett notes (on Twitter). Lammons, who spent last season with the Chiefs and Bengals, was also indicted for his role in the Greene assault.

2:11pm: Greene’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, revealed his client and Kamara reached a private settlement regarding the civil matter, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com tweets. This also came with a public apology from the veteran running back.

“Please accept my sincere apologies for the events of February 5, 2022 in Las Vegas,” Kamara said (h/t Terrell). “I am happy that we were able to get on the other side of this unfortunate incident. I wish you the best for the future.”

The NFL has not rendered any discipline yet, but that should be expected in the coming weeks. The league said in a statement it is “closely monitoring all developments” pertaining to this case.

1:28pm: The NFL now has a clear path to levy discipline against Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who has loomed as a suspension candidate for nearly 18 months.

Kamara reached a plea agreement Tuesday, according to Kyle Paine and David Charms of 8 News Now, who report the perennial Pro Bowler will avoid a felony charge in connection with a February 2022 incident in Las Vegas (Twitter link). Indicted by a grand jury for his role in an assault on a man at a Las Vegas nightclub, Kamara pleaded no contest to a breach of peace charge.

This agreement will force the Saints running back to perform 30 hours of community service, pay a $500 fine and pay the victim $105K, which will go toward medical bills. Kamara, 27, has long expected to be suspended for the incident that led to Darnell Greene being hospitalized. Kamara, who was one of multiple men involved in the assault during the 2022 Pro Bowl weekend, was also hit with a civil suit last year.

The NFL does not need a conviction on a felony or misdemeanor charge to proceed with a ban under the personal conduct policy, as past developments have confirmed. With the league preferring to wait until cases are adjudicated before handing out punishment, Tuesday’s news sets up the likelihood of a Kamara ban — potentially a six-game penalty — occurring before the 2023 season.

Kamara’s case encountered frequent delays, leaving him free to play throughout last season. The Saints were less prepared for a Kamara ban last year, but the team has made preparations this offseason. New Orleans agreed to terms on a three-year, $12MM deal with Jamaal Williams — last season’s rushing touchdowns leader (16) while with the Lions — and used a third-round pick on TCU back Kendre Miller.

Kamara has been one of the best skill-position players in Saints history; he is tied to the league’s second-most lucrative running back extension ($15MM per year). The seventh-year veteran remains New Orleans’ top back, though he is coming off a bit of a down season — one in which he scored just four touchdowns. The team will undoubtedly make Kamara a key player in a now-Derek Carr-led offense, but the additions of Williams and Miller are certainly interesting. While a suspension will void remaining Kamara guarantees, only $1.1MM in guaranteed money remains on Kamara’s five-year, $75MM contract.

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