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Drew Brees

Extra Points: Battle, Broncos, Saints, Jags

July 4th, 2015 at 6:59pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

There is a strong chance that former Clemson offensive tackle Isaiah Battle will be taken in Thursday’s supplemental draft, which allows NFL clubs to select players who for some reason (academic trouble or disciplinary issues are a couple of examples) were unable to enter the standard draft. If a team does choose Battle, it should be the Eagles, Jets or Giants, opines Mark Eckel of the Star-Ledger.

Battle – who is in need of further seasoning – could learn behind established tackles in the Eagles’ Jason Peters or the Jets’ D’Brickashaw Ferguson before eventually taking over for either, writes Eckel. Meanwhile the Giants have two recent first-round tackles in Justin Pugh and Ereck Flowers, but Eckel believes they’d be wise to follow the example of NFC East rival Dallas and try to stock up even more along the O-line. 

Landing Battle would likely cost any of the above teams a third-round pick, per Eckel, with the Falcons ahead of them in the draft order. Atlanta is the leading candidate to pick the 22-year-old, on whom it could use a fourth-rounder.

More from around the league:

  • Broncos running back C.J. Anderson burst on the scene in 2014, his second season, with nearly 1,200 total yards (849 rushing, 324 receiving) and eight touchdowns in his first true taste of NFL playing time. Anderson enters this season as Denver’s starting back, but Mike Kils of 9News writes that the 24-year-old isn’t resting on his laurels. “I’m going to keep my head down, keep grinding every day and keep pushing. What happened last year, happened last year. That’s completely over and done with,” said Anderson, who will try to fend off Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman for reps.
  • Saints rookie quarterback Garrett Grayson is glad he ended up in New Orleans to serve as Drew Brees‘ apprentice, though the third-round pick from Colorado State also would’ve been happy if the Cowboys or Broncos selected him. “There were three teams that I said I’d love to end up at, and that was the Saints, Cowboys and Broncos,” Grayson told NFL.com, per Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. “They’ve all got older QBs. Two of them are first-ballot Hall-of-Famers.”
  • Speaking of Brees, the 14-year veteran’s arm hasn’t shown any real signs of decline, ESPN’s Mike Triplett writes. According to Triplett, Brees attempted 35 throws of 40-plus yards from 2009-11 and completed only seven for 356 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions. Compare that to 2012-14, when Brees went a far better 15-of-35 for 773 yards, seven scores and no picks, and it’s obvious the 36-year-old can still get the ball downfield. That said, in 2014 Brees did put up his lowest yardage and TD totals since 2007 on throws that traveled 20-plus yards, Triplett notes.
  • Although new Jaguars offensive coordinator Greg Olson is tasked with helping turn around a unit that finished last in points and second last in yardage a year ago, he’s encouraged with the results so far.  “Actually, it’s gone a little bit better than I hoped,” Olson said after minicamp, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “It’s a really intelligent football team from position to position and that’s made the transition much smoother for them and me.” For what it’s worth, the Olson-led Raiders were the only team to amass fewer yards than the Jaguars last season, and they managed a mere 15.8 points per game compared to the Jags’ 15.6.

NFC Rumors: Brees, Rams, Moeaki, Locke

June 25th, 2015 at 4:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The city of St. Louis and the development commission tasked with extracting funds to finance a new Rams stadium along the Mississippi River front continued their arguments in court Thursday.

At the crux of this is a St. Louis city ordinance that requires a public vote for city funds to be used to finance a stadium, and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority (curiously referred to as the RSA) insists that ordinance is restricting its ability to keep the Rams in St. Louis, according to John Henry of KSDK, a local TV station.

What the RSA refers to as “broad” language in the 2002 city ordinance prompted the commission to sue the city in order to ask a judge if the law is constitutional, and St. Louis mayor Francis Slay said the city would defend the ordinance “vigorously.”

This is just one of the many disconnects between cities and their football futures occurring right now as the Los Angeles market appears set to re-open.

Here are some other notes from the NFC this afternoon.

  • In speaking with ESPN.com’s Ed Werder, Drew Brees is “very convinced” the Saints will win another Super Bowl before he retires (Twitter link). The presumptive Hall of Famer also iterated he was “heartbroken” after the team shipped Jimmy Graham to Seattle on Day 1 of free agency, noting that there were “big plans” for Graham in the ensuing years of the star tight end’s contract. Stripped of key weaponry and coming off a disappointing 7-9 season, the Saints are not an attractive pick to challenge for an NFC title this season. But the 36-year-old quarterback hasn’t missed the playoffs in back-to-back campaigns since the 2007-08 bracket absences, and it’s not like the NFC South is teeming with juggernauts.
  • Housing one of the league’s worst tight end stables, the Falcons are the latest team to give the injury-riddled Tony Moeaki a chance. Despite making just $744K this season, Moeaki will compete with Jacob Tamme — the Broncos’ third-string tight end last season who signed a two-year, $4MM contract in March — to be the Falcons’ top pass-catching tight end, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Incumbent Levine Toilolo received the worst pass-receiving grade from Pro Football Focus among 67 qualified tight ends last season, opening the door for an odd Tamme-Moeaki battle.
  • At special teams coach Mike Priefer‘s request, the Vikings declined to bring in competition for Jeff Locke at punter, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. A fifth-round pick in 2013, Locke ranked 25th in yards per punt (39.2) last season and dropped just 8% of his boots inside the 10-yard line, which was 30th.

Extra Points: Brees, Saints, Bucs, Collins

April 30th, 2015 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints GM Mickey Loomis says he may take a quarterback in this year’s draft, but he doesn’t see the end of the line for Drew Brees anytime soon either, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett writes. “That’s a good question,” Loomis said. “I think you’re always looking to get a young quarterback in the program. We’ve got one in Ryan Griffin that we like. And if an opportunity presents itself, hey, we may take another one here. But I don’t see the end for Drew Brees on the short-term horizon. At least I certainly hope not. But it does take time for these quarterbacks to develop. And we’re conscious of that. We evaluate the quarterbacks. And obviously if an opportunity presents itself to take one at the right time, we’re not afraid to do that.” More on that and other news from the NFL..

  • If the Saints draft Bryce Petty, it’ll be a clear indication that Jeff Ireland is already calling the shots there, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.
  • Ed Werder of ESPN (via Rob Demovsky on Twitter) says the Buccaneers may be looking to move up into the bottom of the first round. The Bucs currently pick at No. 34 and Demovsky wonders if the Packers at No. 30 could be a match.
  • Multiple teams have removed LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins from their draft boards, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Bills GM Doug Whaley called Kentucky defensive end Za’Darius Smith a “perfect fit” for the type of scheme they run, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.
  • Army running back Raymond Maples has been granted administrative leave to attend team activities if he’s drafted or signed, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
  • With so few quality safeties available, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that James Sample (Louisville) and Damarious Randall (ASU) will go higher than most people think.

Drew Brees On Graham, Unger, Rumors

April 4th, 2015 at 12:04pm CST by Ben Levine

If you thought you were blindsided by the Jimmy Graham trade, imagine how Saints quarterback Drew Brees felt. The Pro Bowler appeared on WWL Radio in New Orleans on Thursday to discuss a number of topics, including the departure of Graham, the acquisition of Max Unger, and the trade rumors surrounding Brees himself. We grabbed some of the more interesting quotes, all via Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com…

On his reaction to the Jimmy Graham trade:

“I think it shocked all of us. A lot of crazy things happened, though, during the course of free agency for a lot of different teams. Unfortunately, you’ve been around long enough, you see some of these things happen at times. If anything it shows the confidence our organization has in the young players, especially the young skill players on offense, just feeling like those are guys that now have a chance to step up and fill a big void and fill a big role and continue to progress forward.”

On the Saints acquiring Pro Bowl offensive lineman Max Unger:

“I was with him in Pro Bowl a few years ago and I think he’s a very good player. I know he was hit by the injury bug a little bit last year. But obviously he can play at a high level. He’s still very much in the prime of his career. I feel like he’ll be a great addition to that front five.”

On how he handled the rumors regarding a possible trade:

“I really did not pay attention one bit. This is the time of year where I’m very focused on the family. People would come up to me and say, ‘I hear you’re getting traded to Tampa,’ and I’d say, ‘OK, that’s great.’ I have a close enough relationship with everyone within the Saints organization that if something was going on, I know that I would hear it from them if there was any reality to it.”

On whether he wants to finish his career in New Orleans:

“I do, absolutely. But I also understand the reality of the business and everything. You’ve got to perform and you’ve got to give them a reason to keep you around.”

NFC Mailbags: Saints, Lions, Bears, Vikings

April 4th, 2015 at 10:36am CST by Ben Levine

We took a look at ESPN.com’s AFC mailbags earlier this morning. Let’s now shift our focus to the NFC…

  • Mike Triplett believes the only way the Saints move on from Drew Brees is if they are confident in their backup plan. While the quarterback’s production has dropped, Triplett is still confident Brees will be one of the best at his position in 2015.
  • While the Lions could fill the majority of their roster holes via the draft, Michael Rothstein focuses on a couple of positions that could be fixed in free agency. The writer points to left guard, suggesting free agents Justin Blalock or Rob Sims.
  • 2015 will be a big season for Bears defensive end Cornelius Washington, writes Michael C. Wright. The player still has two years left on his contract, but he hasn’t shown much during his brief time in the NFL. With all the veteran defenders on the roster, there’s a chance that Washington could be on the outside looking in.
  • Ben Goessling points to safety Harrison Smith as being the Vikings player most likely to receive an extension prior to the season. The writer suggests the organization also explore an extension for kicker Blair Walsh.
  • Rob Demovsky says the Packers should now focus their attention on locking up defensive tackle Mike Daniels and cornerback Casey Hayward. However, considering the money thrown around this offseason, Demovsky says it may be in the players’ best interests to explore free agency.

South Notes: Brees, Fowler, Jags, Bucs

April 3rd, 2015 at 11:55am CST by Luke Adams

In an interview with WWL radio in New Orleans on Thursday, quarterback Drew Brees said he intends to retire with the Saints, and dismissed any speculation about potential trade talks involving him.

“I have a close enough relationship with everybody within the Saints organization that if something was going on, I would have heard about it from them,” Brees said. “If there was any seriousness, you know, reality (to the rumors), that would be discussed. Anything that I hear or get wind of is typically false. False reports.”

Of course, the reports Brees calls “false” never really existed. Some columnists wrote speculative articles about the possibility of quarterback-needy teams checking in on Brees while the Saints were seemingly making everyone available, but at least one report suggested the quarterback was one of the only players the team was not shopping. Nonetheless, GM Mickey Loomis, head coach Sean Payton, and Brees himself have all felt the need to shoot down that speculation.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:

  • Asked about upcoming pre-draft meetings, Florida pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. says he has visits lined up with the Jaguars and Titans, writes Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com. Fowler is considered one of the top pass rushers in the draft, and projects as a potential top-five pick — Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN recently expressed confidence that Fowler will go third overall to Jacksonville.
  • Center Stefen Wisniewski left his visit with the Jaguars without a deal in place, but head coach Gus Bradley said the team will “have more conversations about him,” per Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Bradley also said that, while the team is keeping its options open in regard to adding a fullback, it’s conceivable that Jacksonville starts the season with four tight ends and no fullbacks on its roster.
  • We can add linebacker Larry Dean to the list of free agents to visit the Buccaneers this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Guard Dan Connolly, wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan, and defensive end George Johnson are among the other players who recently paid a visit to Tampa Bay.

Bills Rumors: Draft, QBs, Spikes, Dareus

March 24th, 2015 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills are one of two teams – along with the Seahawks – without a first-round pick this year, and it doesn’t look like that will change. General manager Doug Whaley tells Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that his team has no plans to trade into the first round this spring. Whaley also weighed in on a number of other Bills-related topics today, so let’s check out the highlights….

  • Trade speculation has been swirling around veteran quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Philip Rivers lately, but Whaley hasn’t been contacted by the Saints or Chargers, and hasn’t reached out to either team, about those signal-callers, tweets Rodak. Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) independently confirms, via multiple sources, that the Bills aren’t pursuing Rivers at all, though he cautions that could change if the San Diego QB nears free agency next year.
  • Whaley intends to get in touch with linebacker Brandon Spikes next week, and isn’t ruling out a potential return to Buffalo for the veteran free agent (Twitter link via Rodak).
  • While the Bills may be willing to make Spikes a modest offer, they don’t have much flexibiity to go higher than the minimum. Whaley, on the team’s remaining cap space: “We’re tapped out. [We’re] at the point now where we’ve got to save for the draft choices and injury replacements” (Twitter link via Carucci).
  • Asked by Rodak if he’s concerned that Ndamukong Suh‘s monster contract could set a precedent for Marcell Dareus‘ next deal, Whaley replied with an emphatic “yes” (Twitter link).

Saints GM: Drew Brees Not Going Anywhere

March 23rd, 2015 at 12:40pm CST by Luke Adams

The Saints have parted ways with several veteran players this offseason, trading away former All-Pros like Jimmy Graham and Ben Grubbs, sending young, inexpensive wideout Kenny Stills to Miami, and releasing top tackler Curtis Lofton. As the team overhauls its roster though, general manager Mickey Loomis insists that former Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees isn’t on the trade block, as he tells Jim Corbett of USA Today.

“Anybody who thinks we’re trading Drew Brees, that’s just not true,” Loomis said.

Despite a cap hit of $26.4MM for the coming season, the second-highest cap number in the NFL, Brees was never considered a real trade candidate within the last weeks, even as Loomis and the Saints significantly retooled the roster. In fact, around the time news of the Stills trade broke, one report indicated that Brees and young receiver Brandin Cooks were the only players on the New Orleans roster who were untouchable.

Still, Brees only has one year remaining on his contract after the 2015 season (featuring a $27.4MM cap hit for 2016), and turned 36 in January. There’s been some speculation that the Saints could use their excess of 2015 draft picks to make a play for Marcus Mariota, eyeing him as Brees’ long-term replacement. That always looked like a long shot though, and Loomis’ comments suggest it’s not in the Saints’ plans.

The more realistic and likely scenario has the team using those extra draft picks to stock up on defensive talent, perhaps using one or two selections to give Brees a little more help on the offensive side of the ball. Although Graham and Stills are gone, the Saints re-signed Mark Ingram, brought in C.J. Spiller and Pro Bowl center Max Unger, and wideouts Cooks and Marques Colston are still around, so the veteran signal-caller should have no shortage of weapons.

Reactions To Kenny Stills Trade

March 13th, 2015 at 4:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Dolphins acquired promising young wide receiver Kenny Stills from the Saints in exchange for linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and a third-round pick. Here’s a look at some of the latest reaction and fallout:

  • Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) heard that Saints brass had soured on Stills, prompting the trade. Many teams were surprised that he was being shopped given that his contract was so inexpensive, but that might help to explain it. Meanwhile, the Saints are looking to load up on draft picks.
  • Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (on Twitter) heard that quarterback Drew Brees was not happy with Stills or Ben Grubbs, so it’s no coincidence that they’ve both been shipped out.
  • According to Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald (on Twitter), there were questions in New Orleans about Stills’ work ethic, and he apparently enjoys the nightlife quite a bit.
  • The Saints are telling their traded players that they’re going all in to build a quality defense, Matt Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. New Orleans now has two first-round picks, a second-round choice, and two third-round picks to work with. Even with Rob Ryan at the helm, the Saints’ defense was a major disappointment in 2014.
  • Miller (on Twitter) doesn’t necessarily like that approach, and he notes that the Saints are loading up on draft picks in what projects to be a very average draft class. Still, the strongest position in this draft is wide receiver, so the Saints may feel that they can replace Stills with one of their many picks (link).

Saints Shopping Kenny Stills, Others

March 12th, 2015 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

1:43pm: A source with knowledge of the situation tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Drew Brees and Brandin Cooks are essentially the only Saints not being shopped, as the team retools.

1:17pm: The Saints have been one of the league’s more active teams this week, working out trades that shipped a pair of Pro Bowlers, Jimmy Graham and Ben Grubbs, out of New Orleans. And it doesn’t look like they’re done yet. According to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (via Twitter), the team is exploring trades involving wide receiver Kenny Stills. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, meanwhile, hears from a source that the team is shopping practically every player on its roster (Twitter link).

Peter King of TheMMQB.com wrote earlier this week that when Mickey Loomis and Seahawks GM John Schneider discussed trades prior to working out the Graham deal, the New Orleans GM “brought up the names of a couple of Saints receivers.” While King didn’t identify specific players, it certainly sounds like one of those receivers was probably Stills.

Stills, who turns just 23 next month, became an integral part of the Saints’ passing attack in 2014, hauling in 63 passes for 931 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints’ top deep threat, Stills have averaged 16.5 yards per catch since entering the league in 2013, and is on an inexpensive rookie contract for two more years, so I expect the team’s asking price would be fairly high.

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