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Kenny Vaccaro

South Notes: Saints, Vaccaro, Colts

September 19th, 2017 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints coach Sean Payton downplayed the trade rumors surrounding safety Kenny Vaccaro this week, noting that it’s not unusual for other teams to call about positions of depth (Twitter link via Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate). Another source echoed similar sentiments to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, pointing out that it only makes sense for the Saints to listen on Vaccaro since he is in the final year of his deal and they might not be willing to spend big money to keep him. Still, second-year pro Vonn Bell took Vaccaro’s place in the lineup on Sunday and that’s not a good sign for his standing in the organization.

More from the South divisions:

  • Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief is in his contract year but he’ll have to step up his play if he wants to get paid this offseason, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star writes. On Sunday, Moncrief caught just two of his eight targets and blew three opportunities for key first downs. His injury history also doesn’t help matters – he missed seven games a shoulder injury in 2016 and sat out the bulk of training camp this year with an injury to the other shoulder. Moncrief, a third-round pick in 2014, is carrying a modest $1.932MM cap number this year.
  • The Texans cut Jaelen Strong on Monday, leaving them especially thin at wide receiver. However, the move makes a little more sense after learning that Will Fuller returned to practice for the team on Monday (via tradeAaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle). Fuller had 47 catches for 635 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie but we have not seen him on the field this year due to a broken collarbone suffered in training camp. It’s not immediately clear when the lightning-quick receiver will return to action, however.
  • Colts quarterback Andrew Luck won’t play on Sunday, but coach Chuck Pagano is adamant that we’ll see him suit up this season.

Saints Could Trade Kenny Vaccaro

September 15th, 2017 at 7:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Kenny Vaccaro

The Saints are discussing a Kenny Vaccaro trade with a “handful of teams,” according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. There’s potential for a deal to come together, adds La Canfora, who notes that the Saints are “overloaded” at safety (Twitter link).

Vaccaro was on the field for all 65 of the Saints’ snaps in their loss to the Vikings on Monday, showing that he remains a prominent part of their defense, but the team has heavily invested in his position lately. New Orleans spent second-round picks on safeties in each of the previous two drafts, selecting Vonn Bell in 2016 and Marcus Williams this year. And Vaccaro is scheduled to hit free agency after the season, further calling his future in New Orleans into question. Currently on a $5.68MM salary, Vaccaro has made it known that he wants to stay with the Saints, yet there haven’t been reports of any serious contract talks between the sides.

Now 27, Vaccaro has been one of the few consistently good parts of New Orleans’ defense since the club used a first-round pick on him in 2013. The former Texas Longhorn has started in 56 of 57 appearances and is attempting to build on a 2016 in which he ranked an above-average 38th in performance among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties. Notably, Vaccaro did miss a quarter of last season on account of a suspension for Adderall use.

NFC Notes: Elliott, Reed, Saints

September 10th, 2017 at 11:56am CST by Rory Parks

As we get prepared for the first slate of Sunday games in 2017, let’s take a quick swing around the NFC:

  • Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott was granted a temporary restraining order against the NFL, thereby putting his six-game suspension on hold and allowing him to be available for the remainder of the season while his case is sorted out. However, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the NFL is considering appealing that restraining order and is still discussing the matter with its attorneys.
  • The toe injury that has been ailing Redskins TE Jordan Reed is actually a fracture in his big toe that impacts the way he runs, and he will be battling that injury for at least the early part of the season, as Rapoport writes. Reed is one of the most talented tight ends in the league, but he has yet to play a full 16-game season.
  • The Eagles have returned the 2019 seventh-round selection they received from the Saints in the Jon Dorenbos trade in light of Dorenbos’ need for heart surgery and his release from New Orleans via injury settlement, as Howard Eskin of 94 WIP reports (via Twitter).
  • Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro is eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason, but Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune does not expect the two sides to agree to an extension during the season. He still believes they will reach a long-term deal at some point next year, but as Vaccaro’s value is up for debate, the team may prefer to see how he performs in 2017 before making a big commitment to him.
  • Rams head coach Sean McVay was a key figure in getting star DT Aaron Donald to end his holdout, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Rather than traveling with the team to Green Bay for the Rams’ final preseason game, McVay went to Atlanta with Rams executives to meet with Donald’s representatives, and his presence underscored how important Donald was to McVay and to Los Angeles. It also helped to facilitate dialogue between the two sides.
  • Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com believes the Lions will wait to see if any of their young talent along the defensive line breaks out before going after an established veteran. Detroit’s pass rush is currently suspect at best, but the team could be hesitant to make a move until next week because if a veteran signs before the first game, his salary is guaranteed for the year. Plus, it’s not as though the free agent market is currently brimming with DL talent, as former Lions Wallace Gilberry and Darryl Tapp are among the best players available.

Kenny Vaccaro Sets Deadline For Extension Talks

June 15th, 2017 at 9:39am CST by Connor J. Byrne

Safety Kenny Vaccaro has made it clear this offseason that he’d rather sign an extension with the Saints than test free agency next winter. Vaccaro’s willing to risk departing New Orleans, though, as he said Tuesday that he’s not going to allow extension talks to drag into the season.

Kenny Vaccaro

“I’m not going to do any contract talks during the season, so, if not, then I’ll be a free agent,” Vaccaro said (via Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com). “If it doesn’t get done, then it doesn’t. I want to concentrate. I don’t want it to be a distraction.”

Of course, if the Saints are motivated to retain Vaccaro beyond this season, the 27-year-old’s deadline could hasten talks. Vaccaro expects his agent to begin discussions with the Saints sometime in the next two weeks. But even if he doesn’t receive either a long-term deal or the franchise tag by next March, Vaccaro would be open to re-signing with New Orleans after free agency opens.

“Even if I do make it to free agency, I still want to play (here). This is my home,” he declared. “My family loves it, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to make the right decisions for your family. I’m not really worried about my contract at all right now. I want us to win now. If we win, everything will take care of itself. If we’d have won last year, maybe something already would’ve happened.”

Vaccaro added that he’d like to stay with the Saints for the rest of his career, but he noted, “If I play good and I hit the open market, then it’s a bidding war and you get overpaid.”

Since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2013, Vaccaro has been one of the few quality pieces of a New Orleans defense that has typically struggled. The ex-Texas Longhorn has started in 55 of 56 appearances, including all 11 last season, when he finished an above-average 38th among Pro Football Focus’ 90 qualified safeties. Vaccaro did miss a quarter of the season on account of a suspension for Adderall use, though, and New Orleans perhaps prepared itself for his exit next year when it used a second-round pick this spring on former Utah safety Marcus Williams.

South Rumors: Fournette, Albert, Vaccaro

May 21st, 2017 at 11:18am CST by Rory Parks

Leonard Fournette recently inked his rookie deal with the Jaguars, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, Fournette is the only 2017 top-10 draft choice under contract to entirely avoid offset language. Executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin is apparently unconcerned about being on the hook for the full amount of Fournette’s rookie contract if Fournette should be cut within the first four years of his contract, or maybe he is just confident that Fournette will not fizzle out that quickly. This is in keeping with Jacksonville’s standard operating procedure, as the Jags have not included offset language for former top-5 picks Blake Bortles, Dante Fowler, Luke Joeckel, and Jalen Ramsey.

  • The Jaguars recently touched base with left tackle Branden Albert, who continues to stay away from the team as he pushes for a new contract. Albert still has roughly a month before he can be fined for his absence, but Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders believes he is only hurting himself. The club drafted Cam Robinson in the second round of this year’s draft and has already stated that he will compete for the starting LT position, and given Robinson’s upside, there’s reason to think that he could win it. As such, Cummings does not believe that Albert will hold out of training camp.
  • David Grunfeld of the Times-Picayune believes the Saints should let Kenny Vaccaro play out the 2017 season, his contract year, and then determine whether or not to give him a big-money deal or put the franchise tag on him in advance of free agency next offseason. The club has two former second-rounders, Marcus Williams and Vonn Bell, who could theoretically replace much of Vaccaro’s production at a fraction of the cost.
  • We heard several months ago that the Buccaneers could be preparing to move on from Roberto Aguayo, and as Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk (citing PewterReport.com) writes, Aguayo is ready for his competition with newly-signed Nick Folk. Said Aguayo, “It is motivation. When I was in college there would be walk-on kids come in and I didn’t know who they were or if they were good or whatever. But whoever they were, it was always a competition for me. Just seeing someone else out there trying to compete. I like it.”
  • We learned yesterday that Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff is confident the team will reach a long-term pact with RB Devonta Freeman.

Saints Notes: Fournette, Foster, Vaccaro

April 14th, 2017 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

LSU running back Leonard Fournette was on hand Friday for the Saints‘ local pro day, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Fournette didn’t go through workouts, however, tweets Herbie Teope of NOLA.com. Barring something unexpected, odds are the Saints won’t emerge from Round 1 with Fournette. They’re set to pick 11th, while Fournette appears likely to come off the board in the top five.

Fournette isn’t the only running back the Saints have discussed. Continuing a candid offseason, Sean Payton offered effusive praise for Christian McCaffrey to the extent of giving the Stanford dual-threat back a hypothetical role in his offense.

“I’ve got a crystal-clear vision of the player. He’d be like Darren Sproles, Reggie Bush for us, kind of the Joker role. But I think you have to have him on a pitch count,” Payton told TheMMQB.com’s Peter King (via Nick Underhill of The Advocate).

McCaffrey has not visited the Saints, and this is full-on smokescreen time. But if nothing else, Payton would have an apparent fit for McCaffrey alongside Mark Ingram. The fast-rising McCaffrey’s stock could force a trade-up from the Saints’ first selection window, but the team is believed to be focused on continuing their defensive rebuild.

Here’s more out of New Orleans.

  • Adrian Peterson wouldn’t appear to complement Ingram as well as McCaffrey could, being a run-centric veteran, but a 1-2 punch between Ingram and Peterson is still possible, per Underhill. Peterson would serve as Ingram’s backup in this arrangement, Underhill writes, to the point that the Saints might not be inclined to give Peterson more than Ingram’s $3.7MM salary for 2017. Peterson’s New Orleans visit reportedly went well.
  • In addition to a meeting with Zach Cunningham, the Saints met with SEC linebackers Reuben Foster and Kendell Beckwith, Underhill reports. New Orleans also met with UCLA edge defender Takkarist McKinley. Beckwith (LSU), McKinley and Cunningham (Vanderbilt) joined Foster during his meeting with the Saints last week. Underhill reports Foster’s meeting went well. The Saints drafted Stephone Anthony two years ago to potentially man that spot, but the experiment hasn’t gone well and has led to Anthony moving to the strong side. The team remains in search of a long-term cog at that spot. The Saints would reportedly “love” to draft Foster at No. 11.
  • An Adderall-induced suspension led to Kenny Vaccaro‘s stock falling a bit last season, but the fourth-year safety wanted to assure Payton such a mishap wouldn’t again occur. “It was selfish of me, and I’m just mad I couldn’t be out there with my teammates. I’ll never do that again,” Vaccaro said, via The Advocate. “I think the Saints knew that. Coach Payton was real cool about the whole process. I think he knew it was an honest mistake.” The safety wants to sign a long-term extension to stay in Louisiana, but those talks aren’t expected to commence until the summer.

Connor Byrne contributed to this report.

NFC Notes: Sherman, Saints, 49ers, Falcons

April 10th, 2017 at 6:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

No NFLer has come up in more trade rumors this month than Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, but it’s likely he’ll stay put, writes Tom Pelissero of USA Today. It would take something along the lines of a first- and third-round pick to acquire Sherman, and that price probably isn’t going to come down, Pelissero hears. Plus, even though Sherman requested a trade, the relationship between him and the Seahawks is hardly in shambles. Sherman is content to continue his career in Seattle, and the team would have no problem retaining the four-time Pro Bowler, per Pelissero.

More from the NFC:

  • Next season stands as the final year of Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro‘s rookie contract, meaning it could could be his last hurrah in New Orleans. However, he’d rather ink an extension with the Saints than test free agency next spring. “I want to play for the Saints. I love the team,” Vaccaro told Nick Underhill of The Advocate. “I love coach (Sean) Payton. Coach Payton is going to be here. We got a good young team. I think we’re a couple of pieces away from getting to back to where we were my rookie year. I don’t want to leave that. The grass isn’t always greener.” Vaccaro isn’t “pressing” for a deal, but he does expect the Saints to enter negotiations with him “after all the offseason stuff” is out of the way. The 27-year-old has been a strong contributor to the Saints’ defense since going 15th overall in the 2013 draft, though he is coming off a suspension-shortened season.
  • With Vaccaro’s future in New Orleans uncertain, the Saints had UConn safety Obi Melifonwu in for an official visit Monday, which Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball first reported (Twitter link). Melifonwu is the 45th-best prospect in this year’s draft class, opines Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com. The four-year starter “has a rare blend of size and speed for the position,” notes Jeremiah.
  • Cornerback Tramaine Brock was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence Thursday, and the 49ers released him Friday. Rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed that decision Monday, saying (via Cam Inman of the Mercury News): “We spent the day trying to figure out all the information as much as you can. You never do get all of it, but there was enough there that we felt it was a decision we had to make and move on from (Brock).” The 49ers cut the eight-year veteran with a “failed physical” designation, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area (Twitter link).
  • Falcons corner Desmond Trufant will earn nearly half of the money in his five-year, $68.75MM extension by next March, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Trufant is due $33MM over the next 11 months, and he’ll average $14.75MM per annum during the first three years of the deal.

NFC Rumors: 49ers, Rams, Donald

March 2nd, 2017 at 2:41pm CST by Zachary Links

49ers GM John Lynch won’t rule out approaching another team about a quarterback trade.

“We’re not closing the door on any options,” Lynch admitted (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Facebook). “We have the number 2 pick and that’s a valuable asset. Fortunately for Kyle (Shanahan) and I, we weren’t part of that 2-14 season. And so now we get to walk in and the good side of that is we have the number 2 pick, and I think that opens a lot of doors for people to try to talk to us about that pick, as well. Or we can sit back and get a really talented player right there, so we’re excited about that.”

Of course, the 49ers have been heavily connected to Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins. However, they’d have to give up a ton to pry him away in addition to giving him a lucrative new extension. The latest word is that the Niners are unwilling to go that far to get a QB.

Here’s more from the NFC as news continues to pour in from the combine:

  • 49ers GM John Lynch says that he would have released Colin Kaepernick had he not opted out (Twitter link via SiriusXM).
  • Rams GM Les Snead says extension talks for defensive tackle Aaron Donald are “definitely coming (Twitter link via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com). Donald, the former No. 13 overall pick in the 2014 draft, is under contract through 2017 at a $3.225MM cap figure. Last year, he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 interior defender with a stellar 95.6 grade. A new deal for Donald will likely reset the market for defensive tackles.
  • Rams GM Les Snead isn’t ruling out the possibility of working out a long-term deal with Trumaine Johnson before the July 15 deadline, but they’ll revisit those discussions after OTAs, Gonzalez tweets. That’s because the Rams want to wait until they have a better feel for whether Johnson is a good fit under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.
  • The Falcons are moving on from defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux but it is believed the 35-year-old will continue playing elsewhere, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweets. Babineaux, he notes, has connections to coaches around he league. It sounds like the veteran doesn’t plan on retirement, but in a league that is getting progressively younger, it’s not a given that he’ll find work.
  • Discussions about a potential extension for Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro aren’t expected until later this summer, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.

Saints’ Vaccaro Drops Suspension Appeal

December 9th, 2016 at 1:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro is dropping his appeal, a source tells Nick Underhill of The Advocate (on Twitter). His suspension will begin immediately. Kenny Vaccaro

Roughly one month ago, Vaccaro was hit with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy by taking Adderall. Conveniently, he is dropping the fight with four games to go in the 2016 season at a time when it seems improbably that the Saints will land a playoff berth.

Now at 5-7, the Saints would have to run the table to have any mathematical chance of qualifying. Even then, they’d have to surpass the 7-5 Falcons and Buccaneers to win the division or leapfrog a host of teams to get an NFC Wild Card spot. The Saints aren’t out, but they are certainly down, and they would rather be without Vaccaro now than have him miss the start of the 2017 season.

According to the advanced numbers, Vaccaro’s play is roughly in line with what he provided in 2015. The Saints have Vaccaro under contract through 2017 after exercising his fifth-year option.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Bengals, Rams, Lions

November 16th, 2016 at 9:17pm CST by Zachary Links

After defensive end Randy Gregory‘s latest slip-up, Babe Laufenberg of The Dallas Morning News hopes that the Cowboys and Jason Garrett realize the best indicator of future behavior is past behavior. In the wake of Gregory’s latest failed drug test, owner Jerry Jones has said that he will not give up on the former second-round pick. Still, Dallas probably would have been better off paying attention to Gregory’s red flags and passing on him in the draft, Laufenberg opines. Many fans have expressed similar sentiments after the Cowboys have dealt with Gregory, Greg Hardy, Rolando McClain, and other failed reclamation projects, but it is hard to argue with the club’s results on the field this season. Teams can often get ahead by taking risks and the 8-1 Cowboys seem to be doing fine despite some miscalculations.

More from around the NFL:

  • With Los Angeles quarterback Jared Goff starting in Week 11, Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter) notes that Bengals cornerback William Jackson III will be the only 2016 first-rounder to not yet play this season. Jackson suffered a torn pectoral muscle over the summer and was placed on IR. It’s possible that the 24th overall pick could return this season, but his status is currently up in the air.
  • Case Keenum, whom Goff is replacing as the Rams’ No. 1 signal-caller, is predictably displeased that he lost his place atop the team’s depth chart. On receiving the news, Keenum said Wednesday, “Honestly, I wasn’t happy. I want to play. That’s why I play football, to be the quarterback and the guy with the ball in his hands” (via Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk). However, Keenum isn’t going to cause any behind-the-scenes problems for LA. “With that being said I trust Coach (Jeff) Fisher,” he continued. “I trust these coaches and their decision. I’m a captain and I have to do my job. My job is whatever they tell me my job is.”
  • Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since Week 1, per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Levy, who has missed 23 of the Lions’ past 25 games, has been dealing with knee and quad injuries this year. While it’s possible the 2014 second-team All-Pro could take the field Sunday against Jacksonville, it’s likelier he’ll suit up on Thanksgiving versus NFC North rival Minnesota, writes Meinke.
  • Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro said he’s playing Thursday night in Carolina, as Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune tweets. This likely means Vaccaro has appealed his four-game ban for Adderall. Players are typically able to suit up while the process plays out.
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