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Kiko Alonso

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/22

August 6th, 2022 at 7:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Washington Commanders

  • Activated from reserve/retired list: LB Tre Walker

Weatherly was in line for a rotational role with the Browns this season behind entrenched starters Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. The 28-year-old was coming off of a sack-less campaign with the Vikings last year, but has 73 games and 17 starts on his NFL resume. In his absence, the Browns will depend not only on another mostly healthy season for Clowney, but also third-round rookie Alex Wright and recent USFL signing Chris Odom in the edge rush department.

Just yesterday, Walker surprisingly ended his NFL career before it began, briefly becoming the second young Commander this offseason to hand up his cleats unexpectedly. Hours later, however, the UDFA changed his mind and asked to be reinstated. Having signed him to his rookie contract, Washington held the rights to the San Jose State alum and were free to bring him back into the fold. He will once again look to make the team’s roster – something he has a decent chance at, given the lack of proven options Washington has down the depth chart at ILB.

Saints LB Kiko Alonso To Retire

August 6th, 2022 at 1:00pm CST by Ben Levine

After just signing with the Saints the other day, Kiko Alonso is calling it a career. The veteran linebacker is retiring, according to Brooke Kirchhofer of WWLTV (on Twitter).

[RELATED: Saints To Sign LB Kiko Alonso]

Alonso hadn’t seen the field since the 2019 season, but he decided to reunite with the Saints on Thursday. Two days later, he’s hanging up his cleats. According to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell (on Twitter), Alonso’s reverse decision had nothing to do with his health. Rather, the veteran simply changed his mind, with Terrell noting that it’d be tough for the linebacker to return after such a lengthy absence if he wasn’t 100 percent committed.

Once a longtime starter, Alonso has not played since suffering an ACL tear in New Orleans’ wild-card loss to Minnesota in January 2020. During that 2019 campaign, Alonso started four of his 13 appearances and collected 31 tackles. Prior to his season in New Orleans, the linebacker had stints with the Bills and Dolphins. While Alonso never came close to replicating his 159-tackle rookie season (in which he earned PFWA NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors), he still topped 110 tackles for three straight seasons between 2016 and 2018.

Alonso will retire having compiled 588 tackles, seven forced fumbles, and 10 interceptions in 86 career games.

Since Alonso’s last regular-season game, the Saints drafted Zack Baun in the 2020 third round and Pete Werner in the 2021 second. The latter profiles as a better bet to start alongside Demario Davis this season. Rookie fifth-round pick D’Marco Jackson is currently sidelined, so Alonso was expected to provide at least some temporary depth at the position. As Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football points out on Twitter, the Saints may need to sign another middle linebacker to fill out their roster.

Saints To Sign LB Kiko Alonso

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[RELATED: Saints Sign LB Eric Wilson]

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

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

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

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

49ers Cut LB Kiko Alonso

November 23rd, 2020 at 3:38pm CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have waived linebacker Kiko Alonso with a failed physical designation, per a team press release. Meanwhile, defensive linemen D.J. Jones and Jordan Willis have been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. 

The Niners acquired Alonso earlier this month in the deal that sent Kwon Alexander to the Saints. The trade was mostly done as a salary dump, though they were hoping to get some value out of Alonso (as well as the conditional fifth-rounder).

Alonso started for the Dolphins between 2016-18 and was mostly healthy, averaging more than 115 tackles per season. He was a little less productive for the Saints in 2019 and, unfortunately, ended his season with an ACL tear in the Wild Card round. The 30-year-old has yet to see the field in 2020 and it’s not clear if he’ll be able to suit up for anyone this season.

Last time out, the Niners fell to Alonso’s old squad. Next, they’ll face the Rams in Los Angeles.

49ers Trade Kwon Alexander To Saints

November 2nd, 2020 at 11:58am CST by Zachary Links

The 49ers have agreed to trade linebacker Kwon Alexander to the Saints, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter tweets. In exchange, the Saints will send fellow ‘backer Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round pick to San Francisco. 

Alexander, 26, has three seasons left on his four-year, $54MM deal. The off-ball ‘backer is remarkably tough – he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in November and somehow managed to return for the Niners’ playoff run. Alexander also battled a biceps injury that required surgery in February. These maladies emerged after he missed much of the 2018 season with an ACL tear.

Those issues predictably dropped his trade value, preventing SF from offloading him over the summer. Now, they’ve found a deal for him, though it mostly amounts to a contract dump.

It’s not too often that you see two guys at the same position swapped. Alexander has once again been banged up in 2020 as he’s missed the past two games with an ankle injury, although that doesn’t seem like anything too long-term.

New Orleans has an elite defensive front but their linebacking group has left a bit to be desired, so this move makes plenty of sense. They lost A.J. Klein in free agency, and offseason acquisition Nigel Bradham didn’t pan out as he was cut before the season began. Alexander has graded out solidly from Pro Football Focus, but not at the level he was playing last year. Demario Davis is locked into his role at inside linebacker for the Saints, so Alexander could cut into Alex Anzalone‘s role.

The 49ers get some salary relief, the draft pick, and a player in Alonso who stared at least 15 games for Miami from 2016-18. Alonso was placed on the reserve/PUP list at the beginning of the year and missed the first six games. New Orleans then activated him, but he has yet to appear in a game this season. These teams play each other in just a couple of weeks, so both players will get their chance at revenge.

Saints Cut Margus Hunt, Drop Roster To 53

September 5th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Saints moved their roster down to 53 players Saturday:

Waived:

Released:

Waived/injured:

  • RB Saquan Hamilton

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Placed on reserve/suspended list:

The Saints made some notable cuts on their defensive line, dropping Edwards and Hunt. The former played with New Orleans last season, while the latter was an offseason addition. The Colts cut Hunt earlier this year, doing so after previously extending him. However, New Orleans does have Malcom Brown back and re-signed David Onyemata in March. The Saints are pursuing Jadeveon Clowney as well.
Alonso suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs last year. He will miss at least six games. The Saints signed Fowler over the summer. The former Broncos auxiliary receiver worked out with Drew Brees and Emmanuel Sanders during the pandemic-induced NFL hiatus.
Stevens, like most of the players cut Saturday, profiles as a practice squad candidate. The Saints became involved in a strange controversy over the seventh-round pick, whom the Panthers coveted. It will be interesting to see if Carolina submits a waiver claim on Stevens.

Contract Details: Bridgewater, Panthers, Vaitai, Lions, Byrd, Patriots, Brees, Saints

March 18th, 2020 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest notes on all of the contracts being handed out around the league:

  • QB Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers: signed. Bridgewater got a three-year deal worth $63MM and a whopping $40MM of that is guaranteed in the first two years, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. He got a $15MM signing bonus to take over for the start of the Matt Rhule era. Newton’s post has the full breakdown on how it’ll be paid out with various workout and roster bonuses.
  • OT Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Lions: signed. Vaitai’s five-year, $50MM contract includes $20MM guaranteed which will come in the first two years of the deal, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM NFL Radio tweets. Detroit can get out of the pact after that.
  • WR Damiere Byrd, Patriots: signed. Byrd’s one-year deal can be worth up to $2.5MM, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes in a tweet.
  • QB Drew Brees, Saints: re-signed. Brees’ two-year, $50MM new deal with New Orleans includes a signing bonus of $23MM and a small base salary of only $2MM in year one, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. That structure as well as two voidable years added on for 2022-2023 help keep his 2020 cap hit very low so the Saints can spend more as they gear up for one more Super Bowl with Brees under center.
  • LB Sean Lee, Cowboys: re-signed. Lee is back for one more ride on a one-year, $4.5MM deal with $2MM guaranteed. He actually could earn up to $6.5MM if he hits some playing time incentives, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com, although he writes they’re “not-likely-to-be-earned.”
  • S Darian Thompson, Cowboys: re-signed. Thompson is getting a two-year deal worth $2.5MM, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. He’s getting a $200K signing bonus and can earn an extra $250K with playing time escalators.
  • WR Cody Core, Giants: re-signed. New York locked up the special teams ace who barely plays on offense, and he got paid handsomely. Core will be getting $4MM over a two-year deal, Wilson tweets. Only $1MM of it is guaranteed however.
  • S Jordan Poyer, Bills: extension. The full details are in on Poyer’s new pact. Poyer had two new years added on and will now make $22.7MM over the next three years with $13MM of that being guaranteed, Wilson tweets. He also got a $3MM signing bonus. In a separate tweet, Wilson notes that Poyer has an annual $500K interception incentive he can earn.

Contract Details: Nassib, Alonso, Jefferson

March 17th, 2020 at 9:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Some more contract details from around the league:

  • DE Carl Nassib, Raiders: signed. Three-year, $25MM deal with $17MM guaranteed, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter). The deal has a max value of $28MM.
  • LB Kiko Alonso, Saints: restructured contract. Base salary reduced from $6.4MM to $1.7MM, $4.7MM available in incentives. Already has $1.45MM roster bonus, meaning he can still hit his previous $7.85MM total via playing-time bonuses. All notes via ESPN’s Mike Triplett on Twitter.
  • DE Quinton Jefferson, Bills: two-year deal. Contract worth $13.5MM total, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Twitter.
  • FB Derek Watt, Steelers: signed. Three-year deal worth $9.75MM, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor on Twitter.
  • LB Kamu Grugier-Hill, Dolphins: one-year deal. Contract worth $3MM, including $2MM signing bonus, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo on Twitter. Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that there’s up to $500K in playing time incentives.

Saints, Kiko Alonso Restructure Contract

March 17th, 2020 at 7:58pm CST by Marc Delucchi

The Saints have agreed to terms on a new deal to bring linebacker Kiko Alonso back into the fold, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. New Orleans acquired Alonso in September in a trade from the Dolphins and had been set to count $8.7MM next season (assuming he was not released). Rapoport added that Alonso’s new deal will fall below that number. The Saints are currently over the salary cap, according to Over The Cap, so other cap saving measures are to be expected.

In 2019, Alonso ranked as the 19th highest graded linebacker by Pro Football Focus out of the 89 qualified players. For the first time since 2015, Alonso was not a primary linebacker, instead, New Orleans deployed him in more specialized sets to take advantage of the veteran’s skillset. In 13 games (4 starts), Alonso recorded 31 tackles (3 for loss), 2 quarterback hits, and 1 pass defended.

The 29-year old was solidly productive before he tore his ACL in the Saints Wild-Card game, but a far cry from the peak of his numbers. From 2016-18, Alonso averaged over 115 tackles per season and started 46 of 48 possible games with the Dolphins.

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