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Marshon Lattimore

Saints GM Mickey Loomis Talks Deadline Approach

October 30th, 2024 at 8:58pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints have dropped six-straight games and sit towards the bottom of the NFC standings. The team would be a logical seller ahead of the deadline, and the front office is willing to consider trades…on their terms.

During an appearance on WWL Radio this week, GM Mickey Loomis acknowledged that the Saints have received calls from potential buyers. However, the executive cautioned that the Saints have generally received “undervalued offers.”

“When you’re in a losing streak, you’re calling those teams looking to see if they’re sellers, right, and so we’ll get a number of calls and we’ll respond accordingly,” Loomis said (h/t Jeff Nowak of the station’s website). “I’m not really one who thinks that trading away half your roster makes a lot of sense at this point for, generally, what I think are undervalued offers.”

This could be some natural gamesmanship from Loomis with the trade deadline less than a week away. The Saints have some obvious trade candidates, including Marshon Lattimore and his impending team option. The veteran cornerback has seemingly been on the block for the past year, and with his 2025 status in doubt, the team may finally decide to move on. The Saints also have impending free agent edge rusher Chase Young, who was involved in a trade during last year’s deadline.

On the flip side, the Saints could sincerely be hoping to build some momentum as they look towards the 2025 campaign. Derek Carr is set to return to the Saints for the first time since Week 5. The veteran QB guided the Saints to their Week 1 and Week 2 victories, but he was also under center for their three subsequent losses. Carr’s return should provide a small spark to the organization, but he shouldn’t be expected to single-handedly turn around the team’s fortunes.

Injury Notes: Bears, Walker, Murray, Bosa

September 11th, 2024 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears got good news surrounding the knee injury that knocked Rome Odunze out of Sunday’s season opener. Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the rookie wide receiver suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain, the “best-case scenario” for the team and player.

Odunze suffered his MCL injury while blocking for Velus Jones Jr. during a fourth-quarter screen pass. The rookie stayed in the game for one additional play before exiting for good. The wideout is officially considered week-to-week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and there’s been no indication that the ninth-overall pick will have a stay on injured reserve. Coach Matt Eberflus said the Bears were “lucky” to avoid a serious injury, and he even kept the door open to Odunze playing in Week 2.

Wednesday’s injury report also showed that fellow receiver Keenan Allen didn’t practice while nursing a heel injury. Eberflus later clarified that the wideout was considered day-to-day, and there’s hope the offseason acquisition can hit the practice field on Thursday and Friday following his day off.

In the unlikely event that both Odunze and Allen are sidelined, the Bears’ deep wide receiver grouping will be down to just D.J. Moore. Rookie QB Caleb Williams is certainly hoping for his full arsenal of wideouts following an NFL debut where he completed only 14 of 29 pass attempts for 93 yards.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • Kenneth Walker left Sunday’s game with an oblique injury and didn’t practice on Wednesday, per the Seahawks‘ injury report. Mike Macdonald said the running back is day-to-day (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson), but another missed practice would obviously put the player’s Week 2 availability in doubt. Walker exited the season opener after compiling 103 rushing yards and one touchdown. Zach Charbonnet finished the game at running back, scoring a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
  • Kyler Murray was a full participant at today’s practice, but the Cardinals QB still showed up on the injury report with a knee injury. Murray, of course, suffered an ACL injury during the 2022 campaign, and 2024 represented his first healthy offseason in a few years. Murray didn’t miss a snap on Sunday, and it seemed like his knee was in good shape after he ran for 57 yards. Clayton Tune is the only other QB currently on the active roster.
  • The Chargers announced that Joey Bosa was a limited participant at Wednesday’s practice while dealing with a back injury. The pass rusher appeared in 60 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in Week 1, collecting a sack and a forced fumble along the way. The long-time Charger has been snake bitten by injuries over the past few years, missing 20 total games.
  • NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport passes along a list of other notable players who didn’t practice on Wednesday, including Bengals receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring), Chiefs receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder), Browns tight end David Njoku (ankle), Packers quarterback Jordan Love (MCL), and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hip/hamstring).

Saints CB Marshon Lattimore Expected To Be Ready For Week 1

August 18th, 2024 at 12:47pm CST by Rory Parks

In the wake of the trade rumors that swirled around Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore earlier this offseason, head coach Dennis Allen addressed that speculation with Lattimore and made it plain that his star defender would remain in New Orleans in 2024. Lattimore has been contending with a hip injury in training camp, but according to Nick Underhill of NewOrelans.Football, the 28-year-old corner has been intensifying his work in recent practices. Though he was still working off to the side with trainers at the time of Underhill’s report, Lattimore is expected to be ready for Week 1.

The trade chatter surrounding Lattimore picked up after the Saints restructured the four-time Pro Bowler’s contract in February. That restructure converted much of Lattimore’s 2024 base salary into an option bonus as opposed to the more common signing bonus, and the option does not trigger until one week before the start of the regular season. As such, if Lattimore were to be dealt before that day, the bonus would become the responsibility of the acquiring team and would not result in additional dead money on New Orleans’ cap.

While the Saints reportedly did explore the possibility of a trade, which jibes with reports that rival clubs considered Lattimore to be on the trade block, Allen’s subsequent remarks shut down that talk. And given that New Orleans has playoff aspirations in 2024, keeping a high-end corner around rather than selling low on him after he missed the final seven games of the 2023 season due to an ankle injury is a perfectly reasonable approach.

Unfortunately, Lattimore’s injury woes last year followed a 2022 campaign in which he missed 10 games due to a lacerated kidney. In the five seasons prior to that, however, he played in at least 13 contests each season, hitting the 16-game threshold twice. During that time, he established himself as one of the league’s top corners and earned Pro Bowl acclaim in three consecutive years from 2019-21.

Assuming he remains healthy and returns to that level of performance, the Saints have a relative bargain on their hands. Although the five-year, $97.6MM deal Lattimore signed in September 2021 has been restructured multiple times, the Ohio State product remains under club control through 2026 and is due a base salary of $16MM in 2025 and $16.5MM in 2026 (to go along with $2MM roster bonuses in both years). Given the current state of the CB market, that is not an overly steep price to pay for an elite boundary defender.

Latest On Saints, Marshon Lattimore

May 24th, 2024 at 12:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dennis Allen continues to respond in the affirmative when asked if Marshon Lattimore will be part of the 2024 Saints. The third-year New Orleans HC kept this trend going from OTAs this week.

Trade rumors have persisted, after teams checked in on Lattimore earlier this offeason. This led to Allen discussing the rumors with the Pro Bowl cornerback earlier this month. Lattimore’s thrice-restructured contract — a $19.4MM-per-year deal — runs through the 2026 season.

“I just thought it was something we needed to communicate,” Allen said, via ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, upon noting Lattimore will be a Saint this season. “There’s been a lot of talk outside our building about trades and things of that nature. And so I just felt like it was probably time that he and I had a conversation. … It was a positive conversation and we’re looking forward to getting him out when he’s here and working with him.”

Lattimore, 28, did not show for the first batch of Saints OTAs. Allen said he has not been in the building this offseason, indicating his recent conversation with Lattimore was the parties’ first in a while. Though, missing voluntary workouts is not an atypical development for the talented defender. That said, the seven-year veteran is coming off two injury-plagued seasons.

Lattimore went down with an ankle injury and missed the Saints’ final seven games. He missed 10 due to a lacerated kidney in 2022, though the Saints did not place the former All-Pro on IR that year. While Lattimore did land on IR in 2023, NOLA.com’s Jeff Duncan notes internal frustration came about at the pace the veteran CB recovered from each injury. This concern undoubtedly rankled Lattimore’s camp.

Availability issues already severed the Saints’ relationship with Michael Thomas, though the team gave the former All-Pro wideout a few chances to bounce back. Lattimore is three years younger than Thomas and has a more recent history of playing at a high level. The Saints, however, traded up for Kool-Aid McKinstry in the draft and have rookie-contract corners Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor on the roster.

The Saints’ latest Lattimore restructure made his contract more tradeable, as it lowered his 2024 salary cap number (to $14.62MM) by inserting option bonuses. Rather than using a signing bonus as a conversion tool, New Orleans introducing option bonuses here would make those another team’s responsibility if Lattimore is traded. The deal now contains $13.79MM in options bonuses prorated over the next five years.

Similar to the Packers’ final arrangement with Aaron Rodgers, Lattimore’s 2024 option bonus — which is worth just $2.76MM — does not have to be exercised until a week before the season. While that structure certainly leaves the door open for a trade, nothing is imminent. If Lattimore is dealt after June 1 this year, the Saints would take on only $10.65MM in dead money.

Even as trade rumors swirl involving a boundary corner with four Pro Bowls on his resume, Duncan views a Lattimore trade as highly unlikely. Barring a monster offer, the Saints will be expected to give the Ohio State alum another shot to stay healthy and rejoin Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu as veteran presences on Allen’s defense. This still may be a situation to monitor, but for now, it does not appear Lattimore is too close to being moved.

Latest On Saints, CB Marshon Lattimore

May 20th, 2024 at 12:20pm CST by Adam La Rose

Marshon Lattimore‘s name has frequently been mentioned in trade talk this offseason, but no deal has been worked out. As OTAs begin around the league, including in New Orleans, the Pro Bowl cornerback appears set to remain in place for the coming season.

When speaking at the Saints Hall of Fame charity golf tournament, head coach Dennis Allen said he spoke with Lattimore recently and that the sides are “moving forward” (video link via New Orleans Football Network). Allen described his discussion with the former Defensive Rookie of the Year as a “positive conversation,” an encouraging sign for his future with the team.

Lattimore’s contract was restructured this offseason, and he now has an option bonus due one week before the start of the campaign. That timing led to speculation a trade could be in the cards, and ahead of free agency teams began showing interest. At the draft, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis confirmed the team contemplated a trade. Lattimore is still seen as a core member of New Orleans’ defense, though, which he has been since arriving in the NFL.

The former first-rounder has started all 90 of his games, and he recorded double-digit pass deflections in each of his first five seasons with the Saints. Injuries have limited Lattimore to just 17 games across the past two campaigns, but he remains on the books for three more seasons. He is set to carry a cap hit of $14.62MM in 2024, a reasonable enough figure for an acquiring team to take on in a trade. After that, however, his cap numbers are scheduled to spike to $31.41MM and $28.56MM. Lattimore is due salaries of $16MM and $16.5MM in 2025 and ’26, but they are not guaranteed.

Allen did not specify whether or not he expects the Ohio State product to take part in the Saints’ upcoming OTAs. Especially if he does, though, it would be an indication he is prepared to continue his career in New Orleans, matching the team’s desire on that front.

Saints Considered Trading Marshon Lattimore; CB Remains In Team’s 2024 Plans

April 25th, 2024 at 1:36pm CST by Adam La Rose

As part of the Saints’ annual salary cap gymnastics, Marshon Lattimore‘s contract was restructured this offseason That move – and its particular financial implications – has fueled speculation the Pro Bowl corner could be dealt at some point before the 2024 season.

Lattimore is due an option bonus shortly before the coming campaign kicks off, and that compensation would become an acquiring team’s responsibility. Ahead of free agency last month, a report indicated teams around the league were aware the 27-year-old could be on the trade block. As a result, it comes as no surprise that general manager Mickey Loomis was asked about the matter at New Orleans’ pre-draft press conference.

“Everybody is tradable, it just depends on the offer that you get,” Loomis said (via Luke Johnson of NOLA.com). “And yet, that’s not very common… I don’t like trading players that have been contributors for us. There’s too many ‘what if’ things here. If there was something imminent, well, I still wouldn’t tell you.”

Loomis added that New Orleans expects Lattimore to remain with the team for the 2024 season. A trade executed at or around this weekend’s draft would create a dead cap charge of over $31MM, making such a move unlikely. After June 1, however, that figure would drop to $10.6MM in 2024 with the remainder being spread out in 2025. Teams which are unable to land a corner high in the draft could show interest in the former first-rounder, who has battled injuries recently.

Lattimore has been limited to 17 total games across the past two seasons, and he missed the final seven contests of the 2023 campaign. When healthy, though, the Ohio State product has been productive (13 interceptions, 74 pass deflections between the 2017-21 seasons). Those totals could help convince teams to pursue a trade, something ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the Saints “explored” last month. The draft represents another key checkpoint in the offseason for New Orleans to gauge outside interest in any potential Lattimore deal.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year is owed $51.5MM over the next three years, and his 2024 cap hit currently sits at $14.62MM. Any team willing to absorb that pact may seek further adjustments, but that would of course be a moot point if New Orleans remains intent on retaining him. Lattimore’s situation will remain one to watch closely during and especially after the draft.

Teams Showing Interest In Saints CB Marshon Lattimore

March 3rd, 2024 at 4:03pm CST by Adam La Rose

As part of the Saints’ 2024 cap maneuvering, cornerback Marshon Lattimore had his contract restructured. An option bonus is now due one week before the start of the coming campaign, and his base salary has been reduced to $1.2MM.

As a result, many have pointed to Lattimore as a potential trade candidate. Indeed, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported last month that it would not come as a surprise if teams kicked the tires on a potential swap. His most recent update on the matter notes that “several teams” believe the four-time Pro Bowler is in fact on the market. No guaranteed salary remains on Lattimore’s deal, but he is due a $2MM roster bonus in 2025 and ’26, the final non-void years of his pact.

The former Defensive Rookie of the Year has a reasonable $14.62MM cap hit in 2024, but that figure is set to spike to $31.41MM and $28.56MM in the following years. Dealing him before June 1 would create a monster dead cap charge, but doing so after that date would spread out the financial penalty ($13.41MM) across two seasons while yielding added cap space in 2025. Given his pedigree, Lattimore would have plenty of suitors, and Fowler names the Lions and Dolphins as teams to watch on the CB market generally speaking.

Detroit in particular has been touted as a buyer with respect to a cornerback addition, and Lattimore would certainly fit the bill. Miami is set to move on from Xavien Howard, although he could be retained on a new deal. Other teams would no doubt be willing to acquire Lattimore, provided the Saints were prepared to move on from him. When speaking on the subject, head coach Dennis Allen praised the 27-year-old while coming up short of a firm endorsement of his short- and long-term future.

“Yeah, really, I think it’s about guys that we feel like can help us win football games, guys that we feel like can continue to build the right type of culture here, and guys that are willing to do the things that it’s necessary to do to succeed,” Allen said via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras. “And so, look, like I said, Marshon’s a part of our football team. He’s been a big part of our football team.”

Allen notably stated that Lattimore is a member of the Saints “for now.” As Nick Underhill and Mike Triplett of New Orleans Football Network add, no final decision on Lattimore’s future appears to have been made, nor is his desire to be traded known (video link). Given the time remaining until the former first-rounder’s bonus is due, clarity on both fronts may not emerge for some time.

Lattimore has remained an impact defender when on the field over the past two seasons. During that span, however, he has been limited to 17 games through injury, and his ball production (two interceptions, 12 pass deflections) has seen a downturn. Still, the Saints could field numerous offers if Lattimore were to become available, and his status will be a key offseason storyline to follow.

Saints GM Mickey Loomis Addresses Cap Strategy; Team Restructures Marshon Lattimore, Jameis Winston Contracts

February 12th, 2024 at 2:49pm CST by Adam La Rose

For years, the Saints have been at the forefront of the league with respect to maneuvering themselves into cap compliance. The 2024 offseason figures to be no different in that respect, with restructures expected to be a frequently-used tool.

New Orleans has a veteran-laden roster and has elected on several occasions to avoid a hard financial reset by instead creating immediate cap space at the expense of future years. That has left the team with a number of difficult decisions, but general manager Mickey Loomis has managed to keep the core intact while also being active in spots during free agency. When asked about this offseason, he confirmed a signficant shift in operations will not be coming.

“I don’t know that change is the right word,” Loomis said, via NOLA.com’s Matthew Paras. “We just have to be conscious of making up some ground in the next few years, and there are different ways to do that. I’ve said this [to the media] before, sometimes you have to look beyond the numbers and look at how many guys are under contract, what’s the roster, what are your core players… There’s just a lot of different variables.”

Currently projected to be well over the cap for the new league year, the Saints have begun the process of restructuring some of their most lucrative contracts. That includes cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who ESPN’s Field Yates notes had much of his 2024 base salary converted into an option bonus. The move created just over $11MM in cap space for this year. Lattimore’s re-worked pact also has a de-escalator for offseason workout participation, as detailed by Yates’ colleague Katherine Terrell and Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football.

As Underhill further notes, Lattimore’s option bonus does not take effect until one week before the start of the 2024 campaign (subscription required). That could create a window of opportunity for a trade, something which would come as a surprise given the four-time Pro Bowler’s importance to New Orleans’ defense. Lattimore is under contract through 2026; like many Saints, though, his pact includes multiple void years.

The same is true of quarterback Jameis Winston. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Winston agreed to add void years to his pact which will take effect shortly after the new league year begins in March. He is still on track to reach free agency, but the move will allow for his cap hit to be spread over multiple seasons. As Terrell notes, Winston was due to carry a cap charge of $10.6MM in the event he did not re-sign. The 30-year-old has been with New Orleans since 2020, and he could be retained this spring in a backup capacity.

Designating him a post-June 1 release would also be a viable option, however. The new Winston pact includes massive bonuses in the 2025 and ’28 void years, Terrell details, but a post-June 1 cut would create a modest dead cap charge of $3.87MM in each of the next two years.

Like Lattimore and Winston, several other Saints players will soon have significant adjustments made to their contracts as New Orleans strives to get under the 2024 cap ceiling. All teams must do so before March 13, but as usual the Saints will have one of the steepest challenges to achieve compliance.

NFC Notes: Gannon, Allen, Campbell, Saints

December 29th, 2023 at 5:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Gannon‘s Eagles exit brought a tampering penalty against the Cardinals, who made impermissible contact with their new head coach during the offseason. New Arizona GM Monti Ossenfort reached out to Gannon shortly after the NFC championship game, after the two-year Eagles DC expressed a desire to stay in Philadelphia. Gannon did not tell the Eagles about Ossenfort’s pre-Super Bowl call or his intention to interview with the Cardinals, according to ESPN.com’s Tim McManus. This affected Philly’s timing regarding Vic Fangio, who was perhaps this offseason’s most coveted coordinator.

A consultant with the Eagles last season, Fangio was well-liked and became the team’s choice to succeed Gannon as DC. Fangio all but confirmed the timing involving Gannon led him out of town. Before Super Bowl LVII, the Eagles had expected to retain Gannon, McManus adds. When Ossenfort was in Tennessee, he put Gannon’s name on a short list of possible HCs — in the event he landed a GM job. A Jan. 29 report indicated Fangio would accept the Dolphins’ DC offer; he was officially hired Feb. 2. The Cardinals’ Gannon interview request did not emerge until Feb. 12. By that point, the Eagles were aiming to retain Gannon after Fangio had bolted. With the Eagles having demoted their new DC — Sean Desai — and given Matt Patricia play-calling duties, Gannon’s Philly return this week will be interesting.

Here is the latest from the NFC:

  • Listing Jonathan Allen as a player he expects to be traded during the 2024 offseason, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Commanders defensive tackle is not eager to go through another rebuild. Allen made his views on that matter fairly well known recently, after the team traded Montez Sweat and Chase Young. A losing streak commenced soon after, and Ron Rivera and Martin Mayhew are expected to be fired. Teams asked about Allen at the deadline, and while the Commanders resisted, new owner Josh Harris‘ involvement in the Sweat and Young deals showed an openness to stockpiling draft capital. Allen’s four-year, $72MM extension runs through 2025. It would cost Washington $18MM in dead money to trade Allen before June 1, so it would stand to take a nice offer to pry the seventh-year veteran from D.C.
  • The Giants have phased Parris Campbell out of their receiver rotation, going as far as to make him a healthy scratch in each of the past three games. Campbell signed a one-year, $4.7MM deal in free agency, with The Athletic’s Dan Duggan noting he is losing out on $100K per-game roster bonuses with these scratches. As the Giants emphasize bigger roles for younger wideouts Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt, Campbell is preparing to leave in free agency come March. “When I came here, did I think things would be different? Of course,” Campbell said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “… During free agency, the market was kind of slow for receivers, but the Giants gave me an opportunity — and that’s all I want. This coming offseason, whoever is interested in me and wants to give me an opportunity, I’ll take it.” After three injury-plagued seasons, Campbell has stayed mostly healthy over his past two. The ex-Colts second-rounder, however, has 20 receptions for just 104 yards this year.
  • It is unlikely Marshon Lattimore and Michael Thomas return this season, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Lattimore suffered a significant ankle injury and has missed the past five Saints games. Thomas stayed healthier this year than he has since the 2010s, but the former All-Pro wideout has also missed New Orleans’ past five contests. Thomas, who may well be in his final weeks as a Saint, is down with a knee injury.
  • Six teams put in waiver claims on linebacker Christian Elliss, per the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane. The Patriots won out. Had Elliss not garnered any claims, the Eagles wanted to bring him back on their practice squad. A 2021 Eagles UDFA, Elliss had led the team in special teams snaps at the time of his exit earlier this month.

Saints Place CB Marshon Lattimore On IR; Derek Carr Clears Concussion Protocol

November 25th, 2023 at 7:14pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints’ offense will be without wideout Michael Thomas for an extended stretch after he was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. The same is now true of cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

The latter was moved to IR on Saturday, per a team announcement. Like Thomas, Lattimore exited the Saints’ loss to the Vikings and was subsequently deemed to have suffered a “signficant injury.” The ankle ailment kept Lattimore out of practice this week, and New Orleans will elect to shut him down during a pivotal point in the campaign. He will be forced to miss at least four weeks as a result of today’s move.

Lattimore’s absence will be acutely felt given his importance to the Saints’ secondary. That unit has helped New Orleans rank seventh in the league in passing yards allowed per game (199); he has also recorded one of the team’s 12 interceptions, a figure which places the team second in the NFL. The four-time Pro Bowler has had another strong season in 2023 with 48 tackles, eight pass deflections and a 57.4% completion percentage allowed.

Fellow starters Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor will be leaned on more heavily at the CB spot moving forward with Lattimore facing a lengthy injury absence for the second consecutive season. A lacerated kidney and broken ribs led to a 10-game stay on the sidelines last year, though Lattimore did not go on IR in that case. With him now guaranteed to be shelved for at least a medium-term stretch, veteran Isaac Yiadom (who has primarily played on special teams) could be in line to take on a starting role.

In more positive injury news, quarterback Derek Carr cleared concussion protocol on Thursday. He is thus in line to suit up tomorrow after exiting the Saints’ Week 12 game. With the team’s bye week having come and gone, Carr’s throwing shoulder – which was banged up earlier in the campaign – should also be healthier, which could lead to improvement in the passing game on offense. That would be a welcomed development for the 5-5 Saints as they look to maintain their lead in the NFC South down the stretch.

In addition to placing Lattimore on IR, the Saints made defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul a gameday elevation. The two-time Super Bowl winner signed last week to New Orleans’ practice squad, and it comes as no surprise that he will quickly be eligible to make his Saints debut. Fullback Adam Prentice was also elevated to the gameday roster for tomorrow’s contest against the Falcons.

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