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Shane Lemieux

Saints Place Chris Olave On IR, Activate Shane Lemieux, Will Harris

November 9th, 2024 at 6:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints have officially placed Chris Olave on injured reserve. The third-year wideout will miss at least the first four games as a result, although his availability for the remainder of the season is in question.

Olave is dealing with his second concussion of the season, which also represents his fourth in less than three full campaigns in the NFL. The 24-year-old’s visits with specialists will determine his next steps, but for at least the immediate future he will be unavailable to the 2-7 Saints as they begin life with Darren Rizzi as head coach. New Orleans has already lost fellow WR starter Rashid Shaheed for the season.

Olave is under contract through 2025 as things stand, but his fifth-year option for the following season could be exercised this spring. A decision on that front – or any approach with respect to a long-term extension, of course – will be dictated in large part by the Ohio State product’s prognosis. Given how far the Saints are from postseason contention along with the long-term approach being taken by team and player, attention will increasingly turn toward Olave’s Week 1 availability in 2025.

New Orleans will have a pair of returnees in the lineup for Week 10, however. The team also announced on Saturday that offensive lineman Shane Lemieux has been activated from IR. The 27-year-old took over as the first-team option at center once Erik McCoy was injured; McCoy has been ruled out for tomorrow’s contest, so Lemieux could reprise that role now that he is healthy. If not, he will be an option in the middle but also at guard as the Saints look to establish a consistent lineup along the O-line to close out the year.

Safety Will Harris has also been activated from IR. A hamstring injury led him to injured reserve roughly one month ago, interrupting his debut campaign in New Orleans. Harris started each of his five appearances prior to going down, serving in a first-team role after he did so during parts of his five-year Lions tenure. Harris, 28, will look to aid a defense which ranks 27th against the pass this season.

These moves will leave the Saints with five IR activations on the year. Bringing Olave back into the fold at some point would lower that figure, but it appears signficant progress will need to be made in his recovery for that to become a consideration.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/30/24

October 30th, 2024 at 7:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/7/24

October 7th, 2024 at 8:33pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the minor moves made around the NFL on Monday:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Received one-game roster exemption: WR Zay Jones

Atlanta Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

  • Received one-game roster exemption: DT Mike Hall

Green Bay Packers

Philadelphia Eagles

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Both Jones and Hall were issued suspensions under the personal conduct policy leaving them sidelined for the first five weeks of the season. Their roster exemptions will allow them to make their debuts in Week 6, but after that point a corresponding move will be needed for them to be permanently activated to their respective 53-man rosters.

Lemieux served as New Orleans’ starting center in Week 4 after being promoted from the practice squad. He stepped into a first-team role in place of Erik McCoy, who is dealing with a groin injury. Losing Lemieux for at least the next four games will deal another blow to the Saints’ O-line. Connor McGovern was added to the mix recently, but Lucas Patrick has received the nod at center to begin the team’s Week 5 matchup.

Saints Work Out Brian Allen, Add Chris Reed; Team Signs Shane Lemieux From Practice Squad

September 25th, 2024 at 4:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following a 2-0 start featuring a suddenly explosive offense and their veteran-laden defense performing well, the Saints lost in Week 3 and came out of it worse for wear. Plenty of questions now face New Orleans, which was missing several key contributors at practice Wednesday.

Among them, the last two members of the team’s Drew Brees offensive lines. Erik McCoy is heading to IR, and right guard Cesar Ruiz is battling both knee and ankle injuries. Coming into the season with issues up front, New Orleans now has injury hurdles to negotiate early. As a result, reinforcements are coming.

One of them will move up from the practice squad, with another coming from outside the organization. Shane Lemieux is being signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad, per ESPN.com’s Katherine Terrell, while NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill indicates Chris Reed is joining team’s P-squad.

While Reed comes to New Orleans from Minnesota, his Vikings tenure did not overlap with new OC Klint Kubiak‘s. Reed spent the previous two seasons in Minnesota, after Kubiak had moved on, and worked as a Vikings backup. Reed, who worked as a Panthers regular starter in 2020 and a Colts fill-in starter in 2021, will mix in at a reeling position group.

Oli Udoh, who started 16 games at guard for the Vikings during Kubiak’s 2021 season as OC, moved into the lineup once McCoy went down against the Eagles. Udoh kicked Lucas Patrick from left guard to center, and the Saints figure to lean on the versatile blocker’s experience there for the foreseeable future. The Saints have a younger option as well in Nick Saldiveri, a 2023 fourth-round pick. The Old Dominion alum began training camp working as the first-string left guard. Patrick eventually won the job, but both Udoh and Saldiveri could be summoned if Ruiz cannot go in Week 4.

Lemieux, who became a Giants starter as a rookie, battled constant injury trouble during his final three seasons in New York. A severe foot injury sidelined the former fifth-round pick for almost all of the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Lemieux returned in 2022 but played in only one game. A biceps injury in practice last October ended Lemieux’s contract year on a familiar note. This represents another shot for a player who has played in just six games over the past three seasons.

Reed joined Brian Allen and others, ex-Colts backup Josh Sills among them, at Wednesday’s workout. Formerly the Rams’ starting center in Super Bowl LVI who worked as the team’s starter for three seasons during an injury-plagued run in Los Angeles, Allen lost his job to Coleman Shelton last season and became an offseason cap casualty. Previously given a three-year, $18MM Rams deal, Allen could not make the Browns’ 53-man roster in August.

Saints Place RB Kendre Miller On IR, Reduce Squad To 53

August 27th, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Saints moved their roster down to the regular-season 53-man limit:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on IR:

Placed on IR/return designation:

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

A host of vested vets are off the Saints’ roster, and Miller will be for a stretch as well. Miller has been down with a hamstring injury for several weeks, suffering the setback minutes into the team’s initial training camp workout. This lingering into the regular season is a concerning development for both parties. Hamstring trouble limited Miller late last summer as well. The Saints still roster Jamaal Williams behind Alvin Kamara, but they used a third-round pick on Miller last year. The TCU alum logged 41 carries as a rookie, but a new OC (Klint Kubiak) is now calling the shots.

Kpassagnon sustained an Achilles tear early this offseason, and he will miss at least four games. Rookie UDFA Mason Tipton made the roster over St. Brown, while offseason pickup Will Harris secured a spot over Abram. The Saints kept Lucas Patrick and Oli Udoh over Davis and Lemieux, who had been attempting to bounce back from an injury-plagued Giants tenure.

NFC Contract Details: Saints, Sewell, Elliott

May 5th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Ely Allen

The Saints made a couple of roster moves in recent weeks that we’re finally getting to some details on. These include the deals to sign guard Shane Lemieux, offensive lineman Justin Herron, and defensive back Will Harris and the retirement of offensive lineman James Hurst.

Lemieux and Herron were both signed shortly after the NFL Draft. According to Katherine Terrell of ESPN, Lemieux signed a one-year deal at the veteran minimum of $1.06MM, all of which will count against the salary cap. Herron’s deal is also for one year at the league minimum of $1.13MM. Due to the veteran salary benefit, his contract will only count $985K against the cap.

Harris signed at the turn of the month earlier this week. After five years with the Lions, Terrell tells us that Harris is joining the Saints on a one-year deal worth $1.29MM with a base salary of $1.13MM and a signing bonus of $167.5K. The guaranteed amount of his deal will include the signing bonus and $324K of his base salary. Harris’ contract will count for $1.15MM against the salary cap.

Lastly, Terrell tells us that Hurst, who announced his retirement back in April, will still count against the salary cap. He will count as $2.28MM in dead money, including a $1.5MM roster bonus.

Here are details on a couple other deals reached around the NFC in recent weeks:

  • We already knew some details on Penei Sewell‘s extension with the Lions, but thanks to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, we now have a bit more detail. The deal includes a fully guaranteed amount of $42.99MM consisting of a $15MM signing bonus, a $25MM option bonus in 2025, full base salaries from 2024 to 2026 of $1.45MM, $1.54MM, and $19.9MM, and $12.11MM of the 2027 base salary (worth $23.9MM total). He’ll receive $100K workout bonuses in each offseason after 2025 and a potential $2.5MM roster bonus in 2029.
  • We had some details on Ezekiel Elliott‘s reunion with the Cowboys, but ESPN’s Todd Archer provided some additional detail. We now know that the deal includes a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.25MM and signing bonus of $375K. Elliott can earn an active roster bonus of $375K and will count for $2MM against the cap. He can earn an additional $1MM in incentives, all of which require a playoff berth ($250K for 1,100 scrimmage yards, $250K for 10 touchdowns, and $500K for over 50 percent of the team’s offensive snaps).

Saints To Sign G Shane Lemieux, OL Justin Herron

April 29th, 2024 at 4:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Facing some uncertainty on the offensive line, the Saints reinvested — via their second first-round tackle pick in three years — over the weekend and are continuing to add to the group. They are bringing in two veteran pieces Monday.

Shane Lemieux and Justin Herron are signing with the team, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets. Lemieux came to town on a visit today, per ESPN.com’s Field Yates. Lemieux played out his rookie contract with the Giants last season, while Herron split his with the Patriots and Raiders.

The Saints added Oregon State tackle Taliese Fuaga at No. 14 overall but did not draft any more O-linemen over the weekend. Lemieux and Herron will now represent potential depth pieces for an offensive front that is going into OTAs with significant questions. Trevor Penning, a 2022 first-rounder, has not panned out. Three-year starter James Hurst, who filled in at both guard and left tackle, retired just before the draft. All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk is not certain to play this season, putting his career at a crossroads.

Injuries on their rookie deals left Lemieux and Herron at crossroad points early in their careers — Lemieux more so than Herron. The Giants used Lemieux as a regular guard starter in 2020, but a severe foot injury sidelined him for almost all of the 2021 and ’22 seasons. Lemieux returned in 2022 but played in only one game. This represents an interesting flier by the Saints, as Lemieux has only suited up for five contests since that 2021 foot injury. A biceps injury in practice last October ended Lemieux’s contract year on a familiar note.

Chosen a round after Lemieux in 2020, Herron — a sixth-round selection by the Patriots — started 10 games for New England from 2020-21. Herron saw most of his work at left tackle, filling in for Isaiah Wynn, in 2020 before splitting time between left and right tackle the following year. Traded to the Raiders in a pick-swap deal in September 2022, Herron played in only seven games (one start) with Las Vegas. He suffered a torn ACL in October 2023.

While Herron and Lemieux could represent swing options for the Saints up front, both qualify as reclamation projects. The team has not re-signed longtime starter Andrus Peat and has added Vikings spot starter Oli Udoh. Penning could continue as an overdrafted swing tackle — though, the Saints may well need the Northern Iowa alum to start, given Ramczyk’s status — while the Saints also traded up for O-lineman Nick Saldiveri in last year’s fourth round.

Giants To Place G Shane Lemieux On IR

October 19th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Sam Robinson

The hits are not stopping on the Giants’ offensive line. Battered by injuries over the season’s first several weeks, the team will lose one of its cogs for the year. Shane Lemieux suffered a biceps injury in practice, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero.

Lemieux went down with a biceps tear on Wednesday and is headed to IR. The Giants signed Sean Harlow off their practice squad to replace Lemieux on the 53-man roster. This deals a contract-year lineman a tough blow and brings more trouble for a Giants O-line that has needed to make numerous adjustments to trot out a healthy five this season.

The Giants came into their Week 6 matchup without starting left tackle Andrew Thomas and starting center John Michael Schmitz. The team then needed to move Justin Pugh to left tackle, minutes after the veteran guard’s “straight off the couch” intro debuted on NBC, following second-string blind-sider Joshua Ezeudu went down. Ezeudu is now on IR due to a toe injury. Schmitz has missed the past two games due to injuries sustained on a failed “Tush Push” attempt in Week 4, while Thomas’ setback in a recovery from a hamstring injury has extended his absence. The All-Pro left tackle has not played since Week 1.

For Lemieux, this is familiar territory. Chosen in the 2020 fifth round, Lemieux moved Will Hernandez to a rotational role and entered the 2021 season as a starter as well. But Lemieux began the 2021 slate with a knee injury and ended up playing just 17 snaps that season. He ended up on IR after Week 1 that year and did not return to action until Week 11 of last season. Lemieux’s 2022 campaign ended up also being capped at one game. Activated from IR last November, Lemieux ended the month back on the injured list because of a toe injury. This season marked Lemieux’s first multi-game year since 2020, and a previous absence came about after a groin injury in Week 4.

A Dave Gettleman-era investment, Lemieux did not factor into the Giants’ three-man competition for the guard positions during training camp. The Giants pitted Ezeudu, Mark Glowinski and Ben Bredeson against each other, with the veterans winning the gigs. Glowinski’s struggles to start his second Giants season led Lemieux back into the lineup, however. Lemieux, 26, returned from his groin malady in Buffalo but played behind Pugh and Glowinski.

Thomas, Schmitz, starting right tackle Evan Neal and swingman Matt Peart did not practice Wednesday for the Giants, who may need to start Pugh at left tackle in Week 7. A five-season guard starter in Arizona, Pugh played right tackle at points during his first go-round in New York. The 2013 first-rounder settled in at guard, leading to a nice free agency payday in 2018. But this dire situation may slide the 11th-year blocker back outside.

Latest On Giants’ Offensive Line

October 5th, 2023 at 2:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Andrew Thomas‘ absence was glaringly visible on a historically bad pass-protection night. The Giants’ 11 sacks allowed set a Monday Night Football record, with backup left tackle Joshua Ezeudu struggling as the Seahawks padded their total late in the rout.

The Giants are expected to be without Thomas against the Dolphins as well. Brian Daboll said he is leaning no on the All-Pro left tackle coming back for Week 5. Thomas sustained a setback on his way back from the strained hamstring he suffered in Week 1, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. This will make four straight absences.

Ezeudu, who worked as a backup left tackle during parts of training camp, was expected to win one of the guard battles this summer. But those went to Ben Bredeson and Mark Glowinski. Though, the team’s setup inside has changed as well. Despite signing a three-year deal worth $18.3MM, Glowinski has endured multiple demotions this season. The Giants benched the longtime Colts starter after his Week 1 struggles, and the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy notes the veteran has been bumped to the bottom of the depth chart.

New York demoted Glowinski a second time during Week 2, and he did not play an offensive snap in Week 3. Bredeson and 2022 fifth-round pick Marcus McKethan, who missed all of his rookie year due to an ACL tear, opened Week 4 as Big Blue’s guard starters. Pro Football Focus ranks all three blockers outside the top 55 among guards. Shane Lemieux started ahead of Glowinski in Week 3 but suffered a groin injury Monday. The door keeps reopening for Glowinski, a four-year Colts right guard starter whom PFF viewed as a top-30 guard in his first Giants season. A 2024 release seems likely at this point, however. That move will save the Giants $5.7MM.

The Giants did not invest much in guards this offseason, having signed Glowinski in March 2022 and drafted Ezeudu in Round 3 a month later. No answers have come for the team, which has also seen right tackle Evan Neal continue to struggle. This allowed for Seahawks target practice on Daniel Jones on Monday night, and the Giants have since added Justin Pugh. The former 2013 Giants draftee joined the practice squad, but given the team’s guard state, the five-year Cardinals starter should be expected to be elevated soon.

Some additional shuffling became required after center John Michael Schmitz suffered a shoulder injury on the Giants’ failed “Tush Push”-style QB sneak. Adding insult to injury, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes tight end Daniel Bellinger sustained an MCL strain on that play. While Bellinger’s injury is seen as moderate, the Giants losing two regulars on that play — after only previously repping it in a walkthrough setting — compounds the troubles they are experiencing up front.

Matt Peart resides as the only other tackle on the Giants’ roster, in the event the team benches Ezeudu. Thomas, who is now the NFL’s second-highest-paid O-lineman after signing a $23.5MM-per-year extension this summer, is on track to match his career high for single-season absences. He missed four games in 2021 as well.

Giants Add G Justin Pugh To Practice Squad

October 3rd, 2023 at 12:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

In the wake of one of the worst pass-protecting performances in primetime NFL history, the Giants will add an experienced reinforcement. Their recent Justin Pugh visit will produce a reunion.

Pugh is rejoining the Giants on a practice squad deal, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets. A Giants first-round pick back in 2013, Pugh spent five seasons with the franchise before joining the Cardinals as a free agent in 2018. Pugh expressed interest in rejoining the Giants late this summer and worked out for his old team last month. He will join a team reeling up front.

The 11th-year veteran suffered a torn ACL in Week 6 of last season, cutting his Cardinals contract year short. Pugh, 33, considered retirement before last season but had said he received interest from a few teams this offseason. The in-season signing likely comes due to his health, but he received clearance in late August.

The Giants have top-10 draftees at both tackle spots, and second-rounder John Michael Schmitz is in place to stop a center carousel. But the team has not invested too much at guard. Mark Glowinski is attached to a midlevel free agency pact, but the ex-Colts starter needed to compete for his job in training camp and was benched in Week 2. While the Giants did not pursue guards in free agency, letting Nick Gates walk, they are rather desperate for help now.

Injuries, however, have significantly affected the team. Joshua Ezeudu, a guard by trade, has started in place of Thomas at left tackle. Schmitz suffered an injury on the Giants’ failed effort to replicate the Eagles’ “Tush Push/Brotherly Shove” play Monday night. Brian Daboll said (via Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano) the team had not repped that particular QB sneak in practice, only doing so in a walkthrough. The Giants also finished Monday night’s game without backup Shane Lemieux, who suffered a groin injury. The Seahawks finished the 24-3 win with a Monday Night Football-record 11 sacks.

After vacillating between guard and right tackle during his first Giants go-round, Pugh signed with the Cardinals as a guard. He signed a five-year, $45MM contract and started 56 games for the team from 2018-22. (He started 63 games for the Giants, being a regular on the last batch of Eli Manning-led teams.) Pugh represented an O-line constant during Kyler Murray‘s ascent, helping the team to the playoffs in 2021. That season, Pugh ranked fifth among guards in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric.

The Giants will hope the veteran blocker can reprise his pre-injury form. It should be expected Pugh will be promoted to the active roster soon, pending a successful ramp-up period.

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