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Go To: FlashUpdate / August Update Main Page
| New Orleans Saints | ||||||||||
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Go To: Off-season Team Review
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| Most Recent News Updates: | ||||||||||
| NOR -- TE Johnson Ready To Pick Up The Pace (9/01/18:02 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- WR Smith Likely To Miss Week 1 After Recent Groin Surgery (9/01/09:43 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Rookie RB Miller Dealing With A New Hamstring Injury (9/01/01:01 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Thomas Said Hardware Installed In Surgeries Was An Issue (8/30/21:12 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Jimmy Graham Makes The Final Cut (8/29/19:00 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Saints Deal Lutz; Grupe Opens Season As Their PK (8/29/12:31 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Graham Shows Up In Exhibition Closer (8/28/00:01 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Will Graham Make The Final Roster? Is Wil Lutz Safe? (8/27/18:08 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Carr Won't Play In Exhibition Finale (8/25/11:42 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Shaheed Returns To Practice After Extended Absence (8/24/16:9 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Juwan Johnson Becoming A Reliable Target For Carr (8/24/00:13 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Graham Back On The Practice Field; Saints Continue To Evaluate (8/22/13:28 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Saints Expect Graham To Resume Practicing Soon (8/22/16:56 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Saints Waive WR Edwards (8/22/15:42 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Miller, Fellow Rokies Shine In Win Over Chargers (8/21/00:39 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Jimmy Graham Arrested; Saints Say It Was A Medical Issue (8/19/12:15 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Saints Released Veteran WR Washington (8/15/15:41 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Saints May Have Found Something In Rookie WR Perry (8/15/07:51 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Carr Already Looking Comfortable In Saints Offense (8/15/00:10 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Saints Add Darrel Williams For Depth At RB (8/14/16:36 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Miller Won't Need Surgery; Rookie RB Could Return By Week 1 (8/14/16:10 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Miller Suffers Knee Sprain In Preseason Opener (8/13/17:05 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Saints Believe Thomas Can Get On Track (8/11/01:07 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Hunt Has Great Visit With Saints, But Will Visit Colts Next (8/08/15:07 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Report: Saints Expected To Sign Hunt If RB Passes Physical (8/08/11:19 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Observer: Carr On Point In Monday's Practice (8/08/00:53 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Report: Shaheed To Miss A Few Weeks With A Groin Injury (8/08/00:21 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Carr, Starters Will See Action In Exhibition Opener (8/08/00:12 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Kareem Hunt Visits Saints (8/08/00:06 CT) | ||||||||||
| NOR -- Initial Issues And Injuries Of Note (8/08/00:00 CT) | ||||||||||
Current News Updates
9/01 If you're searching for a sleeper candidate to make a leap in 2023, add NFL.com's Kevin Patra to the list of those touting TE Juwan Johnson. An undrafted free agent in 2020, Johnson transitioned from receiver to tight end, showing signs the arrow was pointing up last season. In 2022, Johnson generated 42 catches, 508 yards and seven touchdowns, tied for third-most among all tight ends. During offseason work and camp, Johnson has reportedly been a favorite target of new quarterback Derek Carr. Given the TE's size, athleticism, run-after-catch ability and catch radius, Johnson has the skill set to break out in 2023. "I've always seen myself being a good player," the tight end said, via the team's official website. "That's how I've always carried myself, going into high school and college, me being a good player but I know I always could be great. That's the tier I'm trying to break into, being great. ..." As Patra points out, the connection with Carr got to the point during camp that beat writers were openly pondering whether the Saints were intentionally not targeting Johnson during practices to get others involved. Johnson came on strong last season, with seven of his TDs coming in a seven-game stretch. The question is whether he'll see enough targets to really break out.9/01 Saints receiver Tre'Quan Smith underwent surgery to repair a groin injury last month and is expected to miss the team’s season opener against the Tennessee Titans Sept. 10, multiple sources told the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Friday. Smith suffered what head coach Dennis Allen called a groin injury during practice Aug. 5. He flew to Philadelphia shortly thereafter to be evaluated by Dr. William Meyers, a renowned specialist in sports hernia and core muscle repairs. Meyers performed the operation in Philadelphia and Smith stayed there for 10 days to rehab. Smith's timetable to return is unclear. Players who have undergone similar procedures have been sidelined from three to six weeks. Allen has not provided an update on Smith's status of late. He said Thursday he was unsure if the Saints would field a completely healthy roster for the opener. He said the team would determine injured reserve possibilities next week. If Smith misses the opener, it will be the third consecutive year that he’s been sidelined by injury in Week 1. He missed last year’s opener in Atlanta because of a shoulder injury. He was sidelined with a hamstring injury in the 2021 opener against the Green Bay Packers. Smith's unavailability would hurt the Saints' depth behind starters Chris Olave, Michael Thomas and Rashid Shaheed. Keith Kirkwood and rookie A.T. Perry are the only other receivers on the 53-man roster. Veteran Lynn Bowden, undrafted free agent Shaq Davis and Jontre Kirklin, a former undrafted free agent in his second year from LSU, are on the practice squad. 9/01 Rookie New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller is now managing a new hamstring injury after a knee issue slowed him down throughout the summer, per head coach Dennis Allen. Allen declined to say whether Miller would be able to return in time for Week 1’s home opener against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 10. But the team’s latest roster moves may tell us something about the state of the depth chart. The Saints are already thin at running back with Alvin Kamara suspended the first three games. They shuffled the depth chart a bit by signing rookie runner Jordan Mims and swapping first-year pro Ellis Merriweather for a veteran they know well in Tony Jones Jr., both moves on the practice squad. As USA Today notes, with just Miller, Jamaal Williams and Kirk Merritt (who missed most of the preseason with a groin injury) remaining on the 53-man roster, the Saints are suddenly looking less-stable in the backfield than they were just a few weeks ago. That’s going to make for tough sledding against one of the league’s best run defenses. 8/30 WR Michael Thomas is as healthy as he’s been in years and on track to be on the field for the start of the regular season after playing in just 10 games over the last three seasons. Ankle and toe surgeries were part of the reason for his absence. In both cases, hardware was inserted to help Thomas’ healing process but it did not wind up having the desired effect. Thomas said that the recovery from both surgeries was complicated by his body’s resistance to the outside hardware. "Your body responds and healing responds to it. Whatever, I guess is, the 1 percent? I guess I’m in that category. ... I don’t want to use this as an excuse,” Thomas said, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com. “But also, when you get surgeries and they put hardware in, sometimes your body rejects the hardware. ...” Now that the wideout is healthy again, New Orleans will be hoping that any surgical issues will be part of Thomas’ past rather than his future. 8/29 TE Jimmy Graham will continue to turn back the clock. Graham has made New Orleans’ initial 53-man roster, as the Saints announced their roster cuts on Tuesday. Graham, 36, caught four passes for 44 yards with a touchdown during the 2023 preseason. He has not played a regular-season game since 2021, when he caught 14 passes for 167 yards with three TDs in 15 games for Chicago. A Saints third-round pick in 2010, Graham last played for New Orleans in 2014. To reduce their roster to 53 players, the Saints released linebacker Ryan Connelly, tight end J.P. Holtz, tight end Jesse James, offensive tackle Storm Norton, cornerback Bradley Roby, linebacker Jaylon Smith, linebacker Ty Summers, and running back Darrel Williams. New Orleans waived safety Johnathan Abram, linebacker Nick Anderson, receiver Kawaan Baker, fullback Jake Bargas, receiver Lynn Bowden Jr., defensive lineman Jerron Cage, receiver Shaq Davis, defensive tackle Prince Emili, offensive lineman Mark Evans, guard Chuck Filiaga, defensive back Adrian Frye, punter Blake Gillikin, defensive tackle Jack Heflin, defensive back Anthony Johnson, offensive lineman Lewis Kidd, receiver Jontrae Kirklin, guard Tommy Kraemer, tight end Lucas Kroll, defensive end Niko Lalos, running back Ellis Merriweather, safety Smoke Monday, linebacker Anfernee Orji, defensive end Kyle Phillips, offensive lineman Alex Pihlstrom, defensive back Troy Pride, and offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton. ... Find the full list of announced moves on our NFL Roster Cuts page. 8/29 Denver is trading for New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz, according to multiple reports. The Saints signed Blake Grupe as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in the spring and he’ll be the team’s kicker entering the 2023 season. Grupe also played at Arkansas State from 2017-2021. He connected on 5-of-6 field goals in the preseason, his only miss coming from a long 60 yards. ... We'll be posting complete moves as they're reported through today's 4 p.m. ET deadline on our NFL Roster Cuts page. 8/28 As Profootballtalk.com framed it: "Welcome back, Jimmy Graham. ..." The tight end has played 12 NFL seasons but last played in 2021. He was anything but a lock to make the Saints’ roster after signing a one-year deal a month ago. That’s why Graham played in Sunday's ???? the Texans as the Saints rested many of their star players, including quarterback Derek Carr. If there was any question about whether Graham has anything left, he answered it Sunday night against the Texans. Graham made three catches for 34 yards, including a 25-yarder on a 50/50 ball and a 3-yard touchdown catch when he posted up on Texans cornerback Ka’dar Hollman. He was so excited after the long reception that he nearly knocked over coach Dennis Allen on the sideline. Graham, who played with the Saints from 2010-14, turned back the clock and likely earned a roster spot. It came only nine days after Graham was arrested in California after experiencing what the team called a “likely seizure” that caused him to become disoriented. He did not play in last Sunday’s game against the Chargers and just returned to practice the middle of last week. As NFL.com's Coral Smith suggested, Graham is not expected to see more time than some of the more established TEs on the roster, but the returning veteran could still find a role on the team in 2023. ... Backup quarterback Jameis Winston went 11-of-16 for 93 yards and the touchdown throw to Graham before departing. ... You can access complete stats for Saturday's Week 3 exhibition finale via our exclusive Fantasy BoxScore. 8/27 According to ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell, the Saints don't have many questions at the top of their roster except for what to do about veteran tight end Jimmy Graham, who rejoined the team in July after several years away. Do the Saints stick with the 36-year-old tight end or go with a younger player? Meanwhile, veteran kicker Wil Lutz has been challenged this summer by rookie Blake Grupe, who has been very impressive. According to Terrell, Grupe has shown that he can handle the pressure of a game-winning field goal, and his ability to kick a near 60-yard field goal in practice this week showed he's got the leg too. But do the Saints give up on the veteran Lutz after one down year coming off an injury? It feels like Lutz still has the edge after so many solid years in New Orleans, but Grupe has given him serious competition. 8/25 Derek Carr has seen his final game action of the preseason. HC Dennis Allen said that Carr will not play against the Texans on Sunday night. Carr was 6-of-8 for 70 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs in the team’s first preseason outing and he sat out last weekend’s game against the Chargers. Jameis Winston will start against Houston. Fourth-round pick Jake Haener will also see playing time to wrap up his first NFL preseason. Carr will turn his attention toward Week One when the Saints will host the Titans in what they hope will be a winning start to Carr’s run in New Orleans. 8/24 According to NFL.com, WR Rashid Shaheed (groin) returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since Aug. 6. 8/24 According to ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell, as Juwan Johnson enters Year 4, it’s become clear the team expects his star to rise. In the past few weeks he’s become one of quarterback Derek Carr’s most reliable targets. Carr is so high on Johnson's potential that he told his brother -- 2002 No. 1 overall pick David Carr -- to watch out for his fantasy potential in an NFL Network interview in July. "He's not a guy that's had 100 catches or anything like that, but with all the weapons that we have here, he could easily be one of those guys," Derek told his brother on July 29. The general public caught a glimpse of that connection when Johnson caught two passes for 29 yards on the Saints’ first and only touchdown drive with the starters in their first preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Carr said after the game that he’s going into the season intending to spread the ball around, a possibility that excited Johnson, who raved about players like running back Alvin Kamara (who will need to serve a three-game suspension) and wide receivers Michael Thomas and Chris Olave. But as long as Carr is raving about him, Johnson will have a role. 8/22 Jimmy Graham has gotten back to practice. After suffering what the Saints called a “likely seizure” that caused him to become disoriented over the weekend, Graham was on the field for Wednesday’s session. “I thought he looked good today,” head coach Dennis Allen said in his press conference. “I think we’re going to keep evaluating that. But certainly that was good to see the type of day he had today. He’s a big target and made some plays in a contested environment — a couple of plays across the middle, couple of red zone plays. So, things that I’ve seen him do in the past, I saw him do today, and that’s a good sign. ...” Graham, 36, signed a one-year deal to return to the Saints in late July. He last played for the Bears in 2021, catching 14 passes for 167 yards with three touchdowns. He last suited up for New Orleans in 2014 when he recorded 85 receptions for 889 yards with 10 TDs. 8/22 The Saints hope to have tight end Jimmy Graham back at practice this week. In case you missed it, Graham was arrested Friday night in California after experiencing what the team called a “likely seizure” that caused him to become disoriented. He didn’t play in Sunday night’s game against the Chargers and HC Dennis Allen said that Graham was “still shaken up” as a result of the episode. Allen also said Graham would have more tests and he was asked about them during his Tuesday press conference. “I’m not going to get into all the specifics in terms of what the results are or anything like that,” Allen said, via Doug Mouton of WWL. “I expect to see Jimmy out here, hopefully tomorrow. “I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to cause him to miss any significant amount of time. I expect him to be out her practicing really quickly. ..." Graham last played for the Bears in 2021 and signed on for his second tour with the Saints just before the start of training camp. He had one catch for 10 yards in the team’s first preseason game. 8/22 According to Field Yates, The Saints have waived WR Braylon Edwards 8/21 As NFL.com's Brenna White notes, the Saints rookies showed off their skills on offense in Sunday night's win over the Chargers. RB Kendre Miller bounced back from a preseason Week 1 injury and had a stellar performance. After a shaky start for the Saints and quarterback Jameis Winston, a 27-yard deep pass to Miller was immediately followed by a 7-yard rushing touchdown from the rookie out of TCU. Miller ended the night with 23 rushing yards and the TD on the ground. With New Orleans to play the first three games of the regular season without RB Alvin Kamara, keeping Miller in its back pocket could be a big benefit in the near future and down the line. In addition, first-year wide receivers Shaquan Davis made some impressive plays as he recorded three receptions for 63 yards, while Jontre Kirklin shined among the rest and turned the jets on with a 53-yard reception from QB Jake Haener. ... Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell wrote "Sunday's game certainly didn't come without drama: A tropical storm and an earthquake dominated the headlines prior to kickoff, and Saints tight end Jimmy Graham sat out after the team said they believed he had a seizure on Friday night." The Saints continue to struggle with penalties -- 14 for 141 yards on Sunday -- a theme from last week Saints coach Dennis Allen said needs to be fixed. 8/19 On the heels of news that Jimmy Graham was arrested on Friday night in Southern California, the Saints have issued a statement regarding the situation. “Jimmy Graham experienced a medical episode last evening, which resulted in him becoming disoriented,” the team said. “He was taken into custody by local authorities and transported to a local hospital for evaluation for what Dr. John Amoss believes to be a likely seizure and spent the night under medical supervision and testing. Amoss met Graham at the hospital and is overseeing his care at this time. He was released this morning and is with the team as they continue preparations for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers. ...” Graham returned to the Saints this year, eight years after exiting for Seattle. He spent his first five seasons in New Orleans. He has played for the Packers and Bears, too. Graham did not play in 2022. 8/15 According to Field Yates, The Saints have released veteran WR James Washington. 8/15 According to NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, the Saints may have found something in sixth-round rookie A.T. Perry, a big receiver many draftniks expected to be selected earlier. He led the team with six grabs for 70 yards and a touchdown. The Saints were thin at wideout not so long ago. With Michael Thomas healthy, it's a deep position in New Orleans. Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com says that second-year pro Chris Olave has been the "MVP" of training camp. ... Worth noting: The Saints targeted 17 players in Sunday's game. One of them was Jimmy Graham. 8/15 As NFL.com framed it, "Derek Carr was one-and-done in strong New Orleans debut. ..." Indeed, Carr's performance in Sunday's exhibition opener had all of the elements that the Saints wanted to see in his first game action with the team. After a couple years of inconsistent quarterback play since Drew Brees retired, Carr's arrival was supposed to signal a new era of Saints football. Judging by his play versus the Chiefs, the QB has already adjusted to life in the Big Easy. Carr looked comfortable moving around in the pocket, was able to connect with multiple players on pass plays and efficiently moved his offense down the field toward a touchdown, finishing the opening series 6-of-8 for 70 yards and the TD. There were glimpses of his connection with key players, including a 16-yard toss to Michael Thomas in the receiver's highly anticipated return from nagging injuries, plus multiple passes to both running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Juwan Johnson, spreading the wealth around the offense. Carr's clear comfort in orchestrating the scoring drive was evidently satisfactory for coach Dennis Allen, and the first-stringers' day ended after the one series. As the NFL.com piece summed up: "This was a limited sample size, as are most appearances by starters in August, but so far the good times seem to be rolling with Carr under center. ..." Meanwhile, NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal points out that Jameis Winston was all but perfect in a potential trade-showcase performance against the Chiefs. Then again, Winston could remain in New Orleans as Carr insurance if rookie Jake Haener continues to look like a rookie in game action, as he did Sunday. 8/14 The Saints needed running back help after Kendre Miller’s knee sprain. They brought in free agents Kylin Hill and Darrel Williams to workout for them Monday and decided to sign one of them. Williams has agreed to terms with the Saints, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports. It is a homecoming for Williams, who grew up in Louisiana and played at LSU. He spent his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs before going to the Cardinals last year. Williams played 99 offensive snaps and 48 on special teams in six games in 2022, totaling 25 touches for 111 yards and a touchdown. He has played 57 games with seven starts in his career, rushing for 1,014 yards and 11 touchdowns. 8/14 RB Kendre Miller suffered a knee sprain in Sunday's preseason win over the Chiefs, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported, per a source. Pelissero adds that no surgery is needed for Miller, who will likely miss time but there is optimism the rookie will be ready for Week 1. 8/13 According to Pro Football Talk, Saints rookie RB Kendre Miller suffered a knee sprain during Sunday’s preseason game against the Chiefs. The injury is believed to be on the same knee that Miller was rehabbing this offseason, per Mike Triplett. 8/11 The Saints list Michael Thomas as a starter, but General Manager Mickey Loomis was asked Thursday whether the team had to guard against counting too much on the three-time Pro Bowler because of his injury history. “I don’t look at it any different than you look at any player,” Loomis said. “Look, injuries happen. This isn’t like the same thing that’s happened to Mike three years in a row. He’s had some different things happen. What I don’t question is his desire, his work ethic, the things that he’s done 10 miles overboard in getting himself ready. And no one wants it more than him. ...” Since Thomas’ record-setting season of 2019 when he made 149 catches for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns, he has become something of an afterthought. No one mentions him among the top receivers in the game anymore. That’s because Thomas has missed 40 of 50 games the past three seasons, making only 56 catches for 609 yards and three touchdowns in that time. 8/08 Free-agent RB Kareem Hunt had what was called “a great visit with the Saints” and is now on his way to Indianapolis to meet with the Colts on Wednesday, per multipe reports. Previous reports suggested Hunt would sign with the Saints today, assuming he passed his physical. Apparently he's got more options. 8/08 According to Dianna Russini of ESPN, the Saints are expected to sign Kareem Hunt if the veteran running back passes his physical and is in shape. ... We'll continue watching for more. 8/08 According to ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell, the Saints ended Monday's (8/7) practice with a spirited two-minute drill session, and Carr looked like the quarterback they were hoping he would be when they signed him to a massive deal this offseason. Carr did not have an incompletion during the session, which simulated 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining in the first half. Carr completed passes to multiple players, including wide receiver Keith Kirkwood, wide receiver Chris Olave, tight end Juwan Johnson and running back Jamaal Williams. Terrell went on to notes that Johnson, who had three catches in that drill, made one of the best plays of the day, a back shoulder throw for a big gain. The Saints ended the session with a field goal by kicker Blake Grupe, who has been battling Wil Lutz for that spot all summer. 8/08 According to NewOrleans.Football, Rashid Shaheed is expected to miss a few weeks with a groin injury suffered over the weekend. 8/08 Head coach Dennis Allen told reporters on Monday that he plans to play the starters in Sunday’s matchup against the Chiefs — including quarterback Derek Carr. “It’s a new season, a new group, and I want to see our guys play,” Allen said, via Luke Johnson of Nola.com. Allen did not specify how much playing time the starters will receive, but noted that they will be on the field. Carr signed a four-year deal with the Saints in March after spending his first nine seasons with the Raiders. Last year, he completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 3,522 yards with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 15 games for Las Vegas. 8/08 Kareem Hunt could be part of the Saints’ plan to fill in for Alvin Kamara, who is suspended three games, at the start of the regular season. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that Hunt will visit with the Saints. Hunt ran 123 times for 468 yards and three touchdowns with Cleveland last season. The Saints also have Jamaal Williams and third-round pick Kendre Miller as options behind Kamara. 8/08 According to ESPN.com's Katherine Terrell, the Saints have been prepared for months about the reality of Alvin Kamara missing time for his role in a 2022 fight outside of a Las Vegas nightclub at the Pro Bowl. They signed running back Jamaal Williams, who led the league with 17 rushing touchdowns last year. They also added TCU running back Kendre Miller in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. Both will have roles during Kamara's three-game suspension. Terrell went on to note the idea behind the signing of free agent quarterback Derek Carr and a number of offensive additions is that no one player has to shoulder the entire load. Even though Kamara’s snap counts jumped significantly the past two seasons, his statistics didn’t hit the highs they had in previous years. Allen said some of the Saints' biggest offensive successes came when they had a running back by committee type of approach. That’s the approach they want with all of their pass-catchers this season after they fell out of the top 10 in both scoring and total offense the past few years. Part of that was because of their search for a quarterback. Another issue was the absence of Michael Thomas, who was once a huge chunk of the offense, catching 274 passes for 3,130 yards and 18 touchdowns from 2018 to 2019. But while the Saints are cautiously optimistic about Thomas' health, they’re also confident that Thomas, healthy or not, won’t need to catch a record number of passes like he did when he had 149 receptions in 2019. Second-year players such as Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed certainly could cut into the number of targets sent to Thomas. The running backs will also be a presence in the passing game this year. Williams doesn’t have the 80-reception season that Kamara boasts on his resume, but he caught more than 30 passes twice when in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers. .... For what it's worth, Thomas was cleared for full participation in practice out of the gate in training camp and he hasn’t had any setbacks over the first week of work. Beyond that, Shaheed and Tre'Quan Smith left practice on 8/5 with groin injuries. But head coach Dennis Allen said they’re hoping those are all minor. The news isn't as good for Eno Benjamin, who ruptured his Achilles on 8/5. Benjamin will likely miss the 2023 season.
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 Team Review
Fantasy Grade: B-
The beginning of the post-Drew Brees era for the Saints was, urn, yeah — New Orleans won just seven games in 2022 and finished the season 22nd in scoring. The team decided that going the veteran retread route at quarterback was a step in the right direction, so when the Raiders cut bait on Derek Carr the Saints scooped the 32-year-old up. Joining the Saints means learning a new offense, but Saints head coach Dennis Allen expressed confidence that Carrs experience will help him pick things up quickly. "I think any time you're doing something new there's a learning curve to it. Hes been around a lot of football, he's been in a lot of offensive systems. Probably as much as anything it's just some terminology stuff that he's got to get used to. It's a different language, so he's kind of learning a different language right now. But I think he's working extremely hard at it.' Carr isn't likely to be fantasy-relevant in non-superflex formats, but his No. 1 receiver certainly is. Chris Olave shined as a rookie in 2022, and Russell Brown of Fantasy Pros expects (Nave to take another step for-ward in 2023. "As you watch Dave play,' he said, "you'll see he's an elite separator with how he runs his routes in the short areas of the field, but hall get more consistent quarter-back play from Derek Carr. I expect Olave to take a leap into the top 10 for wide receivers in fantasy football. He should easily outplay his average draft position." Running back Alvin Kamara has long been a fantasy stalwart, but after finishing outside the top-15 in PPR points in 2022 Ka mara's prospects for this year are cloudy. For starters, Kamara could be facing a six-game personal conduct suspension after an off-season assault arrest, and the arrival of Jamaal Williams could mean fewer touches this season. With third-round pick Kendre Miller also in the mix, the New Orleans' backfield could easily descend into a full-blown committee attack. That makes trusting any Saints back in fantasy something of a dicey proposition. Like Kamara, Michael Thomas was once a fantasy stud and first-round pick. Thomas suffered through another injury-marred season in 2022, but Allen isn't counting the veteran wideout out just yet. Tight now he's still going through some of the rehab pro-cess," Allen said. "He had some hardware removed out of that foot that he had surgery on this past season. He's doing really well. He's working extremely hard." The Saints' confidence in Thomas is well and good. But given how long it has been since he was a factor in fantasy leagues, drafters would be well-served to adopt a `believe it when you see it, philosophy. | ||||||||||
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2023 Off-Season News & Views
Click here for Complete set of News & Views
Click here for earlier off-season items |
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