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Michael Thomas Michael Thomas Making progress
Fri, May 6, 2022, 3:03 PM
Coach Dennis Allen noted that the Saints feel good about where Thomas (ankle) stands in terms of his injury rehab, but acknowledged that there's "still a few hurdles" ahead for the wideout.
Analysis: With that in mind, it seems as though Thomas -- who didn't play last season -- will be limited to some degree upon his return to the field. However, in the absence of any setbacks in the coming months, the 29-year-old appears poised to reclaim his spot atop the Saints' wideout depth chart which was recently bolstered by the team's selection of Chris Olave with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. |
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Mark Ingram Mark Ingram Still in backup mix
Fri, May 6, 2022, 2:41 PM
In the wake of the recent NFL Draft, Ingram continues to slot in as Alvin Kamara's top backup, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reports.
Analysis: Terrell suggests that it seemed as though the Saints might add a running back in the draft, but instead the team opted to add depth on the front by signing Abram Smith as a UDFA. Also in the backup mix are Tony Jones and Dwayne Washington, but as things stand, Ingram appears to be next in line for carries in the event that Kamara misses time for any reason. It's still possible, however, that New Orleans brings in more competition and the 32-year-old Ingram will need to hold off challenges from the likes of Jones and Smith in the coming months in order to maintain his depth chart standing. |
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Jameis Winston Jameis Winston Targeting Week 1 return
Fri, May 6, 2022, 10:15 AM
Coach Dennis Allen said Friday "the plan" is for Winston (knee) to start Week 1, Rod Walker of The Times-Picayune reports.
Analysis: Allen noted that there are still "a lot of days between now and Week 1," but that "we certainly like where [Winston] is right now" as the quarterback works his way back from a left ACL tear. Winston has already begun rehabbing from surgery undergone last November, and while his real recovery progress may not be made apparent until he begins taking reps in offseason workouts, it currently looks like the 28-year-old is on track to open the season. New Orleans' offense could take a step forward in the 2022 campaign, with two first-round rookies joining the fold. Left tackle Trevor Penning will help keep Winston upright following the departure of Terron Armstead (knee), while former Ohio State standout Chris Olave provides another legitimate option in the passing game alongside presumed top target Michael Thomas (ankle). |
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Alvin Kamara Alvin Kamara Legal hearing postponed
Mon, Apr 25, 2022, 3:23 PM
Kamara's legal case pending in Las Vegas has been pushed back to Aug. 1, Amie Just of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Analysis: Kamara is facing two battery-related charges as a result of a February incident at a Las Vegas establishment. It's not clear if this delay in the legal process will impact Kamara's availability for the start of Saints training camp in late July. |
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Dwayne Washington Dwayne Washington Re-signs with New Orleans
Mon, Apr 18, 2022, 2:40 PM
Washington signed a one-year contract with the Saints on Monday.
Analysis: Washington was drafted by the Lions in the seventh round of the 2016 Draft and has appeared in 71 regular-season games and four postseason contests. He's totaled 157 carries for 554 yards and one touchdown while catching 15 passes for 94 yards during his seven-year career. Since joining New Orleans in 2018, Washington has been a standout special-teams player and figures to garner a similar role in 2022. |
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Lil'Jordan Humphrey Lil'Jordan Humphrey Re-ups with Saints
Thu, Mar 31, 2022, 10:54 AM
New Orleans re-signed Humphrey, a restricted free agent, to a contract Wednesday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Analysis: Humphrey recently dealt with an ankle injury, per Underhill, but he's fully on track for the start of the offseason program. After compiling a career-high 249 receiving yards through 10 games last season, Humphrey figures to once again compete for a depth role with the Saints. |
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Andy Dalton Andy Dalton Signing with Saints
Tue, Mar 29, 2022, 11:41 AM
Dalton agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract worth up to $6 million with the Saints, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Schefter reports that Dalton's deal includes $3 million guaranteed. The 34-year-old, who logged six starts for the Bears in 2021, gives the Saints an experienced backup option behind presumed starter Jameis Winston (knee). Taysom Hill will primarily see snaps as a tight end instead of at quarterback in 2022. |
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Taysom Hill Taysom Hill Focusing on TE position
Tue, Mar 29, 2022, 8:16 AM
Coach Dennis Allen said Tuesday that the plan is for Hill (foot) to "focus" on playing tight end, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football reports.
Analysis: The Saints' new coaching staff doesn't appear as intrigued with Hill's potential as a dual-threat quarterback as Sean Payton once was. This offseason, it appears that Hill will return to a familiar gadget role that primarily involves taking snaps as a tight end. Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Advocate recently reported that Hill, who is recovering from left foot surgery to address a Lisfranc injury, was never in the mix for the starting quarterback gig this offseason, and the team has since re-signed Jameis Winston (knee). What remains to be seen is whether Hill could still operate as a backup quarterback, or if his time under center has run its course entirely for New Orleans. |
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Jameis Winston Jameis Winston Progressing well
Mon, Mar 28, 2022, 2:43 PM
Winston indicated Monday that he's "ahead of schedule" in his recovery from a torn ACL.
Analysis: The QB, who the Saints re-signed to a two year deal last week, added that he'll be back "well before training camp." Winston is bouncing back from knee surgery that he underwent in mid-November, but with his rehab evidently progressing well, the 28-year-old is trending toward being ready for Week 1 action. While it remains to be seen exactly when Winston will be able to practice fully, his 2022 fantasy prospects are bolstered by the fact that top target Michael Thomas (ankle) is on track to rejoin the team's wideout mix after missing last season, as well as the return to the fold of Tre'Quan Smith, who re-upped with New Orleans on Monday. |
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Tre'Quan Smith Tre'Quan Smith Back with Saints
Mon, Mar 28, 2022, 12:41 PM
Smith has signed a two-year deal with the Saints, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Per Yates, Smith's deal to remain with the Saints carries a base value of $6 million, with the chance to earn the wideout another $4.5 million through incentives and escalators. The 26-year-old is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he caught 32 of his 50 targets for 377 yards and three TDs in 11 games. This coming season, the 2018 third-rounder is in line to compete for targets behind Michael Thomas (ankle) with the likes of Marquez Callaway (thumb) and Deonte Harris in the team's Jameis Winston-led offense. Moreover, there's a chance that New Orleans could add further wide receiver depth via free agency or the draft. |
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Jameis Winston Jameis Winston Re-signs with Saints
Mon, Mar 21, 2022, 1:39 PM
Winston (knee) agreed Monday with the Saints on a two-year deal, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: It's a better contract than the one Winston signed last offseason, with Pelissero reporting a base value of $28 million, including $21 million guaranteed. That suggests other teams were interested, despite Winston's ongoing recovery from the ACL tear he suffered Oct. 31. The 28-year-old QB had surgery in mid-November, so while he may not be available for spring practices, the Saints presumably expect him to be ready to start in advance of Week 1. |
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Marquez Callaway Marquez Callaway Recovering from thumb surgery
Fri, Mar 18, 2022, 2:33 PM
Callaway had offseason surgery on his thumb, Nader Mirfiq of Rare Media Live reports.
Analysis: Callaway has plenty of time to recover before training camp, at which point he'll likely be in the mix for the Saints' second or third wideout spot. Michael Thomas is expected to come back as the far-and-away No. 1, with Callaway and Deonte Harris the current favorites to earn key roles behind Thomas among the team's holdovers from 2021. While he fell far short of the summer hype, Callaway did finish last season with a respectable 46-698-6 receiving line on 84 targets, making him the leading receiver for one of the league's worst passing attacks. |
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Taysom Hill Taysom Hill Not in mix for starting job
Mon, Mar 14, 2022, 5:21 PM
The idea of Hill (foot) competing for the Saints' starting job at quarterback has "run its course," Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Advocate reports.
Analysis: Given the 6-to-9-month timeline to recover from his Lisfranc injury, Hill was not certain to be ready for the start of the 2022 campaign anyway. However, with Sean Payton now retired, it appears the Payton-led Hill experiment may be over regardless. Not only did New Orleans find limited success with Hill as a starter, he could hardly hold up to increased usage in a part-time role given the laundry list of injuries he dealt with last season. Instead, it seems that Hill will go back to being used as the position-flexible gadget player we've seen before thanks to the return of offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. Meanwhile, the Saints likely will explore different options for its starting signal-caller, including a possible reunion with Jameis Winston (knee). |
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Deonte Harty Deonte Harris Gets second-round tender
Mon, Mar 14, 2022, 2:42 PM
The Saints are giving Harris a second-round tender, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: This all but assures the restricted free agent will stay with the Saints, as no team would give up a second-round pick for the right to sign him. Harris did have a career year in 2021 as the Saints' No. 3 receiver and return specialist, catching 36 of 59 targets for 570 yards and three touchdowns. Listed at 5-foot-6, 170 pounds, Harris likely will be the team's third or fourth receiver in 2022. |
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Alvin Kamara Alvin Kamara Contract restructured
Fri, Mar 11, 2022, 11:00 AM
By converting $10.47 million of what Kamara was in line to be paid this coming season into a signing bonus, the Saints have created $8.37 million in salary cap space for 2022, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Per Ross Jackson of The USA Today, restructuring the terms of Kamara's deal frees up much-needed cap space for the team as free agency approaches. Jackson also notes that a court hearing related to Kamara's battery case, stemming from the running back's arrest last month following an alleged altercation in Las Vegas, has been pushed back to April 25. The 26-year-old finished the 2021 season with 240 carries for 898 yards and four TDs in 13 games to go along with 47 catches (on 67 targets) for 439 yards and five receiving scores. |
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Michael Thomas Michael Thomas On track to return
Fri, Mar 4, 2022, 10:37 AM
GM Mickey Loomis noted Thursday that Thomas is on track to return to the mix in 2022 after not playing last season due to a left ankle injury that required surgery, John DeShazier of the Saints' official site reports.
Analysis: "We're expecting to have Mike back," Loomis said of Thomas, who was the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2019. "His progress hopefully is going well, and the reports are that it's been going well. I know he is certainly motivated; Michael is always motivated, so that's not an issue." While the Saints expect Thomas back this coming season to provide a boost to their pass-catching corps, which wideouts the 29-year-old -- who is signed through 2024 -- will be working alongside in 2022 remains to be determined, with Tre'Quan Smith slated to become an unrestricted free agent and Deonte Harris a restricted free agent. |
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Juwan Johnson Juwan Johnson Signs one-year deal
Thu, Mar 3, 2022, 11:49 AM
Johnson, who had been an exclusive rights free agent, has signed a one-year deal with the Saints, Luke Johnson of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Analysis: Johnson, who joined the Saints as a UDFA in 2020, switched from wideout to tight end last season and ended up logging 13 catches (on 22 targets) for 159 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games. Now that he's back in the fold, the 25-year-old will continue to work in a New Orleans TE corps that also includes Adam Trautman, Nick Vannett, Ethan Wolf and Dylan Soehner, with Garrett Griffin slated to become a restricted free agent. As long as Trautman remains healthy and available, however, Johnson is off the fantasy radar in most formats. |
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Garrett Griffin Garrett Griffin Four catches in 2021
Mon, Feb 28, 2022, 6:21 PM
Griffin caught four of four targets for 39 yards across 13 games in 2021.
Analysis: Finally seeing consistent playing time, Griffin saw snaps on offense and special teams in every game appearance before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 14. However, the 27-year-old participated in practice after being designated to return from IR in early January, per Nick Underhill of of WWL-TV, so Griffin seems to be entering the offseason in good shape. |
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Jameis Winston Jameis Winston Resumes running
Mon, Feb 28, 2022, 11:33 AM
Winston (knee) has progressed to running on an anti-gravity treadmill, per the Instagram account of physical therapist Kevin Wilk.
Analysis: Winston was shown going through agility ladders last week, and Monday marks his first day of running in any capacity since tearing his ACL last November. While it's still hard to guess when he could be cleared for on-field football activities, it doesn't seem like Winston's recovery could be going any better. That's great news for the impending free agent who is expected to open contract negotiations with New Orleans in the near future, according to Jim Trotter of NFL.com. |
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Michael Thomas Michael Thomas Reworks contract
Sat, Feb 26, 2022, 10:00 AM
Thomas (ankle) restructured his contract Saturday to create nearly $14 million in cap space for the Saints, Field Yates of ESPN reports.
Analysis: The deal adds an extra two voidable years to Thomas' contract, but more importantly this almost guarantees the All-Pro wideout will play for the Saints next season. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported last week a reconciliation between both parties seemingly occurred after months of reported tension between player and front office. Thomas, who is still rehabbing his ankle after a second surgery in the last 12 months, is expected to be healthy in time for the new campaign. |
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