New Orleans SAINTS official thread 2015-16

[laughedatbytime]

So Robert the douchebag Kraft says that the penalty on the Patriots over Deflategate is the harshest penalty in league history? What a f***ing moron...

Yeah I just read about that.

For being rich he's kind of stupid and gullible. Because he certainly wouldn't lie or be so self-absorbed that he'd believe that if he compared it to, oh, the Saints punishment.

Edited May 18, 2015 by laughedatbytime

[treeduck]

So Robert the douchebag Kraft says that the penalty on the Patriots over Deflategate is the harshest penalty in league history? What a f***ing moron...

Yeah I just read about that.

For being rich he's kind of stupid and gullible. Because he certainly wouldn't lie.

He just doesn't see anything except his own shit, anything that happened to another team no matter how bad couldn't possibly be as serious as a Patriots problem.

[treeduck]

Drew Brees “impressed,” unfazed by Garrett Grayson

 

Posted by Josh Alper on May 19, 2015, 6:53 AM EDT

 

 

The Saints have only selected one quarterback in the draft higher than they took Garrett Grayson, who came off the board in the third round of this year and joins Archie Manning as the only Saints quarterbacks picked in the first three rounds.

 

That relatively lofty position didn’t give Grayson a big head as he described being a deer in the headlights when he first met Drew Brees at last weekend’s rookie minicamp. Brees wasn’t nearly as affected by the team’s decision to use a second day pick on a player at the same position a few months after Brees turned 36 years old.

 

“I’m worried about winning a championship,” Brees said, via the New Orleans Advocate. “Trying to be the best player I can be, trying to be the leader that I can be, that applies to how can I help get the best out of everyone who is on the team.”

 

There’s not much reason for Brees to worry about anything else. His contract had two years left on it before Grayson was drafted and it has two years left on it now. There’s no reason to think he won’t be the starter for both of those years and little reason to think he’ll be rushed out the door if he performs at a high level.

 

That makes it easier for Brees to be “impressed” with what little he’s seen from Grayson while welcoming him into a quarterback room with players who try to get “the best out of one another.”

[treeduck]

Saints release veteran kicker Shayne Graham

 

Posted by Darin Gantt on May 19, 2015, 3:08 PM EDT

 

 

The Saints didn’t need three kickers, so they got rid of the older and more expensive one.

 

The team announced they had released veteran Shayne Graham.

 

The Saints added second-year kicker Zach Hocker after a tryout at last weekend’s rookie minicamp, and also have Dustin Hopkins on the roster.

 

Graham kicked for them last year, and they re-signed him in February. But they apparently weren’t pleased with something that transpired in the three months since.

 

Of course, they’ve brought him back before, cutting him before the 2014 regular season opener, and bringing him back three days later.

 

They signed former 49ers practice squad wideout Lance Lewis to fill the roster spot.

[liquidcrystalcompass]

8-8

Says a fan of an 8-8 specialist team.

We're going to the Super Bowl if Romo doesn't get injured.

 

I read this about 45 minutes ago.

 

 

I'm still laughing like f**k now.

Why? It's not unreasonable at all and Vegas will agree.

[treeduck]

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/04/cooks-750x256.jpg

 

Three players who are trending upwards for the New Orleans Saints

 

With the New Orleans Saints’ 90-man roster more or less established, we can turn our eyes towards training camp and everything that comes with it. Which players have the highest expectations on them? Media analysts are divided on this, with some insisting that the Saints are rebuilding through veteran depth, while others argue that they will be relying on too many rookie starters. I think that the real answer lies somewhere in the middle, particularly on offense. To that end I’m looking at several young players who already have experience suiting up for the Black and Gold that will be huge difference-makers in 2014.

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/USATSI_8280129_164063748_lowres.jpg

 

 

TE Josh Hill

 

First up is Josh Hill:

 

Suddenly finding himself in the spotlight after the blockbuster trade that shipped Jimmy Graham out of New Orleans, Josh Hill is ready to take the training wheels off and go be great for the Saints. He was the team’s third tight end the last two years, logging 293 snaps in 2014 and 179 in 2013 while contributing heavily on special teams. Thanks to his versatility, youth, and high athletic ceiling, he is primed to leapfrog Ben Watson as the starting tight end in New Orleans.

 

Unlike Graham, Hill gives considerable effort when blocking particularly in the rushing attack. He does a good job of lowering his shoulders to manage leverage to his advantage and push defenders out of the way. He is not too large for a tight end (6’5” and 229 pounds) so he does struggle with bigger defensive linemen, but Hill showed no trouble on tape in occupying linebackers and bullying defensive backs. He also has experience in playing on both the left and right sides of the line as well as lining up in the backfield as a fullback, which is detailed in the image below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Hill-play_zpsyz7zgwht.png

 

 

Hill may not have the inhuman catch radius of Graham, but he brings a physical edge to the game that Graham hadn’t shown consistently since 2011. Hill has no qualms with fighting with linebackers to make a difficult catch or getting his facemask dirty blocking at the line of scrimmage. He is not as fiery as Jeremy Shockey was for the Saints (and so few are), but he does bring a more complete and well-rounded style of play to the game that has been missing from the Saints’ tight end group for some time now.

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2014/09/cooks1.png

 

 

WR Brandin Cooks

 

The usage of Brandin Cooks last year was an exercise in frustration for many Saints fans. Cooks ran 46.5% of his routes (combined corner, nine, and post routes) deep downfield but was only targeted six times. For most of his rookie campaign it seemed like Cooks was being scripted out of the action. To his credit, Cooks converted four of those passes into completions to the tune of 153 yards and two touchdowns with only one drop.

 

Drops were not a problem for Cooks in 2014. He only dropped two passes on 55 catchable targets (passes that were not “throwaway” balls in his direction), a rate of 3.64% which placed him fourth-best in the rookie class through the first eleven weeks of play. Cooks’ rookie season was cut short by a thumb injury and the surgery that followed, but he looks to be the centerpiece of Sean Payton’s passing attack in 2015 after the departures of Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills.

 

But how exactly will Cooks be deployed in 2015? He will run a ton of routes, hopefully more diverse than what he experienced last year. Before he went down with an injury in Week 11, Cooks had run the second-most routes of any Saints wideout with 353 to Marques Colston’s 360. Though Cooks is sometimes characterized as a slot receiver due to his small stature, only 104 (29.5%) of those routes came from the slot compared to Colston’s 270 (75%). That position flexibility will be on full-display in 2015.

 

The biggest knock on Cooks so far has been his blocking ability. Again he was a victim of stereotypes by analysts thinking just because Cooks was short, he was not used often as a blocker and was ineffective when called to do so. In fact, Cooks deployed as a blocker 162 times, second among wideouts to Colston’s 280 blocking snaps. He also produced one of my favorite plays of the early series of games when he pancaked Minnesota Vikings rookie linebacker Anthony Barr, who stands half a foot taller and outweighs Cooks by 66 pounds. I’ve broken this play down below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Cooks-block_zpsqiqjjesd.png

 

 

Additionally, Cooks ran the ball very well out of sweeps and reverse handoffs. He logged 73 yards on only seven attempts, a rate of 10.4 yards per carry, also scoring a touchdown in prime time against Green Bay. That was good for the seventh-most rushing yards gained by a wideout in 2014, behind bigger names like Percy Harvin (125 yards), Cordarrelle Patterson (117 yards), and Julian Edelman (94 yards), among others. The only person in the NFL that could stop Cooks from producing on these carries was Sean Payton himself, so it’s unlikely that it happens again.

 

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/USATSI_8197354_164063748_lowres.jpg

 

OG Tim Lelito

 

Much like Zach Strief in his early years with the Saints, Tim Lelito has bounced around the roster as a depth player but now has the opportunity to ascend to a starting role. He was a left guard in college before signing with the Saints as an undrafted free agent and backing up Jahri Evans at right guard. Last year he took some big steps forward as a spot starter at center and guard, logging 294 snaps along the way. Now he finds himself in the running to win a starting job and the job security that comes with it.

 

It’s obvious from watching him play that Lelito has developed as far as functional strength and use of technique. He did a great job in handling defenders at the line of scrimmage and even pulling out ahead as a blocker on screens. The most impressive play that he made last year in my eyes was on the Saints’ opening drive against Green Bay in prime time, which helped set up a score to keep up pace with Aaron Rodgers’ offense of all-stars. I’ve detailed how Lelito used great awareness and power to hold his own on this play and help give Brees almost four seconds to throw below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Lelito-play_zps7i3tztst.png

 

 

Lelito has clearly grown as a football player since his first disastrous outing against the Arizona Cardinals in 2013, when he gave up three sacks and five hurries and gave runners no yards before contact on rushes to his side of the line. Compare that to the 1.85 yards before contact per carry and two pressures that Lelito allowed in two full games last year starting at center. If he can translate that production to the left guard position between Terron Armstead and Max Unger, the Saints can have a downright dominant left side.

 

[treeduck]

Report: Saints sign Mike McGlynn

 

Posted by Mike Wilkening on May 20, 2015, 5:09 PM EDT

 

 

 

The Saints have added some experienced depth to their offensive line.

 

New Orleans has reached a deal with Mike McGlynn, who started 13 games for Kansas City in 2014, ESPN’s Field Yates reported Wednesday.

 

One of the top available offensive linemen, the 30-year-old McGlynn has made 61 starts in seven NFL seasons and also has experience at right guard and center. It’s possible he could be an option at left guard, where the Saints will have a new starter after trading Ben Grubbs to Kansas City.

 

With the Saints signing McGlynn after May 12, he will not count in the calculation of New Orleans’s or Kansas City’s compensatory picks.

[laughedatbytime]

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/04/cooks-750x256.jpg

 

Three players who are trending upwards for the New Orleans Saints

 

With the New Orleans Saints’ 90-man roster more or less established, we can turn our eyes towards training camp and everything that comes with it. Which players have the highest expectations on them? Media analysts are divided on this, with some insisting that the Saints are rebuilding through veteran depth, while others argue that they will be relying on too many rookie starters. I think that the real answer lies somewhere in the middle, particularly on offense. To that end I’m looking at several young players who already have experience suiting up for the Black and Gold that will be huge difference-makers in 2014.

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/USATSI_8280129_164063748_lowres.jpg

 

 

TE Josh Hill

 

First up is Josh Hill:

 

Suddenly finding himself in the spotlight after the blockbuster trade that shipped Jimmy Graham out of New Orleans, Josh Hill is ready to take the training wheels off and go be great for the Saints. He was the team’s third tight end the last two years, logging 293 snaps in 2014 and 179 in 2013 while contributing heavily on special teams. Thanks to his versatility, youth, and high athletic ceiling, he is primed to leapfrog Ben Watson as the starting tight end in New Orleans.

 

Unlike Graham, Hill gives considerable effort when blocking particularly in the rushing attack. He does a good job of lowering his shoulders to manage leverage to his advantage and push defenders out of the way. He is not too large for a tight end (6’5” and 229 pounds) so he does struggle with bigger defensive linemen, but Hill showed no trouble on tape in occupying linebackers and bullying defensive backs. He also has experience in playing on both the left and right sides of the line as well as lining up in the backfield as a fullback, which is detailed in the image below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Hill-play_zpsyz7zgwht.png

 

 

Hill may not have the inhuman catch radius of Graham, but he brings a physical edge to the game that Graham hadn’t shown consistently since 2011. Hill has no qualms with fighting with linebackers to make a difficult catch or getting his facemask dirty blocking at the line of scrimmage. He is not as fiery as Jeremy Shockey was for the Saints (and so few are), but he does bring a more complete and well-rounded style of play to the game that has been missing from the Saints’ tight end group for some time now.

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2014/09/cooks1.png

 

 

WR Brandin Cooks

 

The usage of Brandin Cooks last year was an exercise in frustration for many Saints fans. Cooks ran 46.5% of his routes (combined corner, nine, and post routes) deep downfield but was only targeted six times. For most of his rookie campaign it seemed like Cooks was being scripted out of the action. To his credit, Cooks converted four of those passes into completions to the tune of 153 yards and two touchdowns with only one drop.

 

Drops were not a problem for Cooks in 2014. He only dropped two passes on 55 catchable targets (passes that were not “throwaway” balls in his direction), a rate of 3.64% which placed him fourth-best in the rookie class through the first eleven weeks of play. Cooks’ rookie season was cut short by a thumb injury and the surgery that followed, but he looks to be the centerpiece of Sean Payton’s passing attack in 2015 after the departures of Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills.

 

But how exactly will Cooks be deployed in 2015? He will run a ton of routes, hopefully more diverse than what he experienced last year. Before he went down with an injury in Week 11, Cooks had run the second-most routes of any Saints wideout with 353 to Marques Colston’s 360. Though Cooks is sometimes characterized as a slot receiver due to his small stature, only 104 (29.5%) of those routes came from the slot compared to Colston’s 270 (75%). That position flexibility will be on full-display in 2015.

 

The biggest knock on Cooks so far has been his blocking ability. Again he was a victim of stereotypes by analysts thinking just because Cooks was short, he was not used often as a blocker and was ineffective when called to do so. In fact, Cooks deployed as a blocker 162 times, second among wideouts to Colston’s 280 blocking snaps. He also produced one of my favorite plays of the early series of games when he pancaked Minnesota Vikings rookie linebacker Anthony Barr, who stands half a foot taller and outweighs Cooks by 66 pounds. I’ve broken this play down below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Cooks-block_zpsqiqjjesd.png

 

 

Additionally, Cooks ran the ball very well out of sweeps and reverse handoffs. He logged 73 yards on only seven attempts, a rate of 10.4 yards per carry, also scoring a touchdown in prime time against Green Bay. That was good for the seventh-most rushing yards gained by a wideout in 2014, behind bigger names like Percy Harvin (125 yards), Cordarrelle Patterson (117 yards), and Julian Edelman (94 yards), among others. The only person in the NFL that could stop Cooks from producing on these carries was Sean Payton himself, so it’s unlikely that it happens again.

 

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/USATSI_8197354_164063748_lowres.jpg

 

OG Tim Lelito

 

Much like Zach Strief in his early years with the Saints, Tim Lelito has bounced around the roster as a depth player but now has the opportunity to ascend to a starting role. He was a left guard in college before signing with the Saints as an undrafted free agent and backing up Jahri Evans at right guard. Last year he took some big steps forward as a spot starter at center and guard, logging 294 snaps along the way. Now he finds himself in the running to win a starting job and the job security that comes with it.

 

It’s obvious from watching him play that Lelito has developed as far as functional strength and use of technique. He did a great job in handling defenders at the line of scrimmage and even pulling out ahead as a blocker on screens. The most impressive play that he made last year in my eyes was on the Saints’ opening drive against Green Bay in prime time, which helped set up a score to keep up pace with Aaron Rodgers’ offense of all-stars. I’ve detailed how Lelito used great awareness and power to hold his own on this play and help give Brees almost four seconds to throw below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Lelito-play_zps7i3tztst.png

 

 

Lelito has clearly grown as a football player since his first disastrous outing against the Arizona Cardinals in 2013, when he gave up three sacks and five hurries and gave runners no yards before contact on rushes to his side of the line. Compare that to the 1.85 yards before contact per carry and two pressures that Lelito allowed in two full games last year starting at center. If he can translate that production to the left guard position between Terron Armstead and Max Unger, the Saints can have a downright dominant left side.

 

Duck, why doesn't Tim Lelito have his own thread?

[treeduck]

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/04/cooks-750x256.jpg

 

Three players who are trending upwards for the New Orleans Saints

 

With the New Orleans Saints’ 90-man roster more or less established, we can turn our eyes towards training camp and everything that comes with it. Which players have the highest expectations on them? Media analysts are divided on this, with some insisting that the Saints are rebuilding through veteran depth, while others argue that they will be relying on too many rookie starters. I think that the real answer lies somewhere in the middle, particularly on offense. To that end I’m looking at several young players who already have experience suiting up for the Black and Gold that will be huge difference-makers in 2014.

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/USATSI_8280129_164063748_lowres.jpg

 

 

TE Josh Hill

 

First up is Josh Hill:

 

Suddenly finding himself in the spotlight after the blockbuster trade that shipped Jimmy Graham out of New Orleans, Josh Hill is ready to take the training wheels off and go be great for the Saints. He was the team’s third tight end the last two years, logging 293 snaps in 2014 and 179 in 2013 while contributing heavily on special teams. Thanks to his versatility, youth, and high athletic ceiling, he is primed to leapfrog Ben Watson as the starting tight end in New Orleans.

 

Unlike Graham, Hill gives considerable effort when blocking particularly in the rushing attack. He does a good job of lowering his shoulders to manage leverage to his advantage and push defenders out of the way. He is not too large for a tight end (6’5” and 229 pounds) so he does struggle with bigger defensive linemen, but Hill showed no trouble on tape in occupying linebackers and bullying defensive backs. He also has experience in playing on both the left and right sides of the line as well as lining up in the backfield as a fullback, which is detailed in the image below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Hill-play_zpsyz7zgwht.png

 

 

Hill may not have the inhuman catch radius of Graham, but he brings a physical edge to the game that Graham hadn’t shown consistently since 2011. Hill has no qualms with fighting with linebackers to make a difficult catch or getting his facemask dirty blocking at the line of scrimmage. He is not as fiery as Jeremy Shockey was for the Saints (and so few are), but he does bring a more complete and well-rounded style of play to the game that has been missing from the Saints’ tight end group for some time now.

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2014/09/cooks1.png

 

 

WR Brandin Cooks

 

The usage of Brandin Cooks last year was an exercise in frustration for many Saints fans. Cooks ran 46.5% of his routes (combined corner, nine, and post routes) deep downfield but was only targeted six times. For most of his rookie campaign it seemed like Cooks was being scripted out of the action. To his credit, Cooks converted four of those passes into completions to the tune of 153 yards and two touchdowns with only one drop.

 

Drops were not a problem for Cooks in 2014. He only dropped two passes on 55 catchable targets (passes that were not “throwaway” balls in his direction), a rate of 3.64% which placed him fourth-best in the rookie class through the first eleven weeks of play. Cooks’ rookie season was cut short by a thumb injury and the surgery that followed, but he looks to be the centerpiece of Sean Payton’s passing attack in 2015 after the departures of Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills.

 

But how exactly will Cooks be deployed in 2015? He will run a ton of routes, hopefully more diverse than what he experienced last year. Before he went down with an injury in Week 11, Cooks had run the second-most routes of any Saints wideout with 353 to Marques Colston’s 360. Though Cooks is sometimes characterized as a slot receiver due to his small stature, only 104 (29.5%) of those routes came from the slot compared to Colston’s 270 (75%). That position flexibility will be on full-display in 2015.

 

The biggest knock on Cooks so far has been his blocking ability. Again he was a victim of stereotypes by analysts thinking just because Cooks was short, he was not used often as a blocker and was ineffective when called to do so. In fact, Cooks deployed as a blocker 162 times, second among wideouts to Colston’s 280 blocking snaps. He also produced one of my favorite plays of the early series of games when he pancaked Minnesota Vikings rookie linebacker Anthony Barr, who stands half a foot taller and outweighs Cooks by 66 pounds. I’ve broken this play down below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Cooks-block_zpsqiqjjesd.png

 

 

Additionally, Cooks ran the ball very well out of sweeps and reverse handoffs. He logged 73 yards on only seven attempts, a rate of 10.4 yards per carry, also scoring a touchdown in prime time against Green Bay. That was good for the seventh-most rushing yards gained by a wideout in 2014, behind bigger names like Percy Harvin (125 yards), Cordarrelle Patterson (117 yards), and Julian Edelman (94 yards), among others. The only person in the NFL that could stop Cooks from producing on these carries was Sean Payton himself, so it’s unlikely that it happens again.

 

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/USATSI_8197354_164063748_lowres.jpg

 

OG Tim Lelito

 

Much like Zach Strief in his early years with the Saints, Tim Lelito has bounced around the roster as a depth player but now has the opportunity to ascend to a starting role. He was a left guard in college before signing with the Saints as an undrafted free agent and backing up Jahri Evans at right guard. Last year he took some big steps forward as a spot starter at center and guard, logging 294 snaps along the way. Now he finds himself in the running to win a starting job and the job security that comes with it.

 

It’s obvious from watching him play that Lelito has developed as far as functional strength and use of technique. He did a great job in handling defenders at the line of scrimmage and even pulling out ahead as a blocker on screens. The most impressive play that he made last year in my eyes was on the Saints’ opening drive against Green Bay in prime time, which helped set up a score to keep up pace with Aaron Rodgers’ offense of all-stars. I’ve detailed how Lelito used great awareness and power to hold his own on this play and help give Brees almost four seconds to throw below:

 

http://cover32.com/saints/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/05/Lelito-play_zps7i3tztst.png

 

 

Lelito has clearly grown as a football player since his first disastrous outing against the Arizona Cardinals in 2013, when he gave up three sacks and five hurries and gave runners no yards before contact on rushes to his side of the line. Compare that to the 1.85 yards before contact per carry and two pressures that Lelito allowed in two full games last year starting at center. If he can translate that production to the left guard position between Terron Armstead and Max Unger, the Saints can have a downright dominant left side.

 

Duck, why doesn't Tim Lelito have his own thread?

I think he might get beaten out by an UDFA, so that's why I'm holding back.

[treeduck]

Andrus Peat agrees to contract with New Orleans Saints, according to report

 

http://imgick.nola.com/home/nola-media/width620/img/saints_impact/photo/17727494-mmmain.jpg

 

Offensive tackle Andrus Peat, the only unsigned player among the New Orleans Saints' nine draft picks, has agreed to terms with the team, according to a report from Yahoo Sports.

 

Terms of the deal were not immediately available, but all the Saints signings have been consistent with predetermined salary and bonus slots.

 

Peat was selected with the 13th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft earlier this month.

 

Most draft compensation is set according to predetermined slots, but first round picks are sometimes able to negotiate other issues that can prolong the signing process.

 

Peat is slotted to make a total of $10.22 million over the four-year contract, including a $5.69 million signing bonus. Teams can exercise a fifth-year option on all first round picks.

[treeduck]

Brees: Draft sent message that we believe in our skill position players

 

Posted by Josh Alper on May 21, 2015, 6:20 AM EDT

Over the course of the offseason, the Saints said farewell to tight end Jimmy Graham, wide receiver Kenny Stills and running back Pierre Thomas.

 

They signed running back C.J. Spiller, but otherwise left the team’s skill positions untouched as they spent their nine draft picks on other positions. One of those picks was for quarterback Garrett Grayson, who won’t be playing at all if things go well for New Orleans but Drew Brees focused on the opportunities that await players like Nick Toon, Josh Hill and Seantavius Jones in the coming season.

 

“I think the message that was sent to our young skill position players is that we feel like we have the right tools in the building,” Brees said, via ESPN.com. “Our young receivers have some great opportunities. The departure of Jimmy Graham, and [Darren] Sproles two years ago, and Pierre, these are all touches that have to go somewhere now. So we’re gonna have some young guys step up and contribute that haven’t had many opportunities in the past. Yet they’re gonna earn that right here throughout OTAs, minicamp, training camp. I’m excited to watch those guys develop. It’s been a fun offseason for me in that regard, starting to envision how it could all come together for some of those guys.”

 

The Saints also acquired center Max Unger in the Graham trade and drafted Andrus Peat in the first round in an attempt to upgrade the play on the offensive line, something that would make it easier for Spiller and Mark Ingram to balance out the offense with a strong rushing attack. That would make for a different offense than the one that led to otherworldly numbers for Brees in the past, but different won’t be bad if the Saints’ offseason bets pay off.

[treeduck]

Brees dodges #DeflateGate questions

 

Posted by Mike Florio on May 22, 2015, 2:17 PM EDT

This time around, Drew Brees doesn’t need an explanation.

 

Three years after the Saints found themselves in the cross hairs of a league investigation that had the feel of a mouse being hunted with an elephant gun, the Patriots find themselves in the same situation. With the Patriots, however, Saints quarterback Drew Brees is keeping a much lower profile.

 

“Honestly, I’m just worried about my team and doing what we need to do to win a championship, and to your point, being on that side of it at one time, it’s a difficult situation, it’s not favorable for either side to have to go through something like that,” Brees said earlier this week on ESPN Radio, Nick Underhill of New Orleans Advocate. “You hope for the best resolution, and then it’ll be back to playing football.”

 

Brees had more (but not much more) to say about the process of preparing footballs for game play.

 

“Honestly, I’ve never given it that much thought,” Brees said. “I really haven’t. You know, there is a process by which we pick footballs before a game. You kind of break them in, in practice, you kind of rub them down, whatever, but once they’re out on game day, you’ve got other things to worry about other than what the balls are like.

 

“You know, you’re focused on throwing to the right guy, being on time, where are the defenders, who’s coming to get you. You’ve got enough things going on, but honestly, I really have never given it that much thought other than, I like the balls broken in a certain way, but then after that, I think you just play ball with whatever ball comes up.”

 

It’s no surprise that Brees is keeping a low profile. Most players are. Still, like many other players who don’t play for the Patriots, Brees opted not to rush to Tom Brady’s defense. Which, when considering the volume of the players who have opted not to rush to Brady’s defense, says something.

[treeduck]

Delvin Breaux catching notice in Saints practices

 

Posted by Josh Alper on May 22, 2015, 4:16 PM EDT

 

The Saints picked two cornerbacks in this year’s draft as part of an overhaul to the group that started when they signed Brandon Browner as a free agent, but P.J. Williams and Damian Swann aren’t the only players on the coaching staff’s radar in their first NFL offseason.

 

There’s also Delvin Breaux, who signed with the Saints in January after playing two years with Hamilton in the Canadian Football League. Breaux landed on that side of the border after a stint in the Arena League jumpstarted a football career that slowed because of a spinal injury that kept him from playing in college. The long road to get to the NFL may pay off for the 27-year-old.

 

At 6-1 and 196 pounds, Breaux has the kind of size that teams look for at corner and there were several other teams interested in his services before he landed in New Orleans. Breaux says he feels comfortable playing anywhere in the secondary and defensive coordinator Rob Ryan called him a “tremendous” player recently. Veteran cornerback Keenan Lewis gave a similar review of what he’s seen from Breaux thus far this spring.

 

“You’re definitely going to hear from him. Right now, you know, I’m very impressed at minicamp,” Lewis said, via the New Orleans Advocate. “The guy’s got talent. He just had to go through some of the things he went through. I can promise you that he will definitely be a star in the league this year.”

 

Browner, Lewis, Williams and Swann are pretty good bets to make the team at corner and Stanley Jean-Baptiste was a second-round pick last year, which may not leave a lot of spots up for grabs at the position. Breaux seems to be on the right track, though, and will be a player to watch as the summer unfolds if he stays on his current path.

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Keep an eye on Saints' Delvin Breaux; Rob Ryan, Sean Payton, Keenan Lewis using words like 'tremendous,' 'star' to describe him

 

 

It didn’t take Delvin Breaux long to attach himself to a veteran.

 

Trying to make the jump from the Canadian Football League to contributor for the New Orleans Saints, Breaux immediately sought out Brandon Browner and began picking his brain.

 

Browner knows the path Breaux is trying to walk. He helped draw it by jumping from the CFL, emerging as a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks and helping the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl last season. Browner’s the model, and Breaux isn’t shy about asking his veteran teammate for advice.

 

“The coaches are like, ‘Hey, man, get in Brandon Browner’s pocket. Just ask him because he came from the CFL, you came from the CFL, and he’s been successful in this league,’ ” Breaux said. “I just stick right with him.”

 

When Breaux has a question, he asks Browner. When he sees Browner taking notes, he takes notes. When Browner takes a repetition, or works out, or does something else that appears beneficial, Breaux takes a rep, works out, or does that thing.

 

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

Advocate photo by VERONICA DOMINACH -- Saints cornerback Delvin Breaux with his mom, Juanita Smith, at the Breaux's house in New Orleans on Saturday, May 2, 2015. Mother’s Day 2015: From devastating injury to the cusp of an NFL career, she’s been there every step of the way for Saints’ Delvin Breaux

Saints coach Sean Payton says he likes CFL import cornerback Delvin Breaux

Saints seek starter-caliber player at 'Star' position in Rob Ryan’s defense; rookies P.J. Williams or Damian Swann could be answer

While Breaux seeks out Browner’s guidance, he realizes he has to find his own path to success. The New Orleans native took a long road to get here. He suffered a spinal injury in high school that prevented him from playing in college, so he worked his way up through stops in the Arena League, a semi-pro league, and the CFL.

 

In some ways, just earning a contract and being part of last week’s rookie minicamp could be considered a tremendous accomplishment for Breaux. The odds were stacked against him, and he made it into the NFL. His determination deserves celebration.

 

That’s not enough for Breaux. This is just the beginning.

 

He intends to earn a role with the Saints and has already made a positive impression on the coaching staff.

 

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan singled Breaux out after a minicamp practice last week, calling him a “tremendous” player, and coach Sean Payton also offered praise to the rookie while answering a question about another player.

 

The highest praise came from Keenan Lewis during an interview on 3WL radio.

 

“You’re definitely going to hear from him. Right now, you know, I’m very impressed at minicamp,” Lewis said. “The guy’s got talent. He just had to go through some of the things he went through. I can promise you that he will definitely be a star in the league this year.”

 

While he remains an unknown at this level of competition, Breaux might have the pedigree to make good on Lewis’ vote of confidence. He was widely considered one of the better cornerbacks in the CFL last season and drew interest from at least a dozen NFL teams.

 

But the 6-foot-1, 196-pounder knows that early impressions and promise only go so far. The Saints spent the offseason stacking bodies at cornerback and competition will be fierce.

 

Lewis, Browner, and third-round pick P.J. Williams are likely locks to make the roster, and last year’s second-round pick, Stanley Jean-Baptiste, and this year’s fifth-round pick, Damian Swann, are right behind them.

 

That means Breaux, Brian Dixon, Terrence Frederick and Kyle Wilson could be fighting for one spot. Payton said he expects Breaux to compete as an outside cornerback, but the rookie said he’s been doing different things in practice and is willing to play wherever the team needs him.

 

“I feel comfortable playing wherever,” Breaux said. “It’s just all about understanding the system and what they’re asking me to do. Wherever they put me — free, strong, nickel — they just rotating everybody, and I’m making it happen.”

 

The weirdest thing about transitioning to the NFL for Breaux is being a 25-year-old rookie. He sees himself as a new guy, going through the same transition as the other players entering the league, but the other rookies see him as a veteran player because of his age and experience in other leagues.

 

Breaux often has to remind them that he’s as fresh-faced as everyone else. At times, it probably stinks being a rookie again. If things had gone different for him, Breaux would have veteran experience under his belt. But as he’s done throughout his journey to the NFL, he’s embraced the positives of his situation.

 

“It’s great. I could have been gone a long time ago,” he said. “The fact that I had those years off still makes my body feel more fresh than the veterans that have been here.”

Edited May 23, 2015 by treeduck

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Joe Horn slams Roger Goodell

 

Posted by Mike Florio on May 26, 2015, 3:29 PM EDT

 

If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hears a cell phone tucked under the padding of a goalpost ringing while walking the perimeter of a football field, he probably shouldn’t answer it.

 

Former NFL receiver Joe Horn, who was fined $30,000 by Goodell’s predecessor for a flip-phone touchdown celebration, verbally flipped Goodell off in an interview with TheFootballGirl.com.

 

“I don’t like what Roger Goodell is doing,” Horn said. “He has so much power that he can almost shut people down. I just don’t like him. And I don’t like that on draft day these kids don’t know that they’re hugging the devil. . . . [T]hey really don’t know that the man they’re hugging will rip their throat apart. If he has an opportunity to take money from them, or there’s a situation where they’re guilty before they go to court, he’ll rip them apart. And there’s nothing no one can do about it. If the owners are happy with Roger Goodell, the fans, the media, no one can take his job from him. I hate it.”

 

A clear contrast exists between Goodell as “The Enforcer” and Goodell as “The Draft-Day Bear Hugger.” But Goodell doesn’t arbitrarily select his victims. Although issues linger when it comes to the procedures that apply to determining whether and to what extent players will be punished, only those players who land on Goodell’s radar screen fall in line for punishment. Players who not only avoid crossing the line but who stay far away from the line never find themselves under scrutiny.

 

Horn is right, however, as it relates to the scrutiny of Goodell. During the 2011 lockout, the league tried to sell Goodell as the commissioner of the entire sport. Ultimately, Goodell answers only to the owners. And as long as enough owners are happy with him, it doesn’t matter what Joe Horn or anyone else thinks.

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Patriots plan to join Saints at Greenbrier for three days of practice

 

Posted by Mike Florio on May 28, 2015, 10:58 AM EDT

http://d37fcqijlx1yog.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/saints-greenbrier_anchor.jpg

The Saints are coming back to West Virginia. And this year, they’ll have company.

 

Per multiple sources, the Patriots intend to join the Saints for three days of practices at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.

 

The practices will occur prior to the August 22 preseason game between the two teams in New Orleans. The Patriots will travel to West Virginia, the two teams will practice there, and then both teams will travel to Louisiana for the game.

 

The Saints held three weeks of training camp at the Greenbrier in 2014, providing them an environment with lower temperatures and humidity.

 

In West Virginia, the two teams will practice at a first-class facility that the Greenbrier built in a fairly short period of time. The Cardinals are considering spending the week practicing there between October games at Detroit and Pennsylvania.

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New #Saints DB Brandon Browner (@bbrowner27) #Saints

Edited May 28, 2015 by treeduck

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Payton and Brees. Photos from today's OTA http://bit.ly/1EAql8k #Saints

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New street sign at the #Saints facility. Payton calls it a "point of emphasis" this season

[laughedatbytime]

 

New street sign at the #Saints facility. Payton calls it a "point of emphasis" this season

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdR0v_j3wng

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[Turbine Freight]

 

New street sign at the #Saints facility. Payton calls it a "point of emphasis" this season

 

I'd pull that sign out of the ground and smack Payton round the head with it.

 

Repeatedly.