New Orleans Saints

There was apparently a very good reason why New Orleans Saints star Alvin Kamara finished with a career-low 1,330 yards from scrimmage in 2019.    

Master Tesfatsion of Bleacher Report reported the running back tore his MCL in New Orleans' Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tesfatsion shared a clip of the play in which Kamara suffered the injury:

Saints RB Alvin Kamara played through most of 2019 with a torn MCL in his knee. Here’s when the injury occurred in Week 6 against the Jaguars.

He missed just two games, and finished the season with 1,330 total yards. pic.twitter.com/6EiNOpEhzd

— Master (@MasterTes) August 11, 2020

On Monday, the three-time Pro Bowler explained the impact of the injury to ESPN's Mike Triplett:      

"[In the past], I normally wouldn't even think twice about being able to break a tackle or bounce it outside or turn a 2-yard gain into 10. But last year was a lot of just, 'Get what I can get and go down and don't do too much because I could possibly hurt my knee more or it's too painful to even think about making another move.

"So it was a lot of -- I wouldn't say 'uncharacteristic' because obviously I was injured. But it wasn't what I would like to put on film."

In March, Kamara alluded to a leg injury he was dealing with last season:

On 1 leg... At 75%.. but we back to 100 ❤️ https://t.co/dYMblYKNU0

— Alvin Kamara (@A_kamara6) March 10, 2020

Kamara is approaching the final year of his rookie deal with the Saints, so a return to form in 2020 could result in a big payday. For the time being, he isn't pressing the matter.

"It'll happen when it happens," Kamara said. "Me and my agent talked briefly about it, and I told him, 'Don't tell me anything about a contract until it's like something where it's happening or there's something I need to know.'"

Kamara ended up missing two games immediately after the Saints' Week 6 clash with Jacksonville.

The injury didn't appear to have significantly hindered his performance, though. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry and 8.4 yards per reception through New Orleans' first six games. Those numbers were 5.0 and 5.4, respectively, over the remainder of the year.

New Orleans did scale back his workload. Kamara's carries through Week 6 (86) narrowly eclipsed how many carries he logged in his final eight appearances (85).

Teams are generally wary of spending big on running backs once their rookie contracts end.

Todd Gurley is a prime example of how that move can go wrong. The Los Angeles Rams released Gurley in March, two years after signing him to a four-year, $60 million extension.

However, the Carolina Panthers just gave Christian McCaffrey a four-year, $64.1 million extension, with his $16 million annual salary the highest ever for a running back.

McCaffrey is a somewhat special case because he's coming off a season in which he eclipsed 1,000 yards both on the ground and through the air. His 2,392 yards from scrimmage were the most in the NFL.

Kamara isn't yet on McCaffrey's level, but his representatives will almost certainly point to his versatility to argue why he would be a safer investment than a more traditional running back. Kamara's 243 receptions are second only to McCaffrey for a running back over his first three years in the league, per Pro Football Reference.

The franchise tag will be available for the Saints to use on Kamara next offseason. Were the 25-year-old to have a monster year in the season ahead, he might be able to leverage that into a deal that provides him with more long-term security.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and his training staff to think outside the box to get him ready for the 2020 NFL season.

The Athletic's Jeff Duncan provided some of the details from Brees' personal trainer, Todd Durkin:

"He and longtime performance coach Tom House dug through Brees' garage to find sports equipment—surfboards, lacrosse sticks and tennis rackets—for workouts in the backyard of his Del Mar, California, home. Meanwhile, Brees conducted strength and conditioning work in Durkin's outdoor garage and the parking lot of his Scripps Ranch, California, gym."

House added that the group "took a walk on the wild side."

In order to limit the spread of the coronavirus, many state and local governments temporarily shuttered gyms. The NFL also closed all team facilities in the spring.

On Aug. 1, House shared a video of Brees training in his backyard:

Here is footage of @drewbrees putting the work in in his backyard! pic.twitter.com/A19K6cQb1Z

— Tom House 〽️ (@tomhouse) August 1, 2020

Training camps opened in late July, which allowed Brees and his colleagues to enjoy more traditional workouts. Teams will be permitted to stage practices with full pads starting Aug. 17 as well.

Brees will likely need to be in peak form right out of the gate since the Saints open the regular season against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 13.

There will be no more Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in the New Orleans Saints' secondary.

Instead, Ceedy Duce will help defend against the pass.

As Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football shared, the safety formerly known as Gardner-Johnson announced he changed his name:

The Saints safety formerly known as Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has announced that he has changed his name to Ceedy Duce. pic.twitter.com/R1HNpxcW5k

— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) August 9, 2020

"Time to pave a way for my own imagine that I want no more judgment thoughts on me because you really don't know me, until you understand me as a person I won't speak unless spoken to," he wrote.

The Saints selected the University of Florida product in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie and tallied 49 tackles, eight passes defended, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. 

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees expressed regret Saturday for criticizing players kneeling in protest during the national anthem during an interview in June.

Brees issued a prepared statement to reporters at his first training camp news conference:

"Going back to my comment on June 3, to think for a second that New Orleans or the state of Louisiana or the Black community would think that I was not standing with them for social justice, that completely broke my heart. It was crushing. Never ever would I feel that way. Now, I recognize that I missed an opportunity that day. I had an opportunity to talk about and emphasize the social injustices that exist for our Black community and our need as a country to support them and to advocate for systemic change. And my lack of awareness in that moment hurt a lot of people."

During an interview with Yahoo Finance in June, Brees said he would never agree with "disrespecting the flag" when asked about kneeling during the anthem:

Highlight: @readdanwrite asks @drewbrees what the star NFL quarterback thinks about "players kneeling again when the NFL season starts."@drewbrees: “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.”

Full exchange: pic.twitter.com/MpCkFyOMed

— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) June 3, 2020

After backlash from many, including some of his teammates, Brees issued an apology on Instagram, writing that he "missed the mark," and that he would "stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference."

Safety Malcolm Jenkins was among Brees' teammates who reacted negatively to his initial comments about kneeling, but Brees said Saturday that he has since had positive talks with Jenkins and other teammates as well.

The QB said "all of our goals are aligned." He added: "This is not about me. Our focus as a team and group of leaders is on this season and all the things we can accomplish together for social justice."

The 41-year-old veteran also made it clear that he is no longer against kneeling during the anthem: "I acknowledge and respect anyone who chooses to kneel or any other form of peaceful protest to bring attention to the social injustices and systemic racism that so many have endured and continue to endure in our country."

Kneeling during the anthem was a practice started by then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016 as a means of protesting against racial inequality, social injustice and police brutality. Several other players followed suit, but the NFL attempted to put a stop to it in the years that followed.

In 2018, owners agreed a rule requiring players to stay in the locker room during the anthem rather than kneel on the field, but it was overturned after a strong backlash from players.

Things figure to be far different this season, as most NBA and MLB players have knelt during the anthem before their games this season, and the majority of NFL players seem likely to follow suit.

That is especially true since NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitted in June that the league was wrong "for not listening to NFL players earlier." He also encouraged players to protest.

Even though Drew Brees has a job lined up when his playing career comes to an end, the New Orleans Saints star isn't ready to make any definitive statements about retiring after the 2020 season. 

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Brees said he was "not looking past one day at a time" when discussing playing beyond this year. 

After Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Brees was thinking about retirement earlier this offseason, Brees returned to the Saints by signing a two-year deal worth $50 million in March. 

Even though that deal answered the short-term question about Brees' future, the 13-time Pro Bowler wasted no time planning for life after his playing career. He signed a deal with NBC Sports in April to serve as a television analyst after hanging up his cleats. 

Brees, 41, has shown no signs of slowing down as he prepares for his 20th NFL season. The Purdue alumnus has led the league in completion percentage in each of the past three seasons and threw for 2,979 yards with 27 touchdowns in 11 games last year. 

The Saints will enter 2020 with championship aspirations coming off a 13-3 record in 2019. They have won the NFC South in each of the past three years but haven't reached the championship game since defeating the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV after the 2009 season. 

 

As NFL teams open training camp this week, there's still a lingering question about whether or not the league will be able to play the 2020 regular season without interruption because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

On Wednesday, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton told reporters it wouldn't surprise him if a COVID-19 outbreak forces the league to suspend games at some point. 

Major League Baseball has had to adjust its schedule because of a COVID-19 outbreak within the Miami Marlins. 

The team's games through Sunday have been postponed. The Philadelphia Phillies, who hosted Miami for a three-game series over the weekend, won't play again until Saturday. 

Per USA Today's Jarrett Bell, the NFL is currently going over "several markers that could force postponing games, entire weeks or even suspending the season."

Bell noted that some of the markers for postponement being discussed by the league could involve an entire position group being unavailable because of an outbreak or if at least 10 games in any given week can't be played and would be rescheduled. 

One potential scenario that could force the season to be suspended is if "six or more clubs cannot play for multiple weeks."

The NFL and NFL Players Association have agreed to an amended collective bargaining agreement that allows for players to opt out of the 2020 season and no preseason games. 

In a letter written to fans, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expressed the shared hope between the league and players of "playing a healthy and complete 2020 season" but also acknowledged that "adaptability and flexibility will be needed for the foreseeable future."

The regular season is scheduled to begin Sept. 10 when the Houston Texans take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. 

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced Monday that he and his wife Brittany are donating $5 million through the Brees Dream Foundation to help build healthcare centers throughout the state of Louisiana.

Brees wrote on Instagram: 

"Brittany and I have always tried to address the greatest needs of our communities through our foundation and personal giving. Today we are very excited to announce another donation of $5 million in partnership with Ochsner Health to build numerous healthcare centers throughout Louisiana in the communities that need it most. We will continue to bridge the gap to bring healthcare, education, and economic equity to all of our communities. We are proud to bring the first of these health care centers to New Orleans East later this year."

Brees also donated $5 million to the state in March to help feed people in need during the pandemic: 

"After considerable research and conversations with local organizations, we will be mobilizing our partnerships with Second Harvest Food Bank, Ochsner Health Systems, Walk-Ons, Jimmy Johns, Smalls Sliders and Waitr to prepare and deliver over 10,000 meals per day throughout Louisiana for as long as it takes to children on meal programs, seniors, and families in need."

In Monday's video, Brees noted that "as we work through one of the greatest challenges of our lifetimes, our health and wellness has never been more important." 

Brittany Brees added, "Our family is honored to help break down barriers and give back to the incredible people of Louisiana."

Brees became a major source of controversy in June when he said he would never support players kneeling for the national anthem while marches and demonstrations were happening around the country in protest of systemic racism and police brutality. 

Brees later apologized for those remarks, saying he "made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country. They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy."

He later wrote in a post directed to President Donald Trump—who said Brees would regret his apology—that "through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the Black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our Black communities."

As another apparent suitor for Jadeveon Clowney looks to have moved on, one of the best players for the New Orleans Saints wants to see his team go after the three-time Pro Bowl defensive end.

After the Seattle Seahawks acquired Jamal Adams from the New York Jets, Michael Thomas sent out a message on Twitter:

Clowney to New Orleans or I don’t want to hear it 🖤⚜️

— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) July 25, 2020

Clowney is the biggest free agent still on the market. He's been linked to multiple teams throughout the offseason, including the Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns, per Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith.

The Seahawks and Browns seem unlikely to be in the Clowney market at this point. Cleveland restructured Olivier Vernon's deal by guaranteeing him $11 million for 2020, according to the Associated Press (h/t USA Today).

The Titans currently have $23.49 million in cap space if they want to get back in the Clowney market.

Unfortunately for Thomas, the Saints are in a cap bind if they want to go after Clowney with only $8.76 million available heading into training camp.

Even if New Orleans decides not to pursue the 27-year-old, the team still boasts a stacked roster that is capable of competing with the top teams in the NFC in 2020.

     

Salary-cap info via Over the Cap.

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton thinks the NFL isn't far away from implementing more advanced technology into games that will make officials' jobs easier. 

Speaking to The Athletic's Jeff Duncan, Payton said the technology is available now for the league to use things like LED goalposts for field goals and ball-tracking technology to determine if a ball crosses the plane for a touchdown. 

"It's coming," he added. 

Duncan noted the NFL has been using a Zebra chip in footballs during games for the past three seasons "to gauge the height, velocity, rotation and distance traveled of every pass and kick in every game" to provide information for Next Gen Stats. 

John Pollard, the vice president of product development at Zebra, told Duncan that the chip currently has an accuracy rate within six inches for ball location on the field. 

Payton explained why that level of accuracy can be more effective than relying solely on the referees' judgement in certain instances.

"You punt the ball out of bounds and it exits the field 20 yards in the air out of bounds, (and) the side judge walks up (from) 40 yards away and says, 'Right there.' We now have the ability to, within a foot, tell you where the ball went out of bounds on the sideline," the Saints coach said. 

The NFL has adopted more technology as its become available in recent years, including improved angles on replay reviews, electronic playbooks for in-game analysis by coaching staffs and increased data availability to better evaluate player performance. 

Payton is a member of the NFL's competition committee and will likely be keeping a close eye on the continued improvements with the Zebra chip to improve the officiating of games. 

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas became the latest member of the "99 Club" in Madden NFL 21 on Friday.

Thomas' rating was announced on ESPN's Get Up and highlighted by the video game franchise:

99 in real life, 99 on the game... @Cantguardmike 😏#99Club #Madden21 pic.twitter.com/IyqGa18lMj

— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 17, 2020

The Saints superstar is the fifth and final selection for this year's 99 Club. He joins:

• Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes
• Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey
• Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald
• New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore

Thomas is coming off a record-setting season that saw him make 149 catches, six more than the previous single-season mark set by the Indianapolis Colts' Marvin Harrison in 2002.

The 27-year-old Ohio State product added 1,725 receiving yards and nine touchdowns en route to winning the 2019 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.

"One thing I learned about those records is when you play at a high level and you're winning games and you're playing for your team and just doing your job, when you look up at the end of the day, those things usually get accomplished," Thomas told reporters in November.

You can't guard him ... but you can put him in the 99 Club 💪 #Madden21 @eamaddennfl pic.twitter.com/04fSGvXO3e

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 17, 2020

Thomas' ascension to the Madden 99 Club comes after four straight seasons over 1,100 yards receiving since the Saints selected him in the second round of the 2016 draft. He's also tallied 470 catches and 32 touchdowns in 63 games over that span.

His resume also includes three Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro appearances.

CAN'T. GUARD. MIKE.

Welcome to the #99Club. @Cantguardmike!#Madden21 @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/22vLOP3MM8

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 17, 2020

It's the third straight year a wide receiver earned a 99 rating, the game's highest possible mark. Antonio Brown started the streak in Madden NFL 19, and DeAndre Hopkins continued it last year.