New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport has had a uniquely tumultuous offseason.

In addition to undergoing surgery on his right shoulder, Davenport told reporters Wednesday that he had the top part of his left pinky finger amputated because of an infection that stems from a college injury.

Davenport was limited to 11 games last season after his shoulder injury caused him to spend some time on injured reserve. He still recorded career highs of 39 total tackles, nine sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.

As he continues to recover from shoulder surgery, Davenport hasn't participated in practice during this week's minicamp. Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters that he expects the 25-year-old to be back in time for training camp.

If Davenport is able to return to full strength, he will provide a boost to an already strong New Orleans defensive unit. The Saints ranked fourth in scoring defense, seventh in total defense and eighth in sacks in 2021. The team surely would benefit from adding another strong edge-rusher to the rotation.

Drafted No. 14 overall by New Orleans in 2018, Davenport is set to play the 2022 season on the final year of his rookie deal. His fifth-year option is worth $9.5 million, per Spotrac. This year will be crucial for him to prove to New Orleans and the other 31 teams in the league that he can stay healthy and produce consistently before he becomes a free agent in 2023.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is not 100 percent healthy at the moment as he looks to return from an ankle injury that cost him the entire 2021 season.

Saints head coach Dennis Allen told reporters on Thursday that Thomas is considered "doubtful" to participate in the team's mandatory minicamp (h/t Katherine Terrell of The Athletic).

I’m good with where Mike Thomas is. I would much rather him be 100 percent healthy and out here and all those kinds of things, but that’s not where we’re at right now. He is busting his tail to get himself ready to go, and I feel like he’s making significant progress. I think mentally he’s in a great place and, again, we’re just going to let that process play out and get him healthy. And look, we have a long time to go before we play a game. ... I’m not looking for a huge jump, I just want to see him keep getting a little better every day.

Thomas only played seven games in 2020 after injuring his right ankle. He then missed all of 2021 after undergoing surgery on that same ankle and later suffering a setback.

Allen provided hope Thomas would return in 2022 during a May 6 appearance on the Rich Eisen Show.

"That would be our hope," Allen stated regarding Thomas' Week 1 prognosis (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).

"We feel good about what Mike's done in the rehab process. There's still a few hurdles that we've gotta climb, with any of our guys that had any injuries they're trying to get back from."

The question also is whether Thomas could return to the sensational form he showed during the first four years of his career when he averaged 117.5 catches, 1,378 yards and eight touchdowns per season.

"I certainly hope so," Allen said. "I think that's what all our goals are. I couldn't answer that question, but that's certainly what we anticipate and hope."

Thomas posted an NFL record 149 catches in 2019 alongside 1,725 yards en route to Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year honors. He's an invaluable piece to the Saints' offense, and hopefully, he's good to go for Week 1 when New Orleans plays the Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 11.

Outside Thomas, the Saints reloaded at wideout this year, adding Chris Olave in the first round of the draft and picking up Jarvis Landry in free agency to join a wideout room that still has talents such as Marquez Callaway, Tre'Quan Smith and Juwan Johnson.

But Thomas will still be WR1 when healthy as the Saints look to rebound following a 9-8 season where they just missed the playoffs.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston seemingly hit a low point after tearing his ACL in October.

"The first few weeks, I was sleeping on my parents' couch—no hotel, I’m sleeping on their couch," Winston told Albert Breer of MMQB.

The 28-year-old missed the final 10 games of the 2021 season while rehabbing from the knee injury. He acknowledged his situation in November served as a wake-up call to work his way back to the field.

"It got to the point where I was like, I got to get off this couch! Like, there's no way I can stay on this couch," Winston added. "Going to rehab, coming back, sitting on the couch, icing and then going to sleep on the couch, it was like, No, I didn’t live my life to live on my parents' couch."

Winston was a free agent this offseason, but he landed a two-year, $28 million deal in March to return to New Orleans.

"I kind of like that back-against-the-wall mentality," Winston said. "It's being in the dungeon by yourself and just coming out of it when you're ready—when you're ready to declare to this world that you've been doing the work in silence."

The 2015 No. 1 overall draft pick played well when on the field last season, totaling 1,170 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions. His 102.8 passer rating would have ranked seventh in the NFL with enough attempts to qualify, ahead of top players like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

Efficiency was a major problem for Winston during his previous stint as a starter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. He led the league with 5,109 passing yards while throwing 33 touchdowns, but his 30 interceptions were also a league high.

After sitting behind Drew Brees in 2020, Winston had seemingly turned the corner as a passer with improved decision-making in 2021, but the injury stopped his progress.

The quarterback is hoping his hard work in rehab will pay off as he gets another chance to prove himself in 2022.     

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston has continued to work his way back from the torn ACL he suffered last October, even if it is a slow process.

"I felt in three months that I was back to this point," Winston said Thursday, per John DeShazier of the team's official site. 

"But I'm always embracing the process, always trying to find new ways. It's actually a blessing in disguise, being able to strengthen other muscles—my hip flexors, my glutes, my quads and hamstrings. Just kind of revamping my whole body and just making sure everything is tight-knit and ready to go."

Winston added that he will be wearing a knee brace during the season, saying it doesn't restrict his movement.

The 2015 No. 1 overall pick was off to a good start before the injury, totaling 14 touchdowns with just three interceptions in seven starts. The Saints were 5-2 in those games but finished just 4-6 without him.

There were still questions about whether he would return to New Orleans this offseason with the team also publicly pursuing Deshaun Watson. The squad eventually re-signed Winston on a two-year, $28 million deal in March.

The 28-year-old said he is "excited and grateful" to return to the Saints for a third season.

"Every time I get an opportunity to step on the field and work with my teammates, I'm going to take advantage of the opportunity, and I'm grateful that I get a chance to do that," Winston added.

It's been an up-and-down career for Winston, who has been a Pro Bowler and led the NFL in passing yards as recently as 2019. He also led the league in interceptions that year and spent nearly all of 2020 on the bench.

Winston will now hope to take advantage of his latest opportunity if he can return to full strength.

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, who is recovering from an ankle injury, is expected to be ready for training camp, head coach Dennis Allen told reporters Thursday.

Allen added that while Thomas is not participating in voluntary OTAs, he is with the team rehabbing his ankle.

"If I had a crystal ball and could tell you all these things, I'd probably be making a lot more money and doing something different," Allen said. "But, yeah, our hope is that he's gonna be ready to go for training camp. So that's what we're pushing for." 

Allen added: "I think he's doing well in his rehab. He's not ready yet. But he's here, he's rehabbing, he's getting himself better. And we're certainly anxious to get him out here. I know that he's working his tail off to get himself back. And we feel good about where he's at right now."

Thomas missed the entire 2021 campaign after ankle surgery.

He suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1 of the 2020 season and missed six games. Thomas then landed on injured reserve after Week 14 and sat out the final three games, though he did play in the Saints' two playoff games.

Thomas is one of the best receivers in the NFL. He was a Pro Bowler from 2017 to 2019 and a first-team All-Pro in 2018 and 2019. During his last fully healthy season in 2019, he caught an NFL-record 149 passes for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns. 

The Saints re-signed quarterback Jameis Winston, and when he returns from his torn ACL, the team's offense will have great potential.

In addition to getting Thomas back, New Orleans signed veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry and drafted Ohio State standout receiver Chris Olave this offseason as targets for Winston. 

The Saints also have some depth out wide with Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith. 

If the Saints' playmakers stay healthy, the team could return to the playoffs after missing out last year. It's hard to imagine they'll knock off Tom Brady and the Buccaneers to win the NFC South, but it's possible. 

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston has reportedly taken the next step in his progression from an ACL tear.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported Winston has begun planting and throwing off play-action passes, and the current plan is for him to be ready for the start of training camp.

Winston suffered a torn ACL during a Week 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If he's ready for the beginning of training camp, that would have Winston fully recovered in almost nine months, which is right around the early end of a typical timeframe.

It's likely the Saints will be more comfortable putting Winston into early practices because quarterbacks rarely take any level of contact in practice as is. The number of QBs who have suffered major injuries during training camp are few and far between. It's possible, if not likely, that New Orleans still holds Winston out of early preseason game action while he gets acclimated.

The Saints signed Winston to a two-year, $28 million contract in March after losing out on the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes. The structure of the deal allows the team to move on from the 28-year-old after the 2022 season without much harm, saving around $4.4 million on the salary cap.

If Winston is able to return and perform at the level he was last season (14 touchdowns, three interceptions, 102.8 passer rating), he'll be one of the sport's biggest bargains under center. That said, if there's a drop-off in performance—and Winston is already one of the high-variance quarterbacks in the NFL—the Saints may find themselves trying to lure big fish again next offseason.