New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints and free-agent running back Ty Montgomery agreed to a contract Friday, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

Montgomery spent parts of his first four NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers before getting traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2018. Montgomery then served as a backup running back for the New York Jets last season behind Le'Veon Bell.

In 16 games for Gang Green, including two starts, Montgomery rushed for 103 yards on 32 carries and caught 13 passes for 90 yards. He didn't score a touchdown for the first time in his five-year career.

Montgomery mostly played wide receiver in college at Stanford, and the Packers selected him as a wideout in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. He spent his rookie year at receiver before making the transition to running back.

The move was necessary after the Packers were hit hard by injuries at the position, but Montgomery seemed to take to his new role, recording career highs in 2016. He rushed for 457 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He also caught 44 passes for 348 yards. 

Injuries limited Montgomery to eight games in 2017, and he never found his rhythm in 2018. Montgomery wasn't used much last season, playing only 15 percent of the team's offensive snaps.

Montgomery will join a Saints team that has clear top players on the running back depth chart in Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. Beyond them, however, there aren't any proven options, which could open the door for Montgomery to make the team.

In addition to being the No. 3 running back, Montgomery has the versatility to spend time at wide receiver, which is something head coach Sean Payton values.

It is no secret that Payton loves Taysom Hill, who has shown the ability to play quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and running back in the NFL. Perhaps Montgomery can be a lite version of Hill in New Orleans.

If not, the Saints likely aren't making a huge investment in Montgomery, so they won't lose much if he fails to make the team or carve out a big role.

The NFL's replay review system for pass interference is one-and-done following a controversial year where inconsistencies and questionable decisions reigned. 

In regard to his feelings on the topic, Saints head coach Sean Payton offered the following response (h/t Luke Johnson of the Advocate):

"Obviously we weren't prepared to enforce that and monitor that the correct way. I think the theory behind it, and what the league voted on—and when I say the league, all 32 teams—certainly it had a chance to be successful. But quite honestly, we weren't ready in New York to handle it. I know that sounds critical, but that's just a fact.

"The consistency and the ability to take in the calls and at least come up with a fairly level basis of what you're going to interpret that call on. And if we're not ready there, then we shouldn't have it. I think that's the feeling that all of us have right now, including myself."

Payton's Saints were on the wrong end of a call that caused the system to be enacted for 2019.

In the 2018 NFC Championship Game, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman clearly interfered with Saints wideout Tommylee Lewis on a third-down pass deep in Rams territory with the score tied at 20 late in the fourth quarter.

If the penalty was called, the Saints had a chance to run out the clock and kick a game-winning field goal. Instead, they settled for a field goal with enough time for the Rams to drive down and nail their own to tie the game. L.A. won in overtime.

In the offseason, NFL head coaches were granted the ability to challenge pass interference. However, that ended up bringing about more questions than answers, with Danny Heifetz of The Ringer summing the situation up well:

"Coaches are confused, players are perplexed, and fans are furious. This was predictable. Not only did the rule change not fix the original issues that arose after refs missed a blatant penalty in January's NFC championship game, it created a whole new set of problems."

And Rich Madrid of Football Zebras highlighted the technical issues and inevitable subjectivity of a replay system:

"In an earlier piece, I stated that these types of reviews are entirely based on subjectivity unless there is absolute clear and obvious evidence of a foul due to the nature of defensive back play and the proximity of the receiver and cornerback during the play. The 'stands' versus 'confirmed' call on the field further adds to the complexity of the issue because in every review but one, the call is ultimately 'stands,' meaning the replay officials did not make a determination if and when the contact initiated hindered the ability of the pass catcher.

"It now appears that even significant contact that hinders the receiver's ability is not easy to determine, though it was clear to anyone watching what the call should've been. It again highlights the subjective nature of the process."

Controversial pass interference calls and no-calls have dotted NFL history throughout the years and at pivotal moments in playoff games.

Examples include Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Drew Pearson perhaps getting away with OPI in a 17-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the 1975 playoffs and New York Giants cornerback Sheldon White getting called for DPI in the 1989 postseason versus the Los Angeles Rams, who upset the G-Men 19-13 in overtime.

The difference between those two and other examples versus the Lewis/Robey-Coleman case is that there is no debate about whether the Rams defensive back committed a penalty, and there is little doubt the Saints would have far more likely than not come away the victors if PI was called.

That in turn created the rule change, but it turned out to be a bust from multiple angles.

Best of luck if you ever find yourself playing against Drew Brees in a game of HORSE in a swimming pool with a football. 

The New Orleans Saints quarterback and Mercedes-Benz ambassador took part in the car company's "Best in Class" challenge to provide social media entertainment for those who are at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and drilled a shot that even Stephen Curry may have struggled to hit.

Brees pulled off what he called the "underwater blind basketball trick shot" by going under water, quickly popping up with his eyes closed and throwing a football approximately 40 yards right into a basketball hoop, earning his sons' approval in the process.

If there were ever a quarterback who could pull this off, it's Brees. After all, the Purdue product's career completion percentage of 67.6 percent is the best in NFL history, and he has been fitting passes into tight windows since he became the San Diego Chargers' starting quarterback during the 2002 season.

Frankly, it's disappointing Brees missed the Saints' 2019 road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars with injury because TIAA Bank Field features a swimming pool inside the stadium.

Just think of the trick plays New Orleans head coach Sean Payton could have designed for that game if he knew how accurate his quarterback was throwing from a pool.

Shortly before the birth of Austin Carr's first child, the New Orleans Saints wideout's wife, Erica, was found to have been infected with COVID-19.

According to ESPN's Mike Triplett, everyone is healthy now.

Both Carr and his newborn, Clive, tested negative for the virus. Carr believes he may have already contracted the pathogen after experiencing related symptoms and later testing positive for coronavirus antibodies.

"All in all, we feel blessed and thankful for the health care and all the workers who were looking out for us (at Ochsner Health)," Carr told reporters Friday. "We're grateful for healthy mom, healthy baby. It wasn't the birth process that we expected."

Erica was tested for the virus after arriving at the hospital to give birth and received a positive result an hour later.

That led to health care workers taking extra precautions while administering aid to Erica.

"That sort of launched them into their COVID-19 protocol with a patient. And they were amazing," Carr said. "They were doing everything they could to make sure we were taken care of, while also taking care of themselves."

A former walk-on at Northwestern University, Carr has built a career for himself despite going undrafted in 2017.

He's been a member of the Saints since the following September, having played 21 games in his career with 10 catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns.

Carr praised his wife's strength in an Instagram post showing off their newborn as well as thanking all the health care workers who helped them throughout the process.

The New Orleans Saints announced on Friday that they have terminated right guard Larry Warford's contract after three seasons with the team.

The Saints signed Warford to a four-year, $34 million contract as a free agent during the 2017 offseason. Warford had played the previous four campaigns with the Detroit Lions.

The former Kentucky Wildcat made the Pro Bowl in three consecutive years with New Orleans, helping the Saints amass a 37-11 regular-season record and three NFC South titles.

Warford made 44 of his 101 career starts with the Saints.

Nick Underhill of New Orleans.Football explained the rationale for why Warford was cut.

"New Orleans has the NFL's second-fastest offensive line with [first-round draft pick Cesar Ruiz] moving into the starting group," Underhill said. "Warford is one of the slowest guards in the NFL."

He also added the following:

"The Saints want players who can move.

"Not just at the skill positions, but also on the offensive line. Blocking and being assignment sound are still the chief responsibilities for Drew Brees' group of protectors. That will never change, but New Orleans now appears to be placing a premium on linemen with athletic ability and has assembled one of the NFL's fastest offensive lines."

The Saints will save $7,750,000 on their 2020 cap with the maneuver, per Over the Cap.

New Orleans' 2020 starting offensive line, from left to right, should now be left tackle Terron Armstead, left guard Andrus Peat, center Erik McCoy, Ruiz and Ryan Ramczyk. They'll protect quarterback Drew Brees in his 15th season in New Orleans as the team looks for its fourth straight NFC South title and a deep playoff run.

The New Orleans Saints have won three straight NFC South titles, but no team has seen its last three seasons end more heartbreakingly.  

The Saints' 2019 campaign ended in a 26-20 overtime wild-card loss to the visiting Minnesota Vikings—marking the third year in a row New Orleans' season ended on the last possession:

Saints are now the first team in NFL history to have six straight playoff eliminations by one score and the second team since the Packers from 2013-15 to be eliminated in three straight postseasons on the final play of the game.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 5, 2020

New Orleans saw 2018 end with a controversial non-call on blatant pass interference by the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 NFC Championship Game. The Rams prevailed 26-23 in overtime. The Saints' 2017 campaign ended when the Vikings executed the "Minneapolis Miracle" as time expired in regulation to oust New Orleans 29-24 in the divisional round.

Before the Saints can reverse their recent postseason misfortunes, they will navigate what CBSSports.com's John Breech ranked as the league's 24th-toughest schedule with opponents sporting a combined 2019 record of 125-130-1.

Below is the Saints' full 2020 schedule, as well as a deeper look at the roster and key matchups.

     

Saints' 2020 Schedule

The #Saints 2020 schedule!

⚜️@SeatGeek ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/i1di3zALQw

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) May 7, 2020

 

     

Analysis

The Saints' headlining offseason move was re-signing future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees on a two-year, $50 million contract.

The 41-year-old former All-Pro missed five games last season with a thumb injury, and Teddy Bridgewater kept the Saints afloat with a 5-0 record as the fill-in starter. Bridgewater departed for the Carolina Panthers in free agency, leaving Taysom Hill as Brees' backup.

Following the 2020 draft, in which the Saints added four players, New Orleans signed 2015 top overall pick Jameis Winston to a one-year contract. The 26-year-old quarterback will presumably allow Hill to be used more creatively and provide extra security behind Brees:

Sources tell Yahoo Sports the #Saints are finalizing a 1-year deal with free agent QB Jameis Winston. New Orleans hopes to continue maximizing Taysom Hill's versatility on gameday while mitigating some risk in exposing Drew Brees' backup to injury.

Story: https://t.co/srblaQWfhI pic.twitter.com/D2jNWL2446

— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) April 26, 2020

Head coach Sean Payton disclosed how the organization views Hill's unique role while visiting ESPN's Get Up! on March 31:

"I think the role is pretty clear, and first and foremost, we still view him as a quarterback, and we spent a lot of time this offseason discussing our vision for him this season at quarterback, but then also at the F-position. And what I mean by that ... that slash, tight end, wide receiver, he's a tremendous blocker, he's physical. I don't think people realize how fast he is. He's probably one of the three or four fastest guys on the team. So, he'll play that F-position, he'll certainly be involved in the kicking game. It's one of the things he takes pride in and is very good at.

"And then the unique situation with our team and with our quarterback, Drew Brees is, he's announced he's coming back for his final season, I think Taysom sees himself as being a starting quarterback in this league and we do too."

Hill might be the starting quarterback of the future in New Orleans, but it will undoubtedly still be Brees' team in 2020.

Veteran wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders signed a two-year deal with the Saints in March, joining an already-loaded attack: 

The Saints offense is looking explosive 🔥 pic.twitter.com/24V3Jh6Yfk

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 21, 2020

All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas led the league with 149 catches—a single-season record—and 1,725 receiving yards alongside a career-high nine touchdowns. Sanders' arrival will take pressure off Thomas, as will the two-headed running attack of Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray. The two backs carried the ball a combined 317 times for 1,434 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2019.

The Saints also made moves in their secondary by replacing safety Vonn Bell with Malcolm Jenkins:

New Orleans is closing in on a deal with Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins per @RapSheet

Jenkins: 70.0+ PFF grade in each of the last six seasons. pic.twitter.com/BO23FV8NdW

— PFF (@PFF) March 18, 2020

Why the Saints moved on to Malcolm Jenkins, and what happened in negotiations with Vonn Bellhttps://t.co/y2n3TwTsR3

Film review on Jenkins to illustrate areas where Saints will get better with him, and worse without Bell.https://t.co/E2OHJTPoBq

— Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) March 28, 2020

New Orleans sported the seventh-ranked passing offense and 16th-ranked ground game, while the defense ranked 13th against the pass and 29th against the run last season.

     

Key Matchups

Everybody has been looking forward to watching Brees square off with Tom Brady twice in 2020 since Brady departed New England for a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March. The two teams will meet in Weeks 1 and 9.

The Bucs last beat New Orleans in Week 1 of 2018.

Brady and Brees last played in 2017. The Patriots won 36-20.

Outside of the NFC South, Brees has marquee quarterback matchups with two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and Super Bowl LIV MVP Patrick Mahomes.

The Saints also have a rematch with the Vikings, who are responsible for ending their 2017 and '19 seasons.

New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis is keeping his plans for Jameis Winston relatively quiet after signing the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star to a one-year deal. 

Speaking to SiriusXM NFL Radio on Thursday, Loomis expressed the team's long-term fondness for Winston but wouldn't divulge much more insight:

Saints GM Mickey Loomis on why the team added Jameis Winston.

"Chance to add a guy to that room that has a lot of talent, we'll see where it goes"

👇 Audio #Saints #WhoDat 👇 pic.twitter.com/RJ6URXVplJ

— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 7, 2020

"With Jameis we had a chance to add a talented player who we thought a lot of coming out of Florida State and then thought a lot of playing against him for the last few years," Loomis said. "It's a chance to add a guy into that room that's got a lot of talent and we'll see where it goes." 

For a team that placed such high value on the quarterback, Loomis was able to grab Winston for a relative bargain, agreeing to a $1.1 million contract with a maximum value of $3.4 million. 

While it would be easy for Winston to focus on the quiet part of Loomis' comments, the GM made a more poignant point towards the end of the clip. 

"It's no different than what we did with Teddy Bridgewater," Loomis said of the Winston signing. 

Before signing a three-year, $63 million contract with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, Bridgewater was considered a busted prospect in need of an overhaul after losing his starting job with the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints gave Bridgewater a one-year, $7.25 million deal to serve as backup to Drew Brees in 2019, which paid off when the team's starter went down with a thumb injury early in the season. 

Bridgewater not only excelled in Brees' absence, but proved he's capable of handling the starting role in the NFL. 

Winston now hopes to get a similar opportunity. After leading the league in passing (5,109 yards) and was second in touchdowns (33). If he can get his accuracy issues under control after having undergone Lasik eye surgery this offseason, Winston may very well get another shot at the type of deal Bridgewater earned for himself. 

It won't be easy—and Loomis is staying mum on the details—but being compared to Bridgewater at this point is a positive step for a quarterback who is out to prove he should still be starting. 

New Orleans Saints star Drew Brees gave Texas high school quarterback Calder Hodge a nice surprise when he jumped on a Skype call last week:

Hodge has made headlines by playing football despite having both legs amputated above the knee. The 15-year-old played junior varsity last season but has dreams about reaching the NFL.

While Hodge had originally been on the call with former high school quarterback Alex Ruiz, who also had a leg amputated, Brees joined in for some kind words, which Hodge called "pretty crazy," per Mike Triplett of ESPN.

"Because Drew has so many records in the NFL and he's one of the quarterbacks I've always looked up to. He's just a great player," Hodge added. "So to have him jump on a call and talk to me and say that he's heard about me is really crazy."  

After already meeting Matthew Stafford and the Manning family, the athlete has had some memorable experiences in his young career. 

New Orleans Saints quarterback Taysom Hill has only 13 pass attempts in his NFL career and is better known as a special teams contributor and even a receiver. But head coach Sean Payton apparently still thinks highly of his future under center.  

NBC Sports' Peter King revealed in his Football Morning in America column that Payton "believes Hill has a chance to be a Steve Young type in and out of the pocket."

The revelation came in a section discussing who will start at quarterback for New Orleans in 2021 should Drew Brees retire, and King suggested that "Payton will not stand for a quarterback who turns it over like [Jameis] Winston has."

King went as far as to say he thinks the 2021 starting quarterback job, should Brees retire or move on, is "Hill's to lose," in part because Winston may not have much chance to prove he can move past the turnovers that have been an issue throughout his career if Brees plays all year.

Winston threw a stunning 30 interceptions in 2019 alone and has never thrown fewer than 11 in any of his five seasons since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2015 NFL draft.

Arm talent is not the question, though, as he also threw for 5,109 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2019. He underwent Lasik eye surgery this offseason, which could help him read defenses more efficiently in the future.

He won't be able to match Hill in the speed department. The BYU product has proved himself as a trick-play specialist who scored six touchdowns as a receiver and another as a rusher just last year. Part of what made Young so special as a quarterback was his ability to improvise when the pocket broke down and make plays as a runner, and that is something Hill has done for the Saints.

Winston is also under contract for just the 2020 campaign after signing a one-year deal with the Saints, while Hill is signed through 2021 following this offseason's extension.

Comparing Hill to Young, who is a Hall of Famer with three Super Bowl titles and two league MVPs on his resume, is high praise, especially for someone who hasn't shown anything as a consistent passer in the NFL, but it is clear Payton holds his backup quarterback in high regard.

That will make winning the starting job all the more difficult for Winston if he is still in New Orleans after Brees has left.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan isn't looking forward to facing Tom Brady twice every year now that the three-time NFL MVP has joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Appearing on SportsCenter, Jordan shared his thoughts about playing in the same division as Brady:

"I mean, I'm not overly excited about it simply because we know that he makes all of the quick throws. I mean, if he doesn't see something downfield that he likes, he will check down. As a D-lineman, I'd rather you try to go for that deep ball. When you think about the three or four times that I've played Tom Brady, I think I've only gotten a sack off of him. So I mean, it's not like he's one of my most favorite targets. Have I sacked him? Yes. Have I sacked him a lot? No. I'm clearly going to have to change that this year."

When Brady played for the New England Patriots, Jordan only had to worry about trying to slow him down once every four years.

Jordan has only gone up against Brady twice since entering the NFL in 2011. The Saints did an effective job containing Brady in 2013, with Jordan recording one of the team's five sacks, but the Patriots earned a 30-27 win on Brady's 17-yard touchdown pass to Kenbrell Thompkins with five seconds remaining.

Brady was unstoppable in the second game in 2017, throwing for 447 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-20 win at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Expectations are high for the Buccaneers thanks to Brady's arrival. He joins an offense that ranked third in points per game (28.6) last season and had two players—Chris Godwin and Mike Evans—surpass 1,150 receiving yards.

Jordan is one of the NFL's best pass-rushers, as the 30-year-old has recorded at least 10 sacks in five of the past seven seasons, including a career-high 15.5 in 2019.

The Saints will need Jordan to keep up that level of play next season if they want to hold off Brady's Bucs and win the NFC South for the fourth straight year.