Latest news with #Saints
USA Today
an hour ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Where do Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave rank among Saints' all-time receiving leaders?
Where do Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave rank among Saints' all-time receiving leaders? Our top-20 countdown rolls on with the most electrifying pass catchers in Saints history Over the course of time, New Orleans Saints pass catchers have played a vital role in some of the most glorious passing seasons ever. With countless All-Pro and Pro Bowl-level talents, many have cemented themselves in the history books as cornerstones of one of the league's most dynamic aerial attacks. From clutch playoff performances to record-setting regular seasons, these players helped elevated their respective offenses for decades. Whether it was stretching the field, making contested catches, or as security blanket for their quarterback, each of these players contributed mightily to the evolution of offense in New Orleans. Here's a look at the top 20 all-time receiving yardage leaders in New Orleans Saints history: 20. TE Dave Parks (1968-1972): 2,254 receiving yards 19. WR Michael Haynes (1994-1996): 2,368 receiving yards 18. WR Chris Olave (2022-present): 2,565 receiving yards 17. RB Pierre Thomas (2007-2014): 2,608 receiving yards 16. WR Robert Meachem (2008-2014): 2,707 receiving yards 15. WR Donte' Stallworth (2002-2005): 2,791 receiving yards 14. WR Wes Chandler (1978-1981): 2,801 receiving yards 13. WR Brandin Cooks (2014-2016): 2,861 receiving yards 12. TE Henry Childs (1974-1980): 3,224 receiving yards 11. WR Quinn Early (1991-1995): 3,758 receiving yards 10. TE Hoby Brenner (1981-1993): 3,849 receiving yards 9. WR Lance Moore (2006-2013): 4,281 receiving yards 8. WR Devery Henderson (2004-2012): 4,377 receiving yards 7. RB Alvin Kamara (2017-present): 4,762 receiving yards 6. TE Jimmy Graham (2010-2023): 4,791 receiving yards 5. WR Danny Abramowicz (1967-1973): 4,875 receiving yards 4. WR Michael Thomas (2016-2023): 6,569 receiving yards 3. WR Joe Horn (2000-2006): 7,622 receiving yards 2. WR Eric Martin (1985-1993): 7,854 receiving yards 1. WR Marques Colston (2006-2015): 9,759 receiving yards
USA Today
2 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Two New Orleans Saints listed among PFF's 32 best tight ends
Two New Orleans Saints listed among PFF's 32 best tight ends New Orleans Saints place two in PFF tight end rankings New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore spent six seasons in the NFL as an offensive coordinator before being hired by the Saints this offseason. He was with the Dallas Cowboys for four years, then the Chargers for one, before heading up the offense for the Super Bowl LIX champion Philadelphia Eagles last year. In his previous stops, Moore had good receivers at the tight end position and used them well in his system. He had Dalton Schultz in Dallas, Gerald Everett with the Chargers, and Dallas Goedert in Philadelphia. Even with New Orleans once again barely addressing the tight end position through the draft or free agency (outside of signing former Eagles blocking tight end Jack Stoll), Moore will have some returning weapons to work with in his newest job. At least once everyone's healthy. Pro Football Focus analyst John Kosko listed that site's top 32 tight ends coming into the NFL season. The Saints were one of six teams to have two players among the rankings. No. 14 - Taysom Hill ''Hill is difficult to place on this list, as he's less a tight end and more a do-everything player. And he's also coming off a torn ACL in 2024. When healthy, Hill has to be accounted for on every play: He's a threat as a passer, a runner and a receiver. He has earned a 71.8 PFF overall grade or better in four straight seasons.'' No. 31 - Juwan Johnson ''Despite the Saints bevy of injuries, including to quarterback Derek Carr, Johnson still managed 548 receiving yards and a 1.34 yards-per-route-run average in 2024. While New Orleans' quarterback situation doesn't look any better in 2025, Johnson has shown to be a productive tight end regardless of his quarterback.'' A tight end in name only, Hill is most dangerous out of the backfield and is the second best runner for the Saints. He'll line up everywhere along the formation and gives defenses nightmares. A threat as a runner and thrower, Hill is also an underrated pass catcher. Hill was one of several Saints to be lost for the year at mid-season because of injury. His ACL injury will have him out until at least training camp, at best case scenario, and has many doubting his NFL future. When in the lineup, he's a critical chess piece for the offense. Once healthy, expect Kellen Moore to be creative in his usage of Hill. A converted wideout, Johnson can provide advantageous matchups for the Saints. He's too athletic for most linebackers to match up with in coverage, while his size overwhelms smaller defensive backs. Johnson's 50 receptions and 66 targets were second on the team last year, with his 548 receiving yards leading the squad. All three were the best numbers of his five-year career. Johnson, 28, was signed to a three-year contract extension this spring. The Saints did not bring in another tight end until late in Round 7 of the draft. This makes it clear that Moore and the offensive coaching staff believes that Juwan Johnson will be an important weapon for their offense this season.
USA Today
16 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Aaron Craver's controversial kick return TD is the Saints Play of the Day
Aaron Craver's controversial kick return TD is the Saints Play of the Day Craver redeemed himself for an early fumble against the Vikings There are 100 days standing between us and the start of the New Orleans Saints' 2025 regular season, which makes this 100-yard kick return touchdown by Aaron Craver our pick for the Saints Play of the Day. Drafted as a running back, Craver did most of his damage in the NFL as a receiver, but the most memorable moment of his career came on a surprise score against the Minnesota Vikings back in 1998. Craver appeared to be hit by Vikings linebacker Pete Bercich before slipping and falling to the turf, and the players around him came to a stop, thinking the play was dead. But Craver noticed there was no whistle from the officiating crew, so he climbed back to his feet and ran through the confused Minnesota coverage unit, crossing the field for a score. The Vikings challenged the ruling but were unable to overturn the play. It was a good way to make up for an earlier fumble on special teams that led to points for the opposing team. You can see it all here. The Saints needed all the lucky breaks they could get against one of the best teams in the NFL. They kept it close late into the fourth quarter, until Minnesota's pass rush brought Billy Joe Tolliver down on three consecutive plays to close it out. New Orleans fell to 4-5, while the Vikings improved to 8-1, well on their way to an incredible season that ended with brutal heartbreak in a season-ending overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. As for Craver? He returned to New Orleans for the 1999 season but only fielded one more kickoff, gaining just 3 yards on the try. He called it a career after appearing in 103 regular season games with the Saints, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and San Diego Chargers, plus five playoff games between his time with Miami and Denver. He did well for himself as a third-round pick and went down as one of the 12 players out of 28 drafted in Round 3 who went on to play at least 100 games in the NFL. That he managed to sustain his career and try his hand at so many different things is commendable, and he won his place in Saints history with this touchdown against the Vikings.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2008 NFL draft do-over has the Saints passing on a former first-round bust
How do you define an NFL draft bust? Is it someone who doesn't last long in the league, or a player who just doesn't meet expectations? Depending on how harshly you grade draft picks, your opinion could fall between either one of those extremes. And that brings us to former New Orleans Saints first-round draft pick Sedrick Ellis, who the team traded up to get back in 2008. Pro Football Focus analysts Max Chadwick, Dalton Wasserman, and Trevor Sikkema spun the clock all the way back for a do-over of that draft class using the benefits of hindsight. And they didn't have the Saints trading up three spots from No. 10 to pick Ellis, or even drafting him at all. Instead, they went with future three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Advertisement PFF's explanation? Surrounding Drew Brees with more weapons to start his Saints career, adding Jackson to a receiving corps that already featured Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and Devery Henderson, plus running backs Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. The Saints also had Robert Meachem coming off of rookie-year knee surgery but Jackson would've given the receiving corps significantly more juice. While Ellis wasn't taken in the first round of this redraft (which isn't too surprising; he washed out of the league after playing out his five-year rookie contract with the Saints), one of his teammates was. Carl Nicks was picked in the fifth round by New Orleans but in this do-over went at No. 18 overall to the Houston Texans. Here's why: Nicks was forced to retire after just six seasons due to a MRSA infection. He was named a first-team All-Pro once, a second-team All-Pro once and a Pro Bowler twice. He earned an 83.0-plus PFF overall grade in each of his four seasons with New Orleans, and even recorded 77.0-plus PFF overall grades in each of his seasons with the Buccaneers before retiring. He is one of the best value picks in this draft. If not for that unfortunate injury Nicks may have made his case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame just like his tag-team partner Jahri Evans did. It's a shame his career didn't last longer in New Orleans. He was one of three members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were diagnosed with MRSA infections, two of whom had their careers cut short by it. Playing for Houston or staying with the Saints may have made a world of difference for him. This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints dodge draft bust, miss potential HOFer in 2008 draft do-over
The Courier
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Courier
EXCLUSIVE: Drey Wright leaves St Johnstone and Dundee frontrunners to sign him
Drey Wright has decided to leave St Johnstone – and Dundee are the frontrunners to sign him. Courier Sport understands the 30-year-old informed Saints today that he won't be accepting their offer of a new contract. The Englishman has had two spells at McDiarmid Park, both of them successes. He was one of the players who could hold their head up high after a disastrous season, which culminated in relegation to the Championship. Ironically, the ankle injury which ruled Wright out for the last few games of the campaign, was one of the final nails in Saints' coffin. As is the case across the board for players and management, significant pay cuts have kicked in for life in the second tier. And Wright, a free agent, has had several top-flight sides interested in securing his services for the 2025/26 season. It is understood Dundee were showing a strong interest when Tony Docherty was in charge at Dens Park and that remains the case even though the Dark Blues are currently without a manager. They are the favourites to secure his signature. Saints have signed three players already – defenders Jack Baird and Morgan Boyes from Morton and Raith Rovers forward, Jamie Gullan. Sven Sprangler, out of contract like Wright, accepted fresh terms on a two-year contract earlier this week.
