By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | 3/19/2023

Season 82 is already rolling strong. And after the first 3 weeks, teams are still trying to jockey for position at the top of their divisions. Especially in the good ole NFC South, where the top teams (ATL and CAR) and the bottom teams (TB and NO) are only separated by a game. So it is still anyone's division. On the Homefront, the rebuild has begun for the Saints. See my previous article for a breakdown of the offseason moves and my twitter thread for the recap of the S82 draft class. For reference, here is said class.

Draft Class

1.15 QB Aiden Scarborough Illinois St

2.26 TE Kenny Donald Ohio St

3.11 G Jelani Crowley Miami

3.15 RB Sheldon Upshaw Georgia

5.11 G Joe Cobb Colorado 

6.11 S David Perine Lehigh

And now, the Season 82 final 53 for your New Orleans Saints.

QB - Aiden Scarborough [R], Taysom Hill, Bryce Ross 

Scarborough was their top pick at 1.16 and according to sources in the building, he was their absolute must have. Scarborough was as advertised in camp and won the starting job over Bryce Ross and veteran Taysom Hill. Through 3 games, Aiden has this passing attack markedly better than last season. 666yds 4TDs to 1INT. Compared to Winston, who had 200 fewer yards and 2TDs to 5INTs at this time last year.

RB - Elijah Mitchell, Cam Akers, Sheldon Upshaw [R], Nate McCrary, (FB) Cody Favorite 

With the departure of Alvin Kamara, the Saints aimed to get younger and add depth to their backfield. Signing Cam Akers, acquiring Eli Mitchell in a deal from SF and drafting Sheldon Upshaw out of UGA. Expect to see an even mix of Cam and Eli on all downs. And by midseason, Upshaw could start to see some spell back time in passing sets.

WR - Chris Olave, Chase Claypool, Kj Osborn, Velus Jones Jr, Tyron Johnson, Kirk Merritt

Another position that went through a massive overhaul was the WR room. Olave and kick returner Merritt were the only returning players. Claypool, Osborn and Johnson were all signed this offseason and Velus Jones came over in a deal with CHI. This staff feels Olave is ready to teak the reins of a WR1. But who will emerge as the 2? Claypool and Osborn both have all the tools, but key drops in the first 3 games have put the halt from either one taking that next step. Hopefully, they can work through their shortcomings and get this WR core firing on all cylinders.

TE - Adam Trautman, Cj Uzomah, Kenny Donald [R] 

Trautman has 3yr left on a 4 year deal and will be 30 by the end of the deal. As of now, he is clearly one of the top options for Scarbrough. But the future was set by the drafting TE Kenny Donald in the second round out of The Ohio State. Veteran TE Cj Uzomah was also brought in this offseason. This should give the Saints offense the versatility to go either 3 wide or 3TEs and still maintain the threat of a passing attack.

T - Jedrick Wills Jr, Ryan Ramczyk, Joe Cobb [R]

Ramczyk is a mainstay on the right side. And the Saints sure up the LT spot with signing Jedrick Wills for $36 mil over 4yrs. After giving up 33 sacks last season, this was a major concern to be addressed. And also give Trevor Penning the ability to kick inside.

G - Jelani Crowley [R], Cesar Ruiz, Trevor Penning, D’Andre Verner, 

Ruiz and Penning battled it out during camp for one guard spot. Ruiz was the victor and Penning will be the 6th lineman in the rotation. The Saints will have a big decision w/ Ruiz this offseason. He is playing on the 5th yr option right now. Crowley, who was taken w/ the 11th pick in the 3rd round, was graded as the 4th best player in the draft and top OL prospect. He has shown to be a day one starter from early in camp.

C - Erik McCoy, Austin Reiter

McCoy, the other long-standing Saints OLineman, will continue to anchor the line from the middle. Austin Reiter will back him up.

DE - Payton Turner, George Ross, William Gholston, Terrell Lewis

Payton Turner turned in a season of a lifetime with 16.5 sacks. Will this be his production going forward or was this just a flash in the pan? Last year’s rookie George Ross will kick to the outside and play DE this year. We'll see how he translates to more of a pass rushing role.

DT - Poona Ford, Kentavius Street, Malcolm Roach, Armon Watts

Ford and Watts were brought in this offseason to join the DT rotation along with Kentavius Street. This team struggled to stop the run last season. If they are expecting any improvements on this side of the ball, it will start up front and plugging the run.

OLB - Pete Werner, Dre Greenlaw, Kyle Van Noy, Chance Campbell

Werner is due a new deal at seasons end. Along with newly acquired Dre Greenlaw. Van Noy is starting to show his age and will be reduced to a backup role. With over $100 mil available, both Werner and Greenlaw will be top on the priority to resign with the team.

MLB - Demario Davis, Christian Kirksey, Jason Godwin 

Davis returns on a new deal after being a part of the exodus of large deals. He'll look to end his career as a Saint. Kirksey and Godwin will be the depth and see a lot of time on special teams.

CB - Asante Samuel Jr, Alonte Taylor, Ahkello Witherspoon, Paulson Adebo, Dane Jackson, Tay Gowan

Another position group that saw a lot of changes was the CB room. Taylor led the team with 7INTs and a Pro Bowl selection. But surrounding him are Asante Samuel Jr, who came over in the Lattimore deal, and Ahkello Witherspoon, who signed on as a free agent. Adebo and Dane Jackson will battle for the CB4 spot.

S - Tyrann Mathieu, Ryan Neal, Xavier Rhodes, David Perine [R]

Mathieu is another big-name player that needs a deal this offseason. But the Saints have drafted his incumbent in David Perine out of Lehigh. Perine certainly carried himself like a superstar through camp and is just itching to get his shot. The FS spot was in flux after the release of Marcus Maye and Mathieu moving to the SS spot. Ryan Neal and former CB turned safety Xavier Rhodes will occupy the spot. Both have seen time in the starting lineup this year but neither has really took ahold of the starting slot on the depth chart. And you have to wonder if Perine had such a good camp, why wouldn't he start across from Mathieu?

Specialist - Brian Johnson, Joe Walker 

Kickity Kick Kick... Skipity Bee Bop!

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | 3/13/2023 

Hello RedZone!!! It’s been quite a long time since we have spoken. But not to worry, all is well on my end. As for your New Orleans Saints, it’s a much different story. S81 was one of the longest seasons for me to cover in my time here. And if it was long for me, imagine how draining it must have been for Coach Mayne, his staff and the players. 

With the end of every season, the offseason brings forth all of the hope and optimism for a team and fanbase to see if a team is going to continue their winning ways. Or will an unknown team emerge as a new division winner and make a deep run in the S82 playoffs. 

Now, if we must, let’s look back to how S81 played out for your NO Saints.

Let’s start on the defensive side of the ball. Two players had breakout/career years. DE Payton Turner logged 16.5 sacks, which was 2nd in the league among DE’s, which landed him on the Pro Bowl team. Will he be able to duplicate that production? The other breakout was CB Alonte Taylor. He also found himself named to the Pro Bowl after leading the team with 7 INTs and 41 tackles. The defense as a whole finished in the top 15 in all yardage categories. The one area of improvement, they finished 22nd in points against. The defense can only do so much if the offense is not staying on the field.

And speaking of the offense... It was a long hard road for that side of the ball. They ranked 20th or lower in all offensive categories. Alvin Kamara finished with 1,500 all purpose yds and 12 total TDS, but there was little help outside of that. And it starts at the QB position. Winston took the reins after Jimmy G left in free agency. He only managed 3,300 passing yds, 18TDs and 22INTs and completing only 55% of passes. Having a competent passing attack is paramount, especially when teams start to stack the box vs the run and Winston simply had no answer. 

All in all, the Saints finished with a 6-11 record. And a number of questions to be answered this offseason. How would Coach Mayne and company get this team back on track? With limited cap, only 4 draft picks scheduled and numerous big money deals due to be paid out, a number of tough decisions needed to be made. Let’s get to the exiting players first.

The first major move was sending CB Marshon Lattimore to LAC for Asante Samuel Jr. and a first and second rd pick this year. Latt underperformed as a CB1 the past 2 seasons and the brass felt a change of scenery was needed. 

A number of cap casualties were next. G Andrus Peat, RB Alvin Kamara, WR Michael Thomas, CB Bradley Roby and SS Marcus Maye were among the major names. MLB Demario Davis was also among the ones cut, but it essentially was a restructuring of his deal. He resigned with the team on a 1yr $5.5 mil deal.

Now with new available cap space and a few extra picks, lets see how they have filled out this through 2 phases of free agency.

The Saints turned the pick from LAC (1.26) into RB Eli Mitchell and LB Dre Greenlaw from the 49ers. Both will be due new deals at seasons end, but both are expected to resign with the team.

The Saints were big spenders this offseason. T Jedrick Wills, RB Cam Akers, TE Cj Uzomah and WRs Kj Osborn and Chase Claypool were the big money signings. Defensively, CBs Ahkello Witherspoon and Dane Jackson, the aforementioned Demario Davis and DT Poona Ford were the big names there. 

Two other trades to mention. The Saints traded back from pick 1.11 to 1.15 w/ PIT. They also received a current 3rd and a future 4th round pick. And the Saints sent a future 3rd to the Bears for WR Velus Jones.

A lot of moving and shaking. But it looks like the Saints are done with their spending now and have turned their focus on the draft. Here are the Saints selections for Tuesday night's draft.

1.15

2.26

3.11

3.15

5.11

6.11

Unless the plan is to start the season with Taysom Hill or rookie last year Bryce Ross, you’d have to think that a QB will be high on the team's needs list if not at the time. Will there be a QB they are coveting there at pick 15 in the first, time will tell. Outside of that, I feel that LB will be a place of need and also Safety. Davis and Mathieu are both due deals after the season and unless the numbers are right, I can’t see either player returning to the bayou. 

I’ll be back on Wednesday with my breakdown of the selections from draft night and by weeks end, out Final 53 article getting you ready for the beginning of S82. 

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | Feb 5, 2023 

Season 80 of The RedZone Football League breathed new live into what was a very long and trying first half of this cycle. Most coaches we new faces in new places. One of the few that returned to his previous cycle spot was Coach Mayne Event heading back to The Bayou after spending 3 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. 

The challenge at the beginning of S80 was two fold. One, who was going to lead this offense at QB? And two, will whoever takes the helm have enough juice to have this team in contention in the NFCS? With a chance to get into the 7 seed down the stretch, the Saints go 3-1 post the bye week, but cameup just short in making the post season. 

So, we turn to the offseason. This is where the mass exodus began due to numerous big salary numbers taking effect. Marcus Davenport, David Onyemata & Jimmy G, all not resigned. Cam Jordan and Michael Thomas were both in the mix of trade talks. While Thomas and the team came to an understanding with keeping him in Nawlins, Cam Jordan was not so lucky. When no solid trade partners came to light, Jordan was given his outright release. 

So then the rebuild began. The biggest FA addition, OLB Kyle Van Noy. Along with DE Justin Zimmer and Safeties Lamarcus Joyner and Bradley McDougald. Van Noy and Zimmer look to figure into their starting roles respectively. While Joyner may give Pro Bowl S Tyrann Mathieu the freedom to roll up into the slot in pass coverage more frequently. 

On to the draft. With a myriad of hole still left to fill, the Saints had to be very strategic with their 4 selections this year. The prize draft pick was 2nd round selection George Ross our of Arizona St. He looks to be the first piece in this staff’s attempt to rebuild and improve this run defense, which was in the bottom third of the league last season. Another person of note is 4th round selection Bryce Ross, QB out of Colorado St. While Bryce may not figure into the starting role this season, Winston, who’s in the final year of his deal, and Taysom Hill, who’s turning 34 at season’s end, a solid development year could have him in line for taking the starting role next season. 

You can see the rest of the call below. 

Draft Class

2.5 - DE/DT George Ross Arizona State

4.17 - QB Bryce Ross Colorado St

5.17 - G D’Andre Verner Pitt

7.17 - LB Jason Godwin Texas Tech

And now, the Season 81 final 53 for your New Orleans Saints.

QB - Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Bryce Ross [R] 

Winston only started one game last year before the acquisition of Jimmy G. But has won the job this season over Taysom Hill. Look for new OC Bill Duncan to try and limit the throws that Winston will need to make and try to up his production by lowering his workload. 

RB - Alvin Kamara, Greg Hewitt [R], CJ Verdell, Nate McCrary, (FB) Nick Bawden, (FB) Cody Favorite [R] 

AK finished the year with 1,500yds of total offense last season and he’ll look to match that production this year. The RB2 spot is still a mystery at the end of camp. CJ Verdell, while a bit undersized, has shown he’s more that capable in camp. Greg Hewitt will factor into the return spot. Nice Bawden and Rookie Cody Favorite will share in the Fullback duties. 

WR - Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, Tre’Quan Smith, Deonte Harty, Penny Hart, Kirk Merritt

Thomas and Olave return as WR1 and WR2 respectively. Olave was tied for the team lead in catches with 59 while only finding the endzone twice. I expect that number to tick up with the departure of TE Juwan Johnson. Tre’Quan Smith is locked into WR3. While Deonte Harty is at WR4 but has lost his return duties to Kirk Merritt or the aforementioned Greg Hewitt. 

TE - Adam Trautman, Kahale Warring

Trautman will have a big void to fill with the departing Juwan Johnson. Johnson led the team last season with 8TDs. And it will be a big show and prove year for Trautman as he is in the final year of his rookie deal. Barring any catastrophe, I expect the Saints to “Pay the man, Shirley.” Kahale Warring will back him up. 

T - Trevor Penning, Ryan Ramczyk, James Hurst

If there is any weakness on this stout OLine, it’s the LT spot. 2nd yr man Trevor Penning struggled against some of the better rushers in the league last season. The hopes are that you just chalk it up to inexperience. Meanwhile, Ramczyk had a down year for his standards. He’ll look to bounce back as well. 

G -  Andrus Peat, Cesar Ruiz, Marcus Barden [R], D’Andre Verner [R]

Peat landed himself on the Commissioner’s list for Third team OLine. Ruiz had a fine season opposite Peat and was rewarded with the Saints picking up his 5th yr option. Verner and Barden will back them up.

C - Erik McCoy, Nick Gates

McCoy was a stud last season and landed as the top center on the OLine Commissioner’s list. All signs are pointing to him being a Saint the rest of this cycle. Nick Gates was brought in to backup McCoy, but a torn tricep will hold him out for this season. 

DE - Payton Turner, Justin Zimmer, Tyler Burse, Eric Bates [R]

Out go Cam Jordan and Marcus Davenport. In are Payton Turner, who saw limited action last year, and FA addition Justin Zimmer. Undrafted rookies Burse and Bates will back them up. 

DT - George Ross, Kentavius Street, Malcolm Roach, Deon Felix [R]

There was some uncertainty that the Saints would be able to resign any of their DT’s. But Street and Roach managed to get resigned while also drafting George Ross. Street played well. Logging 8 sacks from the interior. 

OLB - Pete Werner, Kyle Van Noy, Kristian Welch, Keir Thomas, Brian Rainey [R]

Werner has a new running mate at OLB in Kyle Van Noy. Van Noy is one of the better combinations of talents. Can play as a stand up backer and can also put his hand in the ground and come off the edge. Welch, Thomas and rookie Brian Rainey will be the depth.

MLB - Demario Davis, Jason Godwin [R], Evan Weaver

David is showing no signs of slowing down. But with 2 yrs left on his deal and him being 36 at the end of that deal, he is for sure on the Back 9 of his career. Godwin and Evan Weaver will back him up. 

CB - Marshon Lattimore, Alonte Taylor, Bradley Roby, Paulson Adebo, Teddy Kelley [R], Chase Lucas

Probably one of the deeper units for the Saints. Lattimore will look to be more of a X-Facton on the back end this season. He logged only 4 INTs last season. 2nd yr man Alontae Taylor jumps up to CB2 and looks primed and ready for the role. Roby and Adebo will fill out CB3 and CB4. 

S - Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye, Lamarcus Joyner, Bradley McDougald

Mathieu returns after a Pro Bowl season. Lead the team with 7 INTs and DC Sammy Wagner wants to use Honey Badger’s versatility more. Look for him to lineup in the nickel more often this season. Maye led the team in tackles and will continue to man the SS role. W/ the additions of Joyner and McDougald, this has to be one of the older safety units in all of RZ. 

Specialist - Wil Lutz, Joe Walker 

Blake Gillikin gets the Pro Bowl nod for the NFC and told the Saints brass to “SMDFTB” during negotiations. So he exits and enter rookie from Northwestern Joe Walker. Wil will handle the other kicking duties. 

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Bills coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | 08:35pm 12/24/2022 

What a long, strange trip it’s been. I know that I’ve been MIA for some time, as were many media types that cover RZ Football. But from the looks of it, we are past all of the hiccups that we faced in the first 2 seasons. So before we get to the S80 final 53, let's recap how season 79 went for your Buffalo Bills. 

After back to back playoff appearances and a division title in S78, The Bills took a step back finishing 7-10. The once stout defense became porous and allowed too many shot plays over the top. This forces two coordinator changes. OC Joseph Wells came on in the tail end of S79 to give the offense a jolt in the arm. Look for the Bills to be more spread out with WRs and TEs in numerous one back sets. On Defense, Brendan Washington was brought in after the season was over and his vision was clear, solidifying the run defense and pass rush. 

And this S80 rookie class is the start of that vision. Let's take a look at their draft selections. If you’d like to see a breakdown on each selection, head over to my Twitter @RZDSimmons.

Draft Class

1.10 - DE/DT Xavier Herrick Oregon

1.23 - DT Alton Haliburton Texas A&M

5.10 - TE Brian Rey Delaware State

5.32 - CB Quandre Morant Michigan State

6.10 - G Ricky Wells Stanford

7.10 - WR Kadeem Reynolds Marshall

Before we get to the final 53, these players were placed on the Practice Squad prior to the S80 kickoff. 

Practice Squad

CB Daniel Weber

LG Ricky Wells

DT Tyler Barr

WR Taj Lippett

T Paul Poole

CB Jonathan McDonald

TE Nolan Robertson

MLB Chris Jones

G Britton Clinton

OLB Darren Cunningham

RE James Peters

QB Dom Sandridge

And now, the Season 80 final 53 for your Buffalo Bills

QB - Josh Allen, Gardner Minshew II

Despite not having the record to show for it, Allen finished S79 with his best statistical season of the cycle. 4,400+ yds 31 TDs to only 19INTs. Look for Allen to be more comfortable in OC Joseph Wells system after a full offseason to work with him. The Gardner Minshew will return to back up Allen.

RB - Will Whitfield, Aj Dillon, Darrynton Evans, Edward Woodard (Rookie)

Whitfield returns with his second season at the helm of this rushing attack. He finshed last year with 1,600+ total yds and 18 total TDs. Aj Dillion also returns as the spell back. Both RBs averaged 5+ yds a carry. Look for that to continue going forward. Evans and the rookie Woodard fill out the RB room. 

WR - Stefon Diggs, Bob Reese, Quintez Cephus, Khalil Shakir, Stephon Adkins, Kadeem Reynolds (Rookie), Corey Bryson

The trio of Diggs, Reese and Cephus combined for 2,700+ yds of Josh Allen’s 4,400yds passing. Reese, the 3rd yr man out of Oregon, still looking for a true breakout and the eventual torch passing from Diggs and this teams WR1. Khalil Shakir enters the final yr of his rookie deal, but with the young depth behind him, signs are pointing to this being his final yr in Orchard Park. 

TE - Dawson Knox, Shaydon McClain Brian Rey (Rookie)

The other 1k yd receiver, Dawson Knox has been the security blanket that a QB needs. He logged almost a 1,200 yd season, his first season over 1k yds this cycle.. McClain as the TE2 shows that the Bills can go 3WR or 2TE and not lose any production in the passing game. Rookie Brian Rey will be the third TE in the room. 

T - Damien Payne, Mike Chambers, Alex Washington

After spending top end picks on Payne, Washington  and Chambers over the past 2 drafts, the retooling of this front 5 is always evolving. Payne and Chambers showed promise and will look to continue to improve at the bookends of this OLine. 

G -  Ryan Bates, Joe Thuney, Drew Forbes, Wes Schweitzer

Bates, a 3rd team All RZ Offensive Lineman, returns at one guard spot and the newly acquired Joe Thuney will man the other side. Thuney was also named on the 3rd team All RZ. Drew Forbes and Wes Schweitzer will back them up.

C - Mitch Morse, Robert Hainsey

Morse was one of the few resignings made at the end of the S79. but he is back on a 1yr deal to direct this OLine. Hainsey, the 4th yr man out of South Bend, will back up Morse.. 

DE - Josh Sweat, Xavier Herrick (Rookie), AJ Epenesa, Carl Granderson 

Now we get into the new look defense. Sweat led the team last season with 12 sacks off the edge. But with the scheme change, leaving the Tampa 2 and installing more of a hybrid 43 front, 1st round pick Xavier Herrick was brought in to be the heavy end opposite Sweat. Epenesa and Granderson will back them up. 

DT - Dareon McCain, Tim Settle, Alton Haliburton (Rookie), Jonathan McPhee

McCain came over in a deal with GB and turned in a superstar like performance and was the lone Buffalo Bill representative at the Pro Bowl. And in an effort to get younger in the middle, Alton Haliburton, the Bills second 1st rd selection, was brought into the fold. As well as former Bill Tim Settle. All three should see time this year. 

OLB - Krys Barnes, DJ Wonnum, Terrel Bernard, Terry Washington

Another new face on this defense is pass rush specialist DJ Wonnum. Who comes over after seeing limited action in a crowded OLB room in ATL. Barnes, In his second yr with the Bills, will be the stack backer alongside defensive captain Edmunds. 

MLB - Tremaine Edmunds, Baylon Spector, Curtis Robinson

Edmunds, one of two true mainstays on this defense, will captain this team once again. We’ll see how well he adapts to the new scheme. Specton and Robinson will back him up. 

CB - Tre’Davious White, Taron Johnson, Emmanuel Mosley, Kaiir Elam, Zach Watkins, Quandre Morant (Rookie)

The top 4 of this room remain the same. While Taron Johnson was the other major resigning this past offseason. Mosley and Elam will be peaking over their respective shoulders at the rookie Quandre Morant. I expect him to see some major time by season's end. 

S - Eddie Jackson, Malik Hooker, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Juan Haynes, Tarvarius Moore

The rebuild bug has also hit the safety room as Micah Hyde was not re-signed. Hooker will move over to the SS spot as veteran Eddie Jackson will play the FS. Haynes, Melifonwu and Moore will add depth. 

Specialist - Ka’imi Fairbairn, George Flannery

Kickin’ and Kickin’ and Kickin’ and Kickin’ and Kickin’ and Kickin’ and Kickin’ and Kickin’ and Kickin’.

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Bills coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/BUF 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | Aug 30, 2022 

Season 77 of RedZone Football is upon us. And after all the preliminary duties have been taken care of, coaching staffs assigned, waiver draft completed and the league offices processing the wildest open to the trade market that potentially has ever opened a RZ cycle. It’s time for football.

Now before we get into meeting the 53 players for S77 here in Buffalo, let's talk about the staff. Coach Mayne Event made his return last cycle and was tasked with reviving the Bayou. There were definitely some high and low spots all throughout the cycle. So now, Coach Mayne takes his talents to Orchard Park, NY and will navigate the waters of RZ with the Bills Mafia by his side. Coming along with Coach, Offensive Coordinator Braden Williamson. These two were connected at the hip for the second half of last cycle and the production on the field benefited from this pairing. On the other side of the ball, Defensive Coordination Marlon Burgess comes aboard after he was placed in the Coordinator Draft by the Colts. Coach Burgess will look to get this defense in position to make plays and get the ball back in the hands of Josh Allen and this offense. 

Now as I mentioned earlier, with the flurry of trades to open the cycle and the Waiver Draft, the Bills bring in 4 additional players. A pair of corners in veteran Desmont Trufant and 4th yr man out of Colorado Isaiah Oliver. Oliver was acquired in a deal from ATL for TE Oj Howard. To replace Howard at the TE2 spot, the athletic former Hurricane Jimmy Graham was selected in the Waiver Draft.  Also on the defensive side, LB Blake Martinez was acquired in a deal with NYG for a 2023 3rd round pick. 

So  before we get to the final 53, these players were placed on the Practice Squad prior to the S77 kickoff. 

Practice Squad

FS Henry Black

CB Dane Jackson

HB Darryton Evans

CB Kindle Vildor

DE Andre Mintze

WR Tre Nixon 

T Tommy Doyle

CB Olaijah Griffin

MLB Javin White

T Luke Tenuta

SS Tristin McCollum

QB James Morgan

And now, the Season 77 final 53 for your Buffalo Bills

QB - Josh Allen, Matt Barkley

A top 3 arm talent in all of RZ and I highly doubt he’s going to finish 3rd. Josh in the clear leader of this offense and team. And they will look for him to carry them as far as his play will take them. Matt Barkley will back him up.

RB - Devin Singletary, James Cook, Duke Johnson,Taiwan Jones, Reggie Gilliam (FB)

All four of these backs are capable of contributing to the offense in many different ways. Singletary and rookie James Cook are a step ahead and will share the load as lead back. Duke Johnson and Taiwan Jones will have the opportunity to flash in passing sets. Reggie Gilliam will be the Fullback.

WR - Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Jamison Crowder, Isaiah McKenzie, Khalil Shakir, Marquez Stevenson

The Bills have a very deep WR core. Led by the former Terrapin, Stefon Diggs. While a lot of the focus will be on Diggs, who will emerge as the WR2. Will it be the veteran slot guy Jamison Crowder (Who’s in the final year of his deal and isn’t expected to be re-signed)? Or will the 22yr old out of UCF Gabiel Davis come of age and fall into that WR2 role? Davis really had a great camp. Let's hope that he is able to transition that into production on the field. Rookie Khalil Shakir and 2nd yr man Marquez Stevenson showed promise in camp but are likely a year away from getting significant playing time unless there’s an injury. 

TE - Dawson Knox, Jimmy Graham, Tommy Sweeney

In my opinion, the best receiving option on this offense not named Stefon Diggs is Dawson Knox. It will be just a matter of time before he’s considered one of the top TE’s in all of RZ. And to help him with his development, the brass bring in Jimmy Graham to be the TE2 and mentor Knox. Tommy Sweeney will be the blocking TE.

T - Dion Dawkins, David Quessenberry, Spencer Brown

Dawkins and Quessenberry will hold down the tackle spots for S77. 2nd yr man Spencer Brown will back them up and most likely take over for Quessenberry next season as he is on the final yr of his deal. 

G -  Rodger Saffold III, Ryan Bates, Nate Solder, Ike Boettger

Saffold is locked in at one guard spot. The question throughout camp was who will get the start at RG. That was answered when Cody Ford was a cut day deal to TEN. Bates wins the RG spot and Nate Solder was brought in to backup and mentor the 25 yr old. Ike Boettger is the other backup. 

C - Mitch Morse, Greg Mancz

The veteran Morse is the man in the middle. The former Missouri Tiger will be the glue that makes this front 5 run. Greg Mancz will back him up. 

DE - Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa, Carlos Basham Jr. 

The big free-agency get for the Bills was elite pass rusher Von Miller. This cycle more than ever, a solid pass rush will be the key to everything else on the defensive side of the ball. He’ll be opposite Greg Rousseau out of The U. Basham and Epenesa could potentially have this front set up for years to come. 

DT - Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, Jordan Phillips, Tim Settle

The one sure thing about these defensive tackles is Ed Oliver. The 24yr old out of Houston could definitely see some rush lane open up if the opposing team is too focused on Miller and Rousseau. The question is who is DT2? Keep your eye on Tim Settle. Built out of the same mold as Oliver and can play all 3 downs. DaQuan Jones and Jordan Phillips will back them up.

OLB - Matt Milano, Blake Martinez, Terrel Bernard, Andre Smith Jr. 

While the rookie Bernard had a promising camp, he looks to be a year or two away from taking the starting role opposite Matt Milano. So the Bills brass acquired Blake Martinez from NYG. While bringing in Martinez feels like a one year rental, this staff wants to put this team in the best position to compete and possibly contend for a division title in S77. 

MLB - Tremaine Edmunds, Baylon Spector, JoJo Domann

The heart and soul of this defense is Tremaine Edmunds. He is also due a new deal at year's end. All signs so far point to both sides being open to an extension. Baylon Spector may also be a name we see starting for this team down the line. JoJo Domann will be a special teamer. 

CB - Tre’Davious White, Taron Johnson, Desmond Trufant, Isaiah Oliver, Kaiir Elam, Jordan Miller, Siran Neal, 

The other position on the defense that was addressed was CB. While they do have shutdown corner Tre”Davious White and they love Taron Johnson on the other side of the field. Some combination of Trufant, Oliver and rookie Elam will hold down the Nickel and Dime CB slots. Jordan Miller and Siran Neal will only factor in on special teams. 

S - Jordan Poyer, Micah Hyde, Jaquan Johnson, Damar Hamlin

Arguably, one of the best safety tandems in RZ. While both are on the other side of 30, Poyer will be looking for a new deal at season's end. Both will look to be the great erasers in the back 7. 

Specialist - Tyler Bass, Corliss Waitman

Normally, this is the “Kickers Kick” section of the Final 53. But news broke over the weekend rookie punter Matt Ariaza being apart of a group sexual assualt back when he was at San Diego State. Staff swiftly released him out of his deal and brought in Corliss Waitman, 3rd yr man out of South Alabama. Now we can get back to Kickers Kicking. 

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Bills coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/BUF 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | May 11, 2022 7:41 PM 

Back once again with a Final 53. Season 76 was announced as the second to last season of this RedZone cycle. And Season 75 was the wildest of my 6 seasons covering the Saints. Let’s look back before we jump ahead.

S75 started out rough for the boys from the bayou. 5 game losing streak to the likes of S74 MVP Minkah Fitzpatrick and the Steelers, along with the Lions, Bucs and Falcons, who combined for 33 wins last season. Then “The Stretch” happened. 3 games versus 2 former Super Bowl champions, CAR and MIN. And a game against the eventual S75 champion BAL. After that, they go 5-4 to finish the year at 8-9. The 4 losses to end the year were all by 7 or less points. And finished strong by winning their last 4 games. 

So for the first time the entire cycle, The Saints were just a game out of the postseason. The offense was there, but a bottom third ranked defense was the crutch. So out goes Jackson Pierce and the 34 experiment. In comes Steven Meyer and the return of the 43. The rebuild also included a big spending free agency. Handing out 6 deals on the back 7 of the defense for a combined $106 million dollars. Here’s a list of all the incoming Saints, including the draft class as well. 19 players in total. 

Signings

MLB Rashann Evans 2yrs $25.9mil

CB Deommodore Lenoir 3yrs $25.4 mil

CB Damarious Atkins 3yrs $25.4 mil

SS Johnathan Abram 2yrs $17.7 mil

CB Bryce Hall 2yrs $9.08 mil

TE Maxx Williams 1yr $2.45 mil

QB Derek Carr 1yr $2.3 mil 

K Shamell Bush 2yrs $5.9 mil

OLB Adrian McKnight 2yrs $2.90 mil

G Terence Steele 2yrs $2.90 mil

C Ethan Pocic 1yr $2.45 mil

Draft Class

2.15 - OLB Maurice Campbell TCU

2.26 - MLB Will Adams Richmond

3.3 - LT Dante Kemp LSU

3.15 - OLB Kahlil Milner FSU

4.15 - RB Harvey Stamper Purdue

5.15 - MLB Malik Brown Washington

6.15 - LT Ashton Hess UNC

7.15 - QB Michael Franklin Penn State

And before we get to the final 53, these players were placed on the Practice Squad prior to the S76 kickoff. 

Practice Squad

G Ty Leach

TE Aaron Phillips

SS Matthew Norwood

P Jayden Hansen 

FB Roy Carpenter

WR Isaiah Yates

T Ashton Hess

OLB Clyde Polk

T Dante Kemp

OLB Kahlil Milner

QB Matt Hendrix

QB Michael Franklin

And now, the Season 76 final 53 for your New Orleans Saints

QB - Travis Peterman, Derek Carr

Peterman turned in his best year as a pro. A hair under 4,500 yds passing, 41 total TDs. He completed 71% of his passes and get this… managed to not reach the tip of Mt. Regression by only throwing 20 INTs. Is this Peterman turning the corner? Or was this an outlier year and he will revert back to the mean. Joining Peterman in the QB room is Derek Carr, who spent S75 with The Rams. 

RB - Javonte Willaims, Malachi Wallace, Donnell Pierce, Julian Simmons, Harvey Stamper (R), James McCoy (FB)

The stable of runners remains the same while adding the rookie Stamper. The “I AM WILLIAMS WALLACE” connection combined for 1,560 yds and 16TDs on the ground. Pierce and Simmons are capable backups if either Williams or Wallace are out due to injury. 

WR - Bryan Barden, Darren Burgess, Dionte Johnson, Devin Duvernay, Derek Faulkner, Matt Devine 

Barden emerged as the clear WR1 of this team. 3 straight years of 1k yds receiving. Johnson returned to form after his 3yrs in NE. Logging 900+ yds and 7TDs. The breakout WR was Darren Burgess, who had numerous clutch catches last year. And leaving training camp.Burgess has emerged as the WR2. Duvernay, Faulkner and Devine all return as well. 

TE - Jason Webster, Jeremiah McCain, Maxx Williams 

Webster was the new shiny toy for Peterman in this offense. Led the team in receiving. And quickly became the security blanket that any good QB needs. Second year man McCain takes over the TE2 spot for the departing Will Dissly. Williams was brought in this offseason. Solid combination of pass catching and run blocking. 

T - Melvin Ellington, Cesar Ruiz, Tony Chamberlain

Big set of changes here for the Saints. Lowry was dealt to CLE and Chamberlain moves to swing tackle. Both gave up double digit sacks last season. In comes the second rd selection from last year Ellington and Cesar Ruiz kicks out from guard to Right Tackle. Coach Mayne and staff hope that this combination can take this offense to the next level. 

G -  Ty Hoffman, Marquee Chaisson, Terence Steele, Justin Cutler

Hoffman has been locked into the LG spot since joining the team in S71. Chaisson steps in to the RG spot to replace Ruiz, who moved to RT. Steele and Cutler will back them up.

C - Luke Larson, Ethan Pocic

Larson was one of the 3 first round picks the Saints made last season. Had an up and down year. Was third on the team in sacks given up and missed some time due to injury. He’ll look to take that next step in leading the Hog Molly’s up front for S76. Pocic will back him up. 

DE - Bart McCloud, Marcus Davenport, Aj Epenesa, Luke Parry

All four of these guys move back to more traditional spots for themselves. Davenport led the team in sacks and also signed his deal to finish out the cycle in Nawlins. Expect to see all 4 of these men in the rotation, especially when McCloud kicks inside on passing downs. 

DT - Jerry Choice, Jeremy Moorehead, Frederick Harris,Will Henry

Choice and Moorehead will handle the interior. And the early signs from camp, a much better fit for the both of them.  Harris and Henry are the depth guys. 

OLB - Malik Harrison, Bobby Boyd, Rashaud Shepherd, Maurice Campbell (R), Adrian McKnight

One of the bigger overhauls for the Saints this offseason. Harrison, Boyd and Shepherd return. Maurice Campbell was drafted early in round 2, and will have time to develop into a potential contributor by season's end. McKnight was a late signing during free agency but quickly emerged as the second LB in Nickle sets. 

MLB - Rashaan Evans, Will Adams (R), Malik Brown (R) 

Evans was the big get for the Saints as they said goodbye to Pete Werner. He quickly stepped into a leadership role during camp along with CJGJ and Davenport. Rookies Adams and Brown will back him up. 

CB - Damarious Atkins, Deommodore Lenoir, Michael Ojemudia, Tyson Campbell, Bryce Hall

The single biggest need for the Saints this offseason and they addressed it in a big way. $70+ million dollars spent on Atkins, Lenoir and Hall combined. Ojemudia, who has been relegated to CB3, and Tyson Campbell both return.

S - CJ Gardner-Johnson, Jonathan Abram, Lance Pollard, Connor Murray, Danny Toomer 

CJGJ is the mainstay at FS. Nasir Adderley was let go after only one season. Enter Johnathan Abram, who graded out as a much better box safety than Adderley. Also, look for Danny “It’s Not A… “ Toomer to get some time in DB heavy sets.

Specialist - Shamell Bush, Blake Gillikin

Bush, who signed with the Saints for the 2 remaining seasons of this cycle, joins Gillikin for a kicking extravaganza.  

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | April 9, 2022 8:30 PM 

It is the historic 75th season of RedZone Football. And before we the new additions of your New Orleans Saints, let’s look back at how S74 played out. 

Season 74 started out with a load of promise. The Saints felt they found the QB of their future with former 1st overall selection Travis Peterman. And not only the offense went through a major change, but the defense was transitioning to a 34. After coming out of the gate with a 3-1 start, 4 straight losses led to a 6-11 finish. Peterman finished with 28 INTs and the lack of playmakers on both sides of the back showed greatly. 

Heading into the offseason, Coach Mayne and staff were searching for answers. The plan started with dealing two mainstays in Erik McCoy (To the Jags) and Marcus Lattimore (To the Ravens). Next came some wheeling and dealing with draft picks. The end result, The Saints had 12 selections and 7 in the first 3 rounds of the draft. They also had somewhere north of $60 million of cap free. In total, 23 new Saints were brought in to try and get this team back on track. 

Signings

WR Dionte Johnson - 2yrs $14 mill

SS Nasir Adderley - 2yrs $12.9 mill

TE Will Dissly - 2yrs $13.4 mill

OLB Aj Epenesa - 3yrs $35.1 mill

CB Kenny Moore - 2yrs $17 mill 

WR Darren Burgess - 3yrs $12 mill

C Chase Roullier - 1yr $4.8 mil

CB Tre Herndon - 2yrs $6.8 mil

HB Malachi Wallace - 3yrs $10.3 mil

MLB Malik Harrison - 3yrs $16.4 mil

DT Grover Stewart - 1yr $4.55 mil

Draft Class

1.9 - TE Jason Webster Iowa

1.21 - C Luke Larson Texas A&M

1.29 - DT Jeremy Moorehead Tennessee 

2.5 - LT Melvin Ellington USC

2.9 - SS Danny Toomer Ohio State 

3.9 - OLB Enrique Wheaton Texas

3.12 - LB Tommy Harris Washington 

4.9 - HB Tyree Dailey Baylor

5.5 - CB Brian Gentry Wisconsin 

5.9 - DE Gil Sweat Boise State

6.9 - WR Isaiah Yates LA Tech 

7.9 - K Matt Carpenter UCLA

And before we get to the final 53, these players were placed on the Practice Squad prior to the S75 kickoff. 

Practice Squad

G Justin Cutler

HB Tyree Dailey

HB Antonio Kendricks

HB John Long

WR Timmy Stamer

WR Isaiah Yates

DT Gil Sweat

MLB Enrique Wheaton

MLB Tommy Harris

CB Brian Gentry

And now, the Season 75 final 53 for your New Orleans Saints

QB - Travis Peterman, PJ Walker

Peterman got a fresh start and a new deal. But his struggles didn’t end. While he did throw for a career highs in comp %, yards and tied his high in TDs, it didn’t translate to wins in the tough NFCS. He’ll look to bounce back this year along with Walker in the QB room. 

RB - Javonte Willaims, Malachi Wallace, Donnell Pierce, Julian Simmons, James McCoy (FB)

A solid year from Williams (1,400 total yds 11TDs), but former WFT RB Wallace was brought in to add some needed speed in the backfield. Look for the two of them to be closer to a full split of the touches. Pierce, Simmons and FB McCoy all return as well. 

WR - Bryan Barden, Dionte Johnson, Darren Burgess, Devin Duvernay, Derek Faulkner, Michael Pittman, Matt Devine 

Brian Barden emerged as a Pro Bowler, superstar and WR1 of this offense. But with the Pittman deal looking more like a bust, enter Dionte Johnson and Darren Burgess. Johnson hit free agency after a 3 yr stay in New England. While Burgess was 2 years removed from 1k season in GB, became a cap casualty. Duvernay returns for his 3rd season in the black and gold, while 3rd year WRs Devine and Faulkner fill out the room. 

TE - Will Dissly, Jason Webster (R), Jeremiah McCain 

While Juwan Johnson’s numbers were solid in his final two season, it didn’t translate to developing to that next level. So in comes 1st round selection Jason Webster from Iowa. Look for him to be the matchup nightmare that this offense has needed. Will Dissly was also brought in to try and sure up the inline blocking at the TE position. Second year TE McCain returns as well. 

T - Walter Lowry, Tony Chamberlain, Melvin Ellington (R) 

The Saints are still looking to replace the hole left by Ryan Ramczyk. Lowry returns and 2nd yr T Chamberlain gets the nod. 2nd round selection Ellington is also brought in. He’ll be the swing tackle. 

G - Cesar Ruiz, Ty Hoffman, Rob Horan, Marquee Chaisson

Ruiz and Hoffman hold down the guard spots once again. Horan and Chaisson will back them up. 

C - Luke Larson (R), Chase Roullier

The deep center draft class made McCoy become available and the Saints got their guy at 1.22 in Luke Larson. He looks to get the starting nod after a stellar camp. 33yr old Chase Roullier will back him up. 

DT - Bart McCloud, Jerry Choice, Jaden Telfer, Levi Onwuzurike 

Heading into yr 2 of the transition to the 34, standouts McCloud and Choice look to get back to form. Telfer will look to get some rotational snaps and Onwuzurike will be depth. 

NT - Jeremy Moorehead (R), Frederick Harris, Avery Boss

The 3rd first round pick came at 1.29 with the selection of Moorehead out of Tennessee. Earned the NT spot in training camp, but will this prove to be too much for the rook? Harris and Boss are depth players.

OLB - Marcus Davenport, Aj Epenesa, Luke Parry, Peyton Turner, Rashaud Shepherd

Finding a pass rusher opposite of Davenport has been a bit of a challenge. Vets were brought in prior and shipped out after one season. Luke Parry was drafted last season, but hasn’t developed as quickly as expected. In enters Aj Epenesa to try his hand at the ROLB spot. The versatile Shepherd will see time at MLB and OLB. 

MLB - Pete Werner, Malik Harrison, Bobby Boyd

Werner has been a mainstay the entire cycle. But at 28, a replacement may need to be in the plans this offseason. Harrison will play alongside Werner but Bobby Boyd will see some time.

CB - Kenny Moore II, Michael Ojemudia, Tyson Campbell, Paulson Adebo, Tre Herndon

Biggest question mark heading into S75 will be, how will the Saints replace Marcus Lattimore? Ojemudia, now in his 3rd year in NO, had a down year after a 10 INT campaign in S73. Moore and Herndon are new editions. Expect all 5 to see time. 

S - CJ Gardner-Johnson, Nasir Adderley, Lance Pollard, Connor Murray, Danny Toomer (R)

CJGJ, the leader of the defense, moves back to his more natural spot of Free Safety. Adderly will start at Strong. Rookie Danny “It’s not a…” Toomer impressed the staff and will see time in Dime sets. 

Specialist - Jake Elliott, Blake Gillikin

Kicking and Kicking up a storm. Blake will be looking for a new deal this offseason. 

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | February 28, 2022 7pm 

Last season, I titled my Final 53 article “Is this the year?”. With the additions that Coach Mayne and his staff have made, they felt like they were a QB away. Well. 39 INTs and a 6-11 record later, they’re still searching for answers at the position. Then came this past offseason.

The first domino to fall was the parting ways of DC Ben Turner. In comes Jackson Pierce and his attacking 3-4 defense. Next, after Saints brass did their due diligence for draft prep, they felt their best course of action at the QB position was to bring in former #1 overall pick Travis Peterman from the Eagles for a pair of picks. Could this be the guy? Or will their 4th QB in 3 years fall in line with the rest and leave them still searching for answers. 

Now with the Peterman deal piquing the interest of most in the RZ media, the biggest head-scratcher of the Saints offseason was dealing all world RB Alvin Kamara to AZ for a trio of picks (one this past draft and 2 next year) and FS Lance Pollard, who is on a franchise tag for $8+ million. Now we can talk about the $25 million cap hit for Kamara and needing to spend that elsewhere over the next two seasons. Deals for Ty Hoffman, Peterman, Davenport among others are due at season’s end, Choice and McCloud for the following season as well. Or we can talk about recouping some draft capital after the Peterman deal. We could mention the addition of a borderline starter at Safety, which new DC Pierce championed in the building. 

Even if we mention all of those things as to why the deal was made, the pundits of RZ will still have their questions, and rightfully so. I think the only way those questions will be answered will be if the Saints can be in the hunt for playoffs, whether it’s a division win (Highly improbable with TB and CAR trading division wins and the up and coming Falcons and Coach Atom. 

But before we get on the field, here are the new signings, the S74 Draft Class additions, and the practice squad.
 

Signings

WR Will Fuller V 2yrs $21.7 mil

DE Levi Onwuzurike 3yrs $9.75 mil

CB Tyson Campbell 4yrs $55 mil

RB Javonte Williams 4yrs $10.8 mil

OLB Emmanuel Ogbah 2yrs $22.6 mil

Draft Class

1.10 - DE/OLB Luke Parry USC

3.10 - T Tony Chamberlin Auburn 

4.15 - T Marquee Chaisson Arkansas 

5.10 - TE Jeremiah McCain Virginia 

6.10 - MLB Tyler Shields Georgia  

7.10 - WR Jamar Dillon Ohio State

Practice Squad

G Marvin Kramer

WR Jamar Dillon

CB Sheldon Lowery

WR Matt Lashley

SS Danny Goodwin

T Cris Gentry

FS Zach Whitehead

G Trevor Parks 

T George Cota 

NT Will Henry

FS Kyle Stephenson

HB John Long 

And now, the Season 74 final 53 for your New Orleans Saints

QB - Travis Peterman, PJ Walker

Will a change of scenery be enough for Peterman to redeem himself after a rocky 3 years in PHI? Only time will tell. Having veteran PJ Walker in the QB room with him can only help him get acclimated faster. 

RB - Javonte Willaims, Garrison Henley, Donnell Pierce, Julian Simmons, James McCoy (FB)

With the Kamara departure, you’d figure all signs point to Henley taking the reins. But enter Javonte Williams, who fell out of favor in DEN after spending 4 years there. Along with Pierce,  Simmons, and FB McCoy, it will be interesting to see what the rushing attack will bring in the Post-AK era. 

WR - Will Fuller V, Devin Duvernay, Michael Pittman, Bryan Barden, Derek Faulkner, Matt Devine 
 

Bryan Barden was the breakout WR last year. 1,000 yds on only 52 catches. Look for him and FA signing from last year Devin Duvernay to be the WR 1 & 2 this season. The incoming vet Will Fuller V, along with Pittman, Faulkner, and Devine round out the WR core. 

TE - Juwan Johnson, Dalton Keene, Jeremiah McCain (R) 

Johnson led the team in receptions and was second in yards. Look for him to be Peterman's security blanket. Rookie TE Jeremiah McCain showed out in camp and will hold the TE2 spot

T -, Andrew Bates, Walter Lowry, Tony Chamberlain (R), Marquee Chaisson (R) 

The sudden and shocking retirement of Ryan Ramczyk mid-season hurt and the offense never fully recovered. Bates and Lowry now have another year and offseason under their belt. So we will see how they will hold up for S74. Chamberlain and Chaisson will back them up…. But I have a feeling one of the rookies will be starting by year's end. 

G - Cesar Ruiz, Ty Hoffman, Rob Horan

One of the top Guard tandems returns. Hoffman, a first-round pick a part of Coach Mayne’s first draft class, is in his contract year. All signs point to a deal getting done ASAP. 

C - Erik McCoy, Michael Dieter

No changes here. McCoy is still calling the shots in the OLine room. 

DT -, Bart McCloud, Jaden Telfer, Levi Onwuzurike, Ross Blacklock

We’ll start with the new look defense at the DE/DT spot with Pro Bowler Bart McCloud leading the way. A third-round pick last year Jaden Telfer only appeared in 4 games but was able to log 5 sacks in those games. Making it hard to deny him a starting role. Blacklock and FA signing Levi Onwuzruike will back them up. 

NT - Jerry Choice, Frederick Harris, Avery Boss

Pro Bowler number 2 was Jerry Choice. He will anchor the nose tackle spot and at 6’6” 315lbs, he’ll be a load for any interior lineman to handle. 

OLB - Marcus Davenport, Emmanuel Egboh, Luke Parry (R), Peyton Turner, Rashaud Shepherd

Saints mainstay Davenport will transition to OLB and look to continue setting the edge after back-to-back 9 sack seasons. Not only did the Saints bring in FA Emmanuel Ogbah for the other side, but they also drafted pass rusher, Luke Parry, out of USC. Expect to see Ogbah in base sets and Parry for pass situations. 

MLB - Pete Werner, Khaleke Hudson, Bobby Boyd, Tyler Shields (R) 

Werner and Hudson will be the two stack backers and look to continue being factors in the back 7. The ultra-athletic Tyler Shields was a sixth-round selection out of Georgia but will need a year of seasoning before seeing significant time on the field. 

CB - Marshon Lattimore, William Jackson III, Michael Ojemudia, Tyson Campbell, Paulson Adebo, George Freeman

Pro Bowler Michael Ojemudia ended up being the crown of the FA signings before last season. And will move out of the slot and line up opposite Lattimore in base sets. Will Jackson and FA signing from this year Tyson Campbell will handle the slot CB duties. 

S - CJ Gardner-Johnson, Julian Love, Lance Pollard, Connor Murray

The fourth and final Pro Bowler off of this Saints defense is CJGJ. Expect him to be the swiss army knife in Pierce’s scheme. He’ll play deep in his Strong Safety spot, he’ll come up and play the slot. He’ll cover WRs, TEs, RBs and may even rush the passer. Love and the newly acquired Lance Pollard will also see solid time in this defense.

Specialist - Jake Elliott, Blake Gillikin

Kicking and Kicking up a storm.

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | January 26, 2022 7:35pm 

Another offseason has finished. Another training camp and preseason has past. It is now the start of Season 73 of RedZone. Looking back on S72, it was the tail of two halves. Year 2 of Colin Hamels took a bit of a nose dive as the Saints started out 0-7 with no clear end in sight. Enter Pj Walker. Week 8 as the Saints host their division rival Tampa Bay Bucs. They went 7-3 down the stretch with wins over the aforementioned Bucs, Panthers, Texans and gave the Vikings all they could handle in a narrow loss.

At season’s end, all signs were pointing to turning the reins over to PJ going forward. He even resigned for 4 years. And with no first round pick and limited selections, drafting another QB was not in the cards. Then, the free agent QB exodus happened. Tua, Wilson, Brady, Stafford and Tannehill all on the market. And with the 3+1 players signing very team friendly deals, the cap space was there for a move to be made. Also, the dealing of Michael Thomas to the Steelers (Saints players love playing in the AFC North) freed up more space for 9 free agents to sign on the dotted line.

MLB Khaleke Hudson 3yrs $10.7 mil

CB Michael Ojemudia 3yrs $16.7 mil

CB Will Jackson III 2yrs $12.1 mil

WR Robert Woods 1yr $8.55 mil

TE Adam Shaheen 2yrs $5.5 mil

K Jake Elliott 3yrs $8.55 mil

QB Matthew Stafford 1yr $21 mil

DT Ross Blacklock 2yrs $11 mil 

WR Devin Duvernay 3yrs $15.2 mil

On top of freeing up cap, the Saints also received a current 3rd round pick and a future 2nd round pick. The future 2rd was flipped into a slew of late round picks from the Browns (More AFC North Deals). That gave them 9 total selections for the draft and they are listed below. Also listed are the players signed to the practice squad. 

2.14 - RT Walter Lowry VT

3.12 - DT Jaden Telfer WVU

4.11 - HB Julian Simmons UGA

5.11 - WR Matt Devine North Dakota

5.14 - TE Greg Weston Iowa

5.23 - RE Tashaun Whiteside Stanford 

6.4 - WR Derek Faulkner Tulane

6.14 - LT Cris Gentry USC 

7.14 - DT Frederick Harris Ohio

Practice Squad

WR Lance Long

WR Tommy Nicks

WR Steven Spikes

TE Greg Weston

T Cris Gentry

T Vince Jackson

G Zac Hood

DE Tashaun Whiteside

DT Forrest Gipson

LB JaWuan Hendricks

CB Sterling Smith

S Danny Goodwin

And now, the Season 73 final 53 for your New Orleans Saints

QB - Matthew Stafford, PJ Walker

The vote of confidence for PJ lasted all of 2 free agency weeks. But the veteran Stafford is only signed through S73 for now. Turning 37 at season’s end, his future in Nawlins after this season is up in the air. 

RB - Alvin Kamara, Garrison Henley, Donnell Pierce, Julian Simmons (R), James McCoy (FB)

The Kamara-ly Bros really carried this offense last year. Combining for 23k and 19 TDs on the ground. Pierce also returns and will fill in for either Kamara or Henley if any time is missed. 4th round pick Julian Simmons out of UGA is of a different mold of back. Giving the RB room more of a speedster and he will handle the return duties. 

WR - Robert Woods, Devin Duvernay, Allen Lazard, Michael Pittman, Bryan Barden, Derek Faulkner (R), Matt Devine (R) 

The trade of mainstay Thomas gives this WR core a much different look. Pittman and Barden are the main holdovers. Lazard returns as well, but after the signings of Robert Woods and Devin Duvernay, Lazard may be the odd man out. Rookies Faulkner and Devine may be too talented to not find their way on the field this season. 

TE - Juwan Johnson, Dalton Keene, Adam Shaheen, Dylan Soehner

With Adam Trautman not resigning as a 3+1, all signs point to Juwan Johnson taking the lead in the TE room. Greg Weston was selected in the 5th round, but an injury in rookie camp landed him on the P-Squad. Soehner returns and Dalton Keene was signed prior to their week 3 game at Las Vegas after a practice injury to Adam Shaheen. 

T - Ryan Ramczyk, Andrew Bates, Walter Lowry (R)

Ramczyk continues to anchor the right side of the OLine. While Bates takes over for Eli Wilkerson, who was released in the preseason. 2nd round selection Lowry will be the swing tackle.

G - Cesar Ruiz, Ty Hoffman, Rob Horan, Marvin Kramer 

The two most improved players from last season to this were Ruiz and Hoffman. The two of them really flourished once the Saints switched to a more power run scheme. Hoffman has excelled in being the pulling guard. While Ruiz has taken the lead on the screen game. Horan and Kramer offer solid depth. 

C - Erik McCoy, Michael Dieter

The Pro Bowler McCoy is the man in the middle. Looking to have another solid season. The 5-year vet Dieter will be his backup.

DE - Marcus Davenport, Bart McCloud, Payton Turner, Avery Boss

The trio of Davenport, McCloud and Turner combined for 19 sacks last year. They look to wreck more havoc this season as well. 

DT - Jerry Choice, Ross Blacklock, Frederick Harris (R), Jaden Telfer (R)

Choice didn’t take long to show why he was a first round selection last year, along with McCloud. He’ll be firmly in place at the top spot with the retirement of Suh and not resigning Godchaux. Blacklock comes over as a free agent after spending 3 seasons in Houston. Rookies Harris and Telfer will be the depth. And keep an eye out for 3rd round pick Jaden Telfer, he showed signs of being something special in camp. 

OLB - Pete Werner, Rashaud Shepherd, Zack Baun, Bobby Boyd

The OLB’s remain intact for S73. Werner and Boyd remain the starters. But Baun will for sure see time. And Shepherd will occasionally have his hand in the ground in pass rush situations. 

MLB - Khaleke Hudson, Joel Iyiegbuniwe

Nick Kwitikowski was released at the beginning of free agency. While there was some discussion of sliding over Pete Werner, the Saints opted to bring in the 4yr man Khaleke Hudson after spending 3yrs in Washington with the Football Team. Iyiegbuniwe will back him up.

CB - Marshon Lattimore, William Jackson III, Michael Ojemudia, Jimmy Moreland, Paulson Adebo, George Freeman

Lattimore remains CB1. But the one knock on this defense has always been, who will lock down the other side? The Saints have cycled in 6 CBs over the last three years. Jimmy Moreland the only one to last more than one season. Now enter William Jackson III and Michael Ojemudia, corners 7&8 respectfully. Paulson Adebo really showed out last year and earned the CB4/Dime package role. 

S - CJ Gardner-Johnson, Julian Love, JC Holley, Connor Murray

CJGJ played out of his mind last season. Second in INTs (14), Pro Bowler and he returns with his running mate Julian Love, who signed his 3+1 deal after playing on the franchise tag last year. Holley and Murray both return as their backups. 

Specialist - Jake Elliott, Blake Gillikin

Wil Lutz did not resign. Insert Jake Elliott into this kicking tandem. . 

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | December 19, 2021 9:35am 

We are back once again for more New Orleans Saints football. Season 71…. Well it didn’t go as planned. Trials, tribulations, a quarantine all lead to a 4-13 record. Then the offseason came and decisions needed to be made for 2 longstanding Saint players. Cam Jordan… dealt to Cincy. Demario Davis, cap casualty but also ended up in Cincy. So with some actual cap space, Coach Mayne Event was able to bring in a number of free agents during the signing period. 

Signings

- CB Cameron Sutton - 2yrs $5.8 mill

- WR Allen Lazard- 2yrs $9.1 mill

- DT Ndamukong Suh- 1yr $5.4 mill 

- WR Kendrick Bourne- 2yrs $11.6 mill

- MLB Nick Kwiatkoski- 2yrs $6.1 mill

- CB Jimmy Moreland- 2yrs $3.1 mill

- C Michael Deiter- 2yrs $2.1 mill

Along with the 7 new Saints, they managed to maneuver in the draft and acquire an additional 1st round pick (1.25 from the Dolphins which they flipped into 1.13 from the Cowboys). Head to my twitter page for a breakdown of each selection. But, here is the Season 72 rookie class. Also see the practice squad below as well. 

1.5- DE Bart McCloud

1.13- DT Jerry Choice

2.5- OLB Rashaud Shepherd

3.5- SS Connor Murray

4.5- WR Bryan Barden

4.23- CB Sheldon Lowery

5.5- G Rob Horan

5.24- G Marvin Kramer

6.5- MLB Bobby Boyd

7.5- G Zac Hood 

Practice Squad

- WR Jalen Camp

- DE Kendrick Stoudemire

- CB Sterling Smith

- WR Toby Pearman

- WR Brandon Blade

- G George Graham

- T Vince Jackson

- CB John Turner

- DT Forrest Gipson

- T James Riley

- OLB Bryan Wilkinson

- OLB Melo McCullers 

Free agents have been signed, rookies have been selected. Training camp and preseason are finished. Cuts have been made. It’s now time to reveal the final 53 for Season 72. 

QB - Colin Hamels, PJ Walker

It’s year two of the Colin Hamels era. After finishing with almost 4,300 yds and 21TDs, the concerns were accuracy (56% comp), turnovers (26 INTs), and not getting rid of the ball (Sacked 36 times). While targets were added in the offseason, Hamels will need to take a big leap forward if he wants to be the Saints QB going forward. 

RB - Alvin Kamara, Garrison Henley, Donnell Pierce, Tony Jones Jr, James McCoy (FB)

Definitely the lifeblood of the offense. Kamara continues to be a do-it-all back. Between the tackles.. no problem. Outside runs…. You got it. Receive the ball out of the back field, yep he does that too. You can even line him up as a receiver, he can get open and make plays there too. His counterpart, Garrison Henley, was a solid spell back to take on some of the load. Look for more of the same in S72. 

WR - Michael Thomas, Kendrick Bourne, Allen Lazard, Michael Pittman, Deonte Harris, Bryan Barden (R)

The void was becoming rather large after losing Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway in back to back years. They patchworked it for S71, but decided to really throw some attention to it this offseason. On top of signing Bourne and Lazard and drafting Byran Barden out of Utah, they also traded a pick to the Colts for Michael Pittman Jr. prior to their week 1 matchup. But a WR core is only as good as the QB that gets them the ball. This group should have plenty of opportunities with defenses keying on the strong run game. 

TE - Adam Trautman, Juwan Johnson, Dylan Soehner, Steven Gross

Another important unit on this offense is this tight end room. Led by Trautman and the even athletic Jawan Johnson, they combined for almost 1,300 yds and 7 TDs. On top of their receiving prowess, they were also a major piece in the run blocking department. 

T - Ryan Ramczyk, Elijah Wilkerson, Andrew Bates 

After a Pro Bowl year from Ramczyk, he returns to anchor this line with Wilkerson being re-signed and second yr man Bates backing them up. 

G - Cesar Ruiz, Ty Hoffman, Rob Horan (R), Zac Hood (R), Marvin Kramer (R)

Season 71 Rookie Hoffman and Ruiz, who is in line for a 3+1 deal this coming offseason, are joined by a trio of rookies who will give them potential G/T depth for the next few years. 

C - Erik McCoy, Michael Dieter

Speaking of 3+1, McCoy was the recipient of a 5yr 3+1 deal last year and will continue to drive this OLine ship here in S72. 

DE - Marcus Davenport, Bart McCloud (R), Payton Turner, Avery Boss

The second 3+1 deal was given to Davenport, who assumes the role as leader in that DE room. He will be joined by the first of 2 first round picks, Bart McCloud out of Michigan. Payton Turner should see some time in pass rush situations as well. 

DT - Jerry Choice (R), Ndamukong Suh, Davon Godchaux, Tremaine Tate (R) 

Godchaux was the only DT holdover from S71. But joining him, free agent signing Suh and two rookies. The first is the other first round pick Jerry Choice out of BC. The Second is Tremaine Tate, who was signed off of the Jets practice squad just after cut day. 

OLB - Pete Werner, Rashaud Shepherd (R), Zack Baun, Bobby Boyd (R)

With the loss of Demario Davis, all signs point to Pete Werner to take over the defensive play calls and adjustments on the field. Zach Baun also returns but loses his starting job to sixth round pick Bobby Boyd out of The U. Second round pick Rashaud Shepherd from West Virginia will back up Werner, but I expect him to earn an increased role by season's end and maybe a starting role come S73. 

MLB - Nick Kwiatkoski, JaWuan Hendricks

Free agent signing Kwiatkoski will have the massive task of filling the shoes of Demario Davis. We’ll see how he’s able to handle that task. Hendricks returns to back him up. 

CB - Marshon Lattimore, Cameron Sutton, Jimmy Moreland, Paulson Adebo, George Freeman, Isaiah Dunn, Sheldon Lowery (R) 

Lattimore is the unquestioned leader in the DB room and one of the defensive captains on the team. Losing Brian Poole and Fabian Moreau wasn’t ideal. But in come Cam Sutton and Jimmy Moreland. Who will emerge as the 4th CB on the depth chart? Foreman and Adebo return while 4th round rookie Sheldon Lowery out of Indiana joins the fold. 

S - CJ Gardner-Johnson, Julian Love, JC Holley, Connor Murray (R) 

CJGJ was the third 3+1 player to receive a deal. While his safety counterpart, Julian Love received the +1 aka the franchise tag worth around $15 million. Look for Love to be extended before seasons end as he is at the top of the 3+1 list this year. Holley makes the 53 this year after spending the year last year on the P-Squad. Third round selection Connor Murray out of New Hampshire backs up CJGJ. 

Specialist - Wil Lutz, Blake Gillikin

Kickers stay kicking… Electric Boogaloo

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | November 11, 2021 3:05pm 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The beginning of another season of RedZone Football. And if the way Season 70 ended is any indication of what Season 71 will hold. The Saints finished Season 70 just under .500 at 8-9. They showed that they can compete with the top of the NFC South. But definitely were a step below the likes of Tampa and Carolina. All season they would gather some momentum and then shoot themselves in the foot with heartbreaking mistakes. 

So we turn the page to Season 71. A lot of new faces in the locker room. The Saints were pressed up against the cap at the start of the offseason. So moves to fill holes had to be strategic. Cuts had to be made, most noteably CB Bradley Roby. Which gave them room to re-sign CB Brian Poole and RB Tony Jones Jr. A deal was also made to bring in S Julian Love, which then made Malcolm Jenkins expendable. To round out the free agency period, The Saints brought in DT Davon Godchaux and QB PJ Walker. 

Then came the RZ Draft. For more on each selection, head to my Twitter @RZDSimmons. But here is the list for your reading pleasure. Also, see below the players signed to the practice squad. 

1.17- G Ty Hoffman

2.17- QB Colin Hamels

3.17- DE Avery Boss

4.17- RB Garrison Henley

5.17- RT Andrew Bates

6.17- RB Donnell Pierce

6.20- CB Sterling Smith

7.17- CB George Freeman 

Practice Squad

T James Riley

G George Graham

QB Jamie Newman

DE Kendrick Stoudemire

DE Courtney Bronson

SS JC Holley

CB Dane Jackson

CB Isaiah Dunn

WR Dalton Mann

WR Brandon Blade

And now, here are your RedZone League Season 71 New Orleans Saints

QB - Colin Hamels (R), PJ Walker

Hamels was one of two QBs that flew up the draft board as the season progressed, the other being Ben Banks. Some mock had Hamels going as high as 10 in the first. He ended up falling to 2.17 and The Saints couldn't take the chance that he was going to fall any further. With letting Winston hit the open market, this was a major need for the Saints and they got their guy. This marked the end of Taysom Hill and PJ Walker was brought in as the backup. 

RB - Alvin Kamara, Garrison Henley (R), Donnell Pierce (R), Tony Jones Jr, James McCoy (FB)

The lifeblood of the offense. It all starts and ends with Kamara. Tony Jones did a great job as the spell back and was rewarded with a two year deal. And then the draft happened. Henley was the best player on the board at 4.17 and really did work in the preseason to move into the main spell back role. A similar situation with Donnell Pierce at the 6.17 as well. But look for all 4 guys to touch the ball in this offense. 

WR - Michael Thomas, Deonte Harris, Marquez Callaway, Jalen Camp, Reggie Blanton, Cornell Powell

Now the WR core took a hit with losing TreQuan Smith to free agency, but his asking price to resign him was out of the Saints budget. Deonte Harris signed a much more team friendly deal. And with limited space available, finding another WR for the room just wasn’t in the cards. Marquez Callaway will step into the mix and play outside WR in 3WR sets. 

TE - Adam Trautman, Juwan Johnson, Dylan Soehner, Noah Togiai

The Pro Bowler Trautman returns at TE1 and Juwan Johnson is the Robin to Trautman Batman. These two may get an increased workload due to the light WR core. 

T - Ryan Ramczyk, Elijah Wilkerson, James Hurst, Andrew Bates (R) 

Terron Armstead was another big loss to free agency. Elijah Wilkerson was signed as a camp body, made the team and earned the starting LT spot. Bates was drafted at the 5.17 spot but is a year away from threatening for the starting job. 

G - Cesar Ruiz, Ty Hoffman (R), Beau Benzschawel

Ruiz, last years rookie standout, welcomes in 1st round pick Ty Hoffman to the hog mollys up front. They look to be a solid tandem for years to come. 

C - Erik McCoy, Will Clapp

McCoy will anchor the middle and make the line calls. He hopes to develop a good repore with new QB Hamels. Also McCoy will be looking to be a 3+1 signing. 

DE - Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, Avery Boss (R)

Cam Jordan returns as one of the anchors of the defense. Davenport will be looking for his big money 3+1 deal this offseason. Both sides are confident that a deal will be reached. Turner may see more time in pass rushing situations this year. Rookie Avery Boss will sit under the learning tree of Jordan as the heavy DE in this front. 

DT - David Onyemata, Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd, Beau Allen

Onyemata is another deal that is up after this year. But at 29, I can’t imagine him being apart of the 3. He does have a chance to be the +1 but that will depend on the cap number. Shepherd was resigned last year, but after clearing some space, Davon Godchaux was brought in and implanted himself in the DT2 spot. 

OLB - Zack Baun, Pete Werner, Deshaun Davis, Randy Ramsey

Probably the biggest question mark going into Season 70 was OLB. Coach Mayne Event and his staff trusted Zack Baun and Pete Werner to hold down the fort. Baun was the opportunist with 2 picks and a sack last year. While Werner was steady with 54 tackles. Look for both to make the jump in year two of this scheme. 

MLB - Demario Davis, JaWuan Hendricks, Cole Christiansen

Is this the last ride for Demario Davis? If we are basing them off of his numbers last year, he’s got a lot left in the tank. But The Saints will definitely need to find the heir apparent this offseason. 

CB - Marshon Lattimore, Brian Poole, Fabian Moreau, Paulson Adebo, George Freeman, Sterling Smith

Lattimore, Poole and Adebo return and are joined by free agent signing Fabian Moreau and rookies Freeman and Sterling Smith. This crew will need to be more opportunistic if they want to compete with the top of the NFCS and the conference. 

S - CJ Gardner-Johnson, Julian Love, George Odum, JT Gray

The third 3+1 player and in this reporters opinion, the most important one. With the acquisition of Julian Love from the Giants, CJGJ will move back to SS and may even see some time at slot CB. Odum will back up CJGJ at SS. 

Specialist - Wil Lutz, Blake Gillikin

Kickers kick…. Part Deux

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | November 11, 2021 3:05pm 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The beginning of another season of RedZone Football. And if the way Season 70 ended is any indication of what Season 71 will hold. The Saints finished Season 70 just under .500 at 8-9. They showed that they can compete with the top of the NFC South. But definitely were a step below the likes of Tampa and Carolina. All season they would gather some momentum and then shoot themselves in the foot with heartbreaking mistakes. 

So we turn the page to Season 71. A lot of new faces in the locker room. The Saints were pressed up against the cap at the start of the offseason. So moves to fill holes had to be strategic. Cuts had to be made, most noteably CB Bradley Roby. Which gave them room to re-sign CB Brian Poole and RB Tony Jones Jr. A deal was also made to bring in S Julian Love, which then made Malcolm Jenkins expendable. To round out the free agency period, The Saints brought in DT Davon Godchaux and QB PJ Walker. 

Then came the RZ Draft. For more on each selection, head to my Twitter @RZDSimmons. But here is the list for your reading pleasure. Also, see below the players signed to the practice squad. 

1.17- G Ty Hoffman

2.17- QB Colin Hamels

3.17- DE Avery Boss

4.17- RB Garrison Henley

5.17- RT Andrew Bates

6.17- RB Donnell Pierce

6.20- CB Sterling Smith

7.17- CB George Freeman 

Practice Squad

• T James Riley

• G George Graham

• QB Jamie Newman

• DE Kendrick Stoudemire

• DE Courtney Bronson

• SS JC Holley

• CB Dane Jackson

• CB Isaiah Dunn

• WR Dalton Mann

• WR Brandon Blade

And now, here are your RedZone League Season 71 New Orleans Saints.

QB - Colin Hamels (R), PJ Walker

Hamels was one of two QBs that flew up the draft board as the season progressed, the other being Ben Banks. Some mock had Hamels going as high as 10 in the first. He ended up falling to 2.17 and The Saints couldn't take the chance that he was going to fall any further. With letting Winston hit the open market, this was a major need for the Saints and they got their guy. This marked the end of Taysom Hill and PJ Walker was brought in as the backup. 

RB - Alvin Kamara, Garrison Henley (R), Donnell Pierce (R), Tony Jones Jr, James McCoy (FB)

The lifeblood of the offense. It all starts and ends with Kamara. Tony Jones did a great job as the spell back and was rewarded with a two year deal. And then the draft happened. Henley was the best player on the board at 4.17 and really did work in the preseason to move into the main spell back role. A similar situation with Donnell Pierce at the 6.17 as well. But look for all 4 guys to touch the ball in this offense. 

WR - Michael Thomas, Deonte Harris, Marquez Callaway, Jalen Camp, Reggie Blanton, Cornell Powell

Now the WR core took a hit with losing TreQuan Smith to free agency, but his asking price to resign him was out of the Saints budget. Deonte Harris signed a much more team friendly deal. And with limited space available, finding another WR for the room just wasn’t in the cards. Marquez Callaway will step into the mix and play outside WR in 3WR sets. 

TE - Adam Trautman, Juwan Johnson, Dylan Soehner, Noah Togiai

The Pro Bowler Trautman returns at TE1 and Juwan Johnson is the Robin to Trautman Batman. These two may get an increased workload due to the light WR core. 

T - Ryan Ramczyk, Elijah Wilkerson, James Hurst, Andrew Bates (R) 

Terron Armstead was another big loss to free agency. Elijah Wilkerson was signed as a camp body, made the team and earned the starting LT spot. Bates was drafted at the 5.17 spot but is a year away from threatening for the starting job. 

G - Cesar Ruiz, Ty Hoffman (R), Beau Benzschawel

Ruiz, last years rookie standout, welcomes in 1st round pick Ty Hoffman to the hog mollys up front. They look to be a solid tandem for years to come. 

C - Erik McCoy, Will Clapp

McCoy will anchor the middle and make the line calls. He hopes to develop a good repore with new QB Hamels. Also McCoy will be looking to be a 3+1 signing. 

DE - Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, Avery Boss (R) 

Cam Jordan returns as one of the anchors of the defense. Davenport will be looking for his big money 3+1 deal this offseason. Both sides are confident that a deal will be reached. Turner may see more time in pass rushing situations this year. Rookie Avery Boss will sit under the learning tree of Jordan as the heavy DE in this front. 

DT - David Onyemata, Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd, Beau Allen

Onyemata is another deal that is up after this year. But at 29, I can’t imagine him being apart of the 3. He does have a chance to be the +1 but that will depend on the cap number. Shepherd was resigned last year, but after clearing some space, Davon Godchaux was brought in and implanted himself in the DT2 spot. 

OLB - Zack Baun, Pete Werner, Deshaun Davis, Randy Ramsey

Probably the biggest question mark going into Season 70 was OLB. Coach Mayne Event and his staff trusted Zack Baun and Pete Werner to hold down the fort. Baun was the opportunist with 2 picks and a sack last year. While Werner was steady with 54 tackles. Look for both to make the jump in year two of this scheme. 

MLB - Demario Davis, JaWuan Hendricks, Cole Christiansen

Is this the last ride for Demario Davis? If we are basing them off of his numbers last year, he’s got a lot left in the tank. But The Saints will definitely need to find the heir apparent this offseason. 

CB - Marshon Lattimore, Brian Poole, Fabian Moreau, Paulson Adebo, George Freeman, Sterling Smith

Lattimore, Poole and Adebo return and are joined by free agent signing Fabian Moreau and rookies Freeman and Sterling Smith. This crew will need to be more opportunistic if they want to compete with the top of the NFCS and the conference. 

S - CJ Gardner-Johnson, Julian Love, George Odum, JT Gray

The third 3+1 player and in this reporters opinion, the most important one. With the acquisition of Julian Love from the Giants, CJGJ will move back to SS and may even see some time at slot CB. Odum will back up CJGJ at SS. 

Specialist - Wil Lutz, Blake Gillikin

Kickers kick…. Part Deux

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/eb/91/54/eb9154dbf327da5d31584d8d08d38707.jpg 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | November 11, 2021 3:05pm 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The beginning of another season of RedZone Football. And if the way Season 70 ended is any indication of what Season 71 will hold. The Saints finished Season 70 just under .500 at 8-9. They showed that they can compete with the top of the NFC South. But definitely were a step below the likes of Tampa and Carolina. All season they would gather some momentum and then shoot themselves in the foot with heartbreaking mistakes. 

So we turn the page to Season 71. A lot of new faces in the locker room. The Saints were pressed up against the cap at the start of the offseason. So moves to fill holes had to be strategic. Cuts had to be made, most noteably CB Bradley Roby. Which gave them room to re-sign CB Brian Poole and RB Tony Jones Jr. A deal was also made to bring in S Julian Love, which then made Malcolm Jenkins expendable. To round out the free agency period, The Saints brought in DT Davon Godchaux and QB PJ Walker. 

Then came the RZ Draft. For more on each selection, head to my Twitter @RZDSimmons. But here is the list for your reading pleasure. Also, see below the players signed to the practice squad. 

1.17- G Ty Hoffman

2.17- QB Colin Hamels

3.17- DE Avery Boss

4.17- RB Garrison Henley

5.17- RT Andrew Bates

6.17- RB Donnell Pierce

6.20- CB Sterling Smith

7.17- CB George Freeman 

Practice Squad

• T James Riley

• G George Graham

• QB Jamie Newman

• DE Kendrick Stoudemire

• DE Courtney Bronson

• SS JC Holley

• CB Dane Jackson

• CB Isaiah Dunn

• WR Dalton Mann

• WR Brandon Blade

And now, here are your RedZone League Season 71 New Orleans Saints.

QB - Colin Hamels (R), PJ Walker

Hamels was one of two QBs that flew up the draft board as the season progressed, the other being Ben Banks. Some mock had Hamels going as high as 10 in the first. He ended up falling to 2.17 and The Saints couldn't take the chance that he was going to fall any further. With letting Winston hit the open market, this was a major need for the Saints and they got their guy. This marked the end of Taysom Hill and PJ Walker was brought in as the backup. 

RB - Alvin Kamara, Garrison Henley (R), Donnell Pierce (R), Tony Jones Jr, James McCoy (FB)

The lifeblood of the offense. It all starts and ends with Kamara. Tony Jones did a great job as the spell back and was rewarded with a two year deal. And then the draft happened. Henley was the best player on the board at 4.17 and really did work in the preseason to move into the main spell back role. A similar situation with Donnell Pierce at the 6.17 as well. But look for all 4 guys to touch the ball in this offense. 

WR - Michael Thomas, Deonte Harris, Marquez Callaway, Jalen Camp, Reggie Blanton, Cornell Powell

Now the WR core took a hit with losing TreQuan Smith to free agency, but his asking price to resign him was out of the Saints budget. Deonte Harris signed a much more team friendly deal. And with limited space available, finding another WR for the room just wasn’t in the cards. Marquez Callaway will step into the mix and play outside WR in 3WR sets. 

TE - Adam Trautman, Juwan Johnson, Dylan Soehner, Noah Togiai

The Pro Bowler Trautman returns at TE1 and Juwan Johnson is the Robin to Trautman Batman. These two may get an increased workload due to the light WR core. 

T - Ryan Ramczyk, Elijah Wilkerson, James Hurst, Andrew Bates (R) 

Terron Armstead was another big loss to free agency. Elijah Wilkerson was signed as a camp body, made the team and earned the starting LT spot. Bates was drafted at the 5.17 spot but is a year away from threatening for the starting job. 

G - Cesar Ruiz, Ty Hoffman (R), Beau Benzschawel

Ruiz, last years rookie standout, welcomes in 1st round pick Ty Hoffman to the hog mollys up front. They look to be a solid tandem for years to come. 

C - Erik McCoy, Will Clapp

McCoy will anchor the middle and make the line calls. He hopes to develop a good repore with new QB Hamels. Also McCoy will be looking to be a 3+1 signing. 

DE - Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Payton Turner, Avery Boss (R) 

Cam Jordan returns as one of the anchors of the defense. Davenport will be looking for his big money 3+1 deal this offseason. Both sides are confident that a deal will be reached. Turner may see more time in pass rushing situations this year. Rookie Avery Boss will sit under the learning tree of Jordan as the heavy DE in this front. 

DT - David Onyemata, Davon Godchaux, Nathan Shepherd, Beau Allen

Onyemata is another deal that is up after this year. But at 29, I can’t imagine him being apart of the 3. He does have a chance to be the +1 but that will depend on the cap number. Shepherd was resigned last year, but after clearing some space, Davon Godchaux was brought in and implanted himself in the DT2 spot. 

OLB - Zack Baun, Pete Werner, Deshaun Davis, Randy Ramsey

Probably the biggest question mark going into Season 70 was OLB. Coach Mayne Event and his staff trusted Zack Baun and Pete Werner to hold down the fort. Baun was the opportunist with 2 picks and a sack last year. While Werner was steady with 54 tackles. Look for both to make the jump in year two of this scheme. 

MLB - Demario Davis, JaWuan Hendricks, Cole Christiansen

Is this the last ride for Demario Davis? If we are basing them off of his numbers last year, he’s got a lot left in the tank. But The Saints will definitely need to find the heir apparent this offseason. 

CB - Marshon Lattimore, Brian Poole, Fabian Moreau, Paulson Adebo, George Freeman, Sterling Smith

Lattimore, Poole and Adebo return and are joined by free agent signing Fabian Moreau and rookies Freeman and Sterling Smith. This crew will need to be more opportunistic if they want to compete with the top of the NFCS and the conference. 

S - CJ Gardner-Johnson, Julian Love, George Odum, JT Gray

The third 3+1 player and in this reporters opinion, the most important one. With the acquisition of Julian Love from the Giants, CJGJ will move back to SS and may even see some time at slot CB. Odum will back up CJGJ at SS. 

Specialist - Wil Lutz, Blake Gillikin

Kickers kick…. Part Deux

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO 

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/eb/91/54/eb9154dbf327da5d31584d8d08d38707.jpg 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | September 22, 2021 09:01pm 

The preseason games have finished. A lot of tough decisions needed to be made by the Saints brass to get down the 53 man teams. But let’s break it down. 

First, two injuries to report. OLB Terrance Smith missed the final 2 preseason games. But he will be good to go come week 1 as the Saints host the Packers. And DT Nathan Shepherd will miss said game against the Packers, but should be back in the lineup week 2 in Carolina.

Next, here is the practice squad.

- QB Ian Book

- HB Rodney Anderson

- FB Adam Prentice

- WR Ashton Dulin

- G Dru Samia

- G Ben Benzschawel

- DE Jason Strowbridge

- DE Carl Granderson

- DT Dontavius Russell

- OLB Asmar Bilal

- CB Corey Ballentine

- S JR Pace

And now, here are your RedZone League Season 70 New Orleans Saints.

QB - Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill

If there was a doubt before training camp started, those doubts were put aside once Coach Treadwell and his staff came into power. He immediately named Jameis the starter and Taysom the backup. But don't be shocked if we see the “Human Swiss Army Knife” on the field in spots.

RB - Alvin Kamara, Dwayne Washington, D’Onta Foreman, Tony Jones Jr.

Kamara is the clear Do-It-All back. Inside run, outside run and a legit pass catching option out of the backfield. Washington will be the main spell back, with Foreman and TJJ bringing the muscle in for short yardage.

WR - Michael Thomas, Tre’Quan Smith, Deonte Harris, Marquez Callaway, Ty Montgomery II

The Saints sure have a certain archetype of receiver. Outside of the speedy Deonte Harris, all others are 6’0 and up. Michael “Slant” Thomas leads the way, with Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway at 2 and 3 respectively. The versatile Ty Mongomery II is also in the mix. 

TE - Adam Trautman, Juwan Johnson, Nick Vannett, Dylan Soehner

Trautman and Johnson proved to be a dynamic duo in the preseason. Both will see lots of time in this offense. Nick Vannett will be the pseudo FB with not one listed on the roster. Soehner will be the TE3 for heavy and goal line sets.

T - Terron Armstead, Ryan Ramczyk, James Hurst

Two stellar bookend tackles with Armstead and Ramczyk. James Hurst will be the swing tackle

G - Andrus Peat, Cesar Ruiz, Jonathan Cooper, Senio Kelemete

The veteran Peat and the second year man Ruiz hold down the interior after having a great training camp and preseason. Cooper and Kelemete add veteran depth

C - Erik McCoy, Hroniss Grasu

McCoy calls the shots from center and is for sure the glue of this unit. Hroniss Grasu will back him up.

DE - Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Aldon Smith, Tanoh Kpassagnon, Payton Turner

The versatile vet Jordan leads this group of edge rushers. Expect to see Jordan kick inside during passing downs with the signing of Aldon Smith. But youth fills out the rest of the ends with Kpassagnon (27), Davenport (24) and Turner (22).

DT - David Onyemata, Nathan Shepherd, Shy Tuttle, Malcolm Roach

David Onyemata anchors the middle next to preseason signing Nathan Shepherd. Shy Tuttle and Malcolm Roach add depth.

OLB - Zack Baun, Pete Werner, Kaden Elliss, Terrance Smith

Of all the position groups, this outside backer core has the most questions going into Season 70. The new regime quickly made an effort to deal veteran Kwon Alexander in favor of 2 yr man Zack Baun and rookie Pete Werner. Will the youth movement pay off? Or will the hole left by the departing Alexander be too much for them to fill

MLB - Demario Davis, Tyrell Adams, Chase Hansen

One of the top MLB’s in RedZone, Demario Davis is the unquestioned leader of this defense. Whether it’s filling run lanes or covering backs and tight ends, Davis can do it all. But at 32, how much longer can he be one of the best.? 

CB - Marshon Lattimore, Bradley Roby, Brian Poole, Desmond Trufant, Ken Crawley, Paulson Adebo

I’d be hard pressed to find another defensive backfield as deep and the CB’s and Safeties in NO. The cornerback unit is led by 5th year man Marshon Lattimore. Both Roby and Poole were named as potential trade pieces, but deals never materialized. Trufant and Crawley will both see time as the dime CB. The rookie Paulson Adebo will have plenty of guidance from the vets ahead of him.

S - Marcus Williams, CJ Gardner-Johnson, Malcolm Jenkins, PJ Williams, JT Gray

Four starting caliber players here. They will all see time on the field. Marcus Williams and versatile CJ GJ are starting on the backend. Saints legend Malcolm Jenkins will see time at safety and in sub packages. 

Specialist - Wil Lutz, Blake Gillikin

Kickers kick…. End of sentence.

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage. And check out the team page at daddyleagues.com/redzone/team/NO

New Saints... Who Dat?? 

By Donovan Simmons | @RZDSimmons | September 22, 2021 09:01pm 

For all 32 teams that comprise the RedZone League, this is the most exciting time of the year. Players and coaches are full of anticipation. Fan bases full of hope. And yours truly is embarking on a new journey as the Saints Beat Writer for RZ Sports. As the team broke training camp and headed back to their team facility on Airline Dr in Metairie, a number of questions are yet to be answered by this new coaching staff led by Head Coach Pasqualie Treadwell. 

Treadwell comes to the Saints after spending the last 7 years as the head coach of Baldwin Wallace University, a small Division III school in northeast Ohio. But don’t let the D-III tag fool you. Treadwell amassed 156 wins, a .741 win percentage, 10 conference titles and 5 D-III playoff appearances. He guided the Yellow Jackets to the title game twice in those 5 trips, only to come up short to D-III powerhouse Mount Union. But will Coach P have the same success with the Saints here in the RedZone? Only time will tell.

Let’s move on to the three biggest storylines coming out of camp. It’s time for 3 Questions

1) Can Kamara and Michael Thomas carry the load for the offense?

“1! 2! Win! For you!... 3! 4! Win! Some more!!...” These words and this chant echoed throughout the Mercedes Benz Superdome for 15 years from legendary and hall of fame worthy names. Those faces have since moved on. The main offensive production will fall on the shoulders of Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. But who will be the third option? While there seems to be plenty of depth at WR with the likes of Tre’Quan Smith, Deonte Harris and Marquez Callaway, the same can’t be said just yet for the backfield. Will it be the second year man Tony Jones or a veteran like Dwayne Washington or recent waiver acquisition D’Onta Foreman?

2) Winston, Taysom or Door Number 3?

With that legendary name not under center anymore, who will be the signal caller for 2021 and beyond? The in-house options are clear and Coach P has been very direct when asked at post practice pressers. 7 year vet Jameis Winston will have every opportunity to keep this job past this season. But you would have to think “The Human Swiss Army Knife” Taysom Hill will find his way on the field. Whether at QB or otherwise. Now if door #3 is the future… where Winston continues to be a roller coaster or Taysom’s below average passing skills need to be relied on for 17 games, then you’d have to imagine that the front office would address that need in the offseason. Both Winston and Hill are on 1 year deals, so this will for sure be a put up or ship out year for the both of them.

3) Defensive Rebuild?

While on paper there seems to be fewer questions in regards to the defense, Coach P and the front office will have to figure out who and what best fits this organization. With Cam Jordan on the D-Line and Demario Davis calling the shots from 7 yards off the ball, you’d have to acknowledge that both are in the 4th quarter of their respective careers. But with a core of young talent beside them, they look to stable this ship. The likes of Marcus Davenport and David Onyemata up front. A trio of CBs, Marshon Lattimore, Bradley Roby and rookie Paulson Adebo. And the tandem of Marcus Williams and CJ Gardner-Johnson on the back end. This defense may be ready for prime time in the NFC South.

Follow me @RZDSimmons on Twitter all season long for Saints coverage.