luke johnson

(AP Photo/John Amis)By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneThe message the New Orleans Saints front office has sent out for the last several months is clear: It is all in on the here and now.Tuesday (Oct. 23), New Orleans traded a 2019 fourth-round pick and a 2020 seventh-round...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Saints have bolstered their secondary with a trade for New York Giants cornerback Eli Apple, according to a report from ESPN.The Giants selected Apple out of Ohio State with the 10th overall pick of the 2016 draft. He has one...

(Photo by Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneHere is how much New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees thinks of veteran tight end Ben Watson: When Watson hauled in Brees’ 500th career touchdown pass in the second quarter of the...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneBALTIMORE -- It looked like the New Orleans Saints were about to go to overtime with the Ravens after John Brown hauled in a 13-yard touchdown catch with 24 seconds remaining. The Ravens sent one of the NFL's best field goal kickers out to kick an...

(Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com)By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneMatchups like the one they have coming up Sunday (Oct. 21) against the Ravens are ones New Orleans Saints defensive linemen Sheldon Rankins and Alex Okafor look forward to.It is a test of will and...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Saints offensive line was light a few starters at practice Thursday (Oct. 18).Neither starting left guard Andrus Peat (head) nor starting right guard Larry Warford (back) participated in practice Thursday. This was Warford’s...

(Photo by Michael DeMocker, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneHe is not sure of the year, maybe 2007 or 2008, but New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton sought some advice from then-Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid.Here was the...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneCameron Meredith was the middle target in a trio of New Orleans Saints receivers sprinting into the deep portion of the Redskins' zone coverage.Drew Brees found Meredith right at the top of his drop, and it was no wonder why. It looked to be a...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneSheldon Rankins knew the statistical line off the top of his head.The Redskins, who came into Monday (Oct. 8) ranking No. 5 in the NFL in rushing yards per game (137.7), managed just 39 yards on 18 carries against the New Orleans Saints.After...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneThis had a chance to take a bad turn for the New Orleans Saints.Early in the first quarter, Marshon Lattimore and A.J. Klein converged on Washington receiver Maurice Harris. Harris ducked low to avoid the shot from Klein, and Lattimore's helmet...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneMarcus Williams wants to make every play on the field."That's Marcus," said New Orleans Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn with a chuckle. "That's who he is."The trade off with that is that not every play can be made. Sometimes early in...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneShortly after Mark Ingram settled into his locker to speak for the first time since returning from a four-game suspension, surrounded by a wall of cameras and voice recorders, his teammate Cam Jordan yelled from across the locker room."Ooh, that...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneWhen you are tasked with protecting a guy you are not shy to say is the greatest to ever play the game, you take pride in keeping him clean.New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead did not mince words a few weeks ago after Drew Brees put a...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneThat Mark Ingram was there to meet his New Orleans Saints teammates when they arrived at the airport after a 33-18 win in New York was not a surprise to teammate Demario Davis."He's a guy who is ready to get back to work," Davis said.Ingram is...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneThere was a key member of the New Orleans Saints defense who dared to use that key word in the aftermath of an impressive 33-18 road win against the New York Giants."We came out here and we were playing for each other today," defensive back...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It was the second Alvin Kamara touchdown of the second half that got the Who Dat chants rolling in MetLife Stadium and sent Giants fans streaming toward the exits.It was his third touchdown that officially iced it.It...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneIn defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins' opinion, the New Orleans Saints have not seen anybody quite like Saquon Barkley yet this season.It is the balance and strength that makes the Giants rookie running back so difficult to bring down in the open...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneATLANTA -- On the play he officially announced his arrival with the New Orleans Saints, Cameron Meredith was one of Drew Brees' last reads.Still, Meredith thought he had a chance to make something happen. If Brees got hurried or flushed out of...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneAfter they got embarrassed by Tampa Bay in Week 1, the New Orleans Saints were putting together a bounce-back defensive performance Sunday (Sept. 16) against the Cleveland Browns, but it still did not taste right, it still was missing that one key...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneThe first three quarters belonged to the Cleveland Browns, the fourth quarter belonged to the New Orleans Saints' young stars and the final minutes belonged to those who say age is just a number.Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara and Marcus Williams...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Saints defensive tackle Tyeler Davison missed his third consecutive day of practice with a foot injury Friday (Sept. 14) and was officially listed as out for this Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.Ted Ginn Jr., Michael...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneAfter New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas hauled in a franchise record 16 passes in a losing effort against the Buccaneers last week, the response was not quite as apathetic as a shrug, but it was close to that."When the ball is in...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneMaybe ignorance truly is bliss: As the New Orleans Saints pared their roster down to 53 players Saturday (Sept. 1), rookie running back Boston Scott did not spend much time thinking about his fate.That was not done intentionally."I thought the...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneA little less than 24 hours after getting their roster down to 53 players -- and, in the process, exposing some of their depth to the waiver wire -- the New Orleans Saints added nine players to their practice squad Sunday (Sept. 2).On the squad...

By Luke Johnson, NOLA.com | The Times-PicayuneThe New Orleans Saints released quarterback Tom Savage Saturday (Sept. 1), five months after he was signed to compete for the top job backing up Drew Brees.After spending the first four seasons of his career with Houston, Savage was signed to a...