New Orleans Saints Archives « Page 2453 of 2955 « New Orleans Saints News | Brees, Payton, Colston, Vilma, Vaccaro, Jenkins | NFC South News New Orleans Saints News | Brees, Payton, Colston, Vilma, Vaccaro, Jenkins

Saints Sign Linebacker Curtis Lofton

On March 24, 2012 / Canal St. Chronicles, New Orleans Saints News, Saints Blogs / Leave a comment

The New Orleans Saints continue to step up their game in the free agency department, signing former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton to a 5-year deal. The official Saints Twitter account made it official:

The Saints have agreed to a 5-year deal with LB Curtis Lofton

Hell and Yes. This is a huge signing. I can’t stress that enough. The Saints have added three defensive free agents just this week alone, but Lofton is the best. Basically, the Saints just took the Jonathan Vilma of the Atlanta Falcons. Stealing a solid player from your long time division rival? High five!

The 26-year old Lofton is coming off a career season with 147 total tackles, one sack and two interceptions. Mickey Loomis commented on the big signing:

“Curtis is a versatile, hard-working player that has displayed a knack for being around the football, and more importantly, making plays on the ball,” Loomis said. “He has the ability to play all three linebacker positions and we feel that he’s just entering the prime of his career. We think he can come to New Orleans and fit in well and provide us with a significant contribution to our defense.”

And don’t worry about the future of Jonathan Vilma, the Saints still love the guy. Mickey again:

“(Vilma) is still a big part of our team. A top player and leader for us,”

Truth is, it might not matter how the Saints feel about Vilma or how well he can still perform. The team may very well know something we don’t, like the fact that Vilma will be handed a reasonably long suspension courtesy of Bountygate.

But it begs the question: where the hell are the Saints getting this freaking money from!?!?! No doubt it means we can, and probably should, expect some cuts to be made for financial reasons.

		Sacks		Interceptions			Tackles
	G	Sacks	YdsL	Int	Yds	IntTD	Solo	Ast	Total
2011 – Curtis Lofton	16	1	8	2	30	0	87	60	147

Jeremy Shockey Correct to Be Furious at Warren Sapp: Fan’s Opinion (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

On March 24, 2012 / New Orleans Saints News, nfl, Yahoo Sports / Leave a comment

Sapp accuses Shockey of being bounty snitch Former NFL defensive tackle and current NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp made headlines earlier this week when he claimed that a source informed him that Jeremy Shockey was the snitch that told the league about the New Orleans Saints…

New Orleans Saints: Fox Reportedly Considering Hiring Suspended Sean Payton

On March 24, 2012 / New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Saints News, NFC South, nfl, Sean Payton / Leave a comment

Fox Sports is reportedly considering hiring suspended New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton to become a part of their crew during next season, and it is sure to be met with some interesting criticism from the public.

New York Times‘ Judy Battista is reporting that CBS, ESPN and NBC have all said that they will not be hiring Payton, but that FOX is at least considering it.

“Our feeling about Sean is that he’s bright, articulate and obviously contemporary,” FOX senior vice president for communications Lou D’Ermilio told Battista. “Any network with NFL rights would have to consider it.”

The NFL has come out with a statement on the matter, as well.

“He is suspended from the NFL for the season,” the NFL said in a statement. “His involvement in any non-NFL employment or business matters is not our decision.”

But Payton has to make money somehow, right?

He was suspended earlier this week for the entire 2012-13 football season without pay, meaning he will not be receiving his $7 million salary this season. Sources have told ESPN he will most likely be losing $5.8 million.

However, if FOX is truly serious about hiring Payton, they will be receiving some real criticism from people against the “pay for play” issue. The issue in itself has come under real scrutiny over the last month, but glorifying the man overseeing the program that goes against NFL policy is a whole different issue.

Payton does have a good personality and could probably share some in-depth knowledge of the NFL, but making him a household face every single Sunday on one of the most-watched stations during football season is taking it a bit too far.

There has been no word from Payton as to whether he will take the position if it is offered, but he has to pay the bills somehow. Talking about the sport he knows and loves is probably not a bad way of doing things—just ask the other former players and coaches on that FOX set.

He and FOX must be aware that if this does go through, that it will not be met with the kindest of reactions.

Read more New Orleans Saints news on BleacherReport.com

2012 NFL Free Agents: New Orleans Saints Land MLB Curtis Lofton

On March 24, 2012 / New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Saints News, nfl / Leave a comment

Days after watching the NFL come down hard on its upper management and coaching staff, the New Orleans Saints have signed a safeguard at middle linebacker in case the league drops the hammer on current players, too.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Saints signed former Atlanta Falcons middle linebacker Curtis Lofton to a five-year deal Saturday, signaling the team’s obvious anxiety about the potential multi-game suspension that Jonathan Vilma faces next season.

Financial terms of the contract were not immediately available.

A second round pick in 2008, Lofton has started inside for the Falcons since his rookie season. At 6′, 241 lbs., Lofton has been a Falcons starter for 63 out of a possible 64 games he’s played in his four-year NFL career.

Only once—during his rookie season in ’08—has Lofton failed to register 100 tackles in a season, and he topped off at a career-high 147 in 2011. He also has four career sacks, seven forced fumbles and three interceptions.

While the Saints do not plan on releasing Vilma, the soon-to-be 30-year-old is likely to face a long suspension from the league for his role in the bounty program in New Orleans over the last three seasons. Last week, the NFL suspended Saints head coach Sean Payton for the season while also suspending general manager Mickey Loomis and assistant coach Joe Vitt for eight and six games, respectively.

Even if Vilma avoids a suspension, which currently seems unlikely, the Saints liked Lofton’s versatility and ability to play all three linebacker spots.

“Curtis is a versatile, hard-working player that has displayed a knack for being around the football, and more importantly, making plays on the ball,” Loomis said, via Mike Triplett of the Times-Picayune. “He has the ability to play all three linebacker positions and we feel that he’s just entering the prime of his career. We think he can come to New Orleans and fit in well and provide us with a significant contribution to our defense.”

A stout run defender, Lofton was arguably the top defensive player left on the market after the Detroit Lions re-signed middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch. We do not yet know if Lofton’s deal beats the five-year, $25.5 million deal Tulloch signed last week, but you’d have to assume the 25-year-old received similar compensation, if not more from New Orleans.

Considering the Saints’ current cap situation, which was somewhere under $2 million below the cap before this deal, the acquisition of Lofton likely means New Orleans will need to cut a player or two to stay under the cap.

Read more New Orleans Saints news on BleacherReport.com

Saints agree to deal with LB Lofton

On March 24, 2012 / FoxSports.com, New Orleans Saints News, saints / Leave a comment

Former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton has agreed to a
five-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Lofton gets five-year deal from Saints

On March 24, 2012 / FoxSports.com, New Orleans Saints News, saints / Leave a comment

Former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton has agreed to a
five-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Saints agree to deal with LB Lofton

On March 24, 2012 / New Orleans Saints News, Yardbarker / Leave a comment

Former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton has agreed to a five-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, who announced the deal Saturday night, says New Orleans sought Lofton because he can play all three linebacker positions and is just entering the prime of his career.

The 6-foot, 241-pound Lofton was a second-round draft choice by the Falcons in 2008 and has started 63 of the 64 games in which he has played.

The former Oklahoma standout led the Falcons with a career-high 170 tackles last season, to go along with a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two interceptions, one of which he ran back for a touchdown.

FOX Sports considers hiring Saints head coach Sean Payton

On March 24, 2012 / New Orleans Saints News, Yardbarker / Leave a comment

In the culmination as to what has been one of the wildest weeks in the NFL offseason in memory, FOX Sports is considering hiring New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton as an on-air personality. According to the New York Times, Fox Sports was the only network which broadcasts NFL games which was reported to be interested in hiring Payton for the 2012 season. ESPN, CBS, and NBC said on Friday that they had no intentions of hiring Sean Payton to be an analyst while he is suspended in the 2012 regular season from coaching the New Orleans Saints.
These network options come as no surprise to me. CBS broadcasts AFC games, NBC does national broadcasts while ESPN has more football analysts than you can shake a stick at. FOX is a logical landing spot for Payton, because he is a coach in the NFC, the conference FOX broadcasts.
As a disclaimer though, this blog is carried by Yardbarker and FOX Sports. I have been highly critical of Sean Payton and the behavior of the New Orleans Saints. I ha…

Saints agree to deal with LB Lofton (The Canadian Press)

On March 24, 2012 / New Orleans Saints News, nfl, Yahoo Sports / Leave a comment

METAIRIE, La. – Former Atlanta Falcons linebacker Curtis Lofton has agreed to a five-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

Loomis likes Lofton’s versatility

On March 24, 2012 / New Orleans Saints, New Orleans Saints News / Leave a comment

GM Mickey Loomis on new Saints LB Curtis Lofton: “Curtis is a versatile, hard-working player that has displayed a knack for being around the football, and more importantly, making plays on the ball. He has the ability to play all three linebacker positions, and we feel that he’s just entering the prime of his career.”