1 hr. ago
Players for the New Orleans Saints and throughout the NFL make their final push for a roster spot in the final weekend of preseason action. The Saints, 0-2 thus far in preseason play, close out with a Friday game at the Dallas Cowboys. All NFL teams must trim down to a 53-man active roster by Sunday afternoon.
Every year in the NFL, there are surprising cuts from several teams. These are usually veterans, some with extensive starting experience. Here are some of the vested veterans who could find themselves looking for other teams when the Saints trim down their roster this weekend.
Howden is among up to eight players fighting for what is probably 2-3 remaining jobs in the New Orleans secondary. While one of the team's top special teams contributors, he's done little to make a mark defensively. In three NFL seasons, all with New Orleans, Howden has 2 interceptions (both in 2024), along with 7 pass breakups, a fumble return for a touchdown, 1 sack, and 2 tackles for loss. After major inconsistencies in coverage over his first two years, Howden saw only 25% of the team's defensive snaps in 2025 despite appearing in 16 contests.
Jordan Howden may be the odd-man out in the Saints secondary. He's been used as both a deep safety and in the slot, but New Orleans has better options at both positions. For Howden, it may come down to whether he's a better special teams player than the other defensive backs competing for those final couple spots.
Like Howden, Yiadom could be caught up in the numbers game without the playing ability to overcome it. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley will start, with Martin Emerson as the likely third corner. Jayden Price has also emerged with a strong training camp to earn a spot on the depth chart. Additionally, Jonas Sanker is being given the first shot at replacing the departed Alontae Taylor with Price, Julian Blackmon, and rookie Lorenzo Styles also in that mix.
#howden #saints #final #roster
Every year in the NFL, there are surprising cuts from several teams. These are usually veterans, some with extensive starting experience. Here are some of the vested veterans who could find themselves looking for other teams when the Saints trim down their roster this weekend.
Howden is among up to eight players fighting for what is probably 2-3 remaining jobs in the New Orleans secondary. While one of the team's top special teams contributors, he's done little to make a mark defensively. In three NFL seasons, all with New Orleans, Howden has 2 interceptions (both in 2024), along with 7 pass breakups, a fumble return for a touchdown, 1 sack, and 2 tackles for loss. After major inconsistencies in coverage over his first two years, Howden saw only 25% of the team's defensive snaps in 2025 despite appearing in 16 contests.
Jordan Howden may be the odd-man out in the Saints secondary. He's been used as both a deep safety and in the slot, but New Orleans has better options at both positions. For Howden, it may come down to whether he's a better special teams player than the other defensive backs competing for those final couple spots.
Like Howden, Yiadom could be caught up in the numbers game without the playing ability to overcome it. Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley will start, with Martin Emerson as the likely third corner. Jayden Price has also emerged with a strong training camp to earn a spot on the depth chart. Additionally, Jonas Sanker is being given the first shot at replacing the departed Alontae Taylor with Price, Julian Blackmon, and rookie Lorenzo Styles also in that mix.
#howden #saints #final #roster
3 months ago
LAS VEGAS — By now, it should be clearly evident to anyone watching this Stanley Cup Final that no lead is safe. There’s no room for comfort. And the word panic has been eliminated from the vocabulary of both the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.
The chaos that has been the Cup Final continued Tuesday with Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena. By now, we should be used to the twists and turns, the crazy bounces, the near misses and the occasional brilliance that has defined the series.
In the end, it was Carolina that prevailed in yet another wild affair, 5-3, to draw even in the series at 2-2. The always-pivotal Game 5 will be Thursday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh in what has now become a best-of-3 battle.
“We battled back but we’ll regroup and get ready for the next one,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said.
The Knights better figure out a way to slow down if not stop Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal or he may be the one accepting the Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman as well as taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. He had two goals Tuesday, including the game-winner, scoring while falling down and beating Carter Hart with 6:32 gone in the third period.
“It’s a good thing, no question,” Staal said of his goal-scoring exploits (he has five in the Final through four games, having scored in each game). “The puck’s going in right now so I’ll take it.”
Tortorella said: “Staal is killing us in front of the net. We need to do a better job around the blue.”
Down in the series and needing a spark, Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour changed goalies, replacing Frederik Andersen with Brandon Bussi, who took over to start the third period in Game 3 and played well only to lose in double overtime on a bad bounce off the T-Mobile end boards.
It was working. For a while anyway. This time, the Canes got the fortuitous bounce less than two minutes into Game 4 as the puck caromed off the end boards before Hart could corral it. It wound up on the stick of Logan Stankoven and ultimately in the Vegas net.
“It’s hard to get game reps in practice,” Bussi said, who was the fortunate beneficiary when Brayden McNabb’s apparent goal at the end of the first period was taken off the board after it was determined the puck went in after time had expired. “So I think it helped to have played (in Game 3).”
But if we’ve learned anything in this series, it’s that a two-goal lead is anything but safe. The Canes had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 only to watch the Knights rally, as has been their custom throughout the season.
William Karlsson made it 3-2 early in the second period. Later in the period, Brett Howden tied it 3-3, setting a team record in the process with his 14th playoff goal. Jonathan Marchessault had 13 in 2023, the year Vegas won the Cup.
In each game so far, the Knights have had the better of things during the middle stanza. The Canes have found their second gear in the second part of the third period. This
The chaos that has been the Cup Final continued Tuesday with Game 4 at T-Mobile Arena. By now, we should be used to the twists and turns, the crazy bounces, the near misses and the occasional brilliance that has defined the series.
In the end, it was Carolina that prevailed in yet another wild affair, 5-3, to draw even in the series at 2-2. The always-pivotal Game 5 will be Thursday at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh in what has now become a best-of-3 battle.
“We battled back but we’ll regroup and get ready for the next one,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said.
The Knights better figure out a way to slow down if not stop Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal or he may be the one accepting the Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman as well as taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs. He had two goals Tuesday, including the game-winner, scoring while falling down and beating Carter Hart with 6:32 gone in the third period.
“It’s a good thing, no question,” Staal said of his goal-scoring exploits (he has five in the Final through four games, having scored in each game). “The puck’s going in right now so I’ll take it.”
Tortorella said: “Staal is killing us in front of the net. We need to do a better job around the blue.”
Down in the series and needing a spark, Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour changed goalies, replacing Frederik Andersen with Brandon Bussi, who took over to start the third period in Game 3 and played well only to lose in double overtime on a bad bounce off the T-Mobile end boards.
It was working. For a while anyway. This time, the Canes got the fortuitous bounce less than two minutes into Game 4 as the puck caromed off the end boards before Hart could corral it. It wound up on the stick of Logan Stankoven and ultimately in the Vegas net.
“It’s hard to get game reps in practice,” Bussi said, who was the fortunate beneficiary when Brayden McNabb’s apparent goal at the end of the first period was taken off the board after it was determined the puck went in after time had expired. “So I think it helped to have played (in Game 3).”
But if we’ve learned anything in this series, it’s that a two-goal lead is anything but safe. The Canes had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 only to watch the Knights rally, as has been their custom throughout the season.
William Karlsson made it 3-2 early in the second period. Later in the period, Brett Howden tied it 3-3, setting a team record in the process with his 14th playoff goal. Jonathan Marchessault had 13 in 2023, the year Vegas won the Cup.
In each game so far, the Knights have had the better of things during the middle stanza. The Canes have found their second gear in the second part of the third period. This
3 months ago
RALEIGH, N.C. — And things were going so well for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Of course, anyone who thought the Carolina Hurricanes were going to roll over and play dead were deluding themselves.
Yet, the Knights had a chance to gain a solid grip on the Stanley Cup Final had they been able to maintain their 2-0 lead over the final 10 minutes of Game 2 Thursday night at the Lenovo Center. Brett Howden had both goals and was making a case as a legitimate contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the Most Valuable player of the playoffs.
Instead, that path hit a pothole thanks to Seth Jarvis, who scored 3:56 into overtime to give the Canes a 4-3 win and even the series at 1-1.
Game 3 is 5 p.m. Saturday at what will be a raucous T-Mobile Arena.
Obviously we would’ve liked to have gotten two out of here but they’re a good team,” Vegas captain Mark Stone said. “We’ll regroup and be dialed in for Game 3.
There were four goals combined scored over the final 9:40 of regulation, three by Carolina and the fourth by Stone which came with 1:21 left and Carter Hart on the bench for a sixth attacker.
In between, the Knights thought they had scored what would’ve been a third goal only to have it waved off for goaltender interference of Carolina’s Frederik Andersen. They challenged the ruling on the ice, lost the appeal and the Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal scored on the power play to put his team in front, 3-2.
The explanation from the NHL’s Stephen Walkom was: “The ruling on the play was goaltender interference. He waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waved it off immediately.”
Vegas coach John Tortorella obviously saw things differently.
“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie (Andersen). Our players stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it went in,” Tortortella said of the controversial play. “I would challenge that 10 out of 10 times.”
Stone said of the play and the subsequent challenge: “It was deemed it was goaltender interference. I didn’t think it was, that’s why we challenged.”
The loss of defenseman Brayden McNabb late in the first period after he took a puck to the face also impacted the outcome. It was more pressure on the remaining five defensemen as Tortorella mixed and matched the quintet hoping to get through the remainder of the contest.
Noah Hanifin, one of those five defensemen looking to pick up the slack, said: “That’s playoff hockey. We’re in the Stanley Cup Final. You lose an important guy like that, everyone has to dig in and do their job. It’s adversity.”
When asked if he had an update on McNabb, Tortorella said: “I haven’t talked to the medical people yet. I thought the other guys played well.”
For a long while, it looked like Game 2 was going to belong to Brett Howden. The forward scored the first two goals of the contest and now has 13 for the pl
Of course, anyone who thought the Carolina Hurricanes were going to roll over and play dead were deluding themselves.
Yet, the Knights had a chance to gain a solid grip on the Stanley Cup Final had they been able to maintain their 2-0 lead over the final 10 minutes of Game 2 Thursday night at the Lenovo Center. Brett Howden had both goals and was making a case as a legitimate contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy, which goes to the Most Valuable player of the playoffs.
Instead, that path hit a pothole thanks to Seth Jarvis, who scored 3:56 into overtime to give the Canes a 4-3 win and even the series at 1-1.
Game 3 is 5 p.m. Saturday at what will be a raucous T-Mobile Arena.
Obviously we would’ve liked to have gotten two out of here but they’re a good team,” Vegas captain Mark Stone said. “We’ll regroup and be dialed in for Game 3.
There were four goals combined scored over the final 9:40 of regulation, three by Carolina and the fourth by Stone which came with 1:21 left and Carter Hart on the bench for a sixth attacker.
In between, the Knights thought they had scored what would’ve been a third goal only to have it waved off for goaltender interference of Carolina’s Frederik Andersen. They challenged the ruling on the ice, lost the appeal and the Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal scored on the power play to put his team in front, 3-2.
The explanation from the NHL’s Stephen Walkom was: “The ruling on the play was goaltender interference. He waved it (off) immediately. He believed that it was under the goalie and the Vegas player went after the puck and interfered with the goalie and his ability to freeze the puck and waved it off immediately.”
Vegas coach John Tortorella obviously saw things differently.
“I saw a loose puck in front of Freddie (Andersen). Our players stabbed it, didn’t move the goalie and it went in,” Tortortella said of the controversial play. “I would challenge that 10 out of 10 times.”
Stone said of the play and the subsequent challenge: “It was deemed it was goaltender interference. I didn’t think it was, that’s why we challenged.”
The loss of defenseman Brayden McNabb late in the first period after he took a puck to the face also impacted the outcome. It was more pressure on the remaining five defensemen as Tortorella mixed and matched the quintet hoping to get through the remainder of the contest.
Noah Hanifin, one of those five defensemen looking to pick up the slack, said: “That’s playoff hockey. We’re in the Stanley Cup Final. You lose an important guy like that, everyone has to dig in and do their job. It’s adversity.”
When asked if he had an update on McNabb, Tortorella said: “I haven’t talked to the medical people yet. I thought the other guys played well.”
For a long while, it looked like Game 2 was going to belong to Brett Howden. The forward scored the first two goals of the contest and now has 13 for the pl
