Team news: New Orleans Saints | Page 40

Saints RB Alvin Kamara is practicing on Wednesday after undergoing an epidural shot and being involved in trade rumors yesterday.

Initial reports indicated that Kamara was holding out for a long-term contract extension before turning to rumors that the Saints were looking to trade the star running back instead of paying him big money. Those rumors have faded in the last 24 hours with more recent reports suggesting both sides hope to come to an agreement to keep Kamara in New Orleans long-term. His return to practice suggests the two sides are continuing to work towards a deal and means Kamara should be lined up behind Drew Brees as normal Week 1.

Saints RB Alvin Kamara intends to show up tomorrow and practice after missing several days following an epidural shot in his back last Thursday.

Related players: Latavius Murray

The sides weren't that far apart on an extension before things went sideways, Pelissero added. It sounds like the missed practices were because of a back issue and not necessarily contract related. It's a situation worth watching but it looks like Kamara has a good chance to stay a Saint.

I can confirm. Their first option is to sign Alvin Kamara to a long-term deal. But only at the right price. If not, they are open to a trade. Saints are seeking a first-round pick in return.

The floodgates kind of opened when the news of Kamara missing practice was related to his contract. Other reports say Kamara has not requested a trade and up until recently he thought the sides were close to a deal. This could be all talk but will be worth watching. Joe Mixon signed an extension today while Dalvin Cook is still looking for his.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara said earlier in August he wasn’t worried about his next contract.

That appears to have changed. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Saints running back has had unexcused absences the last three days, because of his contract.

Related players: Latavius Murray

Kamara’s entering the final year of his rookie deal, set to make $2.133 million this year. While injuries affected him last year, he should still be in line for a solid payday, even if the Christian McCaffrey deal with the Panthers (four years, $64 million) skewed the scale.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown has been impressing head coach Matt LaFleur at training camp.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown received praise from head coach Matt LaFleur. His head coach suggested that ESB is a receiver whose intelligence gives the Packers flexibility as far as where they can line him up. The coach went on to praise the young receiver for having a firm grasp of the playbook despite missing all of last season. A 6’5 receiver with 4.48 wheels, St. Brown has always had tantalizing upside. Used sparingly in the offense as a rookie before missing his entire sophomore season, St. Brown could push for a role this season. Going undrafted in many redraft leagues, due to playing on a team with a relatively wide open depth chart, St. Brown could prove to be a productive late round flier.

Wide receiver Dante Pettis did not meet the expectations of the coaching staff when he reported to training camp last summer. Pettis never recovered, and took a major step back from the promising conclusion of his rookie season.

This summer, Pettis is competing for his spot on the 49ers – and the NFL, for that matter. For the first time in a long time, Pettis on Tuesday showed why the 49ers thought enough of him to select him in the second round of the 2018 draft, trading up to select him at No. 44 overall.

One day after the 49ers learned wide receiver Jalen Hurd would be out for the season with a torn ACL, Pettis showed up with his most active practice in a long, long time. Pettis caught a team-best five receptions in the 49ers’ fourth practice of the summer. He had two catches apiece from Jimmy Garoppolo and Nick Mullens. As the story said, he's working to stay in the NFL at this point.

Former Boston College running back A.J. Dillon rushed for 1,685 yards and 14 touchdowns in his junior season, and racked up 4,618 yards from scrimmage and 40 total touchdowns in three years. While he worked mainly as the No. 3 running back when the Packers hit the practice field, he was the player everyone was talking about -- mostly just because of how he looked physically.

"He has got some massive legs," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "That's something we talked about with our staff, we have not seen a running back built like that -- not in my career, that I've been around."

Related players: Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams

The story added CBS NFL Draft writer Chris Trapasso believes that Dillon is a player who will come in and make an immediate impact. He even thinks he could replace Williams this year. Williams recorded over 700 yards of total offense last year and added six TDs, so it's a situation to monitor, perhaps especially for Jones owners looking to handcuff him later in drafts.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had high praise for rookie receiver Bryan Edwards, and even went as far as to compare him to his college teammate Davante Adams.

Derek Carr had this to say about his rookie receiver: “Bryan is a very violent route runner and that’s a good thing. He’s very violent and aggressive in his cuts, in and out of his cuts. He’s someone…He reminds me of, when the ball is in the air, of Davante [Adams]. Great ball skills.” While the Bryan Edwards hype machine has been consistent in terms of his projected dynasty value, recent comments from Derek Carr and offensive coordinator Greg Olson suggest that he may be thrust into a larger rookie than expected. It is becoming clear that the Raiders, possibly at Derek Carr’s behest, will try to get Edwards onto the field as often as possible. He makes for an interesting late round flier at his current ADP as the 78th receiver off the board.

Packers WR Devin Funchess has opted out of the 2020 NFL season, per source.

Related players: Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Funchess missed almost all of 2019 and will now sit out 2020. Lazard appears certainly becomes the clear WR2 in the Packer offense. Valdes-Scantling looks like he could be the team's WR3.

Sources tell Yahoo Sports the #Saints are finalizing a 1-year deal with free agent QB Jameis Winston. New Orleans hopes to continue maximizing Taysom Hill's versatility on gameday while mitigating some risk in exposing Drew Brees' backup to injury.

Jameis Winston was QB5 in fantasy points last season and will now back up Drew Brees in New Orleans. It's probably not what the 26-year old had in mind for the 2020 season, but there's a lot to like for the future.