Marshon Lattimore, who is still with the Saints, talks about injuries, trade rumors, and much more.
The cornerback for the New Orleans Saints, Marshon Lattimore, is here with some clarifications to offer.
One, Lattimore claims he never asked for a trade, even though his name was mentioned in trade rumors during the offseason. Two, the 28-year-old said he didn’t feel the Saints wanted him gone, even with a revised contract that would make it easier to ship him out.
Three—and perhaps most importantly—Lattimore expressed that he continues to believe he is the best player in the NFL for his position. even after the past two years of a plague of injuries.
Without a doubt, Lattimore ranked first. “I rank first.”
The extent of Lattimore’s explanation was limited. After the first day of the team’s three-day required minicamp, on Tuesday, Lattimore was standing in the Saints locker room. He made reference to a “personal situation” he had with the Saints, but he did not go into further detail beyond saying it had been resolved.
After months of rumors that the Saints were considering trading for the former first-round draft pick, Lattimore skipped the team’s voluntary workouts last month. In response, Saints coach Dennis Allen told reporters that he and Lattimore had a “positive” conversation to get on the same page.
Lattimore reaffirmed his commitment to the Saints now that he is still a member of the team. He clarified that he had no intention of being traded.
“I realize people probably don’t think I’m the same type of player, or whatever the situation may be, because I’ve been hurt for two years,” Lattimore remarked. But all I have to do is show everyone that I am.
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On Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie, Louisiana, during the first day of Saints Minicamp Practice, 23-year-old cornerback Marshon Lattimore of the New Orleans Saints catches the ball. (Sofia Germer/The Times-Picayune photo)
SOPHIA GERMER TOOK THE STAFF PHOTO
“To be honest, that really falls on me.”
Due to all of the injuries sustained over the previous two seasons, a trade for Lattimore didn’t seem unlikely when rumors circulated this offseason that the Saints would consider dealing him for the right price. Since the beginning of the 2022 season, the four-time Pro Bowler has missed a total of seventeen games.
That is the total number of games in a season.
Lattimore stated that he still believes his injuries were a “fluke.” And judging from their appearance, it’s difficult to disagree. Due to a ruptured kidney in 2022, Lattimore missed ten games. He was forced to miss the last seven games of the previous season after an opponent’s player rolled onto his ankle. He insisted that his body wasn’t malfunctioning because of the games he missed.
It makes sense that Lattimore and his teammates still think he can be among the best corners in the league if he can maintain his health in 2024. Prior to getting hurt last year, Lattimore claimed he was on track for an All-Pro season and didn’t appear to be limited by his ankle during practice on Tuesday.
“With him, man, it’s all about health,” Tyrann Mathieu, the safety, remarked. “He’s going to be everything he’s always been for us if he can maintain his health and competitive mindset.”
It won’t be clear what Lattimore’s health is like until the next season. There are still other Lattimore-related questions to consider in the interim, chief among them being: Is there really no way to make a trade?
If the Saints deal Lattimore now that June 1st has passed, they could save a lot of money toward the salary cap. Additionally, New Orleans may already have Lattimore’s replacement on the field after trading up to select cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry in April with a second-round pick.
When asked early in the offseason if the team would be interested in a trade, general manager Mickey Loomis replied that any player is available for the right price and that trading players who are still capable of making significant contributions is not his business. The coach then stated that he anticipated having Lattimore play for the Saints the following season after Allen disclosed that he had spoken with Lattimore.
It wasn’t shocking that Lattimore showed up for the required minicamp. Long before he spoke with Allen, Lattimore had a practice of working out alone and then returning to the Saints as needed. That probably would have occurred even in the absence of Allen’s attempt to set the record straight.
However, he did.
When asked if he and Allen needed to talk to get on the same page, Lattimore responded, “Not for me.” Of course, though, the secret to everything is communication. Thus, we had a conversation. We discussed it.
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