Cameron Jordan

NFL Restructures: Saints, Ward, McGovern

With the league’s recent release of the new salary cap numbers and the rapid approach of free agency and the draft, NFL teams are working to clear up cap space to help add significant talent to their rosters for the 2024 NFL season. The Saints made a number of moves recently to reflect this pattern.

New Orleans agreed to a restructured deal with defensive end Carl Granderson, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The team converted a $9MM roster bonus that Granderson was due into a signing bonus spread over a five-year period. The move reduced his cap hit in 2024 from $12.45MM to $5.25MM, freeing up $7.2MM of cap space.

The team applied the same tactic to interior offensive lineman Cesar Ruiz‘s contract, per Pelissero, converting his $8MM roster bonus into a signing bonus and adding a void year to the end of his deal. The result saw Ruiz’s cap number drop from $10.85MM to $4.45MM, freeing up $6.4MM more of cap space.

One more time, the Saints got another player to sign a restructured deal this week. This time, star pass rusher Cameron Jordan agreed to convert $11.79MM of his 2024 base salary into a signing bonus, according to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. Jordan’s base salary was reduced to $1.21MM, and the team cleared $9.43MM of cap space as a result.

Granderson, Ruiz, and Jordan join quarterback Derek Carr, defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd, and center Erik McCoy as Saints who have signed restructured deals to help clear cap space recently.

Here are a couple of other restructured deals from around the league:

  • The Browns got in on the party, agreeing to a restructured deal with cornerback Denzel Ward, per Pelissero. Cleveland converted $14.2MM of Ward’s base salary into a signing bonus and added a void year to the end of his contract. Ward’s 2024 salary is now $1.13MM as a result, and the move cleared $11.36MM of cap space for the upcoming league year.
  • Finally, the Bills were the other team this week to work towards more cap space. Offensive guard Connor McGovern agreed to a reworked deal that would convert $4.68MM of his 2024 base salary into a signing bonus and add two void years to the end of his contract, according to Pelissero. The restructure clears up $3.74MM of cap space for Buffalo.

NFC South Notes: Saints, Panthers, Edmonds

The Saints made a key tweak to their front office Tuesday, announcing Khai Harley will move into the assistant GM role. Harley has been with the Saints for 16 years, most recently serving as the team’s VP of football administration. Mickey Loomis has credited Harley as being one of the chief architects behind the franchise’s aggressive strategy with regards to the salary cap. Omar Khan used this background to become the Steelers’ GM, and Harley rising to this post may put him on the radar for interviews.

New Orleans also Scott Kuhn as director of football administration, Zach Stuart as director of analytics and Rishi Desai as a scouting assistant. Gaining extensive experience on the analytics front, Kuhn spent 16 years with the Vikings. Stuart spent the past three years as the Jets’ analytics coordinator. Additionally, former safety Matt Giordano is now an assistant on Dennis Allen‘s staff. Giordano, 40, spent one season with the Saints (2010); the 30-game starter also played for the Colts, Packers, Raiders and Rams from 2005-13. Giordano had spent six seasons as head coach of Buchanan High School in his native Fresno, concluding that tenure after the 2021 season.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • Although Payton Turner carries a first-round pedigree, he is unlikely to beat out Carl Granderson for the starting role Marcus Davenport vacated this offseason. The Saints are more likely to turn to Granderson — a former UDFA — than Turner opposite Cameron Jordan, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Granderson, 26, has stood out in training camp and has two five-plus-sack seasons over the past three years. Turner entered camp after two iffy years, and while the Saints are likely to give the 2021 first-rounder another shot, a rotational role looks to be how this will play out.
  • Jordan’s two-year, $27.5MM Saints extension is fully guaranteed, and it will also include sack incentives. Jordan can pick up an extra $500K with a 10-sack season this year, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. The 34-year-old defensive end can add $250K by reaching $250K in 2024 and 2025. Sitting 23rd on the official sack list (115.5), Jordan has six double-digit sack slates on his resume — including a 12.5-sack showing in 2021.
  • Frank Reich is in place as the Panthers‘ play-caller to start his HC tenure, but OC Thomas Brown continues to loom as a future option for the post. The first-year Carolina HC said the long-term goal remains to make Brown the play-caller, Darin Gantt of Panthers.com tweets. This is Brown’s first OC post, but he has already booked HC interviews and received interest from other teams regarding their respective OC jobs. A former Rams assistant, Brown earning play-calling responsibilities this year would enhance his case for a top coaching job.
  • Deion Jonesone-year Panthers agreement is worth $1.17MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. That doubles as the veteran minimum, though Wilson adds the former Falcons mainstay will receive a $75K bonus for making the Panthers’ 53-man roster. The Falcons gave Jones a four-year, $57MM extension before the 2019 season, but the team cut bait on that deal before the 2022 trade deadline. The Browns also removed a year from Jones’ contract, and scant interest came his way this offseason. This will be a key year for the 29-year-old linebacker.
  • The Panthers included four void years in Justin Houston‘s contract, dropping his cap hit to $2.13MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Houston signed a fully guaranteed one-year, $6MM deal earlier this month. The contract will include sack incentives, with Wilson adding Houston will receive $500K by reaching 11 sacks and could earn another $500K by hitting 12 (Twitter link). These are classified as not likely to be earned; Houston has one 11-sack season since 2015.
  • As the Buccaneers prepare to use Rachaad White as their starting running back, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times notes offseason addition Chase Edmonds is locked into the third-down role. Edmonds, who received just $153K guaranteed on a one-year Bucs deal, operated as a solid pass catcher for the Cardinals but is coming off a down year. The Dolphins included him as salary filler in the Bradley Chubb trade, and the Broncos made him a cap casualty in March.

Saints, Cameron Jordan Agree To Extension

The latest new deal keeping Cameron Jordan in New Orleans has been worked out. The parties agreed to a two-year extension which is worth a fully-guaranteed $27.5MM, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The team has confirmed the news.

Jordan is now on the books through 2025, which should set him up well to meet his stated goal of continuing his career for roughly three to four more seasons. Indeed, while Jordan would not rule out a return in 2026 — which would be his 16th year in the league — he expects the 2025 campaign to be his last (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football).

The new money and guarantees included in this pact are the largest ever provided to a defensive player at the age of 34, showcasing Jordan’s ongoing value to New Orleans even in the latter stages of his playing days. The eight-time Pro Bowler began extension talks earlier this offseason, and a strong mutual interest existed to ensure he would not play for a franchise other than the Saints. General manager Mickey Loomis made it clear a deal would be worked out, and Jordan’s future is now secure. The latter will move into second in franchise history in games played if he remains durable during the 2023 season, something which has never been an issue to date.

Jordan has played exactly 16 games in each of his 12 seasons in the NFL, remaining consistently productive over that span. He has reached double-digit sacks six times, and earned a Pro Bowl nod each year since 2017. Amidst his remarks confirming his wishes to remain in New Orleans to finish out his career, the former first-rounder said he intended to retire when it became clear he could no longer operate as a full-time starter. With 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2022, Jordan will still be counted on as an anchor of the Saints’ defensive front moving forward.

New Orleans saw former first-rounder Marcus Davenport depart in free agency, which will leave plenty of snaps available for Payton Turner and second-round rookie Isaiah Foskey this season. Jordan will still be at the heart of the team’s edge rushing contingent, though, as he looks to extend his franchise record in sacks (115.5) while climbing the NFL’s all-time list in that department. Only Von Miller has more sacks amongst active players, and three years of runway will give Jordan considerable opportunity to improve on his current NFL rank of 23rd.

The Cal product was set to count for $15.1MM against the Saints’ cap this season, and it will be interesting to see if this agreement alters that figure. More importantly, though, New Orleans will now not be facing the prospect of seeing a $23.3MM cap charge next season as a result of the numerous void years tacked onto his deal. A multi-year extension should provide the Saints – a team forever tasked with salary cap gymnastics to retain its veterans – some clarity and stability moving forward.

Jordan is now well-positioned to help guide the Saints back to the postseason while adding further to his personal accolades. The 2010s All-Decade member will have a clearer picture of his remaining playing days as he winds down what will likely be a Hall of Fame career.

Saints DE Cameron Jordan Wants To Play For 3-4 More Years

Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan is entering a contract year, and player and team have been discussing an extension for several months. When those conversations were first reported, we heard that Doug Hendrickson, Jordan’s agent, was hoping to get a deal finalized before training camp. If that did not happen, Hendrickson suggested that negotiations would be tabled until after the season.

On the day veterans reported to camp, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported (via Twitter) that talks were ongoing, with no suggestion that they would be tabled. Hendrickson noted in May that he was hoping to secure his client a deal of at least two years in length, while Anderson says that Jordan wants to play for three or four more years.

Jordan, who is entering his age-34 season, has had a remarkably productive and durable career. A first-round pick of the Saints in 2011, the Cal product has spent 12 years in New Orleans and has missed just two games during that time. He has compiled 115.5 sacks, eight Pro Bowl bids, and one First Team All-Pro nomination. He has received Pro Bowl acclaim in each of the past six seasons.

Clearly, Jordan remains an effective player, and Saints GM Mickey Loomis has unequivocally stated that Jordan will not suit up for any other franchise. Still, the fact that a new deal is not yet in place despite motivation on both sides indicates that there is nonetheless a gap to be bridged. Per Anderson, Jordan is seeking “respectable” terms, though it is unclear exactly what that means and how far apart the two sides are.

In addition to Jordan’s age and mileage, his performance did take a bit of a dip in 2022. He recorded 8.5 sacks, down from 12.5 the year prior, and his QB hits dropped from 22 to 13. He has generally been an advanced metrics darling, and while he still earned a strong 74.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus in 2022, his pass rush grade was a below-average 53.2. That is easily the lowest mark of his career, and combined with the diminished surface-level stats, it is fair to wonder if a more precipitous decline could be forthcoming.

On the other hand, Jordan posted just 7.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits in 2020 before bouncing back with a more typical performance in 2021, so while Loomis may be concerned about a decline, Jordan’s camp can just as easily argue that 2022 was merely a blip and that the player’s overall body of work is more relevant to contract dicussions. In any event, in light of Anderson’s report, it seems that an agreement may still be struck at some point in the near future.

Cameron Jordan Addresses Saints Extension Talks

Talks are underway on another new contract for Cameron Jordan, something which would further extend his career-long stint in New Orleans. Recent remarks made by general manager Mickey Loomis pointed to an extension being worked out soon, something the franchise icon would welcome.

“That’s a huge blessing,” Jordan said, via John DeShazier of the team’s website, in reaction to Loomis’ guarantee regarding his future with the Saints. “I want what I’ve always wanted, to be Black and Gold. I’ve said that plenty of times, whether I play 15 years or 16 years, I want to be here.”

The 33-year-old has remained highly productive during his 12 seasons in New Orleans, thanks in no small part to his sterling record of durability. Jordan has suited up for exactly 16 games every year to date, giving him the opportunity to break the franchise’s all-time sack lead amongst his many individual accomplishments. 2022 marked the sixth consecutive season (and eighth overall) in which he was named a Pro Bowler.

It thus came as little surprise when it was learned contract talks were underway earlier this offseason between Jordan and the Saints. One year remains on his current deal, one which has been restructured like those of many other Saints in recent years. A new deal would not only achieve the mutual goal of ensuring 2010s All-Decade member retires in New Orleans, it would also help the team’s cap situation. A short-term extension would help soften the void money charge currently in place for 2024 ($23.2MM).

It would also, of course, allow Jordan to continue climbing the Saints’ games played list and that of the NFL’s all-time sack leaders. He sits at 115.5 in the latter regard, which places him 23rd on the official count. Considering Jordan has racked up at least 7.5 sacks in every season except his rookie campaign, it would be reasonable to expect a move inside the top 20 in 2023. How much further he would be able to ascend would depend on the length of his next, and likely final, contract, one for which there is certainly a mutual desire.

Saints GM: Cameron Jordan Will Finish Career In New Orleans

The Saints have begun extension talks with Cameron Jordan. This would mark a rare three-extension career for a non-quarterback, but Jordan — the Saints’ all-time sack leader — has continued to display durability and quality production into his mid-30s.

Although no deal is done, it does not sound like the Saints will chance letting Jordan come close to hitting free agency in 2024. The contract-year pass rusher remains firmly in the organization’s plans, with GM Mickey Loomis indicating Jordan will be a one-team player.

He’s meant so much, not just to the organization, but the community and how he embraced New Orleans. He’ll definitely be with us for the duration of his career,” Loomis said during a Sirius XM Radio interview (Twitter links via NOLA.com’s Rod Walker). “He’s going to be able to play for us as long as he wants to and as long as he can.”

Jordan, 34 in July, is finishing up a three-year, $52.5MM deal he inked in 2019. One more year will match Saints Hall of Fame pass rusher Rickey Jackson, the franchise’s sack leader if unofficial totals before the sack era are included, but Jordan (115.5 career sacks) appears to be eyeing a move past Year 13. The 2011 first-round pick has missed just two games throughout his career, totaling an astounding 16 games played in all 12 of his NFL seasons.

New Orleans’ defensive line anchor totaled eight sacks last season but saw his quarterback-hit number drop from 22 (in 2021) to 13. The Saints lost five-year Jordan sidekick Marcus Davenport in free agency but have 2021 first-round pick Payton Turner and 2023 second-rounder Isaiah Foskey in place as wingmen going forward. The team also let longtime D-tackle starter David Onyemata walk in free agency; first-rounder Bryan Bresee will be charged with replacing him.

In the years since Jordan’s third Saints contract, T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Joey Bosa, Maxx Crosby and Bradley Chubb have signed deals at or north of $20MM per year. Jordan did not become the NFL’s highest-paid edge rusher in 2019 and will not threaten that place this year, especially with Nick Bosa ticketed for a contract north of $30MM per year. But Jordan remains a top-10 highest-paid D-end. A lucrative short-term deal that will help on the void-years front the Saints regularly navigate would stand to be mutually beneficial. Jordan’s current contract, which the team restructured again this offseason, contains a $23.3MM void charge. That puts the onus on the Saints to extend him before the 2024 league year. It sounds like they are ready to do so.

Only Jackson and Drew Brees have started more games than Jordan (191) with the Saints. Given his lack of an injury past, Jordan should be expected to cruise into second place on this list this season. He would need to play into the 2025 season in New Orleans to surpass Brees (228). That might not be out of the question.

Saints, Cam Jordan In Extension Talks

Cam Jordan is likely nearing the end of his Saints tenure, but at least one more contract could be agreed to in the near future. The franchise mainstay is in talks on an extension, as detailed by Brett Martel of the Associated Press.

The 33-year-old has one year remaining on the $52.5MM extension he signed in 2019. That deal has been restructured (along with many others amongst Saints veterans in recent years), leaving Jordan with a 2023 cap hit of $15.1MM. During the first of several void years after that, however, his cap hit is set to spike to $23.3MM.

Jordan represents a logical extension candidate given his continued production deep into his career. He posted a team-leading 8.5 sacks in 2022, which helped earn him a sixth consecutive (and eighth overall) Pro Bowl nod. It also gave the 2010s All-Decade team member a career sack total of 115.5, moving him past Rickey Jackson for the all-time franchise lead in that department.

Doug Hendrickson, Jordan’s agent, commented on his desire to get a deal of “at least” two years in length completed before training camp. Failing that, he added, contract talks would likely be tabled until after the season, where the prospect of free agency would loom over negotiations. The Saints are one of many teams projected to be well over the cap in 2024 as things currently stand, something which could provide incentive for the team to solidify Jordan’s financial future for the next few years.

Jordan should once again be in line for a starting role next season, with fellow defensive end Marcus Davenport having departed in free agency. New Orleans has focused on their edge rushing corps in recent years, though, using a first-round pick in 2022 on Payton Turner and a second-rounder this past draft on Isaiah Foskey. Those two will look to grow into significant contributors under the tutelage of Jordan, who acknowledged that this upcoming contract will likely be his last.

“If we get a deal done, that’ll be probably the final years of my career here,” he said, adding that he does not envision himself transitioning to a rotational role later in his career. “Whatever happens, happens. In terms of how we play, how we want to attack offenses, that’s what I’m here for.”

Restructure Details: Cousins, Bills, Cowboys, Saints, Warner, Jets, Texans

Facing a Kirk Cousins cap crunch last year, the Vikings worked out a third contract with their starting quarterback. They did not take that path this year. Minnesota instead agreed to a restructure, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The reworking frees up $16MM in cap space for the Vikings, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweets. The Vikes look to have tacked on two more void years to Cousins’ deal. While the void years — for cap-reducing purposes — run through 2027, Cousins’ contract expires after the 2023 season. No extension is imminent.

The 34-year-old passer has enjoyed leverage throughout his Vikings relationship — via his free agency in 2018, ahead of his 2020 contract year on that fully guaranteed deal, and in 2022 as his second Vikes pact was set to produce a historic cap hit — but Minnesota’s new regime may now be looking toward moving on after the season. This will be a situation to monitor moving forward; Cousins has not played in a contract year since his 2017 Washington finale.

Here is the latest on teams’ restructures:

  • The Bills moved close to the 2023 league year in a cap hole, but they restructured the deals of their two highest-profile players to create considerable space. Buffalo reworked Josh Allen and Von Miller‘s contracts to create approximately $32MM in space, ESPN’s Field Yates tweets. The Bills have moved their way up past $8MM in cap room.
  • Per usual, the Saints have been hard at work on restructures. They adjusted the deals of Cameron Jordan, Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore to create cap space, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Katherine Terrell (all Twitter links). The Jordan move created more than $10MM in cap space for New Orleans, which was back to being north of $20MM over the cap following its Derek Carr signing. As the league year begins, New Orleans made it under the cap by just more than $300K.
  • In addition to restructuring Tyron Smith‘s deal to ensure the All-Decade tackle plays a 13th season with the team, the Cowboys adjusted the contracts of DeMarcus Lawrence and Michael Gallup, Todd Archer of ESPN.com notes (Twitter links). Between them, the Lawrence and Gallup restructures freed up around $16MM for Dallas, which had already created more than $30MM in space by redoing Dak Prescott and Zack Martin‘s deals last week.
  • The 49ers restructured Fred Warner‘s extension, according to Yates (on Twitter). The move created nearly $9MM in cap space for San Francisco, which gave Javon Hargrave a four-year, $84MM deal to start the legal tampering period. A void year now exists in Warner’s contract, which runs through 2026 (with the void year coming in 2027). Warner’s cap number drops to $9MM but spikes past $24MM in 2024, which will probably prompt more maneuvering from the 49ers. They currently hold just more than $12MM in cap space.
  • Circling back to the Vikings, Jordan Hicks agreed to a restructure that will keep him in Minnesota this season, Insidethebirds.com’s Adam Caplan tweets. Hicks signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Vikings last year.
  • Amid their Aaron Rodgers pursuit, the Jets created $4.8MM in cap space by restructuring John Franklin-Myers‘ contract, Yates tweets. Two void years are attached to the defensive lineman’s pact, which runs through 2025.
  • Texans safety Eric Murray agreed to a restructured deal as well, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. Attached to a two-year, $10MM deal he signed in 2022, Murray remains on a Texans team that has seen its roster become crowded at safety. The team has added Jimmie Ward and re-signed M.J. Stewart this week. Murray played 17 games for the Texans last season but did not start any. This sounds like a pay-cut agreement, with Wilson adding Murray can make up to $4MM this season.

Cameron Jordan, Saints Hit With Fines

2:25pm: In response to the league’s fines, the Saints organization released a statement to the media “(denying) any allegations of purposefully delaying the game,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The team used the opportunity to fully explain their side of the situation. They claim that “Jordan felt foot pain following a third down play and sought medical attention.” They explain how he was taken to the blue medical tent and examined by the medical staff. Following the examination, Jordan was reportedly taped up and it was determined he would be able to finish the game.

Following the game, the Saints claim Jordan underwent an MRI in New Orleans that confirmed he had suffered an acute mid-foot sprain in his left foot. They further claim that Jordan has been continuously receiving daily treatment for the injury since the game.

The team finishes their statement by assuring that they will appeal the fines and that they believe they will be vindicated. It will be interesting to see how the league and teams respond to this situation. The NFL clearly felt sure enough in their decision to levy heavy fines on multiple parties. If the league denies the legitimacy of the injury, how do teams prove that injuries are real in the future? Certainly, more will come from this as the team’s appeal moves forward in the weeks to come.

12:24pm: During the fourth quarter of the Saints’ loss to the Buccaneers on Monday night, New Orleans defensive end Cameron Jordan went down with an apparent leg issue, requiring an injury stoppage. The NFL has since determined that Jordan faked the injury, and as a result, they have slapped the player, Saints coaches, and the organization with a hefty fine.

Sources tell Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that Jordan and co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen were fined $50K, head coach Dennis Allen was fined $100K, and the Saints organization was fined $350K. As Florio notes, the issue only came to light when Jordan complained about the fines of Twitter.

“I just feel like this should be public knowledge,” Jordan tweeted. “‘Cause some of the fines are silly but this 1… ridiculous. Anyways & for what a ‘deliberate action to delay game’ before a [team] punts?”

Per Florio, the play in question occurred midway through the fourth quarter. Following a seven-yard pickup, the Buccaneers and Tom Brady were facing a fourth-and-10 and had no intention of huddling. A source told Florio that a camera angle showed “Jordan receiving direction from the sideline to go down,” and the player followed suit. The refs called an injury stoppage, and the Buccaneers decided to punt when play resumed. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweets that Jordan had an MRI on his ankle and rehabbed during the bye week.

Florio tweeted last week that the NFL sent a memo to teams warning of “deliberate actions to delay the game.” The memo mentioned possible punishments, including suspensions and/or the loss of draft picks. Florio notes that this was also emphasized at league meetings, and the NFL reminded teams of potential punishment during training camp. According to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), the $500K in total fines is the minimum punishment a team could face.

Five teams have been hit with fines for faking injuries this season, per Florio. That includes the Bengals, according to Pelissero on Twitter, with Bengals safety Jessie Bates getting slapped with a $50K fine last week.

Saints Restructure Jordan, Kpassagnon

The Saints restructured the contracts of defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Tanoh Kpassagnon, creating $12.45MM in cap room (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). Meanwhile, the Saints have also re-signed a pair of would-be ERFAs in defensive end Carl Granderson and defensive tackle Jalen Dalton. 

[RELATED: Saints Interested In Mathieu]

That’ll help the Saints tamp down their payroll, but they still have lots of work to do. Heading into today, the Saints were projected to be $45.2MM over the salary cap, so they still have a franchise quarterback’s worth of dollars to carve out.

Jordan still has two to go on his deal, thanks to the three-year, $52.5MM add-on he signed in 2019. Jordan has spent his entire career in New Orleans, turning in near-perfect attendance and 175 total starts. This past year, Jordan notched his fifth-straight Pro Bowl nod with 12.5 sacks, 59 tackles, six passes defensed, and two forced fumbles.

Kpassagnon, meanwhile, notched four sacks in eight games (five starts) last year. The 6’7″, 289-pound edge rusher still has one year to go on his deal — his contract will remain largely unchanged via the simple restructure.