New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Malcolm Jenkins Retires From NFL

March 30th, 2022 at 8:51am CST by Zachary Links

Malcolm Jenkins is calling it a career. In an interview with The Pivot podcast (Twitter link), the longtime NFL safety announced his retirement from football.

Jenkins, a 13-year veteran, entered the league as a first-round pick of the Saints back in 2009. Now, at the age of 34, Jenkins is moving on to a new chapter.

“I recall when we first drafted Malcolm in 2009, he made contributions to a Super Bowl Championship team in multiple positions in the secondary and then pretty quickly developed into an outstanding safety,” said Saints head coach Dennis Allen in a team press release. “The combination of skill, awareness and intelligence allowed Malcolm to be in position to make plays all over the field. To put up the numbers he did for as long as he did speaks both to his talent and his commitment to his craft. He was also a great leader in the locker room and important contributor to the community. I’m proud to say that I had the opportunity to coach Malcolm and congratulate him on an excellent career.”

The Ohio State product began his career in New Orleans and became a full-time starter in his second season. After five years with the Saints, he moved on to the Eagles, where he enjoyed a successful six year run and three Pro Bowl nods (2015, 2017, and 2018). If Saints head coach Sean Payton could have done it differently, he never would have let Jenkins get to Philly.

“Probably one of the bigger mistakes that we’ve made, and you have to ask yourself how did that happen? Letting him out of the building certainly wasn’t a smart decision,” Payton said in 2020.

The Saints signed Jenkins that year, enabling him to finish his career where it all started. Jenkins exits the field with 1,044 career tackles, 21 interceptions, eleven fumble recoveries, seven defensive touchdowns, and 199 games played. He’s also got quite the jewelry collection, having won two Super Bowl rings for the 2009 and 2017 seasons.

We here at PFR wish Jenkins the best in retirement.

Saints’ Taysom Hill Likely Done At QB

March 29th, 2022 at 6:27pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Taysom Hill‘s stint as a quarterback has come to an end. Speaking with reporters at the owners meeting, Saints head coach Dennis Allen said Hill will primarily play tight end in 2022.

“A lot more of the F-tight end, a tight end type of role,” Allen said (via WDSU.com). “I think that’s the direction we need to move with him. Because I think he may be one of the better players in the league in that role.”

According to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com (on Twitter), it was always the Saints’ plan to move Hill to a full-time tight end. The player’s four-year extension was designed to pay him like a tight end, and the escalators were only in place for the slim chance that Hill returned to the quarterback position.

Hill flirted with the quarterback position early in his career, and he had opportunities to show what he’s got while filling in for Drew Brees in 2020 and filling in for Jameis Winston during the post-Brees 2021 campaign. While the Saints have gone 7-2 when Hill has started under center, he’s still only tossed eight touchdowns vs. eight interceptions while completing 64.2 percent of his passes.

Of course, Hill has also shown the ability to be a game-changer in a Swiss Army Knife-type role. Over the past four years, Hill has collected 1,571 yards from scrimmage and 23 touches on 255 touches.

Saints To Sign Andy Dalton

March 29th, 2022 at 11:55am CST by Adam La Rose

Andy Dalton has found his next home in the NFL. The veteran is signing with the Saints on a one-year contract worth up to $6MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The deal includes $3MM in guaranteed money.

[RELATED: Bears Sign QB Siemian]

The 34-year-old has settled into life as a backup after nine years as the starter in Cincinnati. He held the No. 2 job in Dallas in 2020, though he made nine starts as a result of injuries to Dak Prescott. He went 4-5 in that stretch, tossing 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That was followed by another one-year contract, this time in Chicago.

Dalton was named the starter for the Bears last April, though the team drafted Justin Fields later that month. The former ended up making six starts in the Windy City, putting up almost identical passing stats to his time the year before. With Fields having taken over as the QB of the present and future by the end of the year, though, it became clear Dalton would be on his way out.

In New Orleans, the TCU alum will replace Trevor Siemian, who recently joined the Bears. The Saints have re-signed Jameis Winston as their starter, but his injury history could open the door to playing time for Dalton. If that ends up happening, it would continue his recent streak of getting notable snaps despite spending long stretches as a backup. At a minimum, the three-time Pro Bowler is in line to extend his career for one more season.

Saints To Re-Sign Tre’Quan Smith

March 28th, 2022 at 1:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

Tre’Quan Smith is set to remain in New Orleans. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (on Twitter) that the Saints are bringing him back on a two-year, $6MM deal. He adds that there is another $4.5MM available in incentives.

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo also notes that $2MM is guaranteed (Twitter link). That means this deal represents a notable raise over the compensation he received from his rookie contract. Smith has spent all four years of his career with the Saints after they drafted him in the third round in 2018. He hit free agency this offseason despite four void year being added to his deal as a result of a 2021 restructure.

The 26-year-old has been a consistent complimentary piece to the Saints’ offense during his time there. He had a career year in 2020, posting 34 catches for 448 yards and four touchdowns. That led many to believe he would have a breakout campaign in 2021, given the absence of Michael Thomas. However, between injuries to himself and quarterback Jameis Winston, and the overall struggles of the team’s offense, he put up underwhelming numbers (32 receptions, 377 yards, three touchdowns).

The UCF product drew interest from the Falcons earlier this month, as they hosted him on a free agent visit. Instead of joining New Orleans’ divisional rival, though, he will remain with the Saints as they look to have a healthier and more productive season on offense in 2022.

Packers Made Late Push For Marquez Valdes-Scantling

March 27th, 2022 at 12:59pm CST by Rory Parks

The Packers, who entered the offseason with one of the worst salary cap situations in the league, were expecting to lose free agent WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling to another team. But after the Davante Adams trade opened up cap room and created a glaring need for receiving talent, Green Bay made a late push to re-sign MVS, as Tom Silverstein of of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes. This jibes with an earlier report that the Packers were hoping to convince the four-year pro to stay.

Ultimately, the Chiefs — who had a receiver need of their own after trading Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins — landed Valdes-Scantling on a three-year, $30MM contract ($18MM guaranteed). It’s unclear if that was a more lucrative deal than what Green Bay was offering, or if Valdes-Scantling simply decided that Kansas City represented a better opportunity.

One way or another, it seems that the 27-year-old deep threat fared better on the open market than he was expecting. Per Silverstein, MVS was aiming for a one-year pact worth between $7MM-$10MM when free agency opened, though he believed that such a contract would include void years for cap purposes. But in addition to the Chiefs and Packers, the Saints were also in the running, as Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network tweets, and having a number of interested clubs helped to drive up the asking price.

Valdes-Scantling is obviously not a perfect replacement for Hill, one of the game’s most talented receivers. Still, MVS’ big-play abilities — he boasts a career 17.5 YPR average — should nicely complement the skill-sets of fellow wideout Mecole Hardman, TE Travis Kelce, and new slot receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and after dropping seven passes in 2020, he muffed just one in 2021.

The Packers and Saints, meanwhile, will continue to search for upgrades. Green Bay may be interested in free agents like Will Fuller and Odell Beckham, while New Orleans has been connected to Jarvis Landry. Both clubs could also turn to the draft, which is deep in WR talent.

NFC Coaching Notes: 49ers, Lions, Saints, Packers

March 26th, 2022 at 7:56pm CST by Ely Allen

Earlier this month, the 49ers announced a bundle of coaching hires and title changes. Head coach Kyle Shanahan informed the public of title changes for Chris Foerster (adding run game coordinator to his title of offensive line coach), Klay Kubiak (defensive quality control to assistant quarterbacks coach), and Bobby Slowik (offensive passing game specialist to offensive passing game coordinator).

Additionally, San Francisco announced the hires of James Cregg and Joe Graves as assistant offensive line coaches, Asauni Rufus and Deuce Schwartz as offensive quality control coaches, and Brian Schneider as special teams coordinator.

Here are a few other coaching notes from around the NFC starting with a note from the Motor City:

After seeing a good amount of shuffling in his defensive staff, Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell hinted at one last hire as the NFL Combine concluded earlier this month. The eventual hire of Lamar University defensive line coach Cameron Davis as the Lions’ new assistant defensive line coach was announced by the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches.
The Saints’ new head coach Dennis Allen announced some new hires to his coaching staff earlier this month. After taking a year off from coaching last year, longtime NFL wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell is joining New Orleans as a senior offensive assistant. Former journeyman cornerback Sterling Moore spent last season with the Saints as a defensive intern and has earned the position of defensive assistant. Joining Dr. Matt Rhea, who was hired away from the University of Alabama as the Saints’ director of sports science, the Saints also poached the Crimson Tide’s assistant strength and conditioning coach Matt Clapp to serve as their strength coach.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported a couple of title changes and coaching hires for Matt LaFleur‘s staff in Green Bay. Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery added the title of running game coordinator to his billing. Former assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard was promoted to safeties coach. Quinshon Odom joins the Packers as a coaching assistant (minority fellowship) after stints as a graduate assistant coach as Eastern Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and the University of Texas. Former journeyman wide receiver and special teamer Micheal Spurlock adds a ninth team to his list, joining Green Bay as a special teams quality control coach after some time assistant coaching in the college ranks.

Saints, S Daniel Sorensen Agree To Deal

March 25th, 2022 at 3:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints are adding some safety depth, luring Daniel Sorensen away from Kansas City. The career-long Chief agreed to terms with the Saints on Friday, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets. The Saints have announced Sorensen’s one-year agreement.

Sorensen, 32, spent eight seasons with the Chiefs, working as a starter and frequently used utility player during Andy Reid‘s Missouri run. The Saints will add the former UDFA to a safety stable that includes Malcolm Jenkins and the recently signed Marcus Maye.

New Orleans lost Marcus Williams in free agency; Maye will be ticketed to replace him alongside Jenkins. Sorensen makes sense as a depth player and special-teamer, having made key contributions with the Chiefs and carved out a long career despite his anonymous NFL entrance. He has also drawn frequent scrutiny for his coverage work.

The BYU product notched eight interceptions from 2019-21, being a 21-game starter in that span. One of those went back for a game-sealing touchdown against the Broncos last season. Sorensen produced a pick-six in 2020 as well. But he allowed a whopping 132.7 passer rating when targeted in 2021, being a key part of the Chiefs’ early-season defensive struggles.

The Chiefs signed Justin Reid early in free agency, signaling their three-year Tyrann Mathieu partnership was likely over. They still have Juan Thornhill tied to his rookie contract as well. The Saints were connected to Mathieu, a Louisiana native, in free agency but their Maye agreement likely closed that door.

Saints QB Jameis Winston Should Be Healthy For Training Camp

March 23rd, 2022 at 9:00pm CST by Ben Levine

If things go as planned, Jameis Winston should be good to go for Saints training camp. Winston should be fully recovered from his torn ACL by the time training camp rolls around “if everything continues to go smoothly with his rehab,” a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

Winston tore his ACL in late October, sidelining him for the rest of the 2021 season. Prior to that, Winston was playing some of the most efficient football of his career. While he was completing only 59 percent of his passes, the QB tossed 14 touchdowns vs. only three interceptions. The Saints also went 5-2 in Winston’s seven starts.

We learned yesterday that the Saints were giving the former No. 1 overall pick a two-year deal worth $28MM, including $21MM guaranteed. The Saints were connected to Winston before and after the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes, and with the QB carousel starting to slow down, the Saints decided to commit to their initial 2021 starter.

The former high-variance Bucs starter will face an interesting transition this year, with Sean Payton having retired. The team is retaining longtime OC Pete Carmichael, who is in line to call plays post-Payton. Assuming Winston is good to go for next season, the quarterback should slide atop the depth chart ahead of Taysom Hill, Ian Book, and Blake Bortles.

Contract Details: Winston, Ward, Fournette, Conklin, Jones, Jewell, Vander Esch

March 22nd, 2022 at 8:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from recently agreed-upon contracts around the NFL:

Charvarius Ward, CB (49ers): Three years, $40.5MM. Of Ward’s $26.7MM in guarantees, $12MM comes via a signing bonus, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus tweets. The 49ers will keep Ward’s initial cap hit low, with his 2022 figure checking in at $3.8MM. That spikes to $16.3MM in 2023. Two void years are included in Ward’s deal, giving the 49ers a cap charge of $4.81MM in 2025.
Jameis Winston, QB (Saints): Two years, $28MM. Winston received a $14MM signing bonus and has a $1.2MM fully guaranteed 2022 base salary, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. $5.8MM of Winston’s $12.8MM 2023 base salary is presently guaranteed for injury; it will become fully guaranteed on Day 3 of the 2023 league year. Winston can earn up to $16MM in incentives, $8MM in each year, through team accomplishments — as long as Winston is the Saints’ primary starter — and participation rate.
Leonard Fournette, RB (Buccaneers): Three years, $21MM. Along with a $4.5MM signing bonus, the Bucs fully guaranteed Fournette’s 2022 base salary ($2MM) and $2MM of his $6.5MM 2023 base, Florio notes. Another $2MM of that amount turns from an injury guarantee to a full guarantee next year. Fournette’s $6.5MM 2024 base is nonguaranteed. Among the deal’s $1.5MM in incentives, which only cover 2023 and 2024, Fournette can collect $250K for finishing a season in the top 15 in rushing yards and $500K for a top-10 rushing finish.
Tyler Conklin, TE (Jets): Three years, $20.25MM. The Jets are guaranteeing Conklin $10MM, including $3.9MM of his 2023 base salary. Conklin’s cap hits go $3.4MM, $8.4MM, $8.4MM from 2022-24, Spielberger tweets.
Ben Jones, C (Titans): Two years, $14MM. Jones will see $8MM guaranteed, which comes via $6.88MM signing bonus and a guaranteed $1.12MM 2022 base salary, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Jones’ deal includes a $1MM roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2023 league year. His 2023 base salary comes in at $5MM.
Josey Jewell, LB (Broncos): Two years, $11MM. The Broncos guaranteed Jewell $6MM, which is present through a $4MM signing bonus and a $1.5MM 2022 base salary, Wilson tweets. His nonguaranteed 2023 base comes in at $4.49MM. An additional $1MM in incentives are also available for the four-year veteran.
Leighton Vander Esch, LB (Cowboys): One year, $2MM. The Cowboys are guaranteeing $1.75MM and included an additional $1MM in playing-time incentives, Ari Meirov of PFF tweets.

Contract Details: Watson, Adams, Stafford, Jones, Maye, Reed, Joseph-Day, Bozeman

March 21st, 2022 at 3:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest details from contracts recently agreed to across the league, starting with the Browns’ fully guaranteed deal for their new quarterback.

Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): Five years, fully guaranteed $230MM. Everything else about Watson’s Cleveland arrival is complicated; his contract is not. Following the 2022 season, in which the Browns reduced his salary to $1MM due to the likely forthcoming suspension, Watson is set to make $46MM in base salary from 2023-26, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes.
Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): Four years, $160MM. The Rams are keeping Stafford’s base salaries down in the near future; they reside at $1.5MM for both 2022 and ’23, per OverTheCap. The team gave its quarterback a $60MM signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. There are no void years on this deal, which includes $49.5MM, $50.5MM and $49.5MM cap numbers from 2024-26.
Davante Adams, WR (Raiders): Five years, $140MM. Adams’ deal surpasses DeAndre Hopkins‘ $27MM-per-year pact, but it is essentially a three-year, $67.5MM accord, Florio notes. Only $22.75MM is guaranteed at signing, but by early 2023, $42.9MM in injury guarantees shift to full guarantees. The Raiders have Adams tied to a $3.5MM 2022 base salary, helping for cap purposes, with a $20MM roster bonus representing part of that $42.9MM guarantee in 2023. Adams’ 2023 salary is set to be $6MM. His 2025 and ’26 salaries — $35.6MM apiece — are nonguaranteed.
Chandler Jones, OLB (Raiders): Three years, $51MM. The Raiders guaranteed Jones $32MM, with SI.com’s Howard Balzer noting the deal includes an $8.5MM roster bonus (Twitter link). The Raiders, who have Jones tied to base salaries of $4MM in 2022 and $7.5MM in 2023, tacked on two void years for cap purposes.
D.J. Reed, CB (Jets): Three years, $33MM. Reed collected $10.5MM guaranteed at signing and will count just $4.6MM against the Jets’ cap this year, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. Reed is set to count $14.2MM against the Jets’ 2023 and ’24 caps.
Marcus Maye, S (Saints): Three years, $22.5MM. Originally reported as three years and $28.5MM, Maye’s deal does include $14.5MM guaranteed, per Spotrac (on Twitter). Maye’s 2022 cap hit is just $2.6MM, and the Saints included two void years. Maye’s cap hits for 2023 and ’24 are $8.6MM and $8.7MM, respectively.
Sebastian Joseph-Day, DT (Chargers). Three years, $24MM. Joseph-Day will receive $16.5MM guaranteed, which is up from initial reporting here. His 2022 and ’23 base salaries — $2.5MM and $6.5MM — are guaranteed, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.
Bradley Bozeman, OL (Panthers): One year, $2.8MM. Bozeman will receive a $1MM signing bonus and a $1MM base salary, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets.

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