New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/15/22

We will keep track of today’s minor moves right here:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: QB Felix Harper

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/13/22

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears 

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Signed: CB Abu Daramy-Swaray

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks 

Washington Commanders

NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/22

Several more mid- and late-round picks agreed to terms on their four-year rookie contracts Friday. Here are the latest agreements:

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

  • LB Malcolm Rodriguez (sixth round, Oklahoma State)
  • LB James Houston (sixth round, Jackson State)

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Saints To Sign WR Jarvis Landry

For the second time in two weeks, a Pro Bowler from New Orleans agreed to sign with the Saints. Following Tyrann Mathieu‘s agreement, the team is signing Jarvis Landry.

The former Dolphins and Browns wide receiver confirmed his decision Friday on Twitter. It’s a one-year deal, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero adds that the contract is worth up to $6MM (video link). Landry visited the Saints before the draft and will now join a receiving corps that, if Michael Thomas can stay healthy, could be formidable. The team has made two major investments at the position this offseason, with the Landry addition coming after a trade-up maneuver for Chris Olave.

Absent Thomas last season, the Saints deployed perhaps the league’s worst receiving corps. The team did not have a 700-yard receiver in 2021. This year’s crew now features the NFL’s single-season reception record holder, a five-time Pro Bowler, and a top-15 pick. The Saints also re-signed former third-rounder Tre’Quan Smith and still have 2021 receiving leader Marquez Callaway under contract. This corps stands to give Jameis Winston a better chance of succeeding after ACL rehab.

Connected to the Falcons and Ravens as well, Landry had been in the mix to return to the Browns. But that door closed recently, with Cleveland — which made Landry a cap casualty in March — intent on seeing how its younger players perform around Amari Cooper. The Saints opted for veteran stability, and the LSU product will be positioned as a key contributor.

Landry, 29, is coming off his worst season as a pro — 52-catch, 570-yard campaign. But Baker Mayfield‘s shoulder injury did well to sink the Browns’ passing attack. Battling an MCL injury last season, Landry also missed five games. Prior to 2021, Landry served as the top receiver on a 2020 Browns team that snapped a 17-year playoff drought. He also has three 1,000-yard seasons and five 900-yard slates on his resume. Used as a slot player in Miami, Landry also has compiled 110- and 112-catch seasons as a pro. The latter showing led the NFL in 2017, leading to the Dolphins franchise-tagging Landry and trading him to the Browns.

Saints Agree To Terms With First-Rounders Chris Olave, Trevor Penning

Friday has seen each of the Saints’ first round picks from this past draft sign their rookie contracts. New Orleans has reached an agreement with both receiver Chris Olave and offensive tackle Trevor Penning

As ESPN’s Adam Schefter details (on Twitter), the deal for Olave is worth just over $19.27MM. The Ohio State alum put up consistent production over the course of his four seasons there. He was the team’s leading receiver in 2019 and 2020, but his best individual season came this past campaign.

Over the course of 11 games, Olave totalled 65 catches for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns. While those figures were eclipsed by 10th overall pick Garrett Wilson and phenom sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba, they represented his ability to produce despite a heated competition for targets. Given the Saints’ lack of receiving options, Olave was named as a candidate for the team to consider, so there was little surprise when the team traded up to select him at No. 11.

Penning, meanwhile, had already agreed to terms on his rookie contract before the Olave deal was announced (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport). The Northern Iowa blocker showcased an appealing combination of size, length and athleticism throughout his time there, earning stellar PFF grades along the way. He held up against higher-quality competition at the Senior Bowl, confirming his status as a first-rounder. Predictably going later than Evan Neal, Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross, Penning was the fourth tackle off the board, landing at 19th overall.

Given the concerns related to his level of competition, as well as discipline, the six-foot-seven, 325-pounder might not be able to occupy the left tackle spot vacated by Terron Armstead right away. He is nevertheless viewed as a candidate to do so at least down the road, which would make him, like Olave, a pick aimed at filling glaring roster holes on Day 1. Penning will earn $14.1MM on his pact, per Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson (Twitter link).

Contract Details: Addison, Michel, Chargers

We’ve compiled some updated numbers on recent NFL signings:

  • Mario Addison, DE (Texans): two-year deal. Contract has a $7.7MM base value, including a $2MM signing bonus, per ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter.
  • Bryce Callahan, CB (Chargers): signed. It’s a one-year deal worth $1.27MM, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (via Twitter). The deal has a cap hit of $1.04MM thanks to the veteran salary benefit. Callahan will earn a base salary of $1.12MM and a signing bonus worth $152.5K.
  • Mike Davis, RB (Ravens): signed. It’s a one-year deal for the veteran running back, per Yates (on Twitter). The deal is worth a bit more than $1.20MM, meaning Davis’s cap hit will qualify for the veteran salary benefit contract.
  • Tyrann Mathieu, CB (Saints): three-year, $33MM deal ($18MM guaranteed). The deal features a $9.5MM signing bonus and fully guaranteed base salaries in 2022 and 2023. The contract is effectively a three-year pact worth $27MM, with $18MM guaranteed and $2MM in yearly bonuses (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com).
  • Sony Michel, RB (Dolphins): one-year, $2.1MM deal. The contract includes a $1.75MM base value, including a $350K signing bonus (per Yates on Twitter).
  • E.J. Perry, QB (Jaguars): signed. The UDFA received $230K in guaranteed money from Jacksonville, including a $23K signing bonus and a guaranteed $207K salary, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter).
  • Kyle Van Noy, LB (Chargers): one-year deal. The contract’s base value and cap hit are worth $2.25MM. Includes $1.5MM base salary and $750K signing bonus, per Yates on Twitter.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/22

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Claimed (from Giants): TE Rysen John
  • Waived/failed physical: TE Jesper Horsted

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

  • Claimed (from Colts): TE Eli Wolf
  • Waived: WR Chris Blair

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

  • Claimed (from Lions): TE Matthew Sokol

New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers

Saints Envision Jameis Winston Starting Week 1

The Saints were one of the finalists to acquire Deshaun Watson, but they ultimately brought back a familiar face to be their starting quarterback for the immediate future. Jameis Winston is recovering from a torn ACL, but new head coach Dennis Allen plans on him being healthy to start the 2022 season. 

When speaking on the Rich Eisen Show, Allen was asked about Winston’s recovery (video link). “I think he’s doing well in the rehab process” he said, adding that “he’s working his tail off and really doing a really good job in the rehab and I like where he’s at”. That would point to the 28-year-old being ready for the fall, as was reported in March.

When asked if Winston was, as of now, seen as the Week 1 starter, Allen answered, “well… that’s certainly the plan. There’s a lot of days between now and Week 1, but we certainly like where he’s at right now. We like the progress that he’s making… My vision and my hope is that he continues to progress on the same level as he gets another year in the system.”

After a turnover-filled tenure with the Buccaneers, the former No. 1 pick headed to New Orleans as Drew Brees‘ backup. His level of play as the starter last season, though – 1,170 yards, 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions in seven games prior to the injury – earned him a two-year extension. The team also signed veteran Andy Dalton as his backup, and declined to add a developmental signal-caller during the draft.

That leaves Winston as the No. 1 heading into a season which, the Saints hope, can see significant improvement in the passing game. A healthy Michael Thomasfirst-round receiver Chris Olave and, of course, a fully recovered Winston would go a long way to accomplishing that goal.

RB Sony Michel To Visit Dolphins, Saints

There aren’t many RBs with first-round pedigree and 1,000-yard seasons still on the market. One of them, Sony Michel, is starting to generate some interest around the NFL. Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter), Michel visited the Dolphins today and is set to meet with the Saints later this week.

Michel was the 31st-overall pick in the 2018 draft, and he immediately played a role for the Patriots. He finished his rookie campaign with 981 yards from scrimmage, but he made a name for himself with his postseason performance. In three playoff games, Michel collected 345 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns en route to a Super Bowl championship.

The running back continued his production in 2019, finishing with 1,006 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns. However, he found himself in and out of New England’s RB rotation in 2020, and he was traded to the Rams prior to the 2021 campaign. During his lone season with the Rams, Michel collected 973 yards from scrimmage, and he added another 72 yards in four postseason games.

The Dolphins have been busy adding to the running backs room this offseason, signing Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert to join Myles Gaskins in Miami’s backfield. The Saints also added a former player in Mark Ingram, with Alvin Kamara once again leading the depth chart.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/3/22

Today’s minor moves:

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Waived: WR Chris Finke

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks