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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints Restructure Alvin Kamara’s Deal

March 11th, 2022 at 8:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have restructured Alvin Kamara‘s contract (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). The revision will shift $10.465MM of the running back’s 2022 salary into a signing bonus, carving out another $8.372MM in cap space for New Orleans. Per Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the club also tacked on a void year to the end of Kamara’s deal.

[RELATED: Saints Re-Sign Granderson]

It’s another step forward for the cap-crunched Saints, who previously reworked the deals of defensive ends Cameron Jordan and Tanoh Kpassagnon. All together, that’s another $22MM in breathing room for New Orleans, though they still have roughly $10MM to go between now and the start of the league year.

Kamara led the NFL with 21 touchdowns in 2020, helping the Saints stay afloat while Michael Thomas was out. Last year, as Thomas missed the entire year, Kamara’s production slipped. In 13 games, Kamara rushed for just 898 yards and four touchdowns off of 240 carries, resulting in a career-low 3.7 yards per tote average. He also added 47 catches for 439 yards and five touchdowns — a significant drop from his past four years.

The Saints still have some more cap magic on the agenda, as well as a potential long-term deal for standout safety Marcus Williams. They’re also said to be interested in big-ticket free agent Tyrann Mathieu, but it’s not clear if they’ll be able to afford him.

Saints Re-Sign Carl Granderson 

March 10th, 2022 at 2:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints easily could have kept Carl Granderson on a low-cost, one-year deal. Instead, they’ve re-signed the exclusive rights free agent to a brand new two-year pact worth upwards of $5MM (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN.com). 

[RELATED: Saints Carve Out $12MM+ In Cap Room]

The first half of the pact will pay Granderson $965K, the same as his would-be ERFA salary. But, after that, the defensive end will earn $4.3MM in 2023. That’s roughly in line with what the second-round restricted free agent tender should be next offseason.

The deal, which also includes a $240K signing bonus, shows how much the Saints value the young edge rusher. Still only 25 (26 in December), Granderson has managed eight sacks between the last two seasons, despite playing mostly as a reserve.

The Wyoming product went undrafted in 2019 following criminal charges. Recognizing his talent, the Saints rolled the dice and signed him to their expanded 90-man roster. So far, that’s all paid off as Granderson has played a key role in the edge rotation. That role may expand even further now — even after today’s cap magic, the Saints are still $30MM+ over the cap, which means that some high-priced defenders will have to be traded or released.

Saints Restructure Jordan, Kpassagnon

March 10th, 2022 at 9:14am CST by Zachary Links

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.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/22

March 8th, 2022 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The deadline for teams to extend tender offers to their restricted free agents and exclusive rights free agents looms next week. We’ll keep tabs on the latest here:

RFAs

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/22

March 8th, 2022 at 3:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest NFL minor moves:

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Saints Interested In Tyrann Mathieu

March 8th, 2022 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are interested in signing Tyrann Mathieu, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network. Furthermore, the feeling is mutual for the former LSU star. 

Mathieu, 30 in May, is on course for free agency after his three-year, $42MM deal officially wraps. The nine-year vet has spend the last three seasons helping to bolster a once bottom-tier defense and, even though he’s a little older, he should be in line for another massive contract.

The Saints’ interest in Mathieu is understandable – they can use the help in their secondary and it’s not every day that a three-time first-team All-Pro becomes available. Meanwhile, the incumbent Chiefs seem ready to put their resources into other areas, especially given Juan Thornhill‘s emergence at safety.

Mathieu finished the regular season with 76 tackles, two tackles for loss, three interceptions, and six pass deflections last season. He also notched a pick six against the Ravens for the third defensive touchdown of his career. The Ravens — Wilson notes — would also love to have Mathieu, though he doesn’t appear to be a high priority for them.

NFC South Notes: Wirfs, Trask, Saints, Gilmore

March 6th, 2022 at 6:51pm CST by Ely Allen

The Buccaneers cruised on Super Wild Card Weekend to a mostly stress-free victory over the Eagles in January. While they were all smiles on the field, in the locker room, Pro Bowl right tackle Tristan Wirfs was preparing himself for a lengthy recovery. Wirfs left the game early in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury and, soon after, found out that he had suffered two torn ligaments, including one off the bone, and was initially thought to need surgery to repair his ankle.

Well, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, a second opinion informed Wirfs that surgery was not necessary and, after receiving an injection in the ankle, he’s made progress in his recovery and is expected to avoid surgery altogether.

Here are some other notes from the NFC South, starting with another note from central Florida:

  • According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, head coach Bruce Arians has announced that quarterback Kyle Trask will be given a legitimate chance to replace Tom Brady in training camp. With the retirement of Brady leaving the position behind center wide open for the taking, the second-year player out of the nearby University of Florida will attempt to show his worth as the team’s second-round pick from last year. Veteran Blaine Gabbert spent the 2021 season as Brady’s primary backup, but he is heading back to the free agent market, unless Arians and company decide to bring him back. As of right now, Trask is the only active quarterback on contract in Tampa Bay. It has yet to be seen whom his competition will be.
  • On Monday, news dropped that the University of Alabama’s director of sports science, Dr. Matt Rhea, is expected to join the staff in New Orleans, according to Josh Pate of CBS Sports. Rhea has worked with the Tide for two years after a similar stint on staff with the Indiana Hoosiers. He also brings with him 13 years of experience as a strength and conditioning coach.
  • The Panthers acquired former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore via a trade with the Patriots last season. After overcoming an early quad injury to start the season, Gilmore put forth an impressive performance in eight games for Carolina. The Panthers would love to bring Gilmore back on a new deal, but, with Gilmore expected to draw offers up to $14MM, he is expected to test free agency, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Saints, Marcus Williams Eyeing Long-Term Deal

March 5th, 2022 at 9:57am CST by Adam La Rose

With the deadline for teams to apply franchise tags approaching, more and more news is coming out regarding which way teams are leaning with their key free agents. In the case of New Orleans and safety Marcus Williams, a second tag is not likely, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link). 

Williams, 25, played on the tag last season after attempts to reach a long-term agreement came up short. As a result, Fowler notes, he “does not expect” to be tagged a second time. Instead, the Saints’ preference would once again be to get a long-term extension done. Williams has started all 76 games he’s played in during his five seasons in New Orleans, including another productive campaign in 2021.

In 16 contests, Williams recorded a career-high 74 tackles, along with two interceptions and eight pass breakups; he also had his best season in terms of coverage statistics, allowing a completion percentage under 50% for the first time. For his career, he has totalled 15 picks and 38 pass deflections, making the former second rounder a key member of the Saints’ secondary. Fowler’s colleague Dan Graziano notes that a second tag would cost $12.73MM in 2022, if the Saints were to ultimately go that route (Twitter link).

In related news, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic tweets that a tag is also not expected for left tackle Terron Armstead. If the three time Pro Bowler were to hit the open market, he would be among the most sought-after offensive linemen in free agency. With plenty of work done just to get under the cap, then, the Saints face a tough road to keep two key pieces of their team under contract for the foreseeable future.

Saints GM: Jameis Winston Return In Play

March 3rd, 2022 at 6:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints have signed Jameis Winston to two contracts, and a recent report indicated a third agreement is on the table. New Orleans bringing back its Week 1 starter from last season is indeed a live scenario, per GM Mickey Loomis.

It is not a lock the Saints re-sign Winston, but Loomis plans to add one available veteran. With Winston having been in the Saints’ system for the past two seasons, he looms as a logical choice.

“Hopefully we can get something done with one of the guys that’s available,” Loomis said, “and Jameis is certainly an option for us and hopefully we’re an option for him as well.”

[RELATED: Steelers Interested In Winston]

New Orleans is believed to have either begun contract talks with Winston or put that item on its itinerary. Reaching another agreement with Winston would help the Saints on the cap front, with the team beginning a second straight offseason $75MM-plus over the salary ceiling. The Saints have worked their way down to $42MM over the cap, but even considering the team’s cap-maneuvering savvy, its situation hinders an ability to pursue a higher-profile veteran. Winston signed a one-year, $5.5MM deal with the Saints in 2021 and, after his ACL tear, could not fully re-establish his value last season.

Taysom Hill still resides on the team, and his latest complex contract calls for bigger money if he becomes New Orleans’ primary quarterback. The Saints could have options in the draft, holding the No. 18 pick in a draft that does not feature an especially coveted QB crop. Loomis still voiced questions about that avenue.

“When you’re picking in the latter half of the draft, you just don’t know what’s going to fall to you, No. 1, so it’s hard to target someone,” Loomis said. “Even if you decide you want to make a move forward, you’re limited in that – moving from where we’re at, at No. 18, into the top eight or 10 picks is really difficult. It’s expensive in terms of the draft capital that you have to give up. It can happen; it’s not impossible. But it’s pretty difficult to predict.”

The Saints were able to complete a trade-up for Marcus Davenport four years ago, but it cost them their 2019 first-round pick. New Orleans tried to move up for either Jaycee Horn or Pat Surtain last year but could not engineer a trade. Despite the collective doubt about the Kenny Pickett– and Malik Willis-fronted QB class, both could well be off the board by No. 18. Mel Kiper Jr.’s most recent mock does have Willis falling to No. 20 (Pittsburgh), with the longtime ESPN draft guru projecting the Saints trade up for a wide receiver.

Winston, 28, started seven games for the Saints last season and, despite being saddled with a bottom-tier receiving corps, threw 14 touchdown passes compared to three interceptions — a steep TD-INT ratio climb from his previous year as a starter. Albeit in a small sample size, Winston also posted a career-best passer rating. If the QB trade market dries up, the Saints could have more competition for Winston than they did last year.

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