RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/8/22
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:
- Saints: TE Garrett Griffin
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Bears: TE Jesper Horsted, C Sam Mustipher, T Lachavious Simmons
- Dolphins: RB Salvon Ahmed, DB Elijah Campbell
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/22
Here are the latest NFL minor moves:
Denver Broncos
- Waived: WR DaeSean Hamilton; Hamilton’s contract tolled from 2021
Houston Texans
- Signed: C Jimmy Morrissey
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: CB Tony Brown
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released: S Kavon Frazier
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: OL Ethan Greenidge
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: G Keaton Sutherland
Saints Interested In Tyrann Mathieu
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
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
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
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.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/3/22
Here are today’s minor moves:
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: WR Davion Davis
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: TE Juwan Johnson
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/1/22
Today’s minor transactions around the NFL:
Chicago Bears
- Signed: LB Joe Thomas
Cincinnati Bengals
- Re-signed: CB Jalen Davis
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived: OL Jeremiah Poutasi
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: DT Albert Huggins
Saints Restructure Andrus Peat’s Contract
The salary cap gymnastics continue for the Saints, as they have made another contract move. The team has pushed a further $8MM in cap hit down the road, this time via a restructure of left guard Andrus Peat‘s deal, according to ESPN’s Mike Triplett (Twitter link). 
[Related: Saints Create $26MM+ In Cap Space Via Restructures]
New Orleans entered this offseason a projected $74MM over the cap, but it was widely expected that re-working a number of notable players’ deals would at least get them most of the way to compliance. So far, the team has done just that with Michael Thomas and Ryan Ramczyk.
As Triplett details, the Saints have converted $9.73MM of Peat’s base salary into a roster bonus, which is fully guaranteed. They have also added two void years to the deal. As a result, the 28-year-old’s cap hit is now scheduled to jump to just under $18.4MM for the 2023 and 2024 seasons; there will also be a cap charge of nearly $4MM in 2025, the first void year of the restructured pact.
Peat, a first round pick in 2015, has been a mainstay on the Saints’ o-line throughout his career. He has seen snaps at both tackle spots, but has primarily been used as a left guard, a position he has been quite effective at. He signed a five-year, $57.5MM deal to stay in New Orleans in March 2020; he rewarded the team for its investment by earning a third straight Pro Bowl appearance that season.
2021 didn’t go as well for Peat, as he was limited to six games due to a pectoral injury. Still, he figures to be part of the Saints’ long-term plans, so he was a logical choice for a re-worked deal. With more maneuvering still to be done, other cost-cutting moves are likely in New Orleans.
Steelers Reportedly Targeting Winston, Bridgewater, Trubisky At QB
The Steelers have repeatedly praised Mason Rudolph in public when asked about the team’s quarterback situation. However, they’ve also made it clear they intend to add competition for the starting job this offseason, something which will likely involve being active in free agency. According to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network, three QBs the team is targeting are Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater and Mitch Trubisky. 
Winston, 28, is coming off of his first year as the starter in New Orleans, following an up-and-down five year stint in Tampa Bay and one season as Drew Brees‘ understudy. He won five of his seven starts, throwing 14 touchdowns and three interceptions, but suffered a torn ACL and suffered MCL damage on Halloween which ended his season. The former first overall pick could help New Orleans transition out of the Sean Payton era by coming back on what would, presumably, be a relatively affordable deal for the cash-strapped Saints. It was reported recently that the team could be interested in doing just that.
As for Bridgewater, Denver marked his third team in as many seasons. The former Vikings starter also spent time as the backup in New Orleans, but couldn’t find much success as the No. 1 with the Panthers or Broncos. His numbers in Denver – from completion and touchdown percentage, to yards per attempt and rushing averages – were essentially on par with his career figures. The 29-year-old (whose season also ended on IR, due to a concussion) is the most proven commodity of the three listed, and could be an effective stopgap for the Steelers as they search for a more permanent solution.
Lastly, Trubisky spent the 2021 campaign as Josh Allen‘s backup in Buffalo. Despite a Pro Bowl season in 2018, his second in the league, he will forever be tied to the fact he was taken second overall in 2017 ahead of the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. Without having developed as expected in Chicago, he found himself without a starting gig this past year, and threw only eight pass attempts. Like Winston, though, there is an appetite for the 27-year-old to re-sign with his current team.
As Wilson notes, and had been reported during the Senior Bowl, the Steelers are thought to like Liberty QB Malik Willis. He might have the best physical traits in this year’s class, though he is also said to be the least NFL-ready amongst potential first-rounders. Pairing him with one of these three veterans could add healthy competition to Pittsburgh’s in-house options, and increase their chances of finding Ben Roethlisberger‘s long-term successor.