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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints Interested In Richard Sherman

March 16th, 2021 at 12:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints are in a terrible cap situation, but that’s never stopped GM Mickey Loomis before. Loomis has been manipulating the cap like a madman, and he’s apparently comfortable enough in his process to still be pursuing some big name free agents.

New Orleans is “among the teams expressing interest” in Richard Sherman, sources told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). As Pelissero points out there’s a coaching connection here, as current Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard was Sherman’s DBs coach and then later defensive coordinator in Seattle.

The Saints released fellow cornerback Janoris Jenkins last week, so Sherman could theoretically slide in nicely opposite Marshon Lattimore in the secondary. Sherman and the 49ers had been appearing headed for divorce since late last season, and that was confirmed for certain last month. 

Sherman will turn 33 later this month, but was a second-team All-Pro with San Francisco as recently as 2019. A calf injury cost him most of this past season, and he ended up playing in only five games. He does have somewhat of a history of lower leg injuries, but had only played in less than 14 games once prior to last year.

Either way, it doesn’t sound like his relatively advanced age is scaring that many teams away. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of deal he lands, from the Saints or whoever else.

Saints To Re-Sign QB Jameis Winston

March 15th, 2021 at 8:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Jameis Winston will be back in New Orleans next season. The quarterback is re-signing with the Saints, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth up to $12MM. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the deal includes $5.5MM guaranteed.

Following the retirement of Drew Brees, the Saints have some question marks at the position for the first time since 2005. Barring an unexpected move, Winston will compete with teammate Taysom Hill for the starting gig in 2021. Similar to Winston, Hill will also be playing the 2021 campaign on a one-year, $12MM deal (despite the funky restructuring by the organization yesterday).

Winston, the first-overall pick in the 2015 draft, joined the Saints last offseason following five underwhelming years in Tampa Bay. Winston got into four games during his first season in New Orleans, completing seven of his 11 pass attempts for 75 yards. He also came up key during the Saints’ postseason loss to the Buccaneers, completing his lone pass attempt for 56 yards and a score.

Hill actually got eight starts and 16 appearances for the Saints this past season, leading some to wonder whether he has the upper hand on the QB competition heading into the offseason. However, the team’s been nothing but complimentary of Winston since his arrival, noting his performance in practice and on the sideline, and it sounds like the former first-rounder will have an equal chance at the starting gig in 2021.

“We had a great exposure for one year with Jameis Winston,” coach Sean Payton said last month. “We didn’t have a normal offseason, but we had enough time to see what we had with him as a player, as a leader, and as an athlete. I really like what we had a chance to see. He was a tremendous leader for this team. That’s hard to do when you come in new in free agency your first year as a backup quarterback. So that’ll be an important checkmark for us.

“And, a lot of times, you want to hold your cards closer to the vest and he is a free agent. But him, along with Taysom Hill who’s in the building, we’ve said it all along: We’re going to develop and coach those guys. And Jameis is one of those guys that we have a big interest in.”

Saints Re-Sign OL James Hurst

March 15th, 2021 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following a spree of cost-cutting or cost-reorganizing moves to get under the cap, the Saints made a depth signing Monday.

They will retain offensive lineman James Hurst, the team announced. Hurst will make $9MM over three years on his latest Saints accord, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The Saints initially added Hurst last year and used him as a swing backup and spot starter. The veteran offensive lineman has the ability to contribute at tackle and guard. This represents nice money for a second-string-type option.

A longtime Ravens blocker, Hurst started five games for the Saints last season. While it is unknown if he will block for Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston in 2021 (perhaps both?), he will be back with the Saints.

Saints Restructure QB Taysom Hill’s Contract

March 14th, 2021 at 4:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Just moments after Drew Brees officially announced his retirement, the Saints took their cap gymnastics to a new level with one of their other quarterbacks.

New Orleans has restructured Taysom Hill‘s deal to create cap space by giving him a four-year, $140MM extension that entirely voids, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A source told Schefter that “all years are voidable and it’s a mechanism to free up cap space this year,” with the 2021 cap savings being north of $7.5MM. Before you freak out, Hill isn’t getting a $140MM extension.

The consensus of Saints beat writers online seems to be that the numbers are purely theoretical, and might as well just be random numbers written down on a piece of paper. Cap maneuvering has gotten more and more complicated in recent years, and Saints GM Mickey Loomis has fashioned himself as a wizard.

Virtually every Saints veteran making more than a minimum salary has had their contract tweaked to varying degrees. In a follow-up tweet, Schefter explained that Hill’s actual contract for this year will “include a $9.686 million signing bonus, a $1.439 million guaranteed roster bonus and a $1.034 million guaranteed base salary, plus incentives.”

Thus it appears Hill’s real compensation for 2021 will be somewhere in the $12+MM range, and not the $35MM annually that four-years, $140MM would suggest. We’ll keep you posted if we get a full explanation on the new figures.

Drew Brees Retires From NFL

March 14th, 2021 at 4:10pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Well, it’s officially official. One of the best quarterbacks of this century is hanging up his cleats, as Drew Brees announced his retirement (with help from his kids) in an Instagram video post on Sunday.

“After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it is time I retire from the game of football. Each day, I poured my heart & soul into being your Quarterback. Til the very end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team, and the great city of New Orleans. We shared some amazing moments together, many of which are emblazoned in our hearts and minds and will forever be a part of us,” Brees wrote in the caption.

“You have molded me, strengthened me, inspired me, and given me a lifetime of memories. My goal for the last 15 years was striving to give to you everything you had given to me and more. I am only retiring from playing football, I am not retiring from New Orleans. This is not goodbye, rather a new beginning. Now my real life‘s work begins!”

This had been the expectation all along, but there was some doubt injected recently as many wondered what was taking Brees so long to make it official. A workout video posted by his trainer sparked some speculation that Brees could be planning on playing in 2021 after all. As it turns out it looks like Brees was waiting for a sentimental date, as many were quick to point out that today marks 15 years to the day since Brees first signed with the Saints back in 2006.

Brees signed with NBC last April to line up his post-playing career, and will now presumably transition to the broadcast booth like Tony Romo and many others before him. He’ll reportedly be commentating Notre Dame football games to start.

A second-round pick out of Purdue all the way back in 2001, Brees had an incredible career that ended up spanning two full decades. He spent his first five pro seasons with the Chargers, and after a devastating shoulder injury that many feared at the time would have long-term effects, signed with New Orleans in 2006. He helped turn a franchise in a pitiful state into a consistent winner, and will now be headed to Canton soon enough.

The peak of his career on the gridiron came during the 2009 season, when he led the Saints to a Super Bowl XLIV title. His name is all over the record books, as he currently has the most passing yards in NFL history among plenty of other similar accomplishments.

The 13-time Pro Bowler’s retirement now sends New Orleans into their most uncertain offseason in some time. Sean Payton has his work cut out for him, and must now choose between Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston, or bringing in an outside the box option. Payton issued a statement reflecting on Brees’ career, which you can read via this tweet from Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

All of us here at PFR wish Brees the best in retirement, and thank him for his many contributions to the game.

Saints Restructure Michael Thomas’ Contract

March 12th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Zachary Links

Michael Thomas, in all likelihood, is staying put. The star wide receiver has agreed to a restructure that will save the Saints $8.7MM in cap space (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). 

The Saints have been restructuring players left and right as they work to get under the ~$182MM salary cap. In recent days, safety Malcolm Jenkins, defensive end Cam Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis, and guard Andrus Peat have done their part by agreeing to similar arrangements. Others, like cornerback Janoris Jenkins and wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, were released outright. It’s not clear if those vets were approached about potential pay cuts first.

Entering 2020, Thomas had missed just two contests in his pro career. Then, Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 1. He was limited to just seven games in 2020. He repeatedly clashed Saints brass, leading to trade speculation before the fall deadline.

To recap: The Saints handed Thomas a one-game suspension for striking a teammate. Then, he missed time with a hamstring injury. All in all, Thomas finished out the regular season with just 40 catches for 438 yards. He did manage to catch five passes for 73 yards and one score in the Saints’ playoff win over the Bears, however.

The Saints would have to be especially miserable with Thomas in order to cut ties. His massive five-year, $100MM extension from 2019 means that a divorce would be mighty expensive. Instead, they’ll try to mend fences, because Thomas is one of the game’s most dangerous threats when he’s healthy.

Saints To Release Malcom Brown

March 12th, 2021 at 9:24am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints plan to release defensive tackle Malcom Brown, according t0 Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The former Patriots first-round pick was set to enter the third season of his three-year deal.

[RELATED: Saints Release Janoris Jenkins]

By cutting Brown, the Saints will save nearly $5MM in cap space with about $1.5MM in dead money. It’s just the latest move to get under the limit, following this week’s cuts of cornerback Janoris Jenkins, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, linebacker Kwon Alexander, and other veterans.

Brown, 27, served as a starter in each of his two Saints seasons, often ahead of ex-first-rounder Sheldon Rankins. Last year, he notched 27 tackles and a sack.

Saints Release Janoris Jenkins

March 11th, 2021 at 9:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are releasing cornerback Janoris Jenkins, as NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Jackrabbit was due to earn $11.2MM with a cap hit of $14.2MM. Instead, the Saints will cut him to save about $7MM on the books for 2021. 

The Saints extended Jenkins last year, smoothing out his cap hit with a two-year, $16.75MM add-on. The new deal pushed most of Jenkins’ guaranteed cash into 2020 while effectively turning 2021 and 2022 into option years. The 32-year-old (33 in October) was claimed off waivers by the Saints in December 2019. The former Giants standout was still productive in New Orleans, but the Saints are being forced to shed veterans as the cap drops.

Starting opposite of Marshon Lattimore, Pro Football Focus graded Jenkins as the 42nd best cornerback in the NFL out of 121 qualified players last year. Lattimore — younger and cheaper than Jenkins — could be kept for the long haul if the Saints can hammer out an extension. Lattimore is currently attached to a $10.2MM fifth-year option salary. After that, the 2017 first-rounder will be extension eligible.

NFL Announces Compensatory Picks For 2021 Draft

March 10th, 2021 at 8:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL has awarded compensatory draft picks for teams in the 2021 draft.

These picks are awarded to the teams that suffered the most significant free agent losses during the 2020 offseason. This year, the NFL awarded 36 comp picks. The comp pick formula assigns picks who suffered the largest net losses, so teams that signed multiple free agents have a lesser chance of receiving picks. The Cowboys top the list (shared below) with a league-high four selections.

A change to this year’s formula took place, with the NFL awarding four picks to teams who saw one of their minority staffers become a head coach or GM. The 49ers, Rams, Ravens and Saints earned third-round comp picks this year. They will receive additional third-rounders in 2022. The Rams added a third-rounder after losing college scouting director Brad Holmes (Lions GM); the Ravens lost quarterbacks coach David Culley (Texans HC); the Saints lost assistant GM Terry Fontenot (Falcons GM). In losing VP of player personnel Martin Mayhew (Washington GM) and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh (Jets HC), the 49ers will have an additional third-round pick in 2023 as well.

Here’s the full breakdown, by round and by team:

By round:

Round 3: Patriots (No. 96 overall), Chargers (97), Saints (98), Cowboys (99), Titans (100), Rams (101), 49ers (102)*, Rams (103)*, Ravens (104)*, Saints (105)*

Round 4: Cowboys (No. 139 overall), Patriots (140), Steelers (141), Rams (142), Packers (143), Vikings (144), Chiefs (145)

Round 5: Packers (No. 178 overall), Cowboys (179), Falcons (180), 49ers (181), Chiefs (182), Falcons (183), Ravens (184)

Round 6: Buccaneers (No. 217 overall), Saints (218), Falcons (219), Packers (220), Bears (221), Panthers (222), Vikings (223), Eagles (224), Eagles (225), Panthers (226), Cowboys (227), Bears (228)

By team:

  • Dallas Cowboys (4)
  • Atlanta Falcons (3)
  • Green Bay Packers (3)
  • Los Angeles Rams (3)
  • New Orleans Saints (3)
  • Baltimore Ravens (2)
  • Carolina Panthers (2)
  • Chicago Bears (2)
  • Kansas City Chiefs (2)
  • Minnesota Vikings (2)
  • New England Patriots (2)
  • Philadelphia Eagles (2)
  • San Francisco 49ers (2)
  • Los Angeles Chargers (1)
  • Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1)
  • Tennessee Titans (1)

* = special compensatory selection

Contract Restructures: Panthers, Cowboys, Giants, Saints, Eagles, Steelers

March 10th, 2021 at 5:51pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It’s that time of year when teams are frantically maneuvering ahead of free agency. Due to the cap falling because of COVID-19, things are even more hectic than ever. We’ve seen a whole bunch of contract restructures come in, and there will be a whole lot more. Let’s catch you up on the latest batch and their financial implications:

  • The Panthers restructured Christian McCaffrey‘s contract recently, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. They converted $7MM of his $8MM base salary into a signing bonus, which freed up about $5.6MM in cap space for 2021. Almost a year ago McCaffrey signed his record-breaking extension that has him locked up through the 2025 season.
  • The Cowboys have had a busy week with Dak Prescott‘s massive extension now in the books, and they made a trio of moves to help clear some space. Dallas restructured the deals of Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, and La’el Collins, a source told Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The reworking of the three offensive linemen’s contracts cleared up about $17MM in cap space for Jerry Jones. As Archer notes, these moves have now gotten Dallas under the cap for 2021.
  • The Giants just cut top offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler as they look to clear cap space to keep guys like defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Dalvin Tomlinson. The Zeitler release isn’t the only shuffling they’re doing, as they also restructured the contract of tight end Levine Toilolo, and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com tweeted the details. Rather than a procedural restructure like you see with star players, Toilolo actually took a pay-cut to stay with the team. He had been scheduled to make $2.95MM this year but agreed to reduce that to $1.6MM, saving the Giants north of $1MM against the cap.
  • We’ve got four other restructures to pass along, courtesy of this tweet from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Saints restructured the deals of safety Malcolm Jenkins to save $3.4MM and offensive lineman Andrus Peat to save $6MM. New Orleans has the worst cap situation in the league, and they desperately needed moves like this to do things like franchise tag safety Marcus Williams.
  • The Eagles saved $2.4MM by reworking the deal of offensive lineman Isaac Seumalo. Philly is right up there with New Orleans in terms of bad cap situations, so GM Howie Roseman is likely far from done here.
  • The Steelers saved $880K by adjusting fullback Derek Watt‘s contract. Not exactly front page news here, but it should shore up Watt’s spot on the 2021 roster. T.J. and J.J.’s brother signed a three-year, $9.75MM pact last offseason.
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