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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

More Minor NFL Transactions: 8/1/19

August 1st, 2019 at 7:56pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ve already posted one round of minor transactions, but NFL clubs keep making moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Jacksonville Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Fallout From Michael Thomas’ Deal With Saints

July 31st, 2019 at 2:09pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday, Michael Thomas and the Saints agreed to a deal that will keep the standout wide receiver in the fold through the 2024 season. The contract was initially reported to be worth $100MM over five years, but those numbers don’t quite tell the whole story.

Here’s the latest on Thomas’ shiny new pact:

  • Thomas extension has a base value of $19.25MM per year, Mike Florio of PFT tweets. He can get to $20MM per year – giving him the initial reported value of $100MM in total, but as Florio’s source puts it, “He has to do some crazy sh-t in the last two years of the deal.”
  • Thomas’ new contract is the first real movement at the wide receiver position since A.J. Green‘s 2015 extension, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap tweets. The yearly record set by Green’s deal has been broken multiple times in the last four years, but this is the first contract to truly top its $20MM in inflated annual value.
  • The Thomas deal will play well in the Saints’ locker room, Jeff Duncan of the The Athletic tweets. The team’s core of young stars – including Alvin Kamara, Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, and Sheldon Rankins – will know they’ll be taken care of if they continue to produce.
  • The holdout-ending deal was the smart move by the Saints, NJ.com’s Darryl Slater opines. The monster numbers could come back to haunt them, but Slater’s feeling is that it was worthwhile to end Thomas’ holdout, especially considering the fact that Drew Brees has a limited championship window.

Saints, Michael Thomas Agree To Deal

July 31st, 2019 at 8:06am CST by Zachary Links

It’s a done deal. And it’s one for the record books (for now, at least). 

On Wednesday morning, the Saints and Michael Thomas agreed to a five-year, $100MM extension with $61MM guaranteed, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The new deal makes him the league’s highest-paid receiver of all-time on a yearly basis.

With the new deal, Thomas is tied to New Orleans through the 2024 season. In 2019, he’ll still earn a paltry $1.148MM in the final year of his rookie contract, but he’s already locked in plenty of dough at signing.

The deal marks plenty of firsts for the Saints as well. They’ve never paid a non-QB skill-position player more than $10MM per year, but they’re now paying Thomas $20MM per annum. The previous watermark was owned by tight end Jimmy Graham, who banked $10MM/season before being traded to the Seahawks in 2015.

Last season, Thomas set Saints records with 125 catches and 1,405 yards while adding nine touchdown grabs. He was wildly efficient, too – Thomas’ catch rate of 84.5% was the highest of any NFL receiver since at least 2001.

With Thomas’ deal done, the attention will now shift to fellow standout wide receivers in search of their own monster contracts. Unlike Thomas, Falcons star Julio Jones has participated in training camp, but he is expecting a contract that will either match or exceed Thomas’ in average annual value. There’s also Bengals star A.J. Green to consider, though his recent injury may be a barrier in talks.

Down the line, Thomas’ new deal will also have ramifications for the Cowboys and Chiefs as they consider extensions for Amari Cooper and Tyreek Hill.

Saints, Michael Thomas Nearing Deal (Again)

July 30th, 2019 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints and wide receiver Michael Thomas are close on a new deal, Mike Florio of PFT hears. This was more or less what we heard late last week, but, at long last, the two sides sound like they’re at the goal line. 

Thomas has been holding out of Saints camp as he awaits a new deal, much to the chagrin of GM Mickey Loomis. Florio senses that Thomas is gunning for $20MM/year on a five-year deal while the Saints have pitched $19MM/season. Still, there are structural and guarantee issues to be resolved. For now, the Saints have the right to fine Thomas $40K per day missed in camp.

In 2018, Thomas led the league with 125 receptions while racking up 1,405 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.

Saints Place Buck Allen On IR

July 30th, 2019 at 12:08pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have placed running back Buck Allen on injured reserve, according to head coach Sean Payton. To take his place, the club has signed running back Robert Kelley. 

Allen worked out for the Saints in May alongside Kelley. Allen was the best of the bunch at the time, but Kelley will now get his shot now that the ex-Raven has been ruled out for the year.

Kelley only suited up for two games with the Redskins last year thanks to a toe injury (but he didn’t break his knee, dude.) The running back averaged 4.2 yards per carry as a rookie in 2016 and he’s hoping to regain his old form in 2019. Unfortunately for him, he has a tough road ahead of him to make the Saints’ roster. Behind star Alvin Kamara, the Saints already have Latavius Murray and the underrated Dwayne Washington.

In related moves, the club also inked wide receiver Travin Dural and waived defensive back Chris Campbell.

Theo Riddick Down To Broncos, Saints?

July 29th, 2019 at 8:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Theo Riddick generated some interest after the Lions ended his six-year tenure last week, and the seventh-year pass-catching back looks to be deciding between the two teams he visited. It appears to be a Broncos-or-Saints decision for the veteran back, per Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter).

This is interesting because of a previous report. Riddick was tabbed, per NOLA.com’s Herbie Teope (Twitter link), as hoping to take his time before choosing his next team. More visits were potentially on the agenda, though Teope did not indicate a third team was definitively in the mix. He now hears that it’s indeed Denver or New Orleans for the 28-year-old back (Twitter link).

Offensive assistants for both teams likely have played roles in this recruitment. Riddick played under Broncos running backs coach Curtis Modkins from 2013-15, with Saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi also in Detroit during that time — as Lions OC from 2014-15.

It’s interesting in an era of running back marginalization that Riddick has generated immediate interest going into his seventh season, but he has shown a defined skill set that fits well in the modern game. Riddick has 285 receptions since his 2013 rookie slate; that’s third in the NFL among running backs over that span. His 2,238 receiving yards are fourth among backs.

Both the Broncos and Saints have solidified first- and second-string backs, with Phillip Lindsay and Alvin Kamara starting and Royce Freeman and Latavius Murray in place as respective complementary pieces. The Broncos have fourth-year back Devontae Booker in place behind Lindsay and Freeman, but Riddick has shown much more as a receiver.

The Saints also lost out on potential target Alfred Morris, who agreed to terms with the Cowboys minutes ago. While Morris and Riddick do not have similar skill sets, the Saints are showing urgency to bring in some help behind their top two backs. Buck Allen has not suited up for camp yet, leaving former Riddick Detroit teammate Dwayne Washington among those seeing time in his absence. While Booker would seemingly stay on as Denver’s third-string back if Riddick opts for New Orleans, Larry Holder of The Athletic writes (subscription required) the Saints’ No. 3 job is wide open.

Saints To Meet With Alfred Morris

July 29th, 2019 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent running back Alfred Morris is set to meet with the Saints, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Rapoport also hears that Morris has received interest from two other NFL teams. 

The Saints have been in the market for a running back and Morris would bring experience to their already talented group. At present, they have Latavius Murray, Dwayne Washington, one-time Ravens standout Buck Allen, and a couple of other RBs behind star Alvin Kamara.

Morris, 30, signed with SF last year for the veteran’s minimum. He went on to appear in 12 games and averaged 3.9 yards per carry in a limited sample of 111 totes. For his career, Morris has averaged 4.3 yards per attempt, including three high-usage years with the Redskins in which he topped 1,000 yards rushing.

Saints Release WR Cameron Meredith

July 29th, 2019 at 9:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints released wide receiver Cameron Meredith, according to Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). The Saints receiver previously reduced his base salary from $3.4MM to $1.3MM, but it wasn’t enough to save his job. 

It’s been a tough couple of years for Meredith since his breakout 2016 season, when he racked up 888 yards in just 14 games with the Bears. Meredith was supposed to be Chicago’s top receiver in 2017, but he suffered a devastating injury in the preseason which included a torn ACL and additional damage to his knee. After missing the entire year, he signed a two-year offer sheet worth $9.6MM with the Saints as a restricted free agent.

He never really recovered while with the Saints, and he was placed on IR after just six games with last year due to issues with the same knee. He finished with only nine catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in his first (and only) season on the field in New Orleans.

Meredith has yet to participate in any offseason practices and had to undergo a knee scope earlier this year. Still, he’s only 26 and offers potential, so he should find his way back to the NFL once he’s healthy.

Saints Sign Patrick Omameh

July 28th, 2019 at 8:23pm CST by Micah Powell

Earlier today, it was reported the Saints were hosting free agent offensive lineman Patrick Omameh. That meeting apparently went well, as New Orleans signed the veteran on Sunday night, the player’s agent reports [Twitter link].

Since entering the league as UDFA in 2013, Omameh has racked up 56 games in his career and serves as valuable depth on a loaded New Orleans’ offensive attack.

He started all 16 games for the Buccaneers in 2014, and played 14 games for the Bears in 2015. He suited up for the Jaguars in the next two two seasons before inking a three-year, $15MM contract with the Giants last March. Omameh didn’t even last a full season with the Giants, who benched him in October and cut him in November after an underwhelming showing.

After being cut by the Giants, Omameh returned to the Jaguars and started six games down the stretch. After opening the year at right guard with the Giants, he finished the campaign largely on the left side of the Jacksonville line.

 

Sheldon Rankins Ahead Of Schedule, Still Likely To Miss Games

July 28th, 2019 at 11:48am CST by Rory Parks
  • Sheldon Rankins is the only player on the Saints‘ PUP list at the moment, but Amie Just of the Times-Picayune suggests that he may remain there when the regular season starts, which would automatically rule him out for the first six games of the season. Head coach Sean Payton said Rankins is ahead of schedule in his recovery from an Achilles tear he suffered in the playoffs, but Payton conceded that Rankins is likely to miss all of training camp at least. It sounds as if Payton is expecting Rankins to miss some regular season time as well, though he could not give a precise timeline. We heard back in April that Rankins was likely to start the season on the PUP list, though there now appears to be some hope he can avoid it.
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