Saints Sign 13 UDFAs
After adding only four rookies via the draft, the Saints compensated today by signing 13 undrafted free agents. The organization formally announced the following signings:
- Joe Bachie, LB (Michigan State)
- Marquez Callaway, WR (Tennessee)
- Gus Cumberlander, DL (Oregon)
- Tino Ellis, CB (Maryland)
- Blake Gillikin, P (Penn State)
- Juwan Johnson, WR (Oregon)
- Tony Jones Jr., RB (Notre Dame)
- Adrian Magee, OL (Louisiana State)
- Darrin Paulo, OT (Utah)
- Malcolm Roach, DL (Texas)
- Jordan Steckler, G/C (Northern Illinois)
- Calvin Throckmorton, OL (Oregon)
- Keith Washington Jr., CB (West Virginia)
After drafting Michigan center Cesar Ruiz in the first round of the draft, the team made their largest undrafted-free-agent investment in an offensive lineman. Nick Underhill of The Athletic tweets that Oregon’s Calvin Throckmorton will earn $110K in guaranteed money and a $12.5K signing bonus. The team also gave $90K in guaranteed money to Jordan Steckler (per Underhill on Twitter).
On the defensive side of the ball, Texas defensive lineman Malcolm Roach will earn $95K in guaranteed money (via Underhill on Twitter). The versatile defender finished his collegiate career with nine tackles-for-loss and three sacks in 2019.
Saints Extend Taysom Hill
The Saints have agreed to a two-year contract with quarterback Taysom Hill, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, the deal is worth $21MM and includes $16MM in guarantees (Twitter link). It replaces the one-year RFA tender worth $4.6MM that the Saints had placed on Hill earlier this offseason.
The move comes immediately after the Saints agreed to sign free agent signal-caller Jameis Winston. Prior to the Hill extension, both players would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2020 campaign, meaning that New Orleans could take the entire season to evaluate them, to decide which one was best-suited to serve as Drew Brees‘ successor, and to move on from the loser of the battle at season’s end.
Now, however, that’s not necessarily the case. If Hill should prove himself worthy of the QB1 title in 2021, then the Saints will have him under contract at a very modest rate for starting quarterbacks and can bid Winston farewell. But if Winston should win out and if New Orleans should retain him, then the team will owe a ton of money to its QB2/gadget player, even by its standards of commitment to backup signal-callers. The whole affair could become even more complicated if Brees wants to return, and it suggests that the team really is committed to Hill — as it has stated for some time — and views Winston as a highly-experienced insurance policy in 2020 but not as a potential future option.
Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the Saints won’t officially sign Winston until after 3pm ET tomorrow in order to avoid having him against their 2021 compensatory pick formula (Twitter link).
Saints To Sign QB Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston is staying in the NFC South. Hours after the 2020 NFL Draft came to an end, the Saints agreed to sign the former Bucs passer, per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, it will be a one-year deal for Winston, who had more lucrative offers elsewhere but who saw a better opportunity in New Orleans (Twitter link).
Indeed, Winston will now have the chance to further develop his game under one of the best to ever play, Drew Brees, who may be hanging up the cleats after the 2020 campaign. The Saints have long indicated that they expect Taysom Hill to take over when Brees does decide to retire, and they tendered Hill, a restricted free agent, at the first-round level this offseason.
On the other hand, Hill will be 30 in August and has thrown all of 13 passes in his professional career, so New Orleans’ commitment to him has drawn some public skepticism. But Hill is undeniably a valuable gadget player, and having Winston on board will allow the club to continue deploying Hill in various roles without worrying too much about an injury.
Robinson’s sources indicated that Winston will not be guaranteed the backup job behind Brees. After all, head coach Sean Payton said just last month that Hill had earned that opportunity, but he also said the Saints would add another QB to be active on game days so that Hill could continue contributing as a passer and receiver.
So it seems now that Winston and Hill may be battling not just to be the Saints’ QB2 in 2020, but to be the team’s quarterback of the future in 2021 and beyond. That will create an interesting dynamic in the locker room, as Hill said earlier this year that he is open to leaving New Orleans if the club does not view him as the long-term answer under center.
From the Saints’ perspective, adding Winston on a one-year pact puts both him and Hill on track to be unrestricted free agents in 2021. They will have the entire 2020 season to evaluate the viability of both players as Brees’ successor, and they can re-sign or tag the winner of the year-long battle, or they can go in a completely different direction.
Just yesterday, the club traded back into the seventh round of the draft to select Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens, but Stevens clearly profiles as a taxi squad candidate at this point.
Saints Trade Up For QB Tommy Stevens
As the draft comes to a close, the Saints are making an interesting selection. New Orleans traded back up into the seventh-round to take Mississippi State quarterback Tommy Stevens with the 240th pick.
The Saints gave the Texans a sixth-rounder in the 2021 draft to get the pick. The Saints are reportedly planning on having Taysom Hill take over for Drew Brees, and Stevens could take over for Hill. He’s a similar type of swiss army knife player who reportedly impressed scouts in workouts earlier this offseason. Stevens entered Penn State as a highly-recruited passer, but got blocked on the depth chart behind Trace McSorely.
While serving as McSorely’s backup he also played a large role on offense, as Penn State had a package of plays where he’d line up in the backfield or as a receiver. In the 2017 season, he had 250 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. Before last season he transferred to MSU, and initially became their starting quarterback.
He struggled with injuries and was benched at times, finishing the season with 1,155 yards and 11 touchdowns with five interceptions. It’ll be interesting to see if he can carve out a Hill-like role in the pros.
Vikings Trade No. 105 To Saints
Another late-night trade to pass along. ESPN’s Field Yates reported (via Twitter) that the Vikings and Saints made the following swap:
Saints acquire:
- No. 105
Vikings acquire
- No. 130
- No. 169
- No. 203
- No. 244
New Orleans used the third round’s penultimate pick on Dayton tight end Adam Trautman.
Barring a trade, that could be the Saints’ final pick of the weekend; after drafting three players through the first three rounds, New Orleans is now tapped out of picks. As NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets, this could be the first time the Saints come away with three or fewer draft picks since 1999, when they traded that infamous haul for Ricky Williams.
On the flip side, after making four selections through the first three rounds, the Vikings still have 13 picks remaining. The team could certainly make a handful of trades, but Pelissero tweets that Minny is approaching history. The most picks by a team in the seven-round draft era is 14 by the 1997 Jets and 2016 Browns. The 1968 Bengals selected 17 players in the first seven rounds of the 17-round draft.
Browns Trade Pick No. 74 To Saints, New Orleans Takes Zack Baun
The Saints reportedly were looking to trade up in the second-round, and they just moved up in the third. They’ve acquired the 74th pick from the Browns, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
Cleveland is also sending the 244th pick in the seventh-round, while they’ll get back number 88 and a 2021 third-rounder. As Yates notes in his tweet, this is the first time in this draft that a 2021 selection has changed hands. New Orleans’ willingness to give up future draft capital makes sense, given they’ve been heavily signaling that they’re going all in on one last Super Bowl run with Drew Brees in 2020.
They’ve signed some aging vets, and are trying to get as much out of this draft as possible. The Saints used the 74th pick to take linebacker Zack Baun from Wisconsin, who some thought had a good chance of getting drafted in the first-round. Linebacker had been a relative position of weakness for New Orleans, which explains why they wanted to move up to get the surprising faller. As a senior with the Badgers Baun had 19.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks, earning first-team All-Big 10 honors.
Saints Looking For Early Second Round Pick In Trade Talks
The Saints are looking to trade for an early second round pick, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB (on Twitter). As of this writing, the Saints have zero Round 2 choices, so they’d likely have to deal from their 2021 stockpile to get something done.
Saints GM Mickey Loomis threw everyone a curveball at No. 24 last night with his selection of center Cesar Ruiz. The Michigan product was pegged by many as a second-round type and offensive line depth wasn’t thought to be the Saints’ top priority. Meanwhile, LSU linebacker Patrick Queen and cornerback Kristian Fulton were still there for the taking.
The Saints have a stacked roster, but there are still areas they could target early in Round 2. On defense, Fulton, Alabama’s Trevon Diggs, and Utah’s Jaylon Johnson would all make sense at cornerback. Linebacker could also be an area of need in New Orleans, and the Saints could target prospects like Willie Gay (Mississippi State) or Zack Baun (Wisconsin).
Of course, New Orleans is never afraid to add to its already high-powered offense, and the club could look for another pas-catcher to team with Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Denzel Mims (Baylor), Laviska Shenault (Colorado), Tee Higgins (Clemson), and Michael Pittman Jr. (USC) all remain on the board.
Saints Re-Sign Johnson Bademosi
The Saints are bringing back cornerback Johnson Bademosi, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Terms of the deal between New Orleans and the special teams ace are not yet known.
Bademosi spent time with the Browns, Lions, Patriots, Texans, and Dolphins before joining up with the Saints last year. His trip from Houston to Miami came courtesy of the Laremy Tunsil blockbuster. When he was dropped by the ‘Fins last October, the Saints scooped him up.
Meanwhile, the Saints are pushing hard to trade up in the first round of the NFL Draft. It won’t be easy for New Orleans to swing a deal – they’ve got only five picks in their possession and only two of those are inside of the first three rounds. They’re also not ruling out the possibility of drafting a quarterback. If they fall farther than expected, players like FIU’s James Morgan, Georgia’s Jake Fromm, and Washington’s Jacob Eason could be in consideration for GM Mickey Loomis if he’s serious about backstopping Drew Brees and Taysom Hill.
Jets, Saints, Packers Looking To Move Up
There are a number of teams pushing to move up in the first round. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Falcons, Jets, Saints, and Packers are among the teams “who have made some noise about potentially moving up.” We previously heard that Atlanta was looking to make a deal.
Rapoport notes that the Jets are “presumably” looking to move up to take an offensive tackle. Gang Green currently has the 11th-overall pick, meaning they should get their hands on one of Tristan Wirfs, Jedrick Wills Jr., Andrew Thomas, and Mekhi Becton. However, if there is a sudden run of lineman, the Jets may be required to make a move.
It might be tough for the Saints to make a trade considering their limited draft capital. New Orleans is currently in possession of only five picks, and the only have a pair of selections in the first three rounds (No. 24 and No. 88).
On the flip side, the Packers are loaded with draft picks, as they’re currently armed with 10 selections. Of course, it’s worth noting that six of those selections are in the fifth round or later. The Packers have the No. 30 pick in the first round. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst discussed the team’s trade prospects earlier this week.
Saints Won’t Rule Out Drafting QB
Although the Saints have long been said to be planning for Taysom Hill to succeed Drew Brees when Brees retires — which could be as soon as the end of the 2020 season — the team will not rule out selecting a signal-caller in this year’s draft, as GM Mickey Loomis noted (via John DeShazler of the team’s official website).
New Orleans’ very public confidence in Hill, as shown by the team’s tendering the RFA passer at the first-round level this offseason, has raised plenty of eyebrows. After all, Hill will turn 30 in August and has thrown a mere 13 passes in his professional career. Although he has excelled as a gadget player and is expected to see more action as a pocket QB in 2020, a little youthful competition couldn’t hurt.
If the Saints do select a collegiate QB, it would almost certainly not be with their No. 24 overall pick. Barring a trade of some kind, New Orleans would not be on the clock again until the No. 88 selection, and the team also has picks in the fourth through sixth rounds. Players like FIU’s James Morgan, Georgia’s Jake Fromm, and Washington’s Jacob Eason could all be Saints targets if the board falls in a certain way.
“I think that any time you have a chance to get a quality quarterback prospect, regardless of your quarterback situation, you’d like to take advantage of that,” Loomis said. “For us, it hasn’t come. There hasn’t been the match where we’re picking with a prospect that we really like. Our approach is exactly the same this year: If there’s someone there that we really like and have a vision for at the time we’re picking, then we’re not afraid to pull that trigger.”
Hill is not expected to sign his RFA tender anytime soon, though he has until June 15 to put pen to paper.