Friday’s top news thus far affected Dez Bryant. The veteran wide receiver and Saints employee for barely a day is feared to have torn one of his Achilles’ tendons. This would put him out for the season and impact his free agency. This reality appears to be in motion. The Saints are “pretty sure he tore it,” Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. While Michael Crabtree did buck the trend of Achilles injuries taking up to a year and more to recover from when he came back in six months to join the 2013 49ers late that season, Bryant is now 30 and was already dealing with damaged stock based on his recent work. Bryant doesn’t appear to be considering retirement and sounds ready to go through a rehab process (Twitter link). It’s possible Bryant could have to accept another one-year deal in the event he recovers from this injury, and that contract may not arrive until he recovers. He may well be back in a similar situation he was this year, when the Cowboys irked him by releasing him well after potential free agency suitors had spent on wideouts.
Dez Bryant was helped off the Saints’ practice field Friday. The team fears the ninth-year wide receiver suffered a torn Achilles, Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report on Twitter.
Bryant is getting an MRI now, and Rapoport and Pelissero report he will seek a second opinion after that scan is complete. This would be a brutal turn of events for a player who spent months in free agency and one who hoped to land an impact deal next year.
This injury occurred when Bryant was running a routine route, Jane Slater of NFL.com tweets. It is believed to have taken place on the final play of New Orleans’ practice, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). It was indeed a non-contact play, veteran reporter Ed Werder tweets.
While the Saints’ injury report lists Bryant as questionable with an ankle malady, that designation could soon change.
The recently acquired wideout was not supposed to be ready to play in the Saints’ Week 10 game against the Bengals, Pelissero notes (via Twitter). The longtime Cowboy was in the process of acclimating to a new system and presumably would’ve been ready to play in Week 11. While the Saints’ machine figures to hum along as it has for years, this may be a late-career-defining setback — if, in fact, Bryant has actually torn one of his Achilles’ tendons — for the receiver.
The Saints ended Bryant’s free agency stay by choosing him over fellow Tuesday-workout participants Brandon Marshall and Kamar Aiken. The former impressed the Saints, per Schefter (on Twitter), and could well be an option if Dez ultimately has severely damaged an Achilles. New Orleans placed Cameron Meredith on IR this week, and if its new acquisition can’t go, only has three healthy receivers on its roster. Meredith followed Saints wideouts Tommylee Lewis and Ted Ginn to IR, though Lewis has since resumed practicing and could be activated soon.
Dez turned down offers from the Ravens — a three-year, $21MM pact — and Browns (worth less than $5MM). He landed a $1.25MM deal with the Saints that contained incentives. Achilles tears represent one of the toughest injuries to overcome, and given the timing of this, Bryant’s rehab would take him into the free agency period. It would undoubtedly affect his market, particularly after the former All-Pro showed signs of decline during his final years in Dallas.
Dez Bryant’s one-year contract with the Saints is technically worth $1.25MM and will pay him $600K in base salary for rest of season, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). However, the wide receiver has the ability to add another $500K in incentives, meaning that he could theoretically earn $1.1MM for the remainder of the season. 
It’s a big step down from what Bryant could have earned had he signed in the offseason. The Ravens offered him a three-year deal worth roughly $21MM, but Bryant held out in hopes of finding a lucrative one-year deal that would allow him to reach the open market in the spring. Bryant will be able to test free agency in 2019 under the terms of his Saints deal, but he lost out on more than $6MM for 2018.
On the plus side, Bryant is joining up with one of the league’s most dynamic offenses and has a real chance to showcase his skills. With Cameron Meredith headed to IR, Bryant ranks as one of the team’s top three wide receivers alongside star Michael Thomas and rookie Tre’Quan Smith.
Bryant’s production trailed off in 2017, but he’s not far removed from a 2016 season in which he averaged a career-high 15.9 yards per catch. Soon, we’ll find out whether Bryant can still stretch the field.
Saints wide receiver Cameron Meredith will be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The injury helps to explain the club’s signing of Dez Bryant, which will be formally completed on Thursday. 
Meredith is no stranger to the IR list after tearing his ACL and MCL before the 2017 season. This time around, the knee injury is not believed to be as serious, but it’s enough to rule him out for the year.
Meredith has not been involved in the Saints’ offense outside of Weeks 3-5, though he’s dressed for the last few weeks. When he was on the field, Meredith had nine catches for 114 yards and a touchdown.
The 26-year-old’s injury opened the door for rookie Tre’Quan Smith, who has flashed some serious potential. Smith figures to play a big role on Sunday behind Michael Thomas since Bryant is not a lock to suit up against the Bengals, but the power balance may shift towards the veteran later in the year.
The Saints are left with four healthy wide receivers after losing Meredith and adding Bryant, so another signing is possible.
- A six-plus-month stay in free agency ended for Dez Bryant earlier Wednesday, but the new Saints wide receiver is still looking to return to the market in 2019. Bryant wants to prove himself on a contending team and become a free agent again, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes. This has been Bryant’s plan all along, and he’ll likely join Tre’Quan Smith as a key complementary receiver for Drew Brees.
The Saints are expected to restructure offensive tackle Terron Armstead’s 2018 salary, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The revised deal will turn the rest of Armstead’s $10.2MM base salary into a signing bonus and create room for the addition of Dez Bryant. 
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Armstead, 27, is under contract through 2021 thanks to the five-year, $65MM extension he inked back in 2016. He counts for a $13.5MM cap charge this year, a $15MM charge in 2019 and 2020, and a $12.75MM figure in ’21.
Armstead in the midst of another brilliant season and ranks as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 ranked tackle in the NFL. If he keeps it up through the second half of the year, he may finally secure the first Pro Bowl nod of his career.
The Saints, with Bryant in the fold, will look to extend their seven-game winning streak when they face the Bengals on Sunday.
The Saints have agreed to sign Dez Bryant, according to Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). It’s a one-year pact that Bryant will formally ink on Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater of NFL.com (Twitter link). The two sides started negotiating shortly after Bryant’s workout on Tuesday afternoon and reached agreement on Wednesday morning. 
The deal brings Bryant’s lengthy unemployment to an end. The Cowboys released Bryant in April, after most of the league’s free agent dollars were already spent. Weeks later, the veteran rejected a three-year, $21MM offer from the Ravens, a decision that has been panned by many. Bryant ultimately got what he wanted, a short-term deal that will allow him to test free agency again in 2019. However, he missed out on the first half of the season and significant cash.
Bryant averaged 91 catches for 1,312 yards and 14 touchdowns between 2012 and 2014, but his averages plummeted to 50 catches for 678 yards and six TDs over the last three years. He also missed ten games due to injury between 2015 and 2016, and some say he wasn’t giving 100% towards the end of his run in Dallas. Some say that Bryant isn’t the player that he once was, but the veteran is motivated to prove the doubters wrong.
All in all, the Saints believe he’ll offer more than Brandon Marshall or Kamar Aiken, two receivers who also worked out for New Orleans on Tuesday. Jeremy Kerley was also scheduled to audition, but weather interfered with his flight.
The Saints haven’t lost since their season opener against the Buccaneers and lead the NFC South with a 7-1 record. After losing supporting receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Tommylee Lewis to injury earlier this year, Bryant is expected to provide a boost behind talented starters Michael Thomas, Cameron Meredith, and Tre’Quan Smith.
Free agent receiver Dez Bryant is negotiating a deal with the Saints, who worked him out on Monday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Bryant didn’t immediately leave New Orleans with a contract following his audition, but the club was pleased with his performance, per Pelissero. The Saints have been searching for a veteran receiver to replace Ted Ginn Jr., who was placed on injured reserve weeks ago. Drew Brees certainly has other pass-catching options outside of the receiver position, including running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Ben Watson, but Bryant would give the future Hall of Fame quarterback another viable choice behind No. 1 Michael Thomas.
As Pelissero notes, Bryant has come close to agreements with other clubs earlier this year, so his pact with the Saints shouldn’t be considered final until he signs on the dotted line. Bryant reportedly rejected a one-year accord from the Ravens after being cut by the Cowboys, and also had a dalliance with the Browns. If Bryant, who turned 30 years old on Sunday, does reach a deal with New Orleans, it almost certainly will only run through the end of the 2018 campaign.
Bryant certainly comes with risk, as he hasn’t topped 1,000 yards receiving since 2014, while his 12.1 yards per reception in 2017 was the lowest average of his career. But the Saints believe he’ll offer a better performance than any of Brandon Marshall or Kamar Aiken, both of whom also worked out for New Orleans on Monday. Jeremy Kerley was also scheduled to audition, but weather interfered with his flight.
Jeremy Kerley was scheduled to be among the big-name wide receivers auditioning for the Saints on Tuesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. However, weather interfered with his scheduled flight and he will not be in attendance for the workout. 
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Kerley has had a few workouts this year, including recent auditions for the Patriots and Lions. So far, has been unable to find a home for the 2018 season.
In 2016 with the 49ers, Kerley caught 64 balls for 667 yards and three touchdowns. His best season was in 2012 with the Jets, when he gained 827 yards on 56 catches with two touchdowns. He also offers experience in the punt return game, making him a versatile and experienced option for teams in need.
The Saints would have liked to see Kerley on Tuesday, but they have plenty of star power with former Cowboys standout Dez Bryant, ex-Seahawks receiver Brandon Marshall, and former Ravens notable Kamar Aiken on the practice field. Garafalo hears the Saints are likely to add one of those three players to the roster this week.
We now know who the third man is. Dez Bryant and Brandon Marshall are making trips to New Orleans to work out for the Saints, and on an interestingly high-profile list that’s been steadily forming Monday night, so will Kamar Aiken.
A veteran who played in five games for the Eagles this season, Aiken will join Bryant and Marshall for this audition, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Though he’s considerably behind the other two in accomplishments, Aiken’s only in his age-29 season. Bryant, though, just turned 30. Marshall is 34.
Aiken’s known for his time with the Ravens, but he hasn’t found much success since. With the Colts last season, the slot target caught just 15 passes for 133 yards. His 2015 Ravens season produced 75 receptions, 944 yards and five touchdown grabs — all career highs.
Despite their 7-1 record and No. 7-ranked passing attack, the Saints are doing their due diligence with some recognizable pass-catchers.