New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Latest On Ndamukong Suh

Free agent DT Ndamukong Suh left New Orleans without a contract and met with the Titans last night, per Jordan Schultz of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that his dinner with Tennessee brass went well past midnight (Twitter links). Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets that the door is not closed on a Suh-Saints marriage, as the visit with New Orleans was always intended to be a feeling-out session rather than an all-out recruiting mission. Indeed, as Schultz notes in a separate tweet, Suh has expressed his desire to take his time and evaluate his numerous options with his family. 

Nonetheless, the fact that the Titans have parted with Karl Klug and Sylvester Williams over the past several days could be a sign that they are optimistic about landing Suh when he comes to Nashville. Of course, if Suh really does plan to take his time and visit other, as-yet-unnamed clubs — which we heard when the Tennessee visit was reported earlier this week — then it could take awhile before we know where Suh will be suiting up in 2018.

Florida Football Insiders, in a purely speculative piece, also names the Patriots as a potential landing spot for the three-time All-Pro. The Pats have a little bit of money to spend, and if they can acquire Suh on a one-year pact — much like they did with Darrelle Revis in 2014 — they may jump on the opportunity. FFI suggests that a one-year, “prove-it” contract might be in Suh’s best interest, and if he goes that route, New England could certainly get involved.

The Seahawks and Cowboys have also expressed interest in Suh, and Schultz tweets that Suh and Seattle head coach Pete Carroll have had two positive telephone conversations this week. The two men share a great deal of mutual respect, and Suh wants to visit the Seahawks.

The 31-year-old Suh may be getting older, but he’s still plenty productive. He graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 interior defensive lineman in the NFL in 2017, and he finished the season with 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Saints' Nick Fairley Grievance Not Settled

  • Although the Saints received a salary cap credit as a result of their Nick Fairley grievance, the grievance itself has not been settled, per Josh Katzenstein of the New Orleans Times-Picayune (Twitter link). That $3MM credit was only related to Fairley’s signing bonus, so the Saints are presumably trying to recoup a portion of Fairley’s base salary after he was forced to sit out the 2017 campaign with a heart condition. For what it’s worth, Fairley hopes to play during the upcoming season, but it’s difficult to imagine any team medically clearing him.

Saints, Thomas Morstead Agree To Extension

The Saints have signed punter Thomas Morstead to a new five-year contract (Twitter link via Omar Ruiz of NFL.com). Morstead was heading into final year of his old contract, but the new pact will keep him under contract through 2022.

The deal is worth $20MM with roughly $9MM guaranteed. As Ruiz notes, Morstead acted as his own agent in the negotiations, not unlike new 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman.

Last year, Morstead averaged 47.0 yards per punt, good for eighth-highest in the league. His net average of 42.2 yards per attempt placed him sixth amongst all punters, behind Brett Kern, Johnny Hekker, Marquette King, Rigoberto Sanchez, and Michael Palardy.

Lions, Saints In On LB Jonathan Freeny

Free agent linebacker Jonathan Freeny will meet with the Lions on Friday, according to Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Meanwhile, a return to the Saints could still be in the cards. 

Freeny joined the Saints in December and worked his way into the linebacker rotation. He appeared in two regular season games as well as both of New Orleans’ playoff contests. In the postseason, he tallied five tackles and one sack (pictured).

In other Lions news, the team re-signed running back Zach Zenner on Friday and has a meeting scheduled with running back Mike Davis.

Saints To Re-Sign Alex Okafor

Alex Okafor is back with the Saints. New Orleans has re-signed the pass rusher to a two-year deal worth up to $10MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets

Okafor visited the rival Buccaneers this week, but wound up staying put. That was Okafor’s only known outside visit and it’s quite possible that his list of suitors was limited by the torn Achilles that ended his 2017 early. Rapoport hears that he is recovering well from his torn Achilles, though he is still not 100%.

Before the injury, Okafor started in all ten of his games and racked up 4.5 sacks with a career high 43 tackles. He’ll look to turn in a similarly strong performance over a 16-game set this time around.

In addition to re-signing Okafor, the Saints have also added Demario Davis to the front seven.

Extra Points: DRC, Redskins, Maxwell

Free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie says he’s in no rush to make a decision in free agency. Right now, he’s hoping to make a decision “in April sometime” (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Josina Anderson).

Rodgers-Cromartie visited with the Redskins and had a meeting scheduled with the Saints, but it seems that New Orleans lost interest after signing fellow corner Patrick Robinson. The Redskins could still use an addition to their cornerback group, but it’s possible that their offer was not to DRC’s liking. Or, perhaps no offer was made.

Before he was released by the Giants, DRC reportedly agreed to play safety in 2018. That could be a solution for him if his market continues to stall.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • As teams try to hold onto their own players, two to watch: The Redskins are working to keep outside linebacker Junior Galette and the Seahawks are doing the same with cornerback Byron Maxwell, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). We had Galette ranked as a top-12 edge rusher heading into free agency. Maxwell did not make the top 15 at his position due to his decline in performance and the depth of this year’s CB crop.
  • Linebacker Demario Davis says the Jets didn’t make him an offer before he signed with the Saints. “The shocking thing was the Jets didn’t make me an offer, so that made my decision easy because all I had to do was look at the contenders,” Davis said (via Rod Walker of The Advocate). “It would have been something to weigh. The hardest decision isn’t where to go, but deciding if you want to go or stay. So I didn’t have to make that decision so that was the peaceful thing about it. I was able to just weight my options objectively.” Things worked out just fine for Davis as he signed a three-year, $24MM deal with New Orleans.
  • The Dolphins have been talking with agent Drew Rosenhaus about re-signing offensive tackle Sam Young, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald tweets. If retained, Young would return as Miami’s third offensive tackle.

Alex Okafor Leaves Bucs Visit Without Deal

Alex Okafor isn’t signing with the Buccaneers… for now. Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports (via Twitter) that the defensive end met with the Buccaneers today but left without a deal. The reporter adds that there’s mutual interest between the two sides.

We heard yesterday that the veteran was set to visit with Tampa Bay. Okafor already had a connection to both general manager Jason Licht and defensive line coach Brentson Buckner, so the pairing makes plenty of sense. However, the Bucs could have some competition for his services. The Saints have interest in retaining their defender, according to Joel A. Erickson of the New Orleans Advocate.

Following four years with Arizona, the 27-year-old joined the Saints last offseason. The 2013 fourth-rounder ended up starting each of his 10 games for New Orleans, compiling 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a career-high 43 tackles. Unfortunately, Okafor’s season was cut short after he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 11.

Pro Football Focus was particularly fond of his performance last season, ranking him 22nd among 106 eligible edge defenders. Okafor was also listed sixth in our positional free agent rankings.

Saints Owner Tom Benson Dead At 90

Saints owner Tom Benson has died at the age of 90. According to an announcement from the team, Benson passed away peacefully with wife Gayle Marie Benson at his side.

Benson purchased the Saints in 1985 after learning that the team was on the verge of being sold and relocated. Since being purchased by Benson, the Saints have earned eleven playoff berths and won a Super Bowl ring in 2009. Back in 2012, Benson also bought the NBA’s New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans).

We learned earlier this week that Benson was hospitalized in the intensive care unit at Ochsner Medical Center (via ESPN’s Mike Triplett). He was admitted several weeks ago with flu symptoms. Benson has battled several ailments in recent years, and he was hospitalized back in October for exhaustion.

Besides owning the two major sports teams in New Orleans, Benson was also known in the area for his charitable work. Through his Gayle and Tom Benson Foundation, the owner was “dedicated to assisting a myriad of charitable, faith-based and educational causes in the New Orleans and South Texas communities” (via a Saints press release).

We at PFR offer our thoughts and condolences to Benson’s family and friends.

Saints To Meet With Ndamukong Suh

The Saints have interest in former Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). They’re working to bring the monster defensive tackle in on a visit this week.

Jane Slater of NFL.com reports (on Twitter) this visit will occur, with Suh set to trek to New Orleans on Friday. Slater notes the Cowboys are not expected to be in the running for the dominant defensive tackle. 

If New Orleans is the first visit for Suh, that bodes well for his chances to sign with the Saints, as Rapoport notes. The Seahawks are also among the clubs with interest and there are conflicting reports about the Cowboys’ level of interest in the multiple-time Pro Bowler.

Suh stands as the best free agent on the board after securing his release from Miami. The Dolphins’ decision to release Suh had more to do with his contract than his performance. Last year, he has the fifth-best interior defender in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. He also finished out the season with 48 tackles and 4.5 sacks – solid numbers, even if they’re down from previous seasons.

The Saints have a host of defensive linemen out in free agency, headlined by defensive end Alex Okafor. If the season were to start today – a funny phrase here in March – they’d project to start David Onyemata and Tyeler Davison in the middle. Needless to say, Suh would provide a major boost to New Orleans’ front four.

Saints Receive Cap Credit From Nick Fairley Grievance

Nick Fairley and the Saints each filed grievances with the NFL over the former New Orleans defensive tackle’s contract, and one of the details from the result of those proceedings with the league has emerged.

The Saints will see a $3MM bump in cap space because of this, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com reports. This will come in the form of a cap credit, with bonus money from Fairley’s contract being returned to the team, per Triplett.

It’s not certain if this grievance has been fully resolved, or how money from Fairley’s $14MM guarantee will be distributed. The Saints signed Fairley to a four-year, $28MM contract last March, but after a quality season in 2016, Fairley was diagnosed with a heart condition. He has not played since and may well have played his last down as an NFL player.