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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Saints Reach Deal With LB Demario Davis

March 14th, 2018 at 2:21pm CST by Sam Robinson

Demario Davis will head to New Orleans after a solid contract year with the Jets. The Saints have reached an agreement to sign Davis, Diana Russini of ESPN.com tweets.

An off-ball linebacker, Davis will receive a significant raise compared to his last time on the market. The Saints have agreed to pay him $24MM over three years, per Russini, with $18MM coming in guarantees.

This completes a turnaround year for Davis, who saw the Browns trade him back to the Jets last offseason. He then accepted a pay cut from the previous $4MM-AAV salary the Jets re-signed him for in 2016. But after a strong season that saw him grade (per Pro Football Focus) as the No. 8 pure linebacker in the game, Davis will receive his reward sum.

The 29-year-old linebacker was targeting a deal worth $8-$10MM per year, but the Jets did not view him as a player worth that much. Gang Green saw Davis as more of a $3-$4MM-AAV performer, but with the cap rising to $177MM, most positions’ values are spiking. And Davis — who previously ranked as PFR’s No. 24 remaining UFA — was rewarded on the market.

While the Jets seemingly replaced Davis with a younger defender in Avery Williamson, the Saints will add a proven, durable starter to their second level. Davis has never missed a regular-season game in his six-year career and has been a full-time starter since 2013.

However, Davis has never played for a team that used a 4-3 scheme. He could be a fit at inside or outside linebacker, conceivably, on a Saints team that will surely find a starting spot for him given the contract authorized.

[RELATED: Saints Depth Chart]

Saints To Sign Patrick Robinson

March 14th, 2018 at 1:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Patrick Robinson is set to sign with the Saints, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). It’s a four-year deal for the nickel cornerback.

Robinson, 30, is heading back to where it all began, as he was originally selected as a first-round pick by New Orleans in 2010. He’ll return after posting drastically better results with other clubs than he ever did with the Saints. Largely considered a bust until joining the Chargers in 2015, Robinson is now coming off arguably the best season of his career.

Signed to one-year contact for the veteran’s minimum, Robinson exceeded all expectations as the Eagles’ slot cornerback in 2017. On 853 defensive snaps, Robinson graded as the league’s No. 6 CB, per Pro Football Focus.

Philadelphia was expected to re-sign Robinson, but their small amount of cap space — which has already been used on players such as Michael Bennett, Haloti Ngata, and Nigel Bradham — made keeping him difficult. However, the Eagles actually offered Robinson more total money than the Saints, who gave Robinson more guaranteed cash, per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com.

Speaking of exceeding expectations, the Saints’ pass defense did just that last season. With rookie Marshon Lattimore playing like a shutdown corner, New Orleans ranked fifth in pass defense. Robinson will likely stick in his slot role with the Saints, although it’s possible they also ask him to play on the outside.

Meanwhile, free agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is no longer expected to visit the Saints after taking a meeting with the Redskins. That’s likely because both DRC and Robinson would have filled the same nickelback job in New Orleans.

[RELATED: Saints Depth Chart]

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie Cancels Visit With Saints

March 14th, 2018 at 12:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Initially, the cornerback was slated to meet with the Saints after his meeting with the Redskins. His change in plans could indicate that a deal with D.C. is in the works.

The Saints have already added to their secondary this offseason, signing former Panthers safety Kurt Coleman to a three-year, $16.35MM deal. Fellow safety Kenny Vaccaro is an unrestricted free agent.

Jordy Nelson To Visit Seahawks, Saints

March 14th, 2018 at 11:24am CST by Sam Robinson

Jordy Nelson‘s free agent tour is underway. The former Packers wide receiver is set to meet with the Seahawks and Saints, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Nelson is already scheduled to visit the Raiders.

This will be the 32-year-old wide receiver’s first time in free agency. The Packers released Nelson on Tuesday, but he’s indicated he still wants to play. He’s heading into what would be his 11th NFL season, and based on where receiver contracts have gone this week, it’s logical there’s a big market for his services despite Nelson having gone through his least productive season.

Part of those struggles likely came because of Aaron Rodgers‘ injury. As recently as 2016, Nelson produced the fourth 1,000-plus-yard season of his career and caught 14 TD passes.

The Seahawks are losing Paul Richardson to the Redskins, and the Saints’ Michael Thomas supporting cast is uncertain. The latter has consistently found room for several producers beyond its No. 1 target, but Nelson would be one of the highest-profile receivers to come through New Orleans during Drew Brees‘ run. New Orleans already has an auxiliary wideout in his early 30s, however, in Ted Ginn.

The Seahawks have Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett representing their most notable pass-catchers, and Jimmy Graham is departing for Green Bay and will likely assume some of the red zone responsibilities Nelson enjoyed during his Packers run.

These suitors’ financial situations are fairly similar as free agency is set to start. All have between $25-$30MM, according to OverTheCap.

Saints Interested In QB Tom Savage

March 14th, 2018 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

After losing Chase Daniel to the Bears, the Saints are in the market for a backup quarterback. That search could lead them to Tom Savage, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets. 

Savage, our 15th ranked QB in free agency, began the season as the Texans’ starting quarterback but got the hook in favor of Deshaun Watson in the early in the year. When Watson was lost to a torn ACL, Savage regained the starting job only to suffer a season-ending concussion in Week 14. All in all, Savage played in eight games and started seven, going 1-6 in those starts.

Savage, a former fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh, finished the year with 1,412 yards and five touchdowns against six interceptions. He also completed just 56% of his passes.

The Saints and other interested teams will want to take a close look at Savage’s medicals in the wake of his scary concussion last year which left him shaking on the field. Savage, somehow, was allowed to re-enter the game afterwards.

Contract Details: Brees, Butler, T. Johnson

March 14th, 2018 at 9:35am CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at the details from the latest contracts signed in the NFL, with all links going to Twitter unless otherwise noted:

Kurt Coleman Contract Details

March 13th, 2018 at 9:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson
  • New details have emerged on veteran safety Kurt Coleman‘s three-year deal with the Saints, as Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com writes. In total, the pact is worth $16.35MM, but Coleman can earn another $2.25MM via incentives. Coleman will collect $6.2MM in full guarantees, $4.5MM of which will come in the form of a signing bonus. However, Coleman’s new contract is heavily back-loaded, as his 2018 cap charge is just $3.3MM. New Orleans will have a decision to make in 2019, as Coleman has a $500K roster bonus on the third day of the league year — he could be released with $3MM in dead money accelerating onto the club’s cap.

Extra Points: Broncos, Cousins, Coleman

March 13th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the Broncos being interested in Kirk Cousins throughout the offseason, they moved on Case Keenum and reached an agreement before the Cousins domino fell. The Broncos, who do not have as much cap space as their top Cousins competitors do, spoke with the quarterback’s representation on Monday but did not submit an official offer, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). The team’s Keenum agreement being at least $18MM represented a significant discount from Cousins’ near-$30MM-AAV deal — one expected to be with the Vikings. Despite Cousins having proven more than Keenum, Broncos brass moved quickly on this agreement and was on the same page about the belated breakout passer. Palmer reports that went a long way toward completing this deal. Gary Kubiak is currently serving as a top Broncos front office bastion. Kubiak initially brought Keenum into the NFL as a UDFA while serving as Texans HC.

Here’s more from Denver and elsewhere around the league on Day 2 of pre-free agency.

  • Now that the Broncos lost one of the UFAs they were trying to keep, when Corey Nelson agreed to terms with the Eagles, Denver is trying to retain a higher-profile linebacker. The Broncos are expected to try and ramp up their efforts to retain Todd Davis before he hits free agency on Wednesday, Mike Klis of 9News reports (on Twitter). This would continue a change of pace for the John Elway-era Broncos. Previous offseasons saw off-ball ‘backers Wesley Woodyard, Nate Irving and Danny Trevathan depart. But in 2016, Elway authorized an $8MM-per-year deal for Brandon Marshall. Davis almost certainly won’t cost that much, profiling as more of a two-down thumper than sideline-to-sideline rover who can reliably operate in coverage, but he won’t come cheap since he’s been a two-year starter on one of the league’s top defenses.
  • Kurt Coleman took two visits before agreeing to join the Saints, meeting with the Giants and Bengals, Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com tweets. Coleman has bounced around the league, with his most recent stop being his most notable since the Panthers deployed him as a three-year starter — including in Super Bowl 50 — and signed him to an extension in 2016. Despite having played for three teams and having started 74 games, Coleman won’t turn 30 until July. The Giants are in need of a safety to complement Landon Collins. The Bengals, though, don’t have as obvious a need on their back line.

Talks Stall For Saints, Jimmy Graham

March 13th, 2018 at 1:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Hold the phone on the Saints/Jimmy Graham reunion. The two sides have been seriously discussing a deal, but talks have stalled in recent hours, sources tell Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Discussions aren’t dead, however, as both sides are still hoping to reach agreement. 

Graham has a strong market in free agency with the Packers and other teams hoping to sign him. The Ravens are also hoping to get involved, but their cap situation may hinder them.

Trey Burton‘s new four-year, $32MM deal with the Bears will only help to push Graham’s market and that may be a roadblock in his talks with the Saints. The 49ers and Lions were said to have interest in Burton and they could get in the mix for Graham now that the younger TE is off the board.

This offseason marks Graham’s first experience as an unrestricted free agent. Last season, he caught ten touchdowns for the Seahawks. Graham remains a serious red zone threat, but his career-low 9.1 yards per catch underscores that he’s not the same player as he was during his prime in New Orleans.

Drew Brees Turned Down Better Offer To Stay With Saints?

March 13th, 2018 at 1:10pm CST by Zachary Links

As expected, Drew Brees has re-signed with the Saints on a new deal. The contract — worth $50MM and containing $27MM in guarantees — isn’t exactly chump change, but Brees may have had better offers elsewhere.

At least one other team was willing to give Brees $60MM guaranteed over two years, according to Jeff Triplett of ESPN.com. However, there’s some conflicting word on that front. A league source tells Mike Florio of PFT that simply never happened.

The Vikings were among the teams to reach out to Brees, but they are reportedly on the verge of signing Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed three-year deal.

If the $60MM guaranteed offer is true, one has to wonder if it came from the Jets. Although luring Brees away from New Orleans was a Hail Mary, the Jets had to give it a shot given the uninspiring lot of backup options.

Since losing out on the top QBs in this year’s market, the Jets have re-upped Josh McCown and may still be eyeing Teddy Bridgewater. Brees, meanwhile, is back in New Orleans and ready to take another run at a Super Bowl ring.

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