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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

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.

Ravens In Mix For Jimmy Graham?

March 13th, 2018 at 12:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jimmy Graham has drawn interest from both the Packers and Saints, but the Ravens are also believed to be pursuing the former All-Pro tight end.

Graham is on the Ravens’ radar, but Jeff Zreibec of the Baltimore Sun tweets they are likely not the favorites and could be fighting an uphill battle. This is presumably due to the Ravens’ cap situation compared to the Packers’ and Saints’.

The 31-year-old tight end has drawn interest from the Drew Brees– and Aaron Rodgers-centered teams and would make for an interesting component for two franchises with stacked offenses. Baltimore’s setup is less certain, and the Ravens do not have nearly as much cap space as their reported Graham competitors do.

Despite Graham having not quite been as good for the Seahawks as he was for the Saints, he was still a top-tier red zone option last season. He caught 10 touchdowns — his fourth season with double-digit scores — but averaged a career-low 9.1 yards per catch. But it appears the ninth-year pass-catcher still has a competitive market as a first-time UFA.

Baltimore has cycled through tight ends over the past few years, with injuries playing a key role in that rotation. Graham would represent a clear upgrade from the incumbents.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/13/18

March 13th, 2018 at 9:35am CST by Dallas Robinson

Here are today’s restricted free agent and exclusive-rights free agent tender decisions, with the list being updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:

RFAs

Tendered at original round level ($1.907MM):

Non-tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

Non-tendered:

Saints Will Not Tender CB Delvin Breaux

March 13th, 2018 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

Saints do not plan to tender restricted free agent Delvin Breaux, a source tells Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). The cornerback is now set to hit the unrestricted free agent market on Wednesday. 

Breaux has had an up-and-down tenure with the Saints. He was stellar in 2015, grading out as a high-end starter per Pro Football Focus’ metrics. However, he did not deliver an encore in 2016 and his 2017 season was lost to injury.

In October, the Saints designated Breaux to return from IR. He began practicing, kickstarting a three-week window for the team to place him on the 53-man roster. However, a setback required an extra 3-6 weeks of recovery and the Saints were unwilling to tie up a roster spot as he got the required rest. The Saints did not activate him within the window, meaning that his season was done.

Given his background, the CFL star turned NFL notable should have a ripe market for his services. However, since this is an unusually deep market for cornerbacks, he may have to wait until some of the bigger names find their homes.

Meanwhile, the Saints are planning to use the lowest tender on restricted free agent wide receiver Willie Snead. Given his performance in 2015 and 2016, it seems likely that another team will scoop him up.

Saints Use Lowest Tender On WR Willie Snead

March 13th, 2018 at 9:19am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have tendered restricted free agent wide receiver Willie Snead at the lowest level ($1.907MM), a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). New Orleans will have the first right of refusal, but there will be no draft compensation for the Saints in the event of an unmatched offer sheet

Snead, 26 in October, was hardly a factor in the Saints’ offense last year. However, he averaged 70 catches for 940 yards and four touchdowns over the previous two seasons. Last year, as an exclusive rights free agent, he pushed for an an amended contract and didn’t get it. Now, he’s a long way from that big-money contract he wanted, but there should still be a market for his services.

New Orleans has two locked-in receivers in Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn, but the club could see a bit of overhaul on its wideout depth chart. In addition to Snead, wide receiver Brandon Coleman is also a restricted free agent.

In other Saints news, the team has decided against a tender for restricted free agent cornerback Delvin Breaux. Breaux, a former CFL standout, turned in a strong season for the Saints in 2015. Unfortunately, things tailed off from that point and he lost his entire 2017 season to injury.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie To Visit Redskins, Saints

March 13th, 2018 at 9:18am CST by Dallas Robinson

Free agent defensive back Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will meet with the Redskins today, and is scheduled to visit the Saints next, according to Ian Rapoport of NFLcom (Twitter link).

Last year, Rodgers-Cromartie earned a 77.2 overall score from Pro Football Focus, his lowest showing since 2012. He graded out as the 58th ranked cornerback in the NFL, portraying him as someone who is on the fringe of starter quality. His on-field performance was the least of his issues, however.

Rodgers-Cromartie clashed with former coach Ben McAdoo last week – apparently, on four separate occasions – before being suspended “indefinitely” for conduct detrimental to the team. He was brought back after just one game, but his outbursts were an indicator of a much deeper problem in the Giants’ locker room.

In both Washington and New Orleans, Rodgers-Cromartie would offer immediate improvement in the slot. The Redskins, notably, dealt their slot corner — Kendall Fuller — when acquiring quarterback Alex Smith earlier this year.

Saints, Drew Brees Agree To Two-Year Deal

March 13th, 2018 at 8:53am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints have agreed to a two-year deal with quarterback Drew Brees, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The new pact is worth $50MM and contains $27MM in guarantees. The deal is technically for three years and $70MM, but the 2020 season will void and is in place only for salary cap purposes, tweets Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Additionally the 2019 season is an option year, and the deal contains a full no-trade clause, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Brees’ current contract with New Orleans will void on March 14, the first day of the 2018 league year, and if no new deal had been reached, the Saints would have incurred $18MM in dead money on their salary cap. By hammering out an extension, the Saints will keep that dead money total at a relatively manageable $6MM in 2018 while retaining their franchise quarterback.

Although he was allowed to speak to other clubs beginning on Monday, Brees was never seriously expected to leave New Orleans. However, he did reportedly speak with the quarterback-needy Vikings, which could have given him a bit of leverage in talks with the Saints.

While Brees didn’t post his typically gaudy offensive statistics in 2017, that was largely by design, as he attempted only 536 pass attempts, his lowest in a full 16-game slate since 2005 (his final year with the Chargers). New Orleans built an offense that doesn’t have to fully rely on Brees, as the club ranked first in rushing DVOA and second in pressure rate allowed. Buoyed by Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara, and a strong offensive line, Brees ranked second in passer rating and adjusted net yards per attempt, and third in Football Outsiders‘ DVOA, which measures value on a per-play basis.

Brees expressed his desire to return to the Saints following their loss to the Vikings in the NFC Divisional playoffs. A contract that will give Brees $25MM annually will match Raiders quarterback Derek Carr in terms of average annual salary for third among NFL players, placing him behind Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford ($27MM) and 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo ($27.5MM).

Saints, Drew Brees Working On Two-Year Deal

March 13th, 2018 at 8:32am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints and quarterback Drew Brees are working on a two-year deal that could be completed today, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Brees’ current contract with New Orleans will void on March 14, the first day of the 2018 league year, and if no new deal is reached, the Saints will incur $18MM in dead money on their salary cap. By hammering out an extension, the Saints will keep that dead money total at a relatively manageable $6MM in 2018 while retaining their franchise quarterback.

Vikings Reach Out To Drew Brees

March 12th, 2018 at 3:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have called on Drew Brees, a league source tells Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Brees, of course, is widely expected to re-sign with the Saints, but he is technically available and Minnesota plans to leave no stone unturned. Other QB-needy teams have also reached out to Brees, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).

The Vikings’ top target in free agency is reportedly Kirk Cousins. But, with several other teams after him, including the cash-flush Jets, the Vikings are exploring backup plans. Realistically, their best Plan B may be their own free agent, Case Keenum, but they may prefer to have Brees if possible.

At least two teams in pursuit of Cousins are reportedly willing to give him a three-year, fully guaranteed contract. It’s unclear as to whether the Vikings are one of those clubs. If they’re not willing to give him that unprecedented deal, then they may have to settle for other QB options. “Settling” for Brees would not be a bad outcome for the Vikings at all as he is arguably the better QB for the here and now.

Brees is 39, but he’s coming off of another spectacular season. In 2017, Brees completed a league-leading 72% of his passes with 4,334 yards and 23 touchdowns against just eight interceptions. You don’t need advanced metrics to gauge his value, but Brees graded out as the second-best quarterback in the NFL last season, behind only Tom Brady.

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