New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Patriots’ Butler, Rams’ Johnson Staying Put

April 24th, 2017 at 9:36am CST by Zachary Links

Two of the league’s top cornerbacks have been the subject of trade rumors this offseason, but it sounds like both players will be staying put for 2017. The Patriots are unlikely to move Malcolm Butler and the Rams are unlikely to trade Trumaine Johnson, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).

The Saints and Butler have agreed to terms on multi-year deal in the event that a trade can be completed, but the two teams are too far apart on compensation to get a trade done. Realistically, any trade would have to come together before this week’s draft since the Patriots do not want to deal the cornerback for 2018 draft compensation. The Saints, meanwhile, are very high on the talent in this year’s class and want to hold on to their first three picks. The clock is ticking and things have not progressed enough over the last six weeks for a deal to come together, so it sounds like the Butler drama will be put on hold until March of next year.

The Rams, meanwhile, have pivoted away from trade talks and are now mulling the possibility of an extension for Johnson. Johnson, 27, is now scheduled to earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $16.742MM after being hit with a second consecutive franchise tender. An extension would allow Los Angeles to smooth out that cap hit over the next few years. The Rams were discussing Johnson with “multiple teams” when free agency started, but the Browns are the only club to really get linked to him.

Malcolm Butler Trade Appears Unlikely

April 24th, 2017 at 9:26am CST by Zachary Links

Someone familiar with the Saints‘ thinking believes they are leaning towards keeping their first three picks rather than using them to acquire Malcolm Butler from the Patriots, Peter King of The MMQB writes. The team remains interested in the cornerback, but they believe that there are a number of players ranked between No. 25 and 75 on their board that can contribute immediately. The thought of trading one or more picks for Butler in addition to giving him a high-priced deal is not as attractive as it once was for New Orleans. The Saints presently own five picks in the first three rounds: Nos. 11, 32, 42, 76, and 103.

Saints Could Obtain Malcolm Butler For Package Involving Second-Round Pick?

April 23rd, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

If a Malcolm Butler trade is going to occur, it will likely take place this week and come down to whether the Saints are ready to surrender their No. 32 overall pick or submit a proposal of a package involving their second-rounder (No. 42), Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes. Butler signed his $3.91MM RFA tender earlier this week to pave the way for a trade and Saints/Patriots talks continue, but it’s uncertain if the Saints want to unload a high draft pick and pay the 27-year-old Butler like a top-tier cornerback. Reiss gets the feeling the Patriots won’t have an issue with Butler playing on the RFA tender this season, as they would be able to fetch a compensatory pick after the season if/when Butler departs as a UFA in that scenario.

Patriots, Saints Continue To Talk Malcolm Butler Trade

April 21st, 2017 at 10:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints and Patriots expect to continue exploring a Malcolm Butler trade, but the two sides simply might not be able to agree on trade compensation, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). JLC suggests that the Patriots’ demands for Butler could be altered by a Jimmy Garoppolo trade, but it’s not clear if that comes from first-hand knowledge of team thinking or if that is just speculative.

A deal could be hard to swing since it would likely require the Saints to pay Butler like a top cornerback and sacrifice significant draft compensation. Meanwhile, this is a strong class for cornerbacks and the secondary as a whole. The Patriots have been wheelin’ and dealin’ this offseason, but ultimately they have the option of standing pat and retaining Butler at a $3.91MM salary for the 2017 season. The Patriots are still open to a deal, as today’s report indicates, but they’re not necessarily motivated sellers and they won’t take pennies on the dollar.

The Patriots might place a draft-day deadline on talks as they may not be interested in taking on 2018 picks as compensation. That means the Butler-to-the-Saints saga (at least, for 2017) could soon be put to rest in a matter of days.

Opinion: Saints Should Trade For Malcolm Butler

April 18th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The fact that quarterback Drew Brees is entering his age-38 season is a good reason for the Saints to swing a deal for New England cornerback Malcolm Butler, argues Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Butler would occupy a hefty chunk of New Orleans’ cap room with an extension and would likely cost the team the 32nd overall pick, but he’s young enough (27) and has proven enough to make a trade a worthwhile move for a win-now team whose best player, Brees, might not have much time left, Triplett suggests. Butler signed his restricted free agent tender Tuesday, making him eligible for a trade. The Saints have shown significant interest in Butler this spring, even engaging in productive contract talks with him last month.

Saints Notes: Bolles, Kikaha

April 18th, 2017 at 5:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints recently put Utah offensive tackle Garett Bolles through a workout, reports Herbie Teope of NOLA.com. New Orleans had also hoped to bring in Bolles for a predraft visit, but Bolles’ packed schedule didn’t allow him time to meet with the Saints. Bolles could be on the board when New Orleans picks at No.11, and as Josh Katzenstein of the Times-Picayune tweets, offensive tackle is an underrated need area for the club. Incumbent left tackle Terron Armstead has had trouble staying healthy, while right tackle Zach Strief is entering his age-33 season.
Saints edge rusher Hau’oli Kikaha took part in offseason workouts today, tweets Katzenstein, an excellent sign after Kikaha missed the entire 2016 campaign with a torn ACL. Kikaha, who also suffered two ACL injuries in college, appeared in 15 games and made 11 starts for New Orleans during his rookie season in 2015. In that time, the 24-year-old racked up four sacks, 50 total tackles, two passes defended, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. The Saints are desperate for another pass rusher to play opposite Cameron Jordan, and Kikaha could present that option.

Saints, Willie Snead Working On New Deal

April 17th, 2017 at 1:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Wide receiver Willie Snead is attending Saints offseason workouts despite not technically being under contract, reports Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. Snead hasn’t yet signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, and is discussing a “more lucrative” deal with New Orleans, per Katzenstein.

As an exclusive rights free agent, Snead essentially has no other options than to sign his tender and play for the Saints in 2017. That tender will pay him at or near the minimum salary level, but New Orleans could conceivably reward him for his play by upping his salary. The Saints are under no obligation to do so, however, and such a move would simply be a show of good will. Snead is also eligible for a multi-year extension after only two NFL seasons given that he was originally an undrafted free agent.

Snead, 24, has been a revelation for the Saints since entering the league out of Ball State in 2015. In two seasons in New Orleans, Snead has averaged 70 receptions for 940 yards and four touchdowns. He’ll return as one of the Saints’ top receivers in 2017 alongside Michael Thomas, filling the void left by the Brandin Cooks trade.

Without an extension, Snead will become a restricted free agent in 2018 and an unrestricted free agent in 2019.

Latest On Marshon Lattimore, Gareon Conley

April 16th, 2017 at 8:37am CST by Dallas Robinson

NFL clubs are beginning to worry about the fragility of Ohio State Marshon Lattimore‘s hamstrings, and have concerns about him staying healthy for a full season, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Those injury issues could push Lattimore down draft boards, and may lead to him falling outside the top 10 picks.

Lattimore had been widely viewed as the draft’s No. 1 corner prospect, and was expected to be selected first among that strong position group. In PFR’s first mock draft of 2017, I sent Lattimore to the Bears at pick No. 3. The Titans, too, have shown a good deal of interest in Lattimore and are not expected to pass on him if he falls to pick No. 5.

But those hamstring issues may affect Lattimore’s stock — his hamstring tightened up during the scouting combine in March, and he had similar problems during his time with the Buckeyes. Those problems — and the fact Lattimore is only a one-year starter — could lead to the rise of his Ohio State teammate, fellow cornerback Gareon Conley.

Conley is considered a safer pick than Lattimore, and may now be overtaking the latter as this year’s No. 1 CB. The Jaguars will host Conley for a visit on Monday, reports Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com, who adds the Titans and Saints have also exhibited “a lot” of interest in Conley. NFL teams like Conley’s “work ethic and temperament,” per Pauline, and feels he’s ready to play in the pros immediately.

Saints Notes: Fournette, Foster, Vaccaro

April 14th, 2017 at 5:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

LSU running back Leonard Fournette was on hand Friday for the Saints‘ local pro day, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Fournette didn’t go through workouts, however, tweets Herbie Teope of NOLA.com. Barring something unexpected, odds are the Saints won’t emerge from Round 1 with Fournette. They’re set to pick 11th, while Fournette appears likely to come off the board in the top five.

Fournette isn’t the only running back the Saints have discussed. Continuing a candid offseason, Sean Payton offered effusive praise for Christian McCaffrey to the extent of giving the Stanford dual-threat back a hypothetical role in his offense.

“I’ve got a crystal-clear vision of the player. He’d be like Darren Sproles, Reggie Bush for us, kind of the Joker role. But I think you have to have him on a pitch count,” Payton told TheMMQB.com’s Peter King (via Nick Underhill of The Advocate).

McCaffrey has not visited the Saints, and this is full-on smokescreen time. But if nothing else, Payton would have an apparent fit for McCaffrey alongside Mark Ingram. The fast-rising McCaffrey’s stock could force a trade-up from the Saints’ first selection window, but the team is believed to be focused on continuing their defensive rebuild.

Here’s more out of New Orleans.

Adrian Peterson wouldn’t appear to complement Ingram as well as McCaffrey could, being a run-centric veteran, but a 1-2 punch between Ingram and Peterson is still possible, per Underhill. Peterson would serve as Ingram’s backup in this arrangement, Underhill writes, to the point that the Saints might not be inclined to give Peterson more than Ingram’s $3.7MM salary for 2017. Peterson’s New Orleans visit reportedly went well.
In addition to a meeting with Zach Cunningham, the Saints met with SEC linebackers Reuben Foster and Kendell Beckwith, Underhill reports. New Orleans also met with UCLA edge defender Takkarist McKinley. Beckwith (LSU), McKinley and Cunningham (Vanderbilt) joined Foster during his meeting with the Saints last week. Underhill reports Foster’s meeting went well. The Saints drafted Stephone Anthony two years ago to potentially man that spot, but the experiment hasn’t gone well and has led to Anthony moving to the strong side. The team remains in search of a long-term cog at that spot. The Saints would reportedly “love” to draft Foster at No. 11.
An Adderall-induced suspension led to Kenny Vaccaro‘s stock falling a bit last season, but the fourth-year safety wanted to assure Payton such a mishap wouldn’t again occur. “It was selfish of me, and I’m just mad I couldn’t be out there with my teammates. I’ll never do that again,” Vaccaro said, via The Advocate. “I think the Saints knew that. Coach Payton was real cool about the whole process. I think he knew it was an honest mistake.” The safety wants to sign a long-term extension to stay in Louisiana, but those talks aren’t expected to commence until the summer.

Connor Byrne contributed to this report.

Saints Draft Rumors: Foster, Humphrey

April 14th, 2017 at 1:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints “would love” to select Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster at No. 11, per Miller. Otherwise, New Orleans is a possible destination for one of Foster’s college teammates, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, as are the Titans and Ravens.

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