New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Saints To Sign Larry Warford

March 9th, 2017 at 2:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints have agreed to sign free agent guard Larry Warford, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. It’s a four-year deal worth $34MM ($17MM guaranteed), reports Rapoport (via Twitter).

New Orleans was also in the running for Kevin Zeitler, a sure sign the club was hoping to improve the interior of its offensive line. Given that quarterback Drew Brees is on the shorter side, keeping him away from interior pressure is key, and a central factor in why the Saints have always invested in guard play. Warford will slot in at right guard opposite former first-round pick Andrus Peat, with Max Unger at center.

Warford, 25, is a former second-round pick, and though he’s been a full-time starter for the entirety of his career, he’s never been able to match the production exhibited during his rookie campaign. In 2016, for example, Warford started 15 games for the Lions and graded as the league’s No. 20 guard, per Pro Football Focus. That’s solid production, to be sure, but not evident of the elite level of talent Warford displayed in 2013.

Detroit was hoping to retain Warford, who ranks as PFR’s No. 4 free agent guard and No. 21 free agent overall. Instead, the Lions have now lost Warford and aren’t likely to re-sign fellow free agent offensive lineman Riley Reiff. Detroit hasn’t stopped paying for offensive lineman, however, as the team made Ricky Wagner the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle yesterday.

Warford’s addition in New Orleans likely signals the end of veteran Jahri Evans‘ run with the Saints. Evans, who had spent 11 season with New Orleans, only plays right guard, so he probably wouldn’t make sense even as a backup option.

Eagles Out On Brandin Cooks; Pats, Titans In

March 9th, 2017 at 11:09am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints are expected to trade Brandin Cooks by the end of the day, and the Patriots and Titans both remain in contention for the wide receiver, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. The Eagles aren’t mentioned in Rapoport’s report, and are presumably out on Cooks after signing Torrey Smith earlier today.

The Patriots are thought to be mulling a trade of cornerback Malcolm Butler for Cooks, although the Saints may want even more. A package that includes a defensive contributor plus a draft pick is thought to be the asking price for Cooks. New England has also previously offered its first-round pick (No. 32) for Cooks, but the offer was reportedly rebuffed. At one point, the Titans were thought to be in the lead for Cooks, but it’s unclear exactly what they offered.

In 2016, Cooks caught 78 passes for 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns. His yards-per-reception average of 15.0 was a career high and his 66.7% catch rate was a slight step up from his 2015 showing.

Saints To Sign WR Ted Ginn Jr.

March 9th, 2017 at 10:53am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have plucked two players from the rival Panthers in a matter of minutes. Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. will be signing with New Orleans, according to Dianna Russini‏ of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The team announced that the wideout has been signed to a three-year deal.

Ginn, 32 in April, hasn’t quite justified his selection at No. 9 overall in 2007. However, he has bounced back in the last two years with Carolina. In 2015, he had 44 catches for 739 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. Last season, he had 54 grabs for 752 yards and four scores.

On Thursday morning, the Saints also signed linebacker A.J. Klein away from Carolina.

This move could signal a more seismic transaction from the Saints, because they now have four notable contributors at wide receiver in Ginn, Brandin Cooks, Michael Thomas and Willie Snead. Cooks, though, has been the subject of incessant trade rumors for over a week now despite having produced consistently in New Orleans. The 23-year-old talent has griped about his role in the offense, and as the 2016 season went on, Thomas showed he could have the makeup of a No. 1 receiver in the future.

The Saints and Patriots are reportedly discussing a Cooks-for-Malcolm Butler swap of players in the final year of their rookie contracts. Although, Cooks — being a former first-rounder — has a fifth-year option. Butler will need to be extended soon to give the Saints value in that deal.

Saints To Sign LB A.J. Klein

March 9th, 2017 at 10:46am CST by Zachary Links

The Saints are signing linebacker A.J. Klein, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Saints have been prioritizing defensive help this offseason, particularly help in the front seven.

Klein might not be the only defensive pickup the Saints make today if the rumored Malcolm Butler-for-Brandon Cooks deal is completed.

Klein was said to be seeking a starting job this offseason. He will move on from the Panthers after playing alongside the likes of Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis and join a Saints team that’s had issues at this position. Former first-round pick Stephone Anthony has not been able to provide clear evidence he’s going to be a long-term answer, and the Saints moved him from middle ‘backer to the strong side in the offseason.

A 25-year-old fifth-year player, Klein will join a linebacking corps that houses Anthony, Dannell Ellerbe and Craig Robertson. Kuechly’s 2016 injury opened the door for more Klein playing time; he made seven starts but only accumulated 29 tackles. As a part-time starter in 2014-15, Klein made 39 and 48 stops, respectively, while vacillating from the middle to the outside in Carolina’s 4-3 scheme. New Orleans pivoted back to a 4-3 look recently, so Klein won’t have as steep of a learning curve as he would going to a 3-4 team.

Pats To Trade Butler To Saints For Cooks?

March 9th, 2017 at 9:20am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots are considering trading cornerback Malcolm Butler to the Saints for Brandin Cooks, sources tell Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Patriots have been in pursuit of Cooks for the last week or so, reportedly offering their No. 32 overall pick for Cooks in a race alongside the Eagles and Titans. New Orleans has received several offers of second-round picks for the swift pass-catcher.

Earlier today, the Patriots shocked the football world by signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore in free agency. That move may give them the freedom to trade Butler, a restricted free agent. Butler was tagged with the first-round tender this week. It remains to be seen how unrestricted free agent Logan Ryan factors into all of this, but the early word was that Ryan would probably wind up elsewhere with Gilmore in the fold.

This potential swap would give the Saints a true difference-maker on defense, something they have been seeking in Cooks talks. The Saints were also in search of significant draft compensation (namely, a first-round pick in this year’s draft), and it remains to be seen whether there could also be picks coming in their direction. The Saints still want a quality defensive starter, plus draft picks over the next two years, sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Butler has seen his star rise steadily after emerging via one of the most impactful plays in NFL history – his goal-line interception of Russell Wilson in Super Bowl XLIX. He became a key Patriots starter in 2015 once the team moved on from Darrelle Revis and in ’16, Butler finished as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7 overall corner. The Pats plan to use a first-round tender on the fourth-year corner, who would potentially exceed New England’s price range in 2018 if he puts the team in a franchise tag-or-free agency decision.

He of back-to-back 1,100-yard receiving seasons, Cooks would bring the kind of high-end young wideout the Patriots have not employed in years. While the team has gotten by with perceived lesser talents just fine, adding the 23-year-old Cooks would strengthen this offense in Tom Brady‘s final years. New England can no longer count on Rob Gronkowski to be healthy and will lose Martellus Bennett to free agency. Julian Edelman will also be 31 in 2017, putting the team in the market for a younger pass-catcher. Cooks would come with a modest $1.56MM price tag in 2017, but after a fifth-year option season at approximately $8.5MM, could enter eight-figure-per-year territory on his next contract as the cap continues to skyrocket.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Jaguars Out On Kevin Zeitler; Down To Saints, Browns

March 9th, 2017 at 9:17am CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are out of the running for guard Kevin Zeitler, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. That means the interior lineman is likely down to two teams: the Saints and Browns. Zeitler’s AFC South destinations, with the Colts being involved as well, appear to be out.

Viewed as not only the top guard on the market but the top offensive lineman, Zeitler represents a key domino in free agency in terms of setting the market. The Browns, of course, possess more cap room here, entering Thursday with more than $100MM. Although they agreed to a deal with Kenny Britt, the Browns obviously can afford Zeitler and several other marquee free agents if they so choose. Zeitler’s price tag could run past $12MM AAV, which would be a guard record.

The Saints have prioritized this position for years in order to preserve Drew Brees‘ pocket. They have former perennial All-Pro Jahri Evans back in unrestricted free agency. New Orleans finished last season tops in total offense in 2016 and could stand to improve if it adds a lineman of Zeitler’s caliber. The Saints have more money to spend than they usually do at this time of year, but the $27MM-plus pales in comparison to the Browns’ warchest.

Once Zeitler signs, it will complete a rough defection day for the Bengals, who just saw Andrew Whitworth agree to a deal with the Rams.

Saints Interested In Kevin Zeitler

March 8th, 2017 at 10:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

As Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported earlier today, nearly every NFL front office is interested in free agent guard Kevin Zeitler. The Saints can now be added to that list, as New Orleans may pursue the soon-to-be ex-Bengals lineman, tweets Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune.

While Cincinnati has all but given up on re-signing Zeitler, the rest of the league is ready to pounce, meaning Zeitler (27 today) should be able to garner a contract in the $12MM range. Already, the Colts, Jaguars, and Browns have been linked to Zeitler, who ranks as PFR’s No. 5 overall free agent. A former first-round pick, Zeitler has started 71 games for the Bengals over the past five years, and hasn’t missed a contest in either of the past two campaigns.

If New Orleans signs Zeitler, the club would probably end any discussion of bringing veteran right guard Jahri Evans back for a 12th season. While the Saints could conceivably ink both guards and move Andrus Peat to right tackle, such a shift would be overly complicated and difficult, especially given that neither Zeitler nor Evans has ever played on the left side.

NFC Rumors: Rams, 49ers, Lions, Saints

March 8th, 2017 at 9:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Rams are receiving “significant interest” as they attempt to trade franchise-tagged cornerback Trumaine Johnson, per Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). As of yet, the only club to be directly linked to the Johnson discussions is the Browns, and even that report from Ian Rapoport of NFL.com was seemingly tangential and not indicative of definitive interest. Johnson is set to earn nearly $17MM in 2017 under his second consecutive franchise tender.

Here’s more from the NFC:

Free agent defensive tackle Terrell McClain is generating “a lot of interest” from the 49ers, writes Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. McClain is coming off the best season of his career, as he started more 12 or more games for the first time since 2012. In 15 starts, McClain put up 39 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He’s also been linked to Atlanta, Seattle, Washington, and Miami.
The Lions reached out to offensive tackle Mike Remmers before signing Ricky Wagner, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Remmers isn’t an elite tackle like Wagner, but he can play both the left and right side and has started 32 games for Carolina over the past two seasons. He rates as PFR’s No. 10 free agent offensive tackle.
Although the Saints have interest in retaining linebacker Michael Mauti, a deal may not come together until later in free agency, according to Joel Erickson of the Advocate (Twitter link). Mauti, 27, played in eight games for New Orleans last season before being placed on the NFI list with an intestinal issue. While he’s not a contributor on defense, Mauti did play 35% of the Saints’ special teams snaps despite only managing a half-season.
The meeting between the Vikings and controversial running back prospect Joe Mixon went “very well,” tweets Matt Miller of Bleacher Report. Mixon will meet with the Raiders next, per Miller, after posting a successful Pro Day this afternoon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/8/17

March 8th, 2017 at 2:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Shiloh Keo will re-sign with a team for the second straight offseason. This year, the Saints made a move to re-up the safety, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets. A former Texans draft pick, Keo caught on with the eventual 2015 Super Bowl champion Broncos late that season and re-signed in Denver in the subsequent offseason. The Broncos cut Keo while he was serving a two-game suspension for a personal conduct violation, leading to the Saints adding him. The 29-year-old defender played in 10 games for the Broncos and Saints in 2016 and recovered three fumbles while failing to record a tackle.
The Patriots are planning to re-sign tight end Michael Williams, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Williams saw action for the 2015 Patriots but missed their latest Super Bowl season because of a torn ACL.
The Bills did not offer an RFA tender to punter Colton Schmidt but instead reached an agreement to re-sign him, Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports. Rodak estimates Schmidt will be brought back at a lower cost instead of at the RFA low-round tender rate of nearly $2MM. A fourth-year player, Schmidt made $600K last season.
Another Bills transaction involves the team parting ways with a long-tenured wide receiver. Buffalo cut Marcus Easley, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. Affiliated with the Bills since they drafted him in the fourth round in 2010, Easley missed the entire 2016 season after suffering a severe knee injury late in the 2015 campaign. He spent several seasons as one of Buffalo’s top special-teamers. Buffalo announced the move as a post-June 1 release.
The Chargers have agreed to a four-year, $4.41MM extension with long snapper Mike Windt, tweets Michael Gehlken. Windt, who has appeared in 100 games with the Chargers, received a $600K signing bonus.

Saints Meet With Joe Mixon Pre-Pro Day

March 8th, 2017 at 9:32am CST by Zachary Links

Between Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon is set to meet with 24 teams in total as a part of his pro day gauntlet, Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets. Mixon met with the Bengals, Browns, Lions and Saints on Tuesday night, per Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (via Twitter), in advance of what will be a critical showcase for the controversial running back.
Chris Banjo‘s two-year deal with the Saints will pay him $2.6MM with another $500K available through incentives, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

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