- The Saints have expressed interest in bringing back Sterling Moore, Herbie Teope of NOLA.com reports. Moore said last month he was certain mutual interest existed between he and the Saints, and there now appears to be something to that. The 26-year-old corner helped stabilize a ravaged New Orleans cornerback group, one that lost Delvin Breaux for much of the season and P.J. Williams for nearly all of it. Moore played on a one-year deal in New Orleans last season after bouncing from the Patriots to the Cowboys to the Buccaneers between 2011-15. PFF tabbed Moore as the Saints’ top corner last season.
The Eagles have been connected to Brandin Cooks for some time. Eyeing the eventual Saints wide receiver in 2014 draft, Philadelphia tried to trade for the speedster before the deadline last year, Jeff McLane of Philly.com reports. Both the Eagles and Titans have been connected to the fourth-year wideout, who will have two more years left on his rookie contract after his fifth-year option is picked up. The Eagles were also connected to 49ers wideout Torrey Smith prior to the 2016 trade deadline. They did not end up making a trade, but wide receiver looms at or near the top of Philly’s wish list going into the 2017 offseason.
Teams are calling on Brandin Cooks, but it will cost quite a bit to pry him away from the Saints. New Orleans wants a first-round pick in exchange for the explosive wide receiver, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
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On Thursday, we learned that the Titans and Eagles are both pursuing a Cooks deal. Reportedly, there are two scenarios floating around with regards to a potential Titans deal. One would have the Titans swap their No. 5 overall selection with the Saints’ No. 11 pick with one or two additional picks going to New Orleans. Alternatively, the Titans could send their No. 18 overall pick to the Saints in a simpler deal. Head coach Sean Payton said that it would take something “real significant” for the team to part ways with the 23-year-old (24 in September) and it doesn’t sound like he was kidding.
Cooks currently has a very team-friendly contract, but he will push for a hefty contract extension wherever he goes, Rapoport tweets. Cooks has a modest base salary of $1.56MM for 2017 with a fifth-year option worth $8.5MM for 2018. However, the wide receiver is going to want a deal that puts him near the top of his position.
On all fronts, acquiring Cooks would be costly for any interested team. Alshon Jeffery and Kenny Stills would also cost a ton, but teams won’t have to sacrifice a first-round choice for either player.
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Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks is drawing trade interest from multiple teams, but it would take something “real significant” for New Orleans to deal the 23-year-old, head coach Sean Payton told the team’s website (video link). Still, Payton didn’t deny that talks have taken place and he says the Saints are “always listening,” particularly when there are opportunities to improve their defense.
- Discussions about a potential extension for Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro aren’t expected until later this summer, Nick Underhill of The Advocate tweets.
Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks is the object of trade talks and the Titans and Eagles are two of the interested suitors, league sources tell Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Titans appear to be the more likely destination for him, one source says (Twitter link), but two other sources have conflicting opinions on the matter (link).
[RELATED: Titans, Eagles Interested In Alshon Jeffery]
Back in December, we first heard that the Saints could explore a Cooks deal. Now, on the eve of free agency, that seems to be coming to fruition. Both the Titans and Eagles are known to be looking for wide receivers and it’s little surprise that both teams are also in the mix for Alshon Jeffery. If one of the two clubs nabs Cooks via trade, that could help facilitate a Jeffery signing for the other team.
One scenario, Mortensen writes, would be for the the Titans to send their No. 18 overall pick to New Orleans for Cooks in a one-for-one swap. Another scenario, sources say, has the Titans swapping the No. 5 overall selection with the Saints’ No. 11 pick for Cooks, perhaps with another pick or two also involved.
At one point last year, Cooks felt his role in the offense was slipping and he was rather vocal about it. Apparently, his declaration that “closed mouths don’t get fed” had some validity. When all was said and done, Cooks finished with 117 targets, just 12 less than he had in 2015.
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.
Although talk of a Cooks deal has been brewing for a while, it’s a bit surprising to hear that the Saints might bail on the talented receiver. After all, he still has two years to go on his current deal at a rather affordable rate. This year, he’ll earn a base salary of $1.56MM. Then, there’s a fifth-year option on him worth about $8.5MM for 2018.
In addition to Cooks, the Saints also have Michael Thomas, Willie Snead, and Brandon Coleman on the depth chart. Thomas, a rising sophomore, could be elevated to the WR1 role, but the Saints would probably need to add another impact wide receiver if they were to trade Cooks.
- Reserve defensive end Darryl Tapp made it clear Wednesday that he wants to re-sign with the Saints, relays Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. Tapp’s agent and the Saints have engaged in discussions about a new deal. The 32-year-old journeyman just finished his first season in New Orleans, where he started in two of 16 appearances.
On Wednesday, we learned that the 2017 salary cap will be set at roughly $167MM. However, every team’s number will be different depending on how much money each team elects to rollover from the previous season.
Courtesy of the NFLPA, we now have the total cap numbers for all 32 clubs. Here they are, listed by division and in descending order:
AFC East
- Dolphins – $175.36MM
- Patriots – $171.29
- Bills – $169.84MM
- Jets – $167.37MM
AFC North
- Browns – $217.12MM
- Bengals – $173.58MM
- Steelers – $170.27MM
- Ravens – $169.55MM
AFC South
- Jaguars – $206.31
- Titans – $191.05MM
- Colts – $173.61MM
- Texans – $171.94MM
AFC West
- Raiders – $175MM
- Broncos – $174.24MM
- Chiefs – $172MM
- Chargers – $167.11MM
NFC East
- Redskins – $182.06MM
- Eagles – $174.93MM
- Cowboys – $169.4MM
- Giants – $168.8MM
NFC North
- Bears – $175.1MM
- Packers – $174.98MM
- Lions – $171.73MM
- Vikings – $167.4MM
NFC South
- Panthers – $180.21MM
- Saints – $172.75MM
- Buccaneers – $172.33MM
- Falcons – $167.93MM
NFC West
- 49ers – $205.71MM
- Cardinals – $171.4MM
- Seahawks – $169.07MM
- Rams – $167.3MM
The Saints will release safety Jairus Byrd on the first day of the league year, March 9, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). If it doesn’t designate Byrd as a post-June 1 cut, New Orleans will save $3.2MM in 2017 by moving on from Byrd, but it’ll also be on the hook for $8MM in dead money. Should the Saints use the June designation, though, it would free up $7.8MM in space for this year.
Byrd joined the Saints as a free agent in 2014, when he inked a six-year, $56MM deal featuring $28MM in guarantees. The gamble didn’t go according to plan for the Saints, as Byrd was unable to consistently flash the star-caliber ability he often showed in Buffalo from 2009-13. Byrd made three Pro Bowls and intercepted a whopping 22 passes in 73 games during his five-year stretch with the Bills. However, he totaled just three picks in three years in New Orleans, where he appeared in 33 games and made 32 starts.
To his credit, the 30-year-old Byrd is coming off his first 16-start season since 2012. He picked up 82 tackles and two interceptions in the process, and his performance ranked a middle-of-the-pack 46th among Pro Football Focus‘ 89 qualified safeties. He’ll now head back to the open market as one of the most established safeties available in a class of free agents that could also include the likes of Tony Jefferson, Duron Harmon and Barry Church, among others.
- The Saints have waived offensive lineman Avery Young, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Young, 24, went undrafted out of Auburn in 2016, and ended up spending the entirety of his rookie campaign on the non-football injury list.