Saints Had Interest In CB A.J. Bouye
The Saints expressed interest in cornerback A.J. Bouye during the NFL’s two-day legal tampering period, according to Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). It’s unclear how aggressively New Orleans pursued Bouye after that stretch, and Bouye eventually agreed to a five-year deal with the Jaguars.
Despite ranking 29th in DVOA against the pass in 2016, the Saints haven’t yet added a corner in free agency, but given that the club targeted Bouye (and Marcus Cooper) last week, it’s clear New Oreans is attempting to augment its secondary. The Saints haven’t given up on bringing in new defensive back talent, as the team is currently engaged in discussions with Patriots restricted free agent corner Malcolm Butler.
While the Saints have been active this offseason by signing Nick Fairley, Larry Warford, Ted Ginn, A.J. Klein, and others, Bouye would have been a much more significant addition, as the former Texans cornerback landed $67.5MM and $26MM guaranteed from Jacksonville. New Orleans was reportedly interested in the top available corner in 2016, as well, as the club targeted Josh Norman after his franchise tag was rescinded.
Contract Details: Foles, Carr, Poe, Cowboys
Here’s a fun fact from Albert Breer of The MMQB (Twitter links): Of the 155 free-agent contracts that have been filed since March 9, only 23 have more than $3MM fully guaranteed in post-2017 money. In essence, that means 85.2% of the contracts done over the last ten days are one-year deals with team options.
Now for the latest contract details:
- Cornerback Brandon Carr‘s four-year, $23MM Ravens contract comes with $6MM in 2017 – most of which is by way of a $4MM signing bonus – and then the Ravens will have a 2018 team option, reports Breer (on Twitter).
- Falcons defensive tackle Dontari Poe‘s one-year, $8MM accord features a $500K signing bonus and incentives for playing time, sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance (Twitter link via Breer).
- Quarterback Nick Foles‘ previously reported two-year, $11MM deal with the Eagles is actually a five-year, $27.5MM pact, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. However, the final three years of the contract will void if Foles is still on Philadelphia’s roster 23 days before the start of the 2019 league year. The arrangement comes with $5MM in incentives and an esclator for 2018 worth as much as $6MM (Twitter links).
- Panthers defensive tackle Kyle Love‘s two-year contract is worth $2.2MM and features a few bonuses – $200K for signing, $25K for workouts and $10K per game active – as well as $500K in annual incentives, tweets Wilson.
- Cowboys running back Darren McFadden‘s one-year contract is a minimum salary benefit deal worth $980K (a salary of $900K and an $80K signing bonus). Guard Jonathan Cooper‘s single-year accord is worth $2MM and has a $31,250 bonus per game active, $500K in incentives and a $100K workout base de-esclator (Twitter links via Wilson).
- Cardinals running back/wide receiver Andre Ellington will earn a $775K base salary on his one-year agreement, tweets Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910.
- Redskins defensive tackle Ziggy Hood’s two-year, $2.7MM deal includes a $300K signing bonus, per-game active bonuses of $15,625 each, $600K in incentives and a $600K escalator. Meanwhile, the Redskins gave linebacker Chris Carter a minimum salary benefit deal worth $855K, including $775K in salary and a signing bonus of $80K, relays Wilson (Twitter links).
- Saints running back Travaris Cadet also got a minimum salary benefit contract for 2017, says Wilson (Twitter link). It’s worth $855K ($775K in salary and an $80K signing bonus).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
FA Rumors: Butler, Poe, Z. Brown, Raiders
Restricted free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler didn’t emerge from his Saints visit on Thursday with a deal, but the meeting “went well,” a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). As of now, there remains motivation on both sides to hammer out an agreement, Rapoport adds. PFR’s Zach Links laid out a few potential scenarios earlier this week involving Butler, who would surely net the Patriots a quality return in a trade.
More free agency-related news:
- The offer that defensive tackle Dontari Poe accepted from the Falcons on Thursday was worth less than the Jaguars’ proposal, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link). Before taking a one-year, $8MM deal (plus incentives) with the reigning NFC champions, Poe turned down the Jags’ fully guaranteed $9MM (and incentives). Head coach Dan Quinn was key in talking Poe into joining the Falcons, relays Anderson.
- It doesn’t appear that linebacker Zach Brown‘s powwow with the Raiders will lead to a deal, as a source told ESPN’s Adam Caplan that it “looks like a no-go right now” (Twitter link). Although Brown had a stellar 2016 with Buffalo and currently ranks as PFR’s top available linebacker, the market for his services has been tepid.
- Wide receiver Andre Holmes met with the Bills on Thursday, one day after there were reports that he had signed with them, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter). It turns out the Bills offered Holmes a three-year, $4.5MM accord, which the NFLPA accidentally documented as a done deal.
- Linebacker Dekoda Watson visited the Seahawks on Thursday, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. The 29-year-old Watson is a journeyman who has played for five teams, including the Broncos last season. He served as an integral special teams cog in Denver, which would like to re-sign him.
Latest On Saints, Malcolm Butler
The Saints are hosting Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler on his visit today and there is “momentum toward finalizing a deal before he leaves,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Butler, of course, is a restricted free agent who has been assigned the first-round tender. 
As I detailed earlier this week, there are a few potential outcomes that sprout come from the Saints’ interest. The seemingly obvious scenario of the Saints actually signing Butler to an offer sheet is probably the most unlikely of the bunch. Butler is an excellent player, but it would be surprising to see the Saints give him top cornerback money and sacrifice the No. 11 overall pick.
If Patriots coach Bill Belichick is willing to play ball (and, perhaps, circumvent the collective bargaining agreement a bit in the process), the two sides could hammer out a trade in which the Patriots sign-and-trade Butler to New Orleans. A potential deal could see the Patriots recoup the No. 32 overall pick they shipped to the Saints in the Brandin Cooks trade. That, more or less, would result in a swap of Butler and Cooks with the Saints also climbing up from No. 118 overall to No. 103.
Of course, the Patriots could also change course and get serious about a multi-year deal to keep Butler tied down and happy. With a duo of Stephon Gilmore and Butler, the Pats would have one of the best cornerback pairs in the NFL.
Draft Rumors: Eagles, Saints, Foster, Lewis
The 2017 NFL draft gets underway six weeks from tomorrow, so let’s take a quick look at the latest new and notes emerging from the draft realm:
- Both the Saints and the Eagles have decided to use one of their predraft visits on Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster, according to Herbie Teope of NOLA.com and Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com. Each NFL club will is allowed 30 predraft visits to use at their discretion. Foster, the best off-ball linebacker in the 2017 draft and a projected top-15 pick, was sent home from the combine earlier this month following an incident with a hospital worker. That dustup shouldn’t Foster’s draft stock, and Todd McShay of ESPN.com sent Foster to Cincinnati with the ninth pick in his most recent mock draft.
- Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis has been charged with misdemeanor assault following an altercation with his girlfriend, as John Counts of MLive.com writes. Lewis was never formally arrested, tweets Dan Murphy of ESPN.com, but was indeed charged later on Wednesday. Ranked just outside Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com‘s top-50 prospects, Lewis may have his draft stock affected by this charge.
- Instead of seeking a sixth year of collegiate eligibility, Southern Methodist quarterback Matt Davis will enter the draft, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Davis was injured for most of the 2016 campaign, but passed for nearly 2,300 yards, 16 touchdowns, and seven interceptions the year prior. Though he’ll work out at SMU’s Pro Day, it’s unclear if Davis has any chance of being drafted.
Contract Details: Hoyer, Newman, Dansby
Let’s take a look at the details of a few recently-signed contracts:
- Karlos Dansby, LB (Cardinals): One year, $2MM. $700K guaranteed. $250K available via incentives (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Vlad Ducasse, OL (Bills): Three years, $3.5MM. $250K guaranteed. $250K signing bonus. Playing time incentives available (link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Brian Hoyer, QB (49ers): Two years, $12MM. $9.85MM guaranteed. $4MM signing bonus. $1.5MM available via incentives (20 touchdowns, 2,500 passing yards, Pro Bowl) in 2017. $5MM available via incentives (same thresholds) in 2018 (links via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com).
- Bennie Logan, DT (Chiefs): One year, $8MM. $7.68MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star).
- Alex Okafor, LB/DE (Saints): One year, $2MM. $1MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. $1MM available in sack and playtime incentives (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of the Advocate).
- Terence Newman, CB (Vikings): One year, $3.25MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune).
Saints To Re-Sign Travaris Cadet
Travaris Cadet is re-signing with the Saints, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Jets and Bills were also in the mix for the running back, though a Wednesday morning report indicated that the final decision came down to the Saints and Jets. 
Ultimately, the Saints won out even though the Jets were said to be offering more money. His connection with Jets offensive coordinator John Morton also didn’t lure him to New York. Cadet, in all likelihood, stayed in New Orleans because he had a greater degree of comfort and chance to win.
Cadet he has spent the bulk of his five-year career with the Saints. Last year, he caught 40 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns in black and gold. The pass-catching specialist will slot in behind Mark Ingram, who is more of a traditional tailback. Fellow Saints running back Tim Hightower remains in free agent limbo.
Lions Hosting G Tim Lelito On Visit
The Lions are hosting Saints free agent guard Tim Lelito on a visit today, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Lelito grew up in the Detroit area, so this could be a natural fit for the veteran. 
Heading into free agency, we had Lelito ranked as one of the ten best available interior linemen. Now that many of the better guards and centers are spoken for, Lelito is one of the top guys left along with Jahri Evans. He could be a great pickup for the Lions after they already fortified their offensive line by adding tackle Ricky Wagner.
The Rochester, Michigan native appeared in all 16 games last season and has only missed one regular season contest in his four years with the Saints. He placed as the 49th best guard in the league last season, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF gave him a solid mark for his pass blocking with a less impressive score on running plays.
Travaris Cadet Deciding Between Jets, Saints
Travaris Cadet is down to two teams. The running back is weighing offers from the Jets and Saints, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). The Bills were once in the mix for Cadet, but it sounds like they’re now out of the running.
Cadet’s relationship with Jets offensive coordinator John Morton is a key factor in his decision, Wilson hears. The Jets are also offering more money than the Saints, so they could win out here.
Cadet bounced around a bit in 2015, but he has played the majority of his five-year career with the Saints. Last year, he caught 40 passes for 281 yards and four touchdowns with New Orleans. Meanwhile, he had just four carries for 19 yards. That’s roughly been the way Cadet has been used over the years – he’s a pass-catching specialist who also has some experience on kick returns.
Travaris Cadet Has Three Offers In Hand
Free agent running back Travaris Cadet is deciding between offers from the Saints, Jets, and Bills, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Cadet, 28, has spent the majority of his career with the Saints, though he did have short stints with the 49ers and Patriots in 2015. Last year, Cadet settled back into his familiar passing down role, as he caught 41 balls from Drew Brees, managing 281 yards and four touchdowns in the process. Cadet wasn’t asked to carry the ball much, as he posted just four rushes for 19 yards.
Cadet has also spent a good deal of his career returning kicks, and that’s the role he’d likely play with the Bills and Jets, the latter of whom Cadet visited last week. Buffalo and New York both have established starting and backup running backs, Cadet wouldn’t seem to have much of a niche on offense in either city.