Kiper: Saints Have Multiple UDFAs To Watch
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, draft guru Mel Kiper identifies 30 undrafted free agents to keep an eye on this summer. The Bills, Panthers, Bears, Broncos, Colts, Saints, Jets, 49ers each have two signees on the list, while the Buccaneers have an impressive four of the 30.
- The 49ers announced today in a press release that former NFL linebacker Parys Haralson has joined the team as the director of player engagement. Haralson, who last played for the Saints in 2014, spent seven years in San Francisco as a player from 2006 to 2012, and worked out for the Niners last fall after being cut by New Orleans.
Saints Sign Sheldon Rankins
The Saints have secured three of their 2016 draft picks, including their top two selections, general manager Mickey Loomis formally announced today in a press release. In addition to signing first-round defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, second-round wide receiver Michael Thomas, and seventh-round running back Daniel Lasco, the club parted ways with running back Vick Ballard, defensive end Phillip Hunt, and fullback Toben Opurum.
All three veterans cut today by New Orleans have appeared in regular-season NFL games. Ballard notably ran for 814 yards and a pair of touchdowns during the 2012 season, when he served as the Colts’ primary back for most of the year. Hunt, 30, has been a part-time player for the Eagles and Lions in parts of four seasons since 2011, picking up four career sacks. Opurum, meanwhile, appeared in his first two regular-season games for the Saints in 2015.
As for the Saints’ draft pick signings, Rankins’ deal represents the most significant of the three, of course — it’s worth $12.802MM over four years, with a $7.51MM signing bonus and a fifth-year option for 2020. Thomas will receive a signing bonus of $1.923MM on his four-year rookie pact, while Lasco will get a modest $75K bonus.
No NFL team had a smaller 2016 draft class than the Saints, who selected just five players, so New Orleans has now locked up more than half of its draftees.
Details On Terron Armstead's Extension
- Mike Triplett of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post break down the specific details on Terron Armstead‘s new five-year extension with the Saints, which is worth $65MM with $20.88MM fully guaranteed at signing.
Saints Sign Terron Armstead To Extension
WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: Armstead’s five-year deal will be worth $64.5MM, with $38MM guaranteed for injury and $25MM fully guaranteed, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). The average annual value on the contract is $12.9MM, which makes Armstead the league’s third highest-paid tackle, behind Trent Williams ($13.2MM) and newly-extended Bills tackle Cordy Glenn ($13MM).
TUESDAY, 3:35pm: Armstead has officially signed his new deal, according to Josina Anderson (Twitter link).
2:19pm: The Saints have reached an agreement on a contract extension with one of the most important players on their offense — not quarterback Drew Brees, but left tackle Terron Armstead. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Armstead will be signing a five-year extension with the Saints today, locking him up through the 2021 season.
Armstead, 24, was selected 75th overall in the 2013 draft by the Saints, and after appearing in just six games in his rookie year, he emerged as the team’s full-time left tackle in 2014. For his career, he has made 29 starts for the club, including 27 within the last two seasons.
Since entering New Orleans’ starting lineup, Armstead has developed into one of the more reliable left tackles in the NFL. In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked him third overall out of 77 qualified tackles, assigning him top-three grades as both a run blocker and a pass blocker. Only Joe Thomas of the Browns and Tyron Smith of the Cowboys placed ahead of Armstead.
As a member of the 2013 draft class, Armstead has outperformed most of the tackles who were selected ahead of him that year, including first-rounders like Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel. Because he was a third-round pick, Armstead didn’t have a fifth-year option attached to his rookie contract, so while the Chiefs and Jaguars were deciding whether to pick up 2017 options on their respective 2013 draftees, the Saints were working to extend their player.
Armstead’s old contract had called for a $1.671MM base salary in 2016, as a result of the proven performance escalator he earned for his performance to date. The new agreement may not increase his 2016 salary, but it certainly figures to increase his 2016 earnings, via signing and/or roster bonuses.
Saints head coach Sean Payton said back in December that he wouldn’t trade Armstead for any other lineman in the league, a comment the tackle’s agent probably brought up once or twice during negotiations. In his preview of New Orleans’ offseason earlier this year, PFR’s Dallas Robinson suggested that an extension for Armstead might not be quite as expensive as long-term deals for fellow tackles Tyron Smith ($12.2MM) and Trent Williams ($13.2MM). We should soon find it whether that’s indeed the case.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Saints Sign LS Chris Highland
- The Saints brought back long snapper Chris Highland, as Wilson tweets.
Saints Sign 19 Undrafted Free Agents
The Saints have announced the signing of 19 undrafted rookie free agents. The full list of Saints UDFAs is below:
- OL Jack Allen
- DB Mike Caputo
- OL Joseph Cheek
- DB Ken Crawley
- WR Jared Dangerfield
- DB Trae Elston
- DB De’Vante Harris
- OL Marcus Henry
- RB Sione Houma
- LB Dillon Lee
- WR Tommylee Lewis
- RB Mitchell Loewen
- OL Ryker Mathews
- RB D.J. Pettway
- LB Jeff Schoettmer
- LB Dominique Tovell
- OL Landon Turner
- WR Jordan Williams-Lambert
- OL Avery Young
Draft Updates: Cowboys, Tunsil, Pats, Jets, Saints
The Cowboys’ later-round selections have featured some interesting near-misses. Dallas has been linked to multiple players it did not end up selecting, including new Browns edge-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah, whom Cleveland chose in Round 2. The team also eyed Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd, Tony Pauline of WalterFootball.com reports.
Even its own pick brought uncertainty after a report surfaced Friday that the team nearly unloaded its second-round pick to the Bears before taking Notre Dame injured star Jaylon Smith. Perhaps these pass-rushers going off the board contributed to the urge to wanting to trade down.
We heard Friday night the Cowboys are not going to re-sign Greg Hardy. This, coupled with the looming suspensions of Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory have left the team thin at defensive end despite signing former Eagles edge presence Cedric Thornton in free agency. It took Dallas until the fourth round to address this spot, when it took Charles Tapper from Oklahoma.
Here’s the latest from the draft.
- The Saints traded up for the 120th pick, but according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), they didn’t get their selection in on time. This allowed the Vikings to jump the Saints, with Minnesota selecting offensive lineman Willie Beavers. New Orleans presumably still got their target in defensive tackle David Onyemata.
- The Dolphins believe it was the former financial advisor of rookie Laremy Tunsil who released the incriminating gas mask video, tweets Andrew Abrasion of The Palm Beach Post. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the video caused Tunsil to drop from the sixth overall pick to No. 13.
- Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan told Dom Cosentino of NJ.com that the team isn’t working to acquire another quarterback, including Nick Foles (Twitter link).
- Pauline also notes the Patriots‘ collection of second- or third-round quarterback choices in the Tom Brady era could have included Wisconsin passer Joel Stave instead of the player they actually selected, Jacoby Brissett, in the third round. While neither was considered a top prospect, Brissett was mentioned as a mid- or late-round pick before the lesser-regarded Stave — a 6-foot-5 former Badger, who remains on the board. Stave threw for just 11 TDs last season for the run-oriented Badgers.
- The Steelers are considering a trade to get into the fifth round, Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets.
Ben Levine contributed to this report
Saints Acquire 120th Pick From Washington
The Saints have found a way into the fourth round, as Mike Jones of The Washington Post reports (via Twitter) that the team has acquired the 120th pick from Washington. Jones reports that Washington will receive pick No. 152 and a 2017 fifth-rounder in return. The Saints will use the pick on University of Manitoba (Canada) defensive tackle David Onyemata.
Hailing from Nigeria, Onyemata was considered a fifth- or sixth-round pick by NFL.com. The 6-4, 300-pound lineman finished this past season with 50 tackles, five sacks, and 7.5 tackles for a loss. His performance earned him the J.P. Metras Trophy for the best down lineman in CIS. These are especially impressive accolades when you consider that Onyemata started playing football in 2011.
Saints Acquire 61st Pick From Patriots
The Saints acquired the 61st pick from the Patriots in exchange for Nos. 78 and 112, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). New Orleans then selected Ohio State safety Vonn Bell. The Patriots, meanwhile, now have three third-round picks.
Bell will join a a Saints defense that allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL last season and hauled in just nine interceptions. Bell picked off nine passes himself during his three-year tenure with the Buckeyes and should play a prominent role in New Orleans’ defensive backfield.
Draft Rumors: Elliott, Cowboys, Saints, Titans
The idea of selecting running back Ezekiel Elliott is “gaining steam” inside the Cowboys organization, reports David Moore of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote earlier tonight that Dallas is “struggling” with their decision on Elliott, while the Ravens are also a contender to draft Elliott at pick No. 6.
Here’s the latest with the draft only about 30 minutes away…
- While a report earlier tonight indicated that we could see quite a few first-round trades, Saints head coach Sean Payton feels differently, telling Larry Holder of NOLA.com (Twitter link) that he doesn’t believe there will be many deals tonight, at least in the top half of the first round. New Orleans is comfortable picking where it is (No. 12), per Payton.
- Though the Chargers are reportedly open to trading out of the No. 3 pick, general manager Tom Telesco tells Britt McHenry of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that while he’s taken calls, “nothing of significant interest” has caught his ear as of yet.
- The Dolphins and Titans are still trying to move back into the top-10 picks, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who adds that Miami has its eye on Elliott, while Tennessee would like to pick up an offensive tackle. Meanwhile, Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com used two separate draft value charts to calculate what it would take for the Titans to trade up to various locales on the board.