New Orleans Saints Rumors & News - Pro Football Rumors

Saints Re-Sign Ramon Humber

March 12th, 2015 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Two days after we learned that there was mutual interest in a new deal between Ramon Humber and the Saints, the two sides have reached an agreement. According to the team’s VP of communications, Greg Bensel (via Twitter), New Orleans has re-signed the linebacker to a two-year contract.

After releasing Curtis Lofton, the Saints will bolter their linebacking corps by ensuring that Humber remains under contract. The 27-year-old started six games for the team in 2014, appearing in 453 total defensive snaps. For the season, he had 50 tackles and a sack.

Eagles Working To Trade Evan Mathis

March 12th, 2015 at 1:48pm CST by Zachary Links

1:48pm: The Patriots have also expressed interest in Mathis, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Jim Thomas tweets that the Rams have denied having interest, though he rightly points out that the team adamantly denied that they had any interest in trading Sam Bradford.

1:29pm: Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com adds the Bills and Vikings to the list of teams “sniffing around” on Mathis, and says the Saints may be involved as well (Twitter link).

1:23pm: The Dolphins have been in touch with the Eagles about Mathis, reports Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). The Rams are also believed to be in the mix, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via Twitter).

1:11pm: The Eagles are working to trade guard Evan Mathis, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (via Twitter). Dealing Mathis would be just the latest move in what has been a wild offseason for the Eagles.

Finding a marker for Mathis shouldn’t be too difficult considering his performance last season. Even though he only saw time in nine games, Mathis’ overall score of 25.8 (per Pro Football Focus, subscription required) ranked him as the second-best offensive guard in the NFL last season. The year prior, Mathis graded out as the very best guard in the NFL.

Mathis’ deal calls for him to earn a $5.5MM base with $1MM prorated in 2015, good for a total of $6.5MM. With an extra $500K in his base salary in 2016, that number jumps slightly to $7MM. Mathis is 33, but guards tend to age a little bit better than most other positions.

Saints Shopping Kenny Stills, Others

March 12th, 2015 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

1:43pm: A source with knowledge of the situation tells Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Drew Brees and Brandin Cooks are essentially the only Saints not being shopped, as the team retools.

1:17pm: The Saints have been one of the league’s more active teams this week, working out trades that shipped a pair of Pro Bowlers, Jimmy Graham and Ben Grubbs, out of New Orleans. And it doesn’t look like they’re done yet. According to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC 4 Washington (via Twitter), the team is exploring trades involving wide receiver Kenny Stills. Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, meanwhile, hears from a source that the team is shopping practically every player on its roster (Twitter link).

Peter King of TheMMQB.com wrote earlier this week that when Mickey Loomis and Seahawks GM John Schneider discussed trades prior to working out the Graham deal, the New Orleans GM “brought up the names of a couple of Saints receivers.” While King didn’t identify specific players, it certainly sounds like one of those receivers was probably Stills.

Stills, who turns just 23 next month, became an integral part of the Saints’ passing attack in 2014, hauling in 63 passes for 931 yards and three touchdowns. The Saints’ top deep threat, Stills have averaged 16.5 yards per catch since entering the league in 2013, and is on an inexpensive rookie contract for two more years, so I expect the team’s asking price would be fairly high.

FA Rumors: Ravens, Bush, Knighton

March 12th, 2015 at 1:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Look for the Ravens to be players on the receiver market once it comes into better focus, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com writes. The Ravens could be waiting on guys like Dwayne Bowe and Mike Wallace to be cut since their preference is always to gravitate towards guys who have been released. Signing released players doesn’t hurt the team’s status for compensatory draft picks, and they generally come cheaper that way, too. More from around the NFL..

Free agent running back Reggie Bush is set to meet with the Patriots and 49ers, according to Dianna Marie Russini of NBC4 (via Twitter).
A head coach told Russini (on Twitter) that teams are afraid to sign Terrance Knighton because he’s out of shape.
Defensive back Sterling Moore is coming to Tampa for a visit with the Buccaneers, Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune tweets. The Cowboys elected not to tender a contract offer to the cornerback earlier this month. The Vikings were also said to have preliminary interest in him earlier this week.
Packers free agent cornerback Tramon Williams is back home thinking things over after his visit with New Orleans, but the Saints remain in play, Mike Triplett of ESPN.com tweets. The Vikings also reached out to Williams this week.
Patriots free agent linebacker Akeem Ayers is currently visiting with the Rams, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. Ayers was sent from the Titans to the Pats in a mid-season trade.
The Giants have expressed interest in safety Darian Stewart, but no visit has been scheduled yet, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). Stewart is in Denver today, then headed to Atlanta.
There was talk that the Dolphins were meeting with Falcons free agent cornerback Robert McClain with the intent of signing him, but that’s on hold right now, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Money is tight in Miami and they have other needs to fill, so he’ll remain on their radar while they look at other areas first.
The Cowboys brought in former Browns running back Ray Agnew for a workout, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter). That was presumably prior to signing fullback Jed Collins, however, so there might not be a spot for Agnew in Dallas anymore.

Chiefs Acquire Ben Grubbs From Saints

March 12th, 2015 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chiefs and Saints have agreed to a trade that will send veteran guard Ben Grubbs to Kansas City in exchange for a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

Grubbs, who had a $9.6MM cap hit for the Saints in 2015, had long been viewed as a potential cap casualty, with Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reporting in February that the team would likely let him go. Trading Grubbs will have the same effect on New Orleans’ cap as releasing him would’ve — he’ll count for $6MM in dead money, creating $3.6MM in cap savings. However, by finding a taker, the team will at least get a mid-round pick in return for its two-time Pro Bowler.

Grubbs becomes the latest victim of a cap crunch in New Orleans, with today’s deal coming on the heels of the departures of players like Jimmy Graham (traded) and Curtis Lofton (released). Still, the team now appears likely to keep Jahri Evans, since hanging on to one high-priced guard is more palatable than having both on the roster. Assuming he remains in New Orleans, Evans will play next to newly-acquired center Max Unger next season.

As for the Chiefs, they don’t have a ton of cap flexibility, so it’s possible they’ll end up reworking Grubbs’ contract to accommodate him, notes Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap (via Twitter). They won’t have to take on Grubbs’ dead prorated bonus money when they acquire him, so his cap hit in Kansas City would be just $6.6MM ($6.5MM base salary; $100K workout bonus) for the coming season, assuming the deal is untouched. The Auburn product, who turned 31 this week, also has one more year left on his contract, for a 2016 salary of $7.2MM.

Kansas City is adding a player who is just one year removed from earning a Pro Bowl spot. In 2014, Grubbs ranked in about the middle of the pack, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, which placed him 35th out of 78 qualified guards (subscription required). The team’s addition of Grubbs comes on the heels of its contract agreement with offensive lineman Paul Fanaika.

Extra Points: Brooks, Johnson, Spiller

March 11th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Ben Levine

There have been whispers that 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks could be a cap casualty, but general manager Trent Baalke made it clear that the player would be back next season.

“There has never been an indication from me otherwise,” Baalke told Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “While all that was being written, I just sat back and looked at it because it was speculation based on our cap number and the cash flow that we had leading into free agency. A lot of assumptions were made, but wrongly.”

More notes as we wrap up this Wednesday evening…

The Buccaneers met with Stefen Wisniewski earlier today, but Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune tweets that the center left Tampa without a deal. In another tweet, Cummings says the team never intended to sign Wisniewski today.
In the meantime, Wisniewski will meet with the Seahawks, reports Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo (via Twitter). Seattle would be in the market for a center after dealing Max Unger yesterday.
We heard previously that the Saints were in the mix for free agent running back C.J. Spiller. That interest is real, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that the former Bills weapon will meet with the organization in New Orleans on Thursday.
Despite the reported interest in the defensive end, Michael Johnson‘s camp won’t start talking to teams until Thursday, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (on Twitter).
Yahoo’s Rand Getlin reports (via Twitter) the former 49ers defensive back Perrish Cox will meet with the Titans on Friday. The Browns and Washington have previously shown interest.
Offensive guard Shelley Smith will visit with the Seahawks on Thursday and the Broncos on Friday, according to Mike Klis of The Denver Post. Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com says (via Twitter) the Falcons are also interested, but haven’t set up an interview.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Saints In Mix For C.J. Spiller; Cowboys Lurking

March 11th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Luke Adams

While the DeMarco Murray chase heats up, the market for C.J. Spiller, likely the second-best running back on the board, is beginning to take shape. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), the Saints are taking advantage of some newfound cap space by entering the mix for Spiller, while the Cowboys “lurk” around the edges.

Presumably, the Cowboys’ involvement in the Spiller sweepstakes hinges on how things with Murray play out. As for the Saints, they’ve already re-signed Mark Ingram, but could view Spiller as a versatile weapon capable of giving them the type of production players like Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles have in the past.

The Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Cardinals, 49ers, Lions, and Washington were mentioned over the weekend as potential suitors for Spiller, though reports since then have downplayed the interest of the AFC East teams. Of course, a reunion with the Bills also seems out of the question for the running back, after Buffalo acquired LeSean McCoy.

Extra Points: Suh, Wilson, Revis

March 11th, 2015 at 3:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross says he’s confident that the Dolphins did not break any rules in the lead up to the Ndamukong Suh signing, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald writes. The Dolphins appear to have struck an agreement with the defensive tackle during the “legal tampering” period, but the league specifically asked that handshake deals not go down during that time. Of course, other teams certainly exchanged figures prior to Tuesday, but Suh was one of the most prominent free agents available. More from around the NFL..

Seahawks GM John Schneider said the team has met with the agents for Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, though the reps for each player know Seahawks have other things to do, as well, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (Twitter links).
A year ago, the Raiders were willing to assume all of Darrelle Revis‘ existing contract with the Buccaneers but the cornerback’s camp convinced the team that he wouldn’t report, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets.
The Patriots dropped out of negotiations with Revis upon hearing he was seeking $16MM per year and $40MM guaranteed, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.
The Chargers offered Andre Johnson more money than he got from the Colts, Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network tweets. It’s not known how much San Diego offered, but the Colts got Johnson for $21MM over three years.
Tom Benson, principal owner of the Saints and the NBA’s Pelicans, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to remove all stock in the sports franchises from the trust funds that he set up for his daughter and grandchildren, Andy Grimm of The Times-Picayune writes.

Free Agent Rumors: Gilchrist, Morgan, Robinson

March 11th, 2015 at 2:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Running backs Felix Jones, Michael Bush, and Mikel Leshoure are among the players scheduled to participate in the NFL’s veteran combine later this month, tweets Mark Maske of the Washington Post. The Arizona Republic has the full list of combine participants. Here’s more from around the NFL..

The Jets are in contract talks with free agent safety Marcus Gilchrist, a source tells Darryl Slater of the Star-Ledger. Gilchrist arrived Tuesday for a free agency visit with the Jets that has continued into Wednesday, as scheduled. Gilchrist, 26, has spent his entire career with the Chargers, who drafted him in the second round in 2011.
The Titans remain in the mix to sign Derrick Morgan despite his free agent visits and apparent interest from the Cowboys, Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com tweets. They’re also still working to re-sign kicker Ryan Succop.
Free agent cornerback Patrick Robinson has received some interest from the Vikings, Dolphins, Saints, Steelers, and Panthers, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
The Vikings have touched base with free agent cornerback Tramon Williams, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link) hears the same thing, but his source says it doesn’t sound “very serious.”
Linebacker Andrew Gachkar‘s anticipated visit to the Vikings is on hold as of right now due to what a source only will say is related to “some issues right now,” Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets.
New Jaguars defensive lineman Jared Odrick told reporters, including Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter links), that “tons of teams” went after him. The Colts and Chiefs, he said, were among the teams chasing him.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Rumors: Graham, Saints, Orakpo

March 11th, 2015 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters today, Brandon Graham said he felt like there was only ever a “10% chance” that he’d sign with a team besides the Eagles (Twitter link). The Giants and Titans were known to be in the running for the free agent edge defender. More out of the NFC..

The Saints had some concerns about Jimmy Graham’s long-term health, and wanted to fortify their offensive line to keep Drew Brees upright, which resulted in their willingness to send the star tight end to the Seahawks, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
Brian Orakpo hasn’t completely closed the door on returning to Washington, but he’s prepared to “face the reality” that he could sign with another team this week, he tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (TwitLonger link). Visits with the Titans and Cardinals are up first for the free agent edge defender.
ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter has learned from O’Brien Schofield‘s agent that four teams are trying to sign him, according to Terry Blount of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Schofield, coming off of a solid year with the Seahawks, has been connected to the Falcons thanks to his connection with new head coach Dan Quinn.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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