Saints Re-Sign Keyunta Dawson
The Saints have signed Keyunta Dawson to a one-year, minimum-salary contract extension, reports Brian McIntyre (via Twitter). The veteran DE/OLB received a $5K guaranteed signing bonus in the deal, according to McIntyre.
Dawson, 28, has only played in 13 games over the last three seasons, and he saw just 105 snaps with the Saints in his 2013 stint with the team. In those six games with New Orleans, he recorded three tackles and a half-sack, and forced a fumble.
Dawson’s cap number will be $575K for 2014, though assuming he earns a spot on the roster and remains in the league for the entire season, he’ll earn a slightly larger salary than that.
Poll: Should Graham Get WR Franchise Tag?
Jimmy Graham represents one of the more intriguing free-agents-to-be this offseason, and going up against a wide receiver class headlined by Eric Decker, Julian Edelman, and Anquan Boldin, you could make the case that Graham will be the top receiving option on the market. Still, the odds of Graham leaving New Orleans are virtually nil. Even if the Saints and their All-Pro tight end can’t reach a long-term agreement, the team figures to slap the franchise tag on him to ensure that he remains the top target in Drew Brees‘ arsenal.
If and when Graham receives that franchise tag though, it will spark a debate on what position he really plays. While he’s long been considered a tight end, the 27-year-old played significantly more snaps in 2013 split out as a receiver, rather than tight to the tackle. The positional debate would have a major impact on Graham’s potential earnings, since the franchise tag for tight ends will be in the neighborhood of $6.7MM, compared to $11.5MM for wide receivers.
In his MMQB column today, Peter King writes that the entire discussion is “ludicrous,” since every team in the league uses formations where tight ends are split out as receivers, but as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, the NFL CBA dictates that a player be franchised at the position “at which [he] participated in the most plays during the prior League Year.” Considering Graham a tight end would be in the Saints’ best interests, since it would give the team nearly $5MM in cap flexibility to spend elsewhere. But it’s hard to argue that Graham, who has averaged 90 catches, 1,169 yards, and 12 TDs over the last three seasons and lined up so frequently as a receiver, should see his salary limited by a somewhat arbitrary designation.
A long-term deal between Graham and the Saints would end the discussion, or at least postpone it until a similar player reached free agency. But suppose New Orleans uses the franchise tag, and an arbitrator is tasked with determining Graham’s position. Would you argue that he should be viewed as a tight end or a receiver?
For franchise tag purposes, should Jimmy Graham be considered a tight end or wide receiver?
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Tight end 62% (394)
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Wide receiver 38% (242)
Total votes: 636
NFC Notes: Seahawks, Ryan, Packers, Saints
Several players from the Super Bowl champion Seahawks had their 2014 salaries become fully guaranteed this week, notes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com in his latest update on teams’ cap space. Percy Harvin, Cliff Avril, and Kam Chancellor had their contracts for 2014 vest from partially guaranteed to fully guaranteed, according to Fitzgerald, who notes that Matt Ryan of the Falcons was among the other players in that boat.
Here’s more from across the NFC:
- Having drafted well and avoided bad contracts, the Packers will have significantly more cap flexibility this offseason than many of their NFC rivals, says Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- 13 players from the Saints‘ Super Bowl win in 2010 remain on the team’s roster, but as many of nine of those players could depart this offseason, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. As Triplett points out, four are unrestricted free agents, while five more are potential cap casualties.
- Compensatory picks for the 2014 draft won’t be announced for a few more weeks, and the Falcons‘ situation is murky, as D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Based on projections by Craig Turner (via Philly.com), the Falcons could add as many as four compensatory picks, but may end up with just one or two, depending on where the cutoff is.
- The Redskins have hired former Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams to their front office as a personnel executive, the team announced today in a press release.
NFC South Notes: Hardy, Panthers, Bucs
ESPN.com’s David Newton deems it likely that defensive end Greg Hardy will return to the Panthers, estimating the likelihood of a reunion at 67%. While a long-term contract would seem to be the in the best interests of both the team and the player, the franchise tag (at around $12MM) might be the most plausible option at this point. We noted yesterday that Hardy may not be re-signed due to financial constraints.
Meanwhile, other news abounds in the NFC South:
- Within the same article, Newton notes that safety Charles Godfrey might be saved from being a cap casualty due to simple finances. Cutting Godfrey would leave the Panthers with $5MM in dead money, and, obviously, without Godfrey. A contract restructure could be the more likely result.
- Newton writes that corners Josh Norman and Josh Thomas, each of whom were frequently inactive, could be released.
- Offensive tackle Jordan Gross is expected back with the team, although the Panthers could draft a future replacement in the early rounds of the draft.
- Back on the Hardy front, Pat Yasinkas of ESPN.com does not believe the Buccaneers are a realistic landing spot for the defensive end. While they have cap space, it may not be enough to sign a star like Hardy, so the draft might be a better route for adding pass rushers.
- The Saints will likely attempt to add a veteran corner through free agency, and a young receiver through the draft, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.
- Triplett also notes that while the Saints won’t add players with the specific intention of transforming to a more traditional 3-4-style defense, their most pressing need remains the front seven.
Payton Talks Graham, Free Agency
Saints head coach Sean Payton joined Fox Sports 1 on Friday and discussed the issues facing his team this offseason, according to Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune.
The most notable free agent in New Orleans, without a doubt, is tight end Jimmy Graham. Now, if it comes down to a franchise tag, Graham will contend that he should be paid as a wide receiver rather than a tight end. The difference figures to be nearly $5MM ($11.6MM for WR and $6.8MM for TE).
“I know that Mickey Loomis, CAA (Creative Artists Agency), Jimmy Sexton (Graham’s agent) and all parties involved are going to work very hard and very diligently, no different than they did with Drew (Brees) on his contract,” Payton said. “With that being said, the first thing that comes to my mind with free agency is your own roster. I think often times that gets overlooked.
“The most challenging part of your job as a coach, and I share that with Mickey or anyone that has been with an organization as long as we have been, going on year nine, is some of the tough decisions that have to be made with regards to your cap with the ability that you possibly can sign Jimmy Graham.”
Holder points out safety Malcolm Jenkins, tackle Zach Strief and center Brian de la Puente as “key potential free agents” the team would like to re-sign. Easier said than done, noted Payton.
“It’s very easy to say ‘you are certainly going to get this done’ but you have to understand there is a budget here. That’s the challenging part. You are going to read these names that have already come across the ticker from Atlanta last week (Asante Samuel and Stephen Nicholas) and we will be no different.”
According to Holder, players that could become cap-casualties to help the Saints be able to afford signing Graham to a long-term contract include (figures courtesy of Holder):
- Linebacker Will Smith ($13.9MM cap, $11.5MM savings)
- Safety Roman Harper ($5.87MM cap, $3.15MM savings)
- Receiver Lance Moore ($5.07MM cap, $3.8MM savings)
- Defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley ($6.1MM cap, $4.4MM savings)
- Cornerback Jabari Greer ($6.8MM cap, $4.5MM savings)
- Running back Pierre Thomas ($2.9MM cap, $2.9MM savings)
Drew Brees Could Run For NFLPA Prez
Saints quarterback Drew Brees could run for president of the Players’ Association when the role will be up for a vote in March, writes USA Today’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter). Current player president Domonique Foxworth retired in 2012 and rules prohibit him from serving on the board since he didn’t play this past season.
“I’ve given it thought,” Brees said of becoming union president. “There’s a lot of guys that I feel like would be great presidents. I think that it requires a lot of time. And regardless of whether I ever choose to do that or not, I’ll always be involved.”
The Saints’ signal caller, who has sat on the executive committee for six years, is considered a shoe-in for the presidency if he chooses to run. However, Brees has turned down nominations twice before, two people with knowledge of the process told Pelissero. Meanwhile, Brees says that the state of the union is strong despite the fact that some are said to be unhappy with executive director DeMaurice Smith over the last CBA. Multiple executive committee members say that confidence is high in Smith, but he has detractors among agents, player reps, and the rank and file
Executive committee members Charlie Batch, Brian Dawkins, Scott Fujita, Matt Light, Brandon Moore, and Jeff Saturday will also need to be replaced in March. An eighth member, Cowboys guard Brian Waters, may choose to give up his spot if he retires, which would leave just three holdovers in Brees, Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, and Saints tight end Ben Watson.
Extra Points: Decker, Peppers, Graham
The very best wide receivers usually don’t reach the open market, but there are still plenty of gems to be found. Yesterday, Andrew Cohen of OverTheCap.com previewed the 2014 free agent class at the wide receiver position. The class is highlighted by Broncos wideout Eric Decker, athletic Eagles wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and more. Cohen sees Maclin, who missed all of 2013 with an ACL tear, staying with the Eagles on a one-year, $5MM pact. Meanwhile, he predicts that Decker will wind up with the Browns on a five-year, $62MM deal with about $25-30MM guaranteed. Here’s more from around the NFL..
- Chris Burke of SI.com breaks down the possible cap casualties of the offseason. The once dominant Julius Peppers probably won’t be with the Bears if he doesn’t take a pay cut and Chris Clemons and Sidney Rice are probably on the block with the Seahawks.
- Who will be slapped with the franchise tag this offseason? Cohen writes that five to eight players will likely be hit with one of the most unique clauses in professional sports. Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, Browns safety T.J. Ward, and Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta are among the candidates for the tag.
- NFL.com has released the list of players invited to participate in the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine. Of course, an invitation doesn’t ensure that the player will participate and every year there are notable players who opt out of the mass audition. The combine runs from February 22-25.
NFC South Notes: Saints, Falcons, Panthers
ESPN.com’s Insider-only breakdown of 50 pressing questions for the 2014 NFL offseason focuses on areas of concern for each of the league’s 32 teams, including all four NFC South squads. Among the key topics to monitor, according to the ESPN scribes: Whether there’s any chance the Saints let Jimmy Graham get away, whether or not Mike Glennon is the Buccaneers‘ starting QB going forward, and what weapons the Panthers might add to help complement Cam Newton. Here are a few more Tuesday items from around the NFC South:
- While the Saints may not need a new No. 1 wide receiver, the club needs to start re-stocking the shelves at the position, with a number of the incumbents entering their 30s, writes ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett. In a separate piece, Triplett also assesses the Saints’ needs at the linebacker position.
- The Falcons may look into acquiring a veteran backup for Matt Ryan this offseason, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, who says that free-agent-to-be Luke McCown “still has admirers” within Atlanta’s front office.
- GM Dave Gettleman and the Panthers have switched scouting services for the draft, moving from National Scouting to BLESTO, reports Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Carolina is now one of eight teams associated with BLESTO, one of the services that acts as a co-op in pooling scouting information leading up to the draft.
Lions Claim Abdul-Quddus, Bengals Cut Powell
The NFL’s waiver period got underway today, and the league announced that a single claim was made: The Lions claimed safety Isa Abdul-Quddus off waivers from the Saints (Twitter link via Field Yates of ESPN Boston). Additionally, the Bengals cut punter Shawn Powell, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
Abdul-Quddus, 25, has spent his first three seasons with the Saints, and will be eligible for restricted free agency this offseason. The Lions will have the option of making a tender offer to the Fordham alum, which would ensure that they could match any rival offers he received in free agency. Abdul-Quddus started three games for the Saints during the 2012 season, grabbing a pair of interceptions and recovering a fumble, but saw most of his action in 2013 on special teams.
Powell, meanwhile, had been slated to become an exclusive rights free agent following his second NFL season. Before filling in for the Bengals this season, Powell spent time with the Bills, replacing veteran punter Brian Moorman in 2012 in Buffalo.
Extra Points: Cowboys, Saints, Bills, Roster Rankings
Cowboys defensive tackle Josh Brent was sentenced to just 180 days in jail after he was found guilty of intoxication manslaughter, and Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News believes the team will try to bring him back for the 2014 season. The team will push for a ruling from commissioner Roger Goodell regarding a league suspension before the draft, in the hopes that their areas of need will be more clarified. Regardless of Brent’s fate, the Cowboys will need to boost their defensive line this offseason. For his part, Gosselin opines that Brent should move on to a different team, and open a new chapter in his life.
Some more notes from around the league:
- The Saints need to get younger at receiver, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. Marques Colston may only have a few years left as a productive player, and Robert Meachem and Lance Moore might not return to New Orleans next season. Adding big names to the receiving core via free agency is unlikely, as the Saints have proven they can succeed by pairing lightly-regarded players with quarterback Drew Brees.
- The Bills have added Pepper Johnson as defensive line coach and Fred Pagac as linebackers coach, according to a team statement. Johnson was on the Patriots coaching staff for the past 12 seasons, while Pagac spent the past seven years with the Vikings.
- Evan Silva of Rotoworld ranks each franchise by roster strength and identifies the top needs of each team. The Super Bowl participant Seahawks and Broncos come in at numbers one and three, respectively, while the 49ers, Patriots, and Saints round out the top five.
- Teams like the Chiefs, who will pick near the end of the first round in the upcoming draft, may benefit from the ever-rising number of declaring underclassmen, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.