HEADLINES

New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

NFC Contract Restructures: Harty, Jackson

October 30th, 2022 at 10:57pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are two recent contract restructures from around the NFC:

  • Deonte Harty, WR (Saints): Harty recently restructured his one-year, $3.99MM contract with New Orleans to open up about $1.74MM in cap space, according to Field Yates of ESPN. The restructured deal contains four voidable years, a now common trait in Saints’ contracts meant to assist with cap space. Harty, who changed his surname from Harris in 2021 to honor his stepfather, has been with the Saints since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2019. As a rookie, Harty carved out a role for himself in the return game and led the NFL in punt return yardage. He was named an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler that year and went on the serve as the Saints’ primary return man for the next two seasons while also adding growing contributions on offense. Unfortunately, this year, Harty has been bitten by a turf toe injury that has landed him on injured reserve. Reports have indicated that the injury could potentially keep Harty out for the rest of the season, leading to the agreement to restructure. In his absence, another undrafted rookie, Rashid Shaheed, has taken over Harty’s role on offense and special teams.
  • Gabe Jackson, G (Seahawks): Jackson and the Seahawks recently agreed to a restructured deal that clears up $1.5MM of cap space, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. The longtime Raider was traded to the Seahawks last year where he signed a three-year, $22.58MM extension. Jackson’s restructure likely has nothing to do with injury, though he did miss two games with a hip flexor injury before returning this week against the Giants. It’s likely just a team-friendly move to clear up some cap space. Jackson was one of only six players on the Seahawks with a base salary higher than $2.5MM and three of the other players are in a contract year, which limited Seattle’s restructuring options. In the end, the team converted $3.5MM of Jackson’s 2022 salary into a signing bonus that will be prorated over the remainder of his contract. The move frees up a little space for Seattle ahead of the trade deadline, but, likely, it’s just a move to help cover practice squad elevations and injuries for the remainder of the year.

Saints Unlikely To Trade RB Alvin Kamara; Bills’ Overtures “Rebuffed”

October 30th, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Parks

As we are just two days away from the trade deadline, plenty of fans and pundits are looking at the rosters of teams that profile as potential sellers and are speculating as to what notable players on those teams could be on the move. If one looks at record alone, the 2-5 Saints certainly appear to be more likely sellers than buyers.

However, New Orleans is just one game out of first place in the woeful NFC South, and Nick Underhill of New Orleans.Football says that the club is “focused on making the playoffs,” which would seem to preclude any seller-type moves. With respect to recent speculation that RB Alvin Kamara is generating trade interest, Underhill suggests that the Saints are not inclined to trade the five-time Pro Bowler.

That doesn’t mean that teams have not contacted GM Mickey Loomis to check in on Kamara’s availability. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported on Sunday that the Bills called the Saints about a potential Kamara trade, only to be rebuffed (video link). It’s unclear whether New Orleans simply declined to engage in discussions, or if Buffalo’s proposal was not appealing enough.

The Bills were reportedly interested in former Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey before Carolina dealt him to the 49ers, though Buffalo brass did not actually make an offer for CMC. In a piece that was published Sunday morning, NFL.com reporters Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo noted that, in exchange for Kamara, the Saints would want a package on par with the one that the Panthers received from the Niners, which was comprised of San Francisco’s second-, third- and fourth-round picks in 2023 and a fifth-round 2024 selection. The Kamara-related portion of the NFL.com report was subsequently deleted.

Clearly, the Super Bowl contender Bills want to upgrade their RB room, and Kamara would be an attractive fit for any number of clubs. He is playing out the current season on a $1.035MM salary, and he is due reasonable payouts of $9.4MM in 2023 and $10.2MM in 2024. He is scheduled to earn $22.4MM in 2025, but he will be 30 by that point, and his contract is easily escapable at any time between now and then (at least for a team that acquires him via trade). $1MM of his 2023 salary is guaranteed, and other than that, there is no guaranteed money remaining on his deal.

Of course, the expectation is that Kamara will be hit with a six-game suspension due to his pending felony battery charge, and it presently appears as if he will end up serving that ban in 2023. That obviously hurts his trade value, though his on-field performance has been consistent with the elite level he established over his first few years in the league. Despite dealing with a rib injury that has kept him out of two games this season, Kamara managed 77 carries for 351 yards entering Sunday’s matchup with the Raiders. That amounts to a 4.6 YPC rate, which is in line with his career average and represents a nice bounce-back from a disappointing 2021 campaign that saw him post a career-low 3.7 YPC mark.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/29/22

October 29th, 2022 at 5:51pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are the minor moves leading into Sunday’s slate of games:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

2022 NFL Cap Space, By Team

October 28th, 2022 at 12:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days away from this year’s trade deadline (3pm CT, Nov. 1), a few teams have made some in-season moves to bolster their rosters. Several squads have also restructured contracts this season to create additional space. That extra room will matter as most teams will consider adding or subtracting costs before Tuesday’s deadline.

Here is how teams’ cap-space numbers (courtesy of OverTheCap) look ahead of the deadline:

  1. Cleveland Browns: $33.72MM
  2. Las Vegas Raiders: $10.35MM
  3. Carolina Panthers: $9.79MM
  4. Atlanta Falcons: $9.71MM
  5. Philadelphia Eagles: $9.47MM
  6. Denver Broncos: $7.79MM
  7. Pittsburgh Steelers: $7.69MM
  8. Indianapolis Colts: $7.23MM
  9. Dallas Cowboys: $7.16MM
  10. Chicago Bears: $7.08MM
  11. Green Bay Packers: $6.6MM
  12. Miami Dolphins: $6.16MM
  13. New York Jets: $5.71MM
  14. Los Angeles Chargers: $4.97MM
  15. San Francisco 49ers: $4.95MM
  16. Los Angeles Rams: $4.93MM
  17. Arizona Cardinals: $4.76MM
  18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $4.3MM
  19. Washington Commanders: $4.26MM
  20. Kansas City Chiefs: $3.86MM
  21. Seattle Seahawks: $3.71MM
  22. Jacksonville Jaguars: $3.67MM
  23. New Orleans Saints: $3.61MM
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: $3.31MM
  25. New York Giants: $3.26MM
  26. Detroit Lions: $3.25MM
  27. Baltimore Ravens: $3.07MM
  28. New England Patriots: $2.19MM
  29. Houston Texans: $2.09MM
  30. Buffalo Bills: $1.93MM
  31. Tennessee Titans: $1.59MM
  32. Minnesota Vikings: $852K

The Browns have held the top spot for months, and the gulf between their cap-space figure and the field almost certainly stems from a desire to carry over cap space before Deshaun Watson‘s cap number spikes from $9.4MM to a runaway-record $54.99MM. Cleveland has recently been linked to creating more cap space. Interest has come in for Greedy Williams, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Kareem Hunt. Although the Browns did not grant Hunt’s summer trade request, it may now take only a fourth-round pick for Cleveland to deal its backup running back.

Another potential seller could move up on this list while creating some additional space in 2023. The Broncos are believed to have made Jerry Jeudy available. Unlike fellow trade chip Bradley Chubb, Jeudy is under contract for 2023 (on a $4.83MM cap number). Denver appears more likely to move Chubb. That departure would remove the franchise tag from the team’s equation in 2023 — barring a tag for fellow 2023 UFA-to-be Dre’Mont Jones — thus freeing up more free agency funds. It will be interesting if the Broncos, if they are to move Chubb, agree to eat much of his fifth-year option salary. George Paton‘s club took on most of Von Miller‘s 2021 money to increase draft compensation.

The Eagles are still near the top despite acquiring Robert Quinn. Philadelphia is paying just $684K of Quinn’s contract, which now runs through 2022 instead of 2024. Chicago is on the hook for $7.1MM. The Bears are on track to have a gargantuan lead on the field for 2023 cap space. They are projected to hold more than $125MM next year, according to OverTheCap.

New Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney checks in at just $784K on their 2022 cap sheet. The former Giants first-rounder’s figures bump to $1.9MM (2023) and $2.53MM (’24). Kansas City recently restructured Travis Kelce‘s deal, creating some wiggle room for the Toney addition. The Chiefs, who did not touch Patrick Mahomes‘ deal this year, restructured Kelce’s contract twice in 2022. Thursday’s trade hit the Giants with a $2.33MM dead-money charge. Toney will count $3.67MM in dead money for the Giants in 2023.

The Panthers picked up nearly $19MM in 2022 dead money via the Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey trades. Unlike the Eagles and Bears, last week’s Panthers-49ers McCaffrey swap did not involve Carolina taking on additional salary. McCaffrey’s offseason restructure dropped his 2022 base salary to the league minimum; the 49ers have him on their books at just $690K. McCaffrey’s record-setting extension will still represent $18.35MM in dead money on the Panthers’ 2023 cap, but his nonguaranteed base salaries from 2023-25 ($11.8MM, $11.8MM, $12MM) transferred fully from Carolina to San Francisco.

On the subject of 2022 dead money, the Bears lead the way with $80.32MM. The Falcons added to their total this month, however, by trading Deion Jones to the Browns. That deal saddled the Falcons with $11.38MM in additional dead money — accompanying the franchise’s record-setting Matt Ryan dead-money hit ($40.53MM) — and ballooned Atlanta’s overall total to $78.57MM. Ryan is off the Falcons’ books after this year, but Jones will carry a $12.14MM dead-money figure in 2023.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/25/22

October 25th, 2022 at 8:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor transactions:

Carolina Panthers

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Saints Place CB Bradley Roby On IR

October 25th, 2022 at 4:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints have played their past two games without Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore. They will play at least their next four without veteran starter Bradley Roby.

New Orleans placed Roby on IR on Tuesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Roby suffered a foot injury in last week’s Saints-Cardinals game and needed to be carted off the field. Roby has been a Saints regular for the past two seasons, since New Orleans acquired him from Houston, and has started six games this year. The Saints re-signed wide receiver Keith Kirkwood to take Roby’s roster spot.

Roby, 30, re-signed with the Texans in 2020 but ended up being dealt to the Saints a year later. After playing 42% of New Orleans’ defensive snaps in 2021, he has be on the field for 78% of the team’s 2022 defensive plays. This will be a blow to a Saints team already dealing with trouble at corner.

An abdominal injury has sidelined Lattimore for the past two games; he remains on New Orleans’ active roster. The team has also played without rookie Alontae Taylor for much of this season and was without Paulson Adebo against Arizona. This left a skeleton crew, one including ex-Roby Broncos teammate Chris Harris, in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Cardinals. Roby’s injury obviously makes Lattimore and Adebo’s availability critical going forward, with the Cards’ win having dropped the Saints to 2-5 — their worst mark through seven games since 2005.

After making a name alongside Harris and Aqib Talib on Denver’s Super Bowl-winning defense, Roby has started 56 career games but has been a regular in all 120 he has played as a pro. The former first-round pick has allowed a 50% completion rate and limited quarterbacks to an 83.3 passer rating as the closest defender. Pro Football Focus, however, has the veteran boundary corner rated just inside the top 100 at the position this season.

Jameis Winston Eyeing Week 8 Return

October 23rd, 2022 at 7:07pm CST by Rory Parks

Saints quarterback Jameis Winston, who has been dealing with serious ankle and back injuries this year, is hoping to return to the field for New Orleans’ Week 8 matchup against the Raiders next Sunday, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Winston has been active and in uniform for both of the team’s past two games, but Andy Dalton has been operating as the starting QB since Week 4.

Last Sunday, we heard that Dalton could remain the Saints’ QB1 regardless of Winston’s injury status. Since then, however, the club has dropped two straight games, and Dalton has not played well in either of them. In a Week 6 loss to the Bengals, Dalton completed 17 of 32 passes for 162 yards and a score — good for a QB rating of 77.9 — and in a Week 7 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday, the Red Rifle threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

In fairness, top receiver Michael Thomas has not played in any game that Dalton has started, and in the Cincinnati contest, Dalton was without Thomas, Chris Olave, and Jarvis Landry. Still, a passer that was praised for being a “calming influence” on the offense was anything but in the Arizona game, and while head coach Dennis Allen has not made a definitive announcement, it’s fair to expect Winston to be reinserted into the starting lineup in Week 8 if he is healthy enough.

After all, Winston guided the Saints to a 5-2 record through seven games in 2021 before an ACL tear ended his season prematurely, and he was re-signed this offseason to a two-year, $28MM contract to reprise his role as the club’s QB1. And, despite Winston’s health concerns — which include multiple spine fractures — and his struggles in a Week 3 defeat at the hands of the Panthers, Allen said he was not considering a permanent switch under center,

Had Dalton performed better in the past two contests, Allen may have a tougher decision on his hands. But Dalton’s play has underscored the fact that a healthy Winston is the best option for a team that, despite its 2-5 record, has a legitimate chance to win its division.

Saints Activate CB Alontae Taylor From IR

October 20th, 2022 at 5:23pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints are adding some reinforcement to their secondary. The team announced that cornerback Alontae Taylor has been activated from injured reserve. In preparation for tonight’s game, the team has also promoted cornerback Chris Harris Jr. and wide receiver Kevin White from the practice squad. Wideout Keith Kirkwood was cut from the active roster to make space.

Taylor suffered a sprained MCL prior to Week 3, landing him on injured reserve. The rookie second-round pick ended up spending the minimum amount of time on IR before being designated to return earlier this week. The Tennessee product exclusively played on special teams during his NFL debut, but he got more run on defense in Week 2.

His return couldn’t come at a better time for a depleted Saints cornerbacks corps. Marshon Lattimore is sidelined and Paulson Adebo is questionable for tonight’s game, leaving the team thin at CB. The rookie probably won’t help relieve a secondary that’s allowing 189 yards per game to receivers, but he should at least provide some additional depth at the position.

Harris should also help in that regard, with the veteran cornerback now earning his third promotion since joining the Saints practice squad earlier this month. Harris got the start for the Saints in Week 6, finishing with eight tackles.

Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry are both out for the Saints, leaving rookie Chris Olave as the team’s top wideout. White could get some reps at the position, with the former first-round pick having seen time in seven games for New Orleans over the past two seasons (albeit with only one catch). Kirkwood got into two games for the Saints this season, hauling in a pair of catches.

NFC South Notes: Panthers, Saints, Brate

October 20th, 2022 at 4:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Even after the Panthers traded Robbie Anderson, they are still being linked to moving key pieces. The team still wants to keep its defensive core together, according to Yahoo.com’s Charles Robinson (on Twitter). That said, Robinson adds that while the Panthers are not going to conduct a fire sale, they will likely aim to unload more players viewed as “Matt Rhule guys.”

This is interesting considering the two players who have been most closely linked to trades — Christian McCaffrey and Shaq Thompson — were brought in before Rhule arrived. Rhule did greenlight McCaffrey’s extension; Thompson’s deal came under Marty Hurney‘s leadership. Carolina’s Temple contingent remains strong, even post-Anderson. Matthew Ioannidis, Cory Littleton and P.J. Walker remain in key roles, though Rhule-backed players cannot only be limited to the ones he coached in college. Littleton and Ioannidis are on one-year deals, making them interesting trade candidates.

Here is the latest from the NFC South:

  • David Tepper bought the Panthers in 2018. The two football-related storylines most closely associated with the owner are Rhule’s seven-year, $62MM contract and the team’s Deshaun Watson pursuit. With the Panthers not having a winning season during Tepper’s time, is safe to say the owner’s stock has dipped. In the wake of Rhule’s firing, multiple NFL personnel men did not speak highly of Tepper, whom they classify as emotional and “difficult” to work for, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. Descriptions like these, along with Carolina’s quarterback situation, stand to make it harder for Tepper to hire his next coach. Then again, he could simply throw out another monster contract. Rhule was believed to prefer the Giants to the Panthers in 2020, but money certainly talked.
  • Although the Panthers designated Sam Darnold for return from IR, Steve Wilks said Walker will be his starter in Week 7. Jacob Eason will back up the former XFLer. Walker started in Week 6 and struggled, but the Panthers’ top three options (Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Matt Corral) are injured. Mayfield did return to practice Thursday, suggesting a possible Week 8 return is in play. But Mayfield and Darnold are set to wage another competition — several weeks after Mayfield prevailed in the training camp battle — following the former’s woeful start. The Panthers have three weeks to activate Darnold from IR.
  • The Saints will go with Andy Dalton again tonight. The 12th-year vet will make his fourth start this season, while Ed Werder of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) Jameis Winston will be the emergency No. 3 QB. Dalton supplanting Winston as the Saints’ full-time starter entered the equation recently, though Dennis Allen said Winston is not yet fully healthy. Winston, whom Dalton initially replaced due to spine fractures, re-signed on a two-year, $28MM deal this offseason. The Saints guaranteed Winston $15.2MM; Dalton is making $3MM this year.
  • Cameron Brate left the Buccaneers‘ Week 6 game on a stretcher, but Todd Bowles provided relatively good news on the veteran tight end. Brate sustained a sprained neck and did not suffer any loss of feeling or nerve damage. It is not clear when the ninth-year Buccaneer will be able to play again. The Bucs drafted two tight ends — Cade Otton and Ko Kieft — this year before signing Kyle Rudolph. Otton, a fourth-round pick out of Washington, worked as Brate’s primary replacement against the Steelers.

Poll: Which Sub-.500 Team Has Best Chance To Make Playoffs?

October 20th, 2022 at 2:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Particularly in the NFC, the early part of this season has brought considerable parity. Many would-be contenders have stumbled out of the blocks. Two 2-4 NFC squads — the Cardinals and Saints — will match up tonight in a game that will put the loser in an early-season bind.

A 2-4 start does not bring the historic uphill battle 0-3 does. Since the playoffs expanded to six teams per conference in 1990, four squads — including the 49ers last season and the 2019 Titans — have rebounded from that record to reach the conference championship round. The 1993 Oilers crafted a more remarkable pivot, rallying to earn a bye. No 2-4 team has ever reached a Super Bowl, however.

The Broncos are probably the most disappointing of the 2-4 lot. Their Russell Wilson–Nathaniel Hackett marriage has produced a spree of listless outings, leading to social media backlash and big-picture questions. Denver’s offense ranks 32nd in scoring and has particularly struggled coming out of halftime. The Broncos’ offense has accounted for three third-quarter points all season, turning up the heat on Hackett, who joined Kevin O’Connell and Dan Quinn as Broncos HC finalists.

This staggering unproductivity has marginalized a dominant defense, one that has seen 2021 draftees Patrick Surtain II and Baron Browning — after an offseason position change — take second-year leaps. Denver has the 18th-toughest schedule remaining, per Tankathon, though the team has both Chiefs contests still to come. As injuries mount for the once-promising team, its road to the playoffs appears difficult.

Cleveland and Pittsburgh join Denver at 2-4 but are just one game back of the AFC North lead. The Browns’ controversial Deshaun Watson acquisition led most to temper expectations for this season, with Watson banned 11 games. Cleveland also enjoyed a favorable early-season schedule, but the Jacoby Brissett-led team is 1-3 in games in which it has been favored. The Browns (10th-easiest remaining schedule, record-wise) brought back Jadeveon Clowney this offseason and have Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward on top-market contracts. Both Garrett and Ward have missed time, and Joe Woods‘ defense ranks 30th. Although the Browns have hoarded cap space — likely because of Watson’s contract — their quarterback-in-waiting’s cap number spikes from $9.4MM to $54.9MM from 2022 to ’23, placing a bit more emphasis on this season’s result.

The Steelers (11th-easiest remaining schedule) upset the Buccaneers despite most of their secondary joining T.J. Watt in missing Week 6, but the team is making a transition at quarterback. The Steelers’ Mitch Trubisky acquisition, his Week 6 rally notwithstanding, did plenty to create the early-season hole. Kenny Pickett figures to make the bulk of the starts the rest of the way for a team that has not finished under .500 since 2003.

Initial Jaguars optimism has faded somewhat, after a three-game skid. Trevor Lawrence has climbed to 13th in QBR, from 28th as a rookie, and Travis Etienne‘s health is starting to pay dividends. The front-seven investments the Jags made this year have led to improved talent defensively; Mike Caldwell‘s unit ranks ninth in points allowed. Jacksonville (13th-toughest remaining schedule) also plays in a division featuring winning teams with major questions, though its perennial struggles against presumptive non-threat Houston indicates Doug Pederson‘s team may be at least a year away from contending.

Aside from the Broncos, the Raiders (minus-5 in point differential) are probably the most interesting team here. Las Vegas’ new regime paid up for Davante Adams and extended prior-regime investments Derek Carr, Darren Waller and Maxx Crosby. Those moves have thus far led to close losses. The Raiders (ninth-easiest remaining schedule) are 1-4, with their Patrick Graham-coordinated defense ranking 28th. The AFC West does not appear as menacing as initially projected, and 1-4 is not the death sentence 0-3 is historically. But this Raiders retooling effort will need multiple offseasons, the next one including (presumably) a first-round pick.

Rallies against the Falcons and Raiders, respectively, lifted the Saints and Cardinals to 2-4. Both teams are also just one game out in their parity-fueled divisions.

Arizona’s three-extension offseason (Kyler Murray, Kliff Kingsbury, Steve Keim) has not instilled much confidence this will be the year the Murray-led operation becomes a serious threat. Arizona (15th-toughest remaining schedule) ranks 22nd both offensively and defensively, and its DeAndre Hopkins-less receiving corps led to numerous pass-catching combinations. The team has traded for both Marquise Brown and Robbie Anderson, but the Hopkins sidekicks will not share the field together for a while due to Brown’s injury. Kingsbury is already considering ceding play-calling duties.

The Saints (seventh-easiest remaining schedule) have again run into receiver staffing issues. Jarvis Landry has missed most of the season, and Michael Thomas‘ foot injury will lead to Thursday being the former All-Pro’s 29th missed game since 2020. Jameis Winston‘s back fractures have turned Andy Dalton into New Orleans’ regular starter. While the Dalton investment (one year, $3MM) has proven important, Dennis Allen‘s defense — a top-five unit in each of the past two seasons — ranks 29th.

Do any of the other sub-.500 teams — most of which residing in the rebuilding sect — have a chance to rebound this season? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your thoughts on this year’s collection of struggling teams in the comments section.

Which sub-.500 team has the best chance to make the playoffs?
Las Vegas Raiders 20.21% (275 votes)
Arizona Cardinals 15.43% (210 votes)
Cleveland Browns 12.56% (171 votes)
Pittsburgh Steelers 12.20% (166 votes)
New Orleans Saints 10.29% (140 votes)
Jacksonville Jaguars 8.16% (111 votes)
Chicago Bears 7.13% (97 votes)
Denver Broncos 6.76% (92 votes)
Detroit Lions 4.19% (57 votes)
Washington Commanders 1.54% (21 votes)
Houston Texans 0.96% (13 votes)
Carolina Panthers 0.59% (8 votes)
Total Votes: 1,361
Load More Posts