Demario Davis

Saints To Extend LB Demario Davis

Demario Davis was already on the books for 2024, but the lack of guaranteed money on his deal led to uncertainty regarding his future. The All-Pro linebacker will remain with the Saints, however, having agreed to a new deal. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the sides have worked out an agreement on a two-year, $17.25MM contract.

In Saints fashion, this agreement will create cap space. Davis had been tied to an $18.2MM cap hit in his contract year; this pact will reduce that and help a perpetually cap-strapped New Orleans operation. Going into today’s legal tampering period, the Saints resided $10MM-plus over the cap.

This will also give Davis more security in the form of guarantees; the veteran linebacker had been tied to a nonguaranteed 2024 salary worth $10MM. Davis has been one of the Saints’ top players for many years, and the 35-year-old defender will be set for a seventh season in Louisiana.

Davis has continually showcased a versatile skillset, being one of the best blitzing ‘backers in this era. The former Jets and Browns starter, despite being an off-ball presence, is coming off back-to-back 6.5-sack seasons. As Cameron Jordan has moved into his mid-30s and Payton Turner having not delivered on a first-round investment, Davis’ sack production has been important for a Saints team still trying to find its footing post-Drew Brees.

A marvel in IDP fantasy leagues, Davis paired 121 tackles and six pass breakups with those 6.5 sacks last season. The durable defender has posted 100-tackle seasons in each of his six Saints slates, adding 29.5 sacks during his New Orleans run. While Davis is nearing the end of an impressive career, the Saints will keep him around for at least one more season. A reassessment after this age-35 season seems likely, even as Davis has continued to deliver upper-crust work into his mid-30s.

NFL Restructures: Saints, Corbett, Grant, Eagles

The Saints restructured two contracts yesterday in an effort towards salary cap compliance, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Both linebacker Demario Davis and tight end Taysom Hill have agreed to the new arrangements to lower their cap hit next season.

Davis is under contract through the 2025 season, Hill through 2026. Davis had another stellar season for the Saints in 2022. Since joining the team in 2018, he’s missed one game and been a first- or second-team All-Pro in every season but his first in New Orleans. The team converted $7.09MM of base salary for the 34-year-old’s 2023 season into a signing bonus, clearing $5.67MM in cap space off of his contract. He now holds a cap hit next year of $7.61MM with a base salary of $1.17MM.

Hill had another productive year as a Swiss-army weapon for New Orleans. The quarterback/tight end continued to show a much larger impact rushing than receiving but steeply declined in his passing numbers this year. The team converted $8.82MM of base salary for the 32-year-old’s 2023 season into a signing bonus, clearing $7.06MM in cap space off of his contract. He now holds a cap hit next year of $6.87MM with a base salary of $1.08MM.

The team still has several avenues it can explore to create cap space. Defensive end Cameron Jordan ($25.7MM), cornerback Marshon Lattimore ($22.4MM), guard Andrus Peat ($18.3MM), running back Alvin Kamara ($16MM), and quarterback Jameis Winston ($15.6MM) all hold cap hits over $15MM that could likely be restructured.

Here are few other recent moves as teams strive towards cap compliance:

  • After signing a three-year, $26.25MM contract a year ago, guard Austin Corbett has agreed to a restructured deal with the Panthers, according to Panthers staff writer Darin Gantt. Corbett contributed to a much-improved offensive line this season, starting all 17 games before suffering a torn ACL in the team’s last game of the year. The 28-year-old is working towards a return spending every day at the facility in recovery. Yates of ESPN reports that the team converted $7.72MM, consisting of his base salary and a $1MM roster bonus, into a signing bonus, freeing up $5.79MM in cap space. Corbert now holds a 2023 salary of $1.08MM and a cap hit of $5.16MM.
  • Yates’s above report on Corbett also mentioned the Browns recent restructuring of wide receiver and return-specialist Jakeem Grant. Grant missed the 2022 season with a torn Achilles tendon after signing a three-year, $10MM contract in the offseason. The renegotiated deal for Grant reportedly reduces his cap hit by $1.77MM.
  • Eagles center Jason Kelce is currently headed towards free agency or, potentially, retirement. Still, since Philadelphia has a habit of building voidable years into contracts in an effort to lessen the salary cap burden of deals, the team found it necessary to decrease that financial burden that Kelce’s expiring contract has on their future. According to yet another report by Yates, the Eagles paid Kelce a $3MM bonus yesterday, consisting of his $2.75MM 2023 roster bonus and $250,000 2023 offseason bonus, to reduce his 2023 cap hit. The move reportedly cleared up around $2.4MM of cap space for Philadelphia next season.

Notable 2023 Pro Bowl Incentives

The NFL announced their 2023 Pro Bowl rosters this evening. Besides the ability to list the accolade on their career resume (plus the monetary bonus that comes from participating in and winning the game), many players had a financial incentive for wanting a Pro Bowl nod. We’ve collected some of the notable Pro Bowl contract incentives below, most via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter (unless noted).

Geno Smith‘s contract bonus came via a specific incentive that required not only Pro Bowl recognition but 20 touchdown passes, according to Yates (on Twitter). Smith hit that TD mark back in Week 13. The impending free agent is set to cash in following a breakout campaign during his age-32 season.

Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard has a more complex bonus worked into his contract. According to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry (on Twitter), Howard is one step closer to earning a $1MM bonus thanks to his Pro Bowl nod, but he’ll also need Miami to improve in either wins, points allowed, TDs allowed, total defense, interceptions, average net yards allowed per rushing play, or turnover margin.

Speaking of the Dolphins, the organization saved a chunk of future money since one of their players didn’t make the Pro Bowl roster. As Daniel Oyefusi of the Miami Herald tweets, Tua Tagovailoa‘s fifth-year option would have increased from $22MM to $28MM if he earned a Pro Bowl nod.

Saints, Demario Davis Finalizing Extension

The Saints have made a number of changes to the contract status of linebacker Demario Davis. Chief among those is a one-year extension to his existing contract, as detailed by ESPN’s Field Yates

As a result of the re-working of his existing pact, coupled with the extra year being tacked on, Davis can earn up to $18MM in new money across the next three seasons. One-third of that total is represented by incentives, but the new year in 2024 also includes a $10MM base salary and $2MM roster bonus.

No changes were made to his 2022 cap status, meaning that he will carry a charge of $5.9MM for the upcoming season. In 2023, Davis will see a slight reduction in his salary, but the addition of an equally-valued workout bonus; the Saints are also guaranteeing $1MM of his compensation for that season. While his cap hit will spike next year, the Saints would essentially see no financial relief from cutting him.

In all, as Yates writes, today’s move provides the 33-year-old with “additional security” regarding his financial future. It comes in the wake of recent speculation on that very subject, with Davis himself acknowledging the potential uncertainty he faced in the latter stages of his career. Now, he and the Saints can move forward with greater confidence, as Davis looks to continue his consistent production in New Orleans. The Arkansas State alum has totalled no fewer than 105 tackles in each of his four seasons with the team, missing just one contest during that span. He has been named an All-Pro in each of the past three years.

With an important piece of business done, an integral member of the new-look Saints defense is on the books through 2024, which should allow him to continue his standard of play for at least the near future.

Latest On Saints’ Demario Davis

Demario Davis has been a consistent presence in the middle of the Saints’ defense during his four seasons with the team. He is scheduled to remain in New Orleans for another two years, but the veteran linebacker is aware that his contract status may change soon. 

Davis, 33, began his career with the Jets in 2012. He was a full-time starter by his second year, and remained a significant contributor throughout his tenure. After a single season with the Browns, he was traded back to the Big Apple in 2017. He led the league in solo tackles that year, also setting a new career-high in sacks with five.

That production led to a three-year, $24MM contract with the Saints during the subsequent offseason. He remained as consistent as ever during that span, earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2019. That led to a three-year extension worth $27MM. He received a Second-Team nod in 2020, after compiling 119 tackles and four sacks. After that season, the Arkansas State alum was one of several Saints veterans who re-worked their contracts to create immediate cap space for the team.

As a result, his 2022 base salary is just $1.1MM, coupled with a cap hit of just under $5.9MM. However, those figures are set to jump to $8.5MM and $13.2MM, respectively, next year. That leaves another extension as a possibility, though the team would see a small financial gain from his release after the 2022 campaign. Davis addressed his contract status at minicamp, his first on-field participation with the team this offseason.

“We’ll see,” he said, via Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com, while speaking about the potential of a new contract. “I have nothing but love for the city. And I have a lot of love for this organization. But at the end of the day, it’s still a business. We’ll see how it goes.”

The Saints have a number of other options to succeed Davis as a starter in the near future, though none of them have established themselves as full-time starters in New Orleans. Depending on his level of play in 2022, then, another new contract could be beneficial for both parties.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/29/21

Several key players returned to practice Wednesday. Here are the latest COVID-19 updates from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Rico Bussey

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Saints’ COVID Surge

Yesterday, the Saints saw 9 players hit the reserve/COVID-19 list including quarterbacks Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian who were expected to handle the duties behind center for the rest of the year with Jameis Winston on IR with a torn ACL. In addition to those two, guard James Carpenter, linebacker Kaden Elliss, defensive back Jeff Heath, defensive end Jalyn Holmes, defensive back Malcolm Jenkins, defensive tackle Christian Ringo, and tackle Jordan Mills all found themselves on the COVID list. Besides the quarterbacks and full-time starter Jenkins, the other six players have a combined 8 starts between them.

With three quarterbacks currently unavailable for Monday Night’s matchup with the Dolphins, the Saints are expected to start the rookie fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame, Ian Book. As we reported earlier this morning, New Orleans also made the move of signing Blake Bortles as a contingency plan behind Book.

Well, despite the addition, the Saints didn’t fair any better today, losing full-time starters Ryan Ramczyk at tackle and Demario Davis at linebacker to the reserve/COVID-19 list, as well as reserves running back Dwayne Washington and safety J.T. Gray.

With the losses, the Saints will continue to operate with a depleted roster, like every other NFL team this year. The Saints’ lineup now lacks the likes of regular starters like Winston, Hill, Jenkins, Ramczyk, Davis, kicker Wil Lutz, tackle Andrus Peat, tight end Adam Trautman, and wide receiver Michael Thomas. Although they look like a shell of the team they could be at full strength, the Saints, along with the rest of the NFL, will continue to work to make the most of a bad situation as they currently sit only two spots outside of the final Wild Card spot with a 7-7 record, losing the tiebreakers to current 7-seed Minnesota and 8-seed Philadelphia.

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/24/21

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: S Chuck Clark, C Trystan Colon
  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Nate McCrary
  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: QB Chris Streveler

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: DB Jordan Fuller, TE Tyler Higbee
  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: OL Cole Williamson

Miami Dolphins

  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: RB Gerrid Doaks

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Activated from reserve/COVID-19 list: RB Travis Homer
  • Activated from practice squad/COVID-19 list: OL Pier-Olivier Lestage

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Saints Rework Contracts Of DE Cameron Jordan, LB Demario Davis

The Saints have been busy clearing cap space over the past few days, and they’ve once again restructured the contracts of veterans. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that defensive end Cameron Jordan and linebacker Demario Davis have both agreed to rework their contracts. These two moves will save the Saints more than $13MM in cap space.

Jordan was set to have a cap hit of $18.9MM in 2021, which would have been the highest on the team. The 31-year-old has spent his entire career in New Orleans, establishing himself as a consistent force on the defensive line. Remarkably, the former first-rounder hasn’t missed a regular season game since joining the organization, and he earned his fourth-straight Pro Bowl nod (sixth overall) in 2020 after finishing with 51 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. Jordan inked a three-year, $52.5MM deal with New Orleans back in 2019 that will keep him with the organization through the 2023 season.

Following a pair of stints with the Jets and a one-year cameo with the Browns, Davis joined the Saints back in 2018. He’s since established himself as one of the best linebackers in the game; after earning first-team All-Pro honors in 2019, the 32-year-old followed that up with a second-team nod in 2020. Davis ultimately finished this past season having compiled 119 tackles and four sacks. The veteran inked a three-year, $27MM deal with the Saints last September, and he was set to have a $10.8MM cap hit in 2021.

The Saints have made a handful of moves over the past week. The team reworked the contracts of defensive tackle David Onyemata and kicker Wil Lutz, and they released punter Thomas Morstead and tight end Josh Hill. Prior to today’s moves, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic estimated (on Twitter) that New Orleans had already opened more than $24MM in cap space with their various moves.

Saints Sign LB Demario Davis To Three-Year Extension

Alvin Kamara isn’t the only Saint with a big new deal. New Orleans has signed linebacker Demario Davis to a three-year extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets. (FOX’s Erin Andrews was first to report the news).

Rapoport notes that the deal has a base value of $27MM, with $18.35MM of that being guaranteed. He’ll also have Pro Bowl incentives of $500K in each of the three seasons. Davis signed in New Orleans on a three-year, $24MM deal back in March of 2018, and had been scheduled to become a free agent after the year.

As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network tweets the Saints recently tweaked defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins’ deal to clear up $4MM in cap space, perhaps helping to facilitate this deal. A third-round pick of the Jets in 2012, Davis spent the first four years of his career in New York, then spent a year with the Browns, then went back to the Jets.

A first-team All-Pro selection last season, Davis has never missed a game in his eight-year career. In 16 starts last year he had 111 tackles, four sacks, an interception, and 12 passes defended. New Orleans’ defense looked pretty good against Tom Brady in Week 1, and Davis will be a big part of that unit moving forward.