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Titans’ DE Arden Key Drawing Trade Interest; Latest On Lions’ EDGE Search

November 3rd, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Rory Parks

The Cardinals are interested in the Giants’ Azeez Ojulari, and Arizona’s search for a pass rusher has not stopped there. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic (subscription required), the Cards have also reached out to the Titans to discuss a trade for defensive end Arden Key.

[RELATED: Titans Will Not Trade DL Jeffery Simmons]

Key, 28, is under club control through 2025 and is due a manageable $6.5MM salary next season. So even though the 1-6 Titans are obvious sellers at this year’s deadline, they do not need to move Key if they do not get an offer to their liking.

That said, New York is setting a high price on Ojulari, which could in turn boost Tennessee’s leverage in any talks involving Key (although Big Blue is reportedly unlikely to recoup more than a Day 3 selection for Ojulari, regardless of any posturing to the contrary). Key, a former third-round pick of the Raiders, struggled to find his footing with the Silver-and-Black, but he established himself as a useful complementary edge defender by posting 11 sacks and 32 quarterback hits over the 2021-22 seasons, which he split between the 49ers and Jaguars.

He turned that performance into a three-year, $21MM contract with the Titans in the 2023 offseason, and he recorded six sacks and 12 QB hits in his first year in Nashville. This year, he has tallied three sacks and six QB hits through seven games, and Pro Football Focus has assigned him a strong 70.3 pass rush grade.

The 4-4 Cardinals, who surprisingly find themselves at the top of a muddy NFC West picture, have been hit hard by injuries along the defensive line, and GM Monti Ossenfort recently confirmed that he has explored deals that could bolster his club’s pass rush.

At the end of October, Lions head coach Dan Campbell indicated that Detroit could soon be making a move to address its EDGE corps, which has lost both Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport for the season. Armando Salguero of Outkick.com named Key as an “outside possibility” for the Lions, although Key’s performance in Tennessee’s recent loss to the Detroit – two sacks and six total tackles – could have caught the eye of Campbell & Co.

The Lions have already been connected to the Browns’ Za’Darius Smith, and both Russini and ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirm that Detroit has indeed checked in on Smith. Salguero, meanwhile, names the Panthers’ Jadeveon Clowney and the Saints’ Chase Young as other possible targets for the Lions.

Saints GM Mickey Loomis Talks Deadline Approach

October 30th, 2024 at 8:58pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints have dropped six-straight games and sit towards the bottom of the NFC standings. The team would be a logical seller ahead of the deadline, and the front office is willing to consider trades…on their terms.

During an appearance on WWL Radio this week, GM Mickey Loomis acknowledged that the Saints have received calls from potential buyers. However, the executive cautioned that the Saints have generally received “undervalued offers.”

“When you’re in a losing streak, you’re calling those teams looking to see if they’re sellers, right, and so we’ll get a number of calls and we’ll respond accordingly,” Loomis said (h/t Jeff Nowak of the station’s website). “I’m not really one who thinks that trading away half your roster makes a lot of sense at this point for, generally, what I think are undervalued offers.”

This could be some natural gamesmanship from Loomis with the trade deadline less than a week away. The Saints have some obvious trade candidates, including Marshon Lattimore and his impending team option. The veteran cornerback has seemingly been on the block for the past year, and with his 2025 status in doubt, the team may finally decide to move on. The Saints also have impending free agent edge rusher Chase Young, who was involved in a trade during last year’s deadline.

On the flip side, the Saints could sincerely be hoping to build some momentum as they look towards the 2025 campaign. Derek Carr is set to return to the Saints for the first time since Week 5. The veteran QB guided the Saints to their Week 1 and Week 2 victories, but he was also under center for their three subsequent losses. Carr’s return should provide a small spark to the organization, but he shouldn’t be expected to single-handedly turn around the team’s fortunes.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/24/24

July 24th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Placed on active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze, WR Shaquan Davis
  • Placed on active/PUP list: S Sydney Brown

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

In New Orleans, Young has officially made the comeback from offseason neck surgery, passing his physical today alongside Olave, who is no stranger to offseason injuries.

Treadwell will join his eighth team in nine years after only making one catch in five games with the Ravens last season.

Brown is working his way back from an ACL tear that he suffered in the final game of his rookie season last year, so it’s no surprise that he will start the offseason on PUP.

Saints Place Ryan Ramczyk On Reserve/PUP List; Chase Young Nearing Return

July 18th, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Sam Robinson

7:05pm: NFL network’s Ian Rapoport has provided a discouraging update, noting that Ramczyk’s placement on PUP means he’s out for the entire season. This applies to all vested veterans placed on reserve/PUP prior to the final roster reduction August 27.

4:00pm: Rumored to be in danger of missing the 2024 season, Ryan Ramczyk is already out of the picture for a chunk of it. The Saints placed the All-Pro right tackle on the reserve/PUP list Thursday, guaranteeing he will miss at least the season’s first four games.

A knee injury Ramczyk battled through last season has the eighth-year veteran at a career crossroads, and the Saints drafted a tackle in Round 1 (Taliese Fuaga). The former Oregon State right tackle is training on the left side, but it does not appear Ramczyk will be counted on in 2024. This transaction points to Ramczyk missing the season, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill tweets.

Teams have the option of placing players on the active/PUP list, which is a training camp-only designation that does not affect a player’s regular-season availability. The Saints taking this step with Ramczyk more than a month before they have to does not bode well for the decorated blocker’s chances of factoring into the 2024 campaign.

Ramczyk, who turned 30 this offseason, has started 101 games. Twelve of those came last season, but knee trouble has pointed to this reality for a bit. A cartilage defect in Ramczyk’s knee has led him to this crossroads, which compounds issues for a Saints team in dire straits at tackle. Dennis Allen had labeled Ramczyk’s offseason knee surgery as minor and projected he would be ready for camp but said in April he felt better about the veteran’s chances at the time of surgery.

The team has not seen 2022 first-rounder Trevor Penning pan out; an early-season benching occurred. The Saints then saw three-year starter James Hurst, who worked at left tackle for two seasons and left guard for most of last year, retire. This came shortly after Andrus Peat, a Pro Bowl guard who was Penning’s primary LT replacement last year, defected to the Raiders. This all but assured the Saints would take advantage of this year’s deep tackle crop, with Fuaga being the prize at No. 14 overall.

As recently as last season, the Saints rolled out an O-line with four first-rounders (Ramczyk, Penning, Peat, Cesar Ruiz) and second-round center Erik McCoy. The team went back to the Round 1 well via Fuaga, who is in line to start at left tackle, but the LG and RT spots are uncertain. Penning trained at right tackle this offseason and may well be the favorite to fill in for Ramczyk, but the Northern Iowa alum’s performance to date leaves that as an unstable position.

This will be a blow for a perennially cap-strapped team. The Saints gave Ramczyk a five-year, $96MM extension in 2021. That contract included $43MM guaranteed at signing and $60MM guaranteed in total. Part of a 2017 draft class that changed the Saints’ trajectory, Ramczyk is a three-time All-Pro (first team in 2019) who has given the Saints stability on the right side. Ramczyk reworked his contract this offseason, dropping his cap number from $27MM to $12.9MM. A dead money charge of $23.1MM would come the Saints’ way if Ramczyk moves off the roster via release, though that number could be split via a post-June 1 cut.

In less impactful Saints news, the team placed tight end Juwan Johnson, defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon, linebacker Nephi Sewell and free agency DE addition Chase Young on the active/PUP list. Chris Olave landed on the active/NFI list. Players moved to the active/PUP or active/NFI lists can be activated at any point. The Saints activated rookie wide receiver Bub Means from the active/NFI list Thursday.

Young is coming off offseason neck surgery, though the former No. 2 overall pick has been viewed as likely to be ready for Week 1. His recovery has gone well enough the team does not expect a lengthy stay on the active/PUP list, Underhill adds. A similar assessment emerged last month, pointing to Young — who saw a severe knee injury change his path in Washington — being ready in the not-too-distant future. Young signed a one-year, $13MM deal comprised largely of per-game roster bonuses.

Latest On Chase Young’s Recovery From Neck Surgery

June 15th, 2024 at 9:01am CST by Ben Levine

Chase Young got a positive update on his recovery from neck surgery. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Saints defensive end “received a positive report” during a check-up with “renowned neck specialist” Dr. Robert Watkins.

[RELATED: Chase Young’s Neck Injury Affected 2023 Trade Market]

The plan is for Young to undergo more tests in about six weeks, which would bring us to the end of July/the beginning of August. Fowler notes that Young intends to participate in Saints training camp, which opens in California on July 24.

Young’s neck issues date back to last year’s preseason, when the former second-overall pick suffered a stinger that ultimately forced him to miss the regular-season opener. Young didn’t miss another game for the rest of the 2023 campaign, although the lingering injury reportedly affected his trade market. The impending free agent was eventually traded from the Commanders to the 49ers for a third-round pick, with Young getting into 12 games (including postseason) for his new squad. The player went under the knife after the season.

The Saints ended up snagging the edge rusher in free agency, giving him a one-year deal that could be worth up to $13MM if the free agent acquisition can stay healthy. Of course, that’s easier said than done. After earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, Young suffered a knee injury that derailed his 2021 and 2022 seasons. He rebounded nicely in 2023, finishing with 7.5 sacks, but it doesn’t sound like the veteran is completely past his injury struggles.

While the Saints were clearly banking on Young’s upside, the acquisition will surely test the team’s depth. Saints stalwart Cameron Jordan underwent surgery earlier this year to address a significant ankle injury, although the veteran was able to participate a bit in this week’s practices. The team does still have Carl Granderson on the edge, with the former UDFA coming off a career season. 2021 first-round pick Payton Turner and 2023 second-round pick Isaiah Foskey are also competing for depth spots.

Latest On Saints DEs Cameron Jordan, Chase Young

May 26th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Rory Parks

Saints stalwart Cameron Jordan underwent surgery earlier this year to address the significant ankle injury he sustained in November. While the eight-time Pro Bowler was able to play through the injury, he was clearly limited by it down the stretch of the 2023 season, and he ultimately recorded just two sacks (his lowest total since his rookie year in 2011).

Fortunately, Jordan is on the mend. He told reporters, including Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football, that he is running again and participating in walk-throughs, and he hopes to do some on-field work by the end of OTAs and minicamp (the last OTA session is on June 6, and the club’s three-day mandatory minicamp commences on June 11).

Despite the diminished sack total, Jordan still played fairly well in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, securing a solid 73.5 overall grade that positioned him as the 41st-best edge defender out of 112 qualified players. That is off the pace of his elite performances from 2015-21 but right in line with his 2022 work. His overall mark was pulled down by a middling 63.8 pass rush grade, though there is hope that a healthy ankle will at least allow him to replicate the counting stats he accumulated in 2022, when he tallied 8.5 sacks, 66 total tackles (13 TFL), and a pair of forced fumbles.

One way or another, it appears that Jordan, who will turn 35 in July, has another two years to go in his illustrious playing career. The Cal product inked an extension last August that keeps him under club control through 2025, which he expects to be his last season. In classic Saints fashion, the team restructured his contract in March to clear cap space.

Joining Jordan on the New Orleans defensive front is free agent acquisition Chase Young, who has yet to get the big-money deal that he was doubtlessly eyeing when the Commanders made him the No. 2 overall pick in 2020. Young, of course, earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors that season but struggled with a serious knee injury thereafter, though he did manage to post 7.5 sacks between the Commanders and 49ers in 2023. While he can earn up to $13MM on his one-year pillow contract with the Saints, most of that value comes in the form of per-game roster bonuses.

Young’s market was limited in part by the fact that he required neck surgery this offseason, and while the Saints were comfortable with his prognosis, they knew he would need some time to recover. As Triplett notes, Young will likely remain in “walk-through mode” through minicamp, which is consistent with earlier reports that he would be sidelined into training camp in July.

Chase Young’s Neck Injury Affected 2023 Trade Market

March 20th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Sam Robinson

Chase Young missed only one game last season, coming back from a knee injury that marred the previous two years. But his free agent market underwhelmed. The former No. 2 overall pick settled for a Saints contract that has turned out to be heavy in per-game roster bonuses. His upcoming neck surgery has brought another hurdle.

New Orleans gave Young a $13MM contract, but one that hinges on the former Washington and San Francisco starter suiting up. Young visited three teams — the Saints, Titans and Panthers — over the past week, but SI.com’s Albert Breer notes none would clear the Ohio State alum on his physical. It is not uncommon for players to fail a physical and land a free agency deal, as prior injuries requiring rehab efforts are regularly baked into teams’ pursuits of certain players.

Young sustained a neck stinger during a preseason game last year, causing him to miss Week 1. He returned and played the rest of the way, totaling 7.5 sacks during a season split between the Commanders and 49ers. San Francisco ended up with Young — in exchange for a third-round compensatory pick — because Washington dropped its asking price. The Bears were among the other teams interested in Young, but Breer adds his neck scans provided the NFC North team with enough concern it moved in another direction. This led to Montez Sweat going to Chicago and signing an upper-crust extension (four years, $98MM).

The 49ers were comfortable with Young’s medical sheet, and they were interested in re-signing him. San Francisco hopes at a higher-end compensatory pick will not come to fruition as a result of this contract. The 49ers have moved on, signing Leonard Floyd and Yetur Gross-Matos. Young will be expected to recover and play opposite Cameron Jordan, with both his 2024 earnings and 2025 free agent market hinging on a smooth recovery from this neck operation.

Previously ticketed for a contract a few tiers north of the one he ultimately received, Young has seen his career hit a crossroads. While returning to full health could reestablish the 25-year-old edge rusher as being worthy of a deal in the Sweat neighborhood, Young has seen injuries sidetrack his career. To prevent another round of one-year offers from coming to pass, the fifth-year defender will need to stay healthy in New Orleans.

Contract Details: Young, Awuzie, Taylor, Rams, Cards, Chargers, 49ers, Lions, Texans

March 20th, 2024 at 10:12am CST by Sam Robinson

With free agency’s first wave in the rearview mirror, here is a look at some of the contracts authorized by teams in the days since the market opened:

  • Chidobe Awuzie, CB (Titans). Three years, $36MM. Contract includes $22.98MM guaranteed. Awuzie’s 2025 base salary ($11.49MM) is guaranteed for injury at signing, with $7.51MM of that total fully guaranteed. Awuzie being on Tennessee’s roster on April 1 of next year locks in the other $3.98MM. The veteran cornerback is a due a $1MM bonus on April 1, 2026, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.
  • Darious Williams, CB (Rams). Three years, $22.5MM. Commanding a market, the recent Jaguars cap casualty’s second Rams contract can be worth up to $30MM, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
  • Chase Young, DE (Saints). One year, $13MM. The deal includes $7.99MM in per-game roster bonuses, CBS Sports Jonathan Jones notes. Including a $2.7MM base salary and a $1.86MM signing bonus, Young’s New Orleans pact is still heavily tilted toward games active. That will make the defensive end’s recovery from neck surgery worth monitoring more closely.
  • Tyrod Taylor, QB (Jets): Two years, $12MM. Taylor will see $8.5MM fully guaranteed, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan tweets. An additional $6MM in incentives are present in the veteran QB’s deal. Three void years are included here, dropping Taylor’s 2024 cap hit to $2.8MM.
  • DeeJay Dallas, RB (Cardinals): Three years, $8.25MM. Dallas will see $2.4MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. The final two base salaries on this contract — both worth $2.4MM — are nonguaranteed. Rushing yards-based incentives run up to $750K per year in this deal.
  • Javon Kinlaw, DT (Jets): One year, $7.25MM. The ex-49ers first-rounder will receive a $5.5MM signing bonus, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating the deal also includes $1.75MM in incentives.
  • Gus Edwards, RB (Chargers). Two years, $6.5MM. The ex-Ravens back will see $3.38MM guaranteed, Wilson tweets. Edwards’ $3MM 2025 base salary is nonguaranteed, with Wilson adding he is due a $125K roster bonus on Day 5 of the 2025 league year.
  • Noah Brown, WR (Texans): One year, $4MM. Brown re-signed with the Texans for $3MM guaranteed, per Wilson. The wideout’s second Houston contract can max out at $5MM.
  • Jon Feliciano, G (49ers). One year, $2.75MM. Feliciano will receive a $925K signing bonus, and Wilson adds $1.25MM in incentives are present in this accord.
  • Emmanuel Moseley, CB (Lions). One year, $1.13MM. Moseley will stay in Detroit for the veteran minimum, via the Detroit News’ Justin Rogers. Coming off a second ACL tear in two years, Moseley will receive a $1MM signing bonus. He received $6MM in 2023.

Saints DE Chase Young To Undergo Surgery

March 19th, 2024 at 2:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

A knee injury represents a significant reason Chase Young is now with the Saints, after a declined fifth-year option led him to free agency. But the former Defensive Rookie of the Year will spend extensive time rehabbing another issue this offseason.

Young will undergo neck surgery, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter, who adds the talented edge rusher is expected to be sidelined into training camp. The Saints expect Young to be ready for the season, and while they were comfortable with the fifth-year veteran’s neck issue upon signing him Monday, it will be a while before he is in uniform again.

This procedure helps explain why Young ended up with a “prove it” deal. Even on a market featuring some starter-caliber edge rushers with upside, Young’s talent stood out. But his 2021 knee trouble — a torn ACL and ruptured patellar tendon — sidelined him for nearly all of the 2022 season. With that in his rearview mirror and this nick issue a factor as well, Young did not land a multiyear contract. Though, the Saints did give the former Heisman finalist a $13MM guarantee for the 2024 season. That illustrated other teams were willing to bet on Young now.

The Saints indeed secured exclusive negotiating rights with Young until March 2025. That will give the NFC South team a chance to evaluate a player whose trajectory once seemed to be soaring beyond “prove it” deal territory. But Young lost nearly two seasons due to the knee injury. After he started off well with the Commanders before a midseason trade last year (five sacks), he was unable to display the same form with the 49ers, registering 2.5 sacks in eight games. Still, Young is going into only his age-25 season. He has time to rebuild his value ahead of a potentially lucrative third contract.

That said, this neck surgery will introduce another complication here. It is certainly possible the Saints will want to see an extensive run of Young health before considering an extension. Young also may be interested in proving it to enhance his 2025 market, seeing as he was not planning to discuss a new Commanders deal until after the 2024 season. The Saints will wait on the once-prized prospect for a while, as it now appears less than a lock Young will be ready for Week 1.

Saints Sign DE Chase Young

March 18th, 2024 at 11:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Chase Young‘s free agent period is likely to come to an end. The former No. 2 pick is set to visit the Saints today with the intention of signing, as first reported by Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.

Young will receive $13MM fully guaranteed on a one-year deal, ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds. That represents quite the ‘prove-it’ commitment on the part of New Orleans, a team which has shown interest in the former Defensive Rookie of the Year. Young’s visit with New Orleans was rescheduled to today, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. With that process having gone according to plan, the sides have a deal in place. The team has now announced the signing.

A trio of teams quickly emerged as Young suitors – New Orleans, Carolina and Tennessee. It thus comes as little surprise that the Saints appear to have won out the competition for his services as he profiled as one of the more intriguing free agents on the market. Young will be 25 at the start of the 2024 season, meaning he could have more upside and runway for high-end play than many other veterans who landed big-money deals last week.

The Ohio State product entered the league with massive expectations, but for the most part he did not deliver during his time in Washington. Injuries in 2021 and ’22, along with perception of freelancing during his time with the Commanders, hindered Young’s trade value leading up to this year’s deadline. Washington appeared committed to retaining one of he and fellow first-rounder Montez Sweat at that point. As such, Young’s contract year could have ended with him remaining in the nation’s capital.

However, he (like Sweat) was traded, finding himself in a deal which allowed him to reunite with former college teammate Nick Bosa in San Francisco. Young recorded five sacks in seven regular season games with the 49ers, adding one in the team’s postseason run. A deal keeping him on the Bay Area was in the cards, but Young made it clear upon arrival he would test the market. That suggested a departure could be coming, and he will now join a Saints team making another investment along the edge.

New Orleans has Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson in the fold, with both veterans having signed extensions last offseason. The team has also spent significant draft capital at the defensive end spot in recent years, including a first-round pick in 2021 (Payton Turner) and a second-rounder last April (Isaiah Foskey). Young will join that edge group for at least one season ahead of another potential trip to free agency.

The Saints – following yet another offseason filled with restructures and cuts needed to achieve cap compliance – entered Monday with $18.6MM in cap space. Young’s deal being fully guaranteed will eat into that figure considerably, although void years will no doubt be in place. It will be interesting to see how he fares in New Orleans and how his performance affects his value ahead of next offseason.

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