New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Status Of 7 Remaining Franchise-Tagged Players

July 3rd, 2021 at 5:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ten players comprised this year’s franchise tag contingent — down from 14 in 2020. However, the Broncos, Cowboys and Giants reached extension agreements with their tagged players — Justin Simmons, Dak Prescott and Leonard Williams, respectively — to leave seven tag recipients unsigned entering July.

With the July 15 deadline to extend franchise-tagged players less than two weeks away, here is where things stand with the remaining members of the group:

WR Chris Godwin, Buccaneers

Rather than tag Shaquil Barrett for a second straight year, the Bucs cuffed Godwin at $15.9MM. The defending Super Bowl champions found room for Barrett and every other notable free agent they had this offseason, going into overdrive in their effort to defend their second championship. Like every other franchise-tagged player this year, Godwin has signed his tender. The former third-round pick has said he wants to stay in Tampa long-term. The Bucs have Mike Evans signed to a now-below-market deal ($16.5MM per year), so it will be interesting to see how they navigate negotiations with his less accomplished (but three years younger, at 25) sidekick.

S Marcus Maye, Jets

Tagged months after the Jets traded Jamal Adams, Maye has not exactly enjoyed a smooth negotiating process. Just before the Jets tagged Maye, his agent slammed the team for a lackluster effort to extend the four-year starter beforehand. The Jets have carried on negotiations since applying the tag and are believed to have been steadfast in this approach, but this has not necessarily translated to progress. These talks are expected to go down to the wire. Maye, 28, not signing an extension by July 15 would keep the Mike Maccagnan-era draft choice on the $10.6MM tag.

OT Taylor Moton, Panthers

While the Panthers’ left tackle position has been one of the toughest to fill over the past decade, Moton has locked down the team’s right tackle post. A 2017 second-round pick, Moton has not missed a game since debuting in Carolina’s lineup in Week 1 of the 2018 season. The Panthers have a new regime in place, but the Matt Rhule–Scott Fitterer duo hopes to extend Moton.

The right tackle market moved this week, with Ryan Ramczyk agreeing to a $19.2MM-per-year extension. Moton, 26, is not a candidate to top that, but he may be primed to fill the gap between the top tier (Ramczyk and $18MM-AAV Lane Johnson) and Jack Conklin‘s $14MM-AAV deal. Moton is attached to a $13.8MM franchise tender.

WR Allen Robinson, Bears

Tagged at a higher price ($17.98MM) than Godwin because of his previous contract, Robinson has been the Bears’ No. 1 option on offense for the past three years. This has not translated to harmony between he and the team. Robinson has expressed frustration with the Bears’ tactics during his lengthy extension talks, which date back to last year, and he at one point surfaced in trade rumors.

This will be the eighth-year veteran’s age-28 season. A long-term Robinson deal would pair well with Justin Fields‘ rookie contract, with no other Bears receiver making even midlevel money, but the former third-round pick did not sound especially confident a deal will be finalized by the deadline.

OT Cam Robinson, Jaguars

This might be the closest to a “prove it” tag in this year’s lot. The former second-round pick has recovered from the ACL tear that cost him 14 games in 2018, starting 30 over the past two seasons. But Robinson, 25, has yet to show he is among the better players at the left tackle position. Without a viable replacement lined up, the Jaguars tagged the Alabama alum at $13.8MM. It would make sense for the Urban Meyer regime to gauge Robinson’s contract-year performance and reassess the matter next year. Holding the most cap space in the NFL ($38MM), the Jags can afford to carry Robinson’s tag figure this season.

G Brandon Scherff, Washington

Washington and its top offensive lineman have been at this for a while. A 2015 first-round pick, Scherff has been eligible for an extension since the 2017 season ended. Instead, Washington has seen another tag situation near the point of no return. The four-time Pro Bowl guard has played on the fifth-year option and the franchise tag, pushing this year’s tag price to $18MM. A third tag is unrealistic, as the Kirk Cousins standoff showed, and no deal this month would push Scherff toward free agency in 2022. The team wants to extend the 29-year-old blocker, but it will almost certainly take a guard-record agreement to do so. Joe Thuney raised the position’s ceiling with a $16MM-AAV deal in March.

S Marcus Williams, Saints

The Saints’ salary cap tightrope walk included a $10.6MM Williams tag, completing an odyssey that began with the team $100MM-plus over this year’s reduced cap. With New Orleans already doing the rare fifth-year option restructure with Marshon Lattimore, a Williams extension would be the easiest way to create more cap room. The team checked the top item off its offeseason to-do list, the Ramcyzk extension, but it may well have either a Lattimore or Williams re-up in its near-future plans.

Part of New Orleans’ impact 2017 draft class, the 24-year-old safety has been a starter from Day 1. Even though Lattimore may be a higher extension priority, the team coming all the way back from $100MM over the cap to use a franchise tag illustrates its view of Williams’ work.

No Players Planning To Opt Out Of 2021 Season?

July 2nd, 2021 at 11:31am CST by Sam Robinson

Nearly 70 players opted out of the 2020 season, with some of the high-profile opt-outs’ decisions affecting teams’ plans going into that uncertain campaign. A more stable backdrop exists a year later, and the NFL may have its full workforce available as a result.

No buzz has emerged on a player opting out of the 2021 season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes. Last week, the NFL and NFLPA came to an agreement that secured another COVID-19 opt-out provision. Only players deemed high risks for developing complications from the coronavirus are eligible for the $350K payout, but with vaccines now in the equation, it is possible no player opts out by Friday’s 3pm CT deadline.

Several key players opted out in 2020. Dont’a Hightower and Patrick Chung were among the Patriots’ league-high seven opt-outs; the Bears lost nose tackle Eddie Goldman; the Chiefs lost longtime guard starter Laurent Duvernay-Tardif and starting running back Damien Williams; the Vikings lost recent nose tackle signee Michael Pierce; Giants left tackle Nate Solder sat out as well. This group, save for the now-retired Chung, has returned. (Goldman did not show for Bears minicamp, but the team expects him back for training camp.) However, many of the lower-profile players ended up being cut after their respective opt-out decisions. With effective vaccines now available, teams will likely be less understanding of players’ decisions to skip the season.

While a few players have expressed vaccine hesitancy, at least 65% of NFL players have received at least one vaccine dose. The Broncos, Dolphins, Saints and Steelers were close to or had surpassed the 85% mark late last week, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). The Jaguars and Panthers saw a spike in vaccines after the NFL announced this year’s virus protocols, which provide considerably more freedom for vaccinated players.

A few hours remain for players to notify teams they will skip this season, but opt-outs — decisions that cannot be changed after this afternoon’s deadline — do not look like a major issue for NFL franchises in 2021.

Details On Ryan Ramczyk’s Saints Extension

July 2nd, 2021 at 9:59am CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints now have a third offensive lineman signed to a high-end extension, with Ryan Ramczyk joining Terron Armstead and Andrus Peat as well-paid starters on a team with five first-rounders on its starting O-line. Multiple interesting details surfaced about Ramczyk’s deal Friday.

This five-year, $96MM pact will reduce Ramczyk’s 2021 cap number by $5.55MM, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Previously set to play on a fifth-year option salary worth just more than $11MM, Ramczyk’s cap number is down to $5.5MM. The Saints now have $11.4MM in cap space, according to OverTheCap, putting them 15th in the NFL in early July. They have come a long way from being more than $100MM over the cap earlier this year.

One component of Ramczyk’s deal generates intrigue about New Orleans’ future at the tackle position. The contract includes a $1MM bonus should Ramczyk be named a first- or second-team All-Pro at left tackle, Yates tweets. If Ramczyk earns this bonus, his salary balloons by $1MM in each subsequent year. He has earned first- or second-team All-Pro honors three times in four seasons at right tackle. While $6MM in incentives would be available, it would seem Ramczyk would not have a chance to trigger this escalator until at least 2022. Armstead is a free agent next year.

The Saints drafted Ramczyk in the 2017 first round, after he started 14 games at left tackle for Wisconsin. The former Division III recruit played one season of Division I football and has started all 63 games of his career at right tackle. Although the Saints invest highly in O-linemen and have consistently found ways to skirt salary cap trouble, having both Ramczyk and Armstead on top-tier tackle contracts would be an interesting scenario.

Armstead’s $13MM-per-year deal voids in March 2022, making him a free agent. The longtime Saints left tackle will turn 30 later this month, but Trent Williams just set a tackle record with a $23MM-per-year deal just ahead of his 33rd birthday. A Pro Bowler in each of the past three years, Armstead will be aiming high on his third contract. Williams is one of four left tackles whose deals surpass Ramczyk’s.

Regardless of which tackle position Ramczyk will settle at long-term, he is tied to the Saints through 2026. A $19MM signing bonus is part of Ramczyk’s $60MM in guarantees, and Yates adds the first two salaries on this backloaded deal will be $1.7MM (2021) and $10.5MM (’22). Ramczyk will make $14MM in base salary in 2023, with the rest of his salaries being north of $17MM. The deal’s final two years are non-guaranteed, with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noting the 2023 and ’24 seasons feature partial guarantees.

Saints Likely To Extend At Least One Of Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Williams

June 30th, 2021 at 9:03pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints crossed a key item off their 2021 agenda earlier today by agreeing to a massive extension with right tackle Ryan Ramczyk. With that deal done, New Orleans can now turn its attention to the contract situations of several of its other high-profile talents.

Katherine Terrell of The Athletic writes that the Saints are likely to extend at least one of CB Marshon Lattimore and S Marcus Williams this summer. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets, the Ramczyk extension cleared roughly $5.5MM off the club’s books for the 2021 season, so a Lattimore or Williams extension isn’t necessarily vital for cap purposes (plus, since Lattimore’s fifth-year option for this season was already restructured, an extension for him wouldn’t create more cap room anyway). But both players are integral pieces of DC Dennis Allen‘s defense, and the Saints would certainly like to keep them for the long haul if they can.

The problem is that New Orleans is already projected to be over the 2022 cap of $208.2MM, and GM Mickey Loomis might not be able to re-sign both of his young defenders. Terrell says Lattimore has always seemed like the higher priority, and as he plays a premium position and has three Pro Bowls to his credit, he will certainly be more expensive. On the other hand, he does not always play up to his potential, and Pro Football Focus’ metrics considered him the 70th-best corner out of 121 qualifiers last year. A March arrest could also complicate matters.

Loomis, though, has more time to talk contract with Lattimore than he does with Williams. As a franchise-tagged player, Williams cannot sign a multi-year deal after July 15. Given the Saints’ cap crunch, there was a belief that the team would not be able to retain the Utah product this year, let alone hit him with a franchise tag that carries a $10.6MM cap charge. The fact that Loomis made the financials work might be an indication of the team’s long-term outlook for Williams, who did well to clean up his one glaring weakness (his tackling abilities) in 2020.

In addition to Lattimore and Williams, left tackle Terron Armstead is also entering a contract year (his deal automatically voids in 2022). Terrell says it’s unclear what the Saints have in mind for their longtime blindside protector, but he will not come cheap either. We just saw soon-to-be 33-year-old Trent Williams pull down a $23MM/year deal, and Terrell suggests that Armstead — who will turn 30 in a few weeks — could shoot for a similar figure. With Ramcyzk now carrying a $19.2MM AAV and left guard Andrus Peat working on a $15MM/year pact, that would be a ton of money invested into the O-line.

We heard earlier this year that the Saints could let Armstead walk next offseason and shift Ramczyk to left tackle, and Terrell says that remains a possibility. Still, one would think that New Orleans will at least have serious discussions with Armstead about continuing what has been a very fruitful partnership.

Saints, Ryan Ramczyk Agree On Extension

June 30th, 2021 at 10:33am CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints now have another member of their impact 2017 draft class committed long-term. Ryan Ramczyk agreed to terms on a five-year, $96MM extension Wednesday morning, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter).

This megadeal comes with $60MM in guarantees, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter), and will tie Ramczyk to the Saints through the 2026 season. This checks a key offseason box for the Saints, who now have Ramczyk and Alvin Kamara signed to top-market deals from their 2017 class.

Ramczyk’s $19.2MM AAV makes him the NFL’s highest-paid right tackle. He eclipses the Eagles’ Lane Johnson, who held this distinction for nearly two years. Ramczyk’s $60MM guarantee also surpasses Johnson’s ($55MM). Among right tackles, only Ramczyk and Johnson have guarantees surpassing $35MM.

Extending the All-Pro blocker loomed as New Orleans’ top offseason priority, even though Marshon Lattimore is also going into a contract year. With Ramczyk locked down, it will be interesting to see how the Saints proceed with the Pro Bowl cornerback. Lattimore (Round 1) and Marcus Williams (Round 2) are in contract years from the ’17 class. The Saints let breakout pass rusher Trey Hendrickson (Round 3) defect to the Bengals in free agency.

The Saints chose Ramczyk with the pick acquired in the first Brandin Cooks trade (No. 32 overall, from the Patriots) and plugged the Wisconsin prospect into their starting lineup opposite Terron Armstead. Ramcyzk became a quick study and has started all 63 games he’s played as a pro. While the ex-Badger blocker is without a Pro Bowl, that is not uncommon; right tackles are often overlooked for such honors. Pro Football Focus graded Ramczyk as a top-10 overall tackle in each of his first three seasons and slotted him first in 2019. Last season marked a step back, via PFF, but Ramczyk still graded 20th among edge protectors.

Ramczyk, 27, proved vital during Drew Brees‘ final seasons and will certainly play a pivotal role in Jameis Winston and/or Taysom Hill‘s success under center. The Saints, whose entire starting O-line consists of former first-round picks, now have Ramczyk, Armstead and guard Andrus Peat signed to veteran contracts. Armstead, however, is due for free agency in 2022. Moving Ramczyk to left tackle after this season could be a viable scenario, should the Saints move on from Armstead. Ramczyk’s average salary would rank fifth among left tackles.

Saints Considering OL Changes

June 26th, 2021 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints‘ starting lineup received some shakeups this offseason, most notably at quarterback. But Taysom Hill and/or Jameis Winston are still set to play behind one of the NFL’s top offensive lines. However, the Saints may be considering a change up front. Upon selecting Cesar Ruiz in last year’s first round, the Saints originally planned to play him at center and move incumbent Erik McCoy to right guard, per Larry Holder of The Athletic. But McCoy’s play at center through two seasons prompted New Orleans to leave him there. While a switch may still be a consideration, Holder expects the two blockers to stay put for now (subscription required). McCoy has been a quality center, but Pro Football Focus ranked Ruiz 64th among guards last season.

Falcons Make Front Office Changes

June 23rd, 2021 at 4:25pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons have made some changes to their staff, but new GM Terry Fontenot will also keep some big names from the previous regime on the payroll going forward.

Former GMs Phil Emery and Ruston Webster will remain with the Falcons, with the team shifting the pair from scouting roles to spots as senior personnel executives. Emery, the Bears’ GM from 2012-14, and Webster, the Titans’ GM from 2012-15, joined Thomas Dimitroff‘s staff in 2016 as scouts. Emery has worked in the NFL since 1998; Webster’s tenure in the league dates back to 1988.

Additionally, the Falcons are promoting Michael Ross and Tokunbo Abanikanda from area scouts to the national level. Ross has been with the Falcons since Dimitroff’s second year, rising up from the entry level to his current national scout post. Abanikanda, a 10-year Falcons staffer, has done the same since joining the team. Emery and Webster worked as national scouts during Dimitroff’s final five seasons.

Fontenot will also keep other Dimitroff-era staffers, though some will see their roles reduced. Former Chiefs assistant GM Joel Collier will move from national scout to area scout, while Shepley Heard will go from director of pro personnel down to area scout. Heard has been with the Falcons since 2005. Additionally, Benjamin Martinez will follow Fontenot over from New Orleans. A 12-year Saints staffer who worked as a video assistant for the past four years, Martinez will join the Falcons as a BLESTO scout. BLESTO scouts often do advance work on future draft classes.

Poll: Who Is Bucs’ Top NFC Challenger?

June 22nd, 2021 at 6:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Chiefs reside as the clear favorites in the AFC, multiple successful rebuilds have strengthened the conference and created considerable depth going into the 2021 season. In the NFC, depth is harder to find.

The Buccaneers operated aggressively this offseason, bringing back every starter and most of their top off-the-bench contributors to chase another championship, and late-June betting odds reflect this. Tampa Bay resides as the clear NFC favorite, per Las Vegas. The team did not enter 2020 on this pedestal, but the NFC landscape looks less imposing a year later.

The Saints exited the 2020 season in a new tier of salary cap hell, and although GM Mickey Loomis navigated it, their 2021 team may take a step back. Oddsmakers certainly believe this will be the case in the franchise’s first post-Drew Brees season. New Orleans has been the NFC’s most consistent team over the past four years, going 49-15 in that span, but its future Hall of Fame quarterback retired. Tampa Bay’s path back to the Super Bowl also may not involve another Canton-bound passer — Aaron Rodgers — which further muddles the equation.

January’s Matthew Stafford trade seems a good place to start. The Rams dealing two first-round picks and change for the longtime Lions passer provides Sean McVay with a quarterback upgrade, and the team perpetually unconcerned with first-round selections is operating like an all-in contender. Los Angeles, which Bovada gives the NFC’s second-best odds to advance to Super Bowl LVI, also re-signed top edge rusher Leonard Floyd. While the Rams’ penchant for big swings and big extensions led more key role players out of town in free agency, with safety John Johnson and defensive lineman Michael Brockers exiting, they return four starters from Pro Football Focus’ No. 3-ranked offensive line.

But the NFC West may be the NFL’s toughest division. No rebuilds are taking place here, separating it from most of the league’s divisions, and the 49ers rank alongside the Rams — per Bovada — in Super Bowl odds. San Francisco endured vicious injury fortune last season but has Super Bowl LIV starters — Nick Bosa, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel — due back from injury. And the team kept Trent Williams — on an O-line-record contract. Kyle Shanahan‘s squad also moved the needle at quarterback, bringing in Trey Lance at a historic cost. Lance’s readiness may determine the 49ers’ outlook. Although Jimmy Garoppolo was effective (12th in QBR) when fully healthy in 2019, he missed 23 games over the past three seasons.

The Seahawks diffused Russell Wilson trade rumblings and added veteran guard Gabe Jackson. Their defense will be without Jarran Reed and probably K.J. Wright next season, however. Seattle has not advanced to an NFC championship game since Wilson’s rookie-contract years but still has the division’s most accomplished quarterback. The Cardinals brought in multiple impact starters, in future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt and Pro Bowl center Rodney Hudson, in an effort to capitalize on Kyler Murray‘s rookie-deal window. But Murray struggled down the stretch last season, and Arizona will have two new cornerback regulars.

Rodgers’ commitment to being done in Green Bay represents the NFC’s biggest domino. The reigning MVP has not budged, and this standoff is expected to drag on to training camp. The Packers trading Rodgers, or the superstar passer being out of the picture while the team retains his rights, will probably take them off the board as a Super Bowl threat. Given the Packers’ 26-6 performance over the past two seasons, Rodgers’ status looms large in this year’s Super Bowl equation.

What sleeper teams realistically factor in here? The Cowboys extended Dak Prescott and hired a new defensive coordinator (Dan Quinn), but they have won one playoff game during their now-wealthy starter’s tenure and allowed a franchise-record 473 points in 2020. Washington boasts one of the league’s best defenses but opted against trading up for a quarterback in Round 1. Ryan Fitzpatrick will turn 39 this year and has never made a playoff start. The Bears did trade up for a passer, and the Vikings retooled their defense. The Giants made multiple splashy receiver additions but have big questions up front. Do any of these teams qualify as legit Bucs obstacles?

Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your NFC assessments in the comments section.

Contract Details: Tannehill, Saints, Ravens

June 12th, 2021 at 2:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the details from the latest contracts agreed to around the NFL:

Ryan Tannehill, QB (Titans): Tannehill’s restructured deal will pay out a $1.5MM base salary in 2021 and count $11.1MM against the cap, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Those numbers jump back up beginning in 2022, with Tannehill set to earn a $29MM base salary and count $38.6MM against Tennessee’s cap. In 2023, Tannehill is due a $27MM base and will be a $36.6MM cap hit. The Titans used two void years (2024 and ’25) to help create more than $15MM in cap space.
Marshon Lattimore, CB (Saints): Four years, $120MM, according to Yates (on Twitter). Like New Orleans’ Taysom Hill deal, this contract is flush with void years and does not reflect true value. Lattimore’s fifth-year option ($10.2MM) will be spread onto the Saints’ 2021 and ’22 salary caps, with $2.841MM on this year’s cap and $7.403MM next year, according to OverTheCap. Lattimore remains under contract through 2021.
Gus Edwards, RB (Ravens): Two years, $10MM. Edwards will collect a $3.75MM signing bonus and earn base salaries of $1MM (2021), $3.25MM (’22) and $4.38MM (’23) on this extension, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic notes (subscription required).
Ja’Wuan James, OT (Ravens): One year, up to $9MM. James will receive a $500K signing bonus but count just $250K toward Baltimore’s cap this year, Zrebiec adds. If James is on the Ravens’ roster on the fifth day of the 2022 league year, he will collect a $500K roster bonus. In that scenario, James’ 2022 base salary will be $2.5MM. He would then count $3.25MM against the Ravens’ 2022 cap. $5MM in incentives round out the deal.
De’Vondre Campbell, LB (Packers): One year, $2MM, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Silverstein (on Twitter). Campbell will receive a $1.1MM signing bonus and count $1.19MM against Green Bay’s 2021 cap. The Packers tacked on four void years, creating an $808K cap hit in 2022. The deal also contains $500K in playing-time incentives.

Saints’ Drew Brees Officially Placed On Retired List

June 11th, 2021 at 4:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints officially placed quarterback Drew Brees on the reserve/retired list (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Field Yates). Of course, Brees already announced his retirement earlier this year. But, for cap reasons, the move was delayed until after June 1st.

“After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it is time I retire from the game of football. Each day, I poured my heart and soul into being your Quarterback. ‘Til the very end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team, and the great city of New Orleans. We shared some amazing moments together, many of which are emblazoned in our hearts and minds and will forever be a part of us,” Brees said, back in March.

With the 13-time Pro Bowler out of the picture, the Saints are heading into ’21 with Taysom Hill and Jameis Winston as their top QBs. Hill offers athleticism, Winston has a cannon arm, but neither player has experience to compare to Brees. Unfortunately, Father Time ultimately caught up with the future Hall of Famer, so the Saints will have to adjust.

Brees, who has the most passing yards in league history, leaves the game with upwards of $250MM in career earnings — not including his off-the-field endorsements. That should be just enough to hold him in retirement.

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