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New Orleans Saints News & Rumors

Nick Easton To Visit Bengals, Texans

March 22nd, 2021 at 2:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Nick Easton‘s market is starting to heat up it seems. The veteran offensive lineman was cut by the Saints about six weeks ago, and not too long after we heard that he’d already been in touch with four teams.

Things went quiet after that though, until now. Easton has “possible visits” with the Bengals and Texans in the coming days, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Fowler notes that New Orleans has also expressed interest in bringing him back “if they can make it work cap-wise.” That tracks with what we heard back in February, as the Saints cut him in as part of their complicated maneuvering to get under the cap.

Easton entered the league as an UDFA in 2015, and became a part-time starter with the Vikings in 2016. He became a full-time starter in 2017, showed well, and after missing the entire 2018 season due to injury signed a four-year, $24MM pact with the Saints in 2019.

He made it just two years into that deal, and started nine games for New Orleans last year. He’s still only 28, and with his NFL experience at both center and guard would make for a solid late signing for teams in need of interior line help. The Bengals are looking to completely remake Joe Burrow‘s protection for 2021, and recently added fellow former Viking Riley Reiff to start at right tackle.

Marcus Williams Signs Franchise Tender

March 20th, 2021 at 2:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

No franchise tag-related training camp absences are set to commence this year. Each member of the 2021 tag contingent has now either signed his tender or agreed to terms on an extension.

Shortly after Marcus Maye signed his Jets tender, Saints safety Marcus Williams signed his, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This will prevent the Saints from rescinding Williams’ tag. His $10.6MM tender is now fully guaranteed. A former third-round pick, Williams has been a Saints starter since his rookie season. He has become one of the NFL’s top safeties, leading to the Saints’ tag decision.

Tagged players are often not in a rush to sign tenders, leading to belated camp arrivals on some occasions. This year, Williams, Maye, Taylor Moton, Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, Cam Robinson and Brandon Scherff signed their tenders within a week of being tagged. Justin Simmons and Leonard Williams have agreed to extensions. So did Dak Prescott, but his second franchise tag was a formality that ensued after he signed a long-term Cowboys deal.

Even as franchise tag prices (for first-time tag recipients) dropped this year, it made more sense for players to protect themselves against teams rescinding their respective tags. With the salary cap reduction resulting in a less lucrative market (in most cases), a team rescinding a tag now could result in a player being thrust into free agency at an inopportune time.

The Saints surprised many by tagging Williams, doing so after creating a staggering amount of cap space entering the 2021 league year. New Orleans has been quiet on the market, as could be expected, and would be better off by extending Williams to drop his 2021 cap hit. But they found a way to use their franchise tag despite a historic cap crunch. They have until July 15 to extend Williams, who joins Alvin Kamara, Ryan Ramczyk and Marshon Lattimore in remaining with the team from the 2017 draft class. The Saints can also create cap space with extensions for Ramczyk and Lattimore, who are attached to fifth-year option salaries.

Draft Pick Updates: Vikings, Saints, Raiders, Patriots

March 20th, 2021 at 8:10am CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings are down a draft pick. Per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (on Twitter), the Vikings have forfeited a seventh-round pick in this year’s draft (No. 242).

“A mistake was made, we take responsibility and we respect the league’s decision and will move forward,” general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement.

Per Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com, the punishment is regarding an infraction from 2019. There was some kind of violation of a practice squad player’s contract, but it’s uncertain who the player was or what the violation was.

Three Vikings executives were also fined $10K each, per Smith.

Some more draft notes from around the NFL:

  • Neither the Saints nor Raiders will lose a draft due to violations of the COVID-19 policies, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. “They are not forfeiting them,” McCarthy said. “Neither team will lose those picks.” According to the reporter, there were rumblings that New Orleans would lose a seventh-round pick following a “mask-less locker room celebration,” and the Raiders were expected to lose a sixth-rounder due to multiple violations. While the NFL didn’t provide any context on their decision, Florio assumes both organizations appealed their penalties and were successful.
  • When the NFL announced the compensatory picks for the 2021 draft, the Patriots did not have a fifth-round pick. However, a source confirmed to PFT that New England had indeed received a fifth-rounder in the upcoming draft. According to Smith, the NFL “realized a mistake in its calculation of the complex formula for determining compensatory picks,” leading to the extra Patriots selection.
  • Thanks to the aforementioned compensatory-pick audit by the NFL, the Falcons are also moving two slots in the fifth round, according to Smith. Further, while the NFL only allows the addition of 32 compensatory picks each year, they’ve made an exception this time around. Thanks to the additional Patriots draft pick, the Bears normally wouldn’t have received that final compensatory pick; the NFL and NFL Players Association allowed Chicago to ultimately keep that selection.

Saints To Re-Sign P.J. Williams

March 18th, 2021 at 2:14pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints might be in a bad cap spot, but that isn’t stopping them from bringing back a lot of their own guys. New Orleans has reached an agreement to re-sign defensive back P.J. Williams, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets.

The deal is for one year and worth $2.3MM, which is fully guaranteed, Rapoport writes. He signed a similar one-year, $2MM deal last offseason. The Saints drafted him in the third-round back in 2015, and he’s been with the team ever since. A torn hamstring cost him his entire rookie season, and a serious head injury limited him to only two games in 2016.

After playing in just two games through his first two seasons, he’s now played in at least 14 each of the past four seasons. He’s been a part-time starter each year, playing at various spots in the defense. Williams is versatile and has extensive experience at both safety and cornerback.

This past season he started three games and played about 48 percent of the defensive snaps. The Florida State product had 40 tackles, two passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and an interception.

Saints To Sign FB Alex Armah

March 16th, 2021 at 5:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Alex Armah is switching NFC South teams. The free agent fullback in signing with the Saints, according to NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter).

The 26-year-old had spent his entire four-year career in Carolina, and he didn’t miss a game between the 2018 and 2020 seasons. During his four years with the Panthers, Armah ultimately compiled 64 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.

The former sixth-rounder also has plenty of experience on special teams, appearing in 868 special teams snaps through his four seasons in the NFL. Armah has five career tackles.

In New Orleans, Armah will be protecting a running back grouping that includes Alvin Kamara, Latavius Murray, and Ty Montgomery.

Saints Trade Malcom Brown To Jaguars

March 16th, 2021 at 4:24pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints have found a trade partner for Malcom Brown after all. New Orleans is sending the defensive lineman to the Jaguars, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

We first heard about two weeks ago that the team was shopping Brown. Then we heard last week that they were planning on releasing him after apparently finding no takers. The Jags seemingly swooped in at the last minute to avoid a release, and Saints GM Mickey Loomis was rewarded for his patience.

Brown had been set to make about $5MM with the Saints in 2021, but now after this deal the Jags are giving him a new two-year contract worth $11MM with $8MM guaranteed, Rapoport tweets. Brown went from almost getting cut, to now getting a new team, a raise, and some more security.

New Orleans signed Brown to a three-year deal worth $15MM in March of 2019. The last pick of the first-round by the Patriots back in 2015, Brown was solid enough but never lived up to his draft pedigree, and New England declined his fifth-year option. He started 29 games for the Saints the past two years, and will likely be a big part of Urban Meyer’s run defense in Jacksonville.

It’s yet another veteran addition for the Jaguars, who have been busy the past 24 hours. They just signed receiver Marvin Jones Jr, and have already added guys like cornerback Shaquill Griffin, defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, and safety Rayshawn Jenkins to the defense.

Saints Interested In Richard Sherman

March 16th, 2021 at 12:54pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints are in a terrible cap situation, but that’s never stopped GM Mickey Loomis before. Loomis has been manipulating the cap like a madman, and he’s apparently comfortable enough in his process to still be pursuing some big name free agents.

New Orleans is “among the teams expressing interest” in Richard Sherman, sources told Tom Pelissero of NFL Network (Twitter link). As Pelissero points out there’s a coaching connection here, as current Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard was Sherman’s DBs coach and then later defensive coordinator in Seattle.

The Saints released fellow cornerback Janoris Jenkins last week, so Sherman could theoretically slide in nicely opposite Marshon Lattimore in the secondary. Sherman and the 49ers had been appearing headed for divorce since late last season, and that was confirmed for certain last month. 

Sherman will turn 33 later this month, but was a second-team All-Pro with San Francisco as recently as 2019. A calf injury cost him most of this past season, and he ended up playing in only five games. He does have somewhat of a history of lower leg injuries, but had only played in less than 14 games once prior to last year.

Either way, it doesn’t sound like his relatively advanced age is scaring that many teams away. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of deal he lands, from the Saints or whoever else.

Saints To Re-Sign QB Jameis Winston

March 15th, 2021 at 8:11pm CST by Ben Levine

Jameis Winston will be back in New Orleans next season. The quarterback is re-signing with the Saints, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). It’s a one-year deal worth up to $12MM. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the deal includes $5.5MM guaranteed.

Following the retirement of Drew Brees, the Saints have some question marks at the position for the first time since 2005. Barring an unexpected move, Winston will compete with teammate Taysom Hill for the starting gig in 2021. Similar to Winston, Hill will also be playing the 2021 campaign on a one-year, $12MM deal (despite the funky restructuring by the organization yesterday).

Winston, the first-overall pick in the 2015 draft, joined the Saints last offseason following five underwhelming years in Tampa Bay. Winston got into four games during his first season in New Orleans, completing seven of his 11 pass attempts for 75 yards. He also came up key during the Saints’ postseason loss to the Buccaneers, completing his lone pass attempt for 56 yards and a score.

Hill actually got eight starts and 16 appearances for the Saints this past season, leading some to wonder whether he has the upper hand on the QB competition heading into the offseason. However, the team’s been nothing but complimentary of Winston since his arrival, noting his performance in practice and on the sideline, and it sounds like the former first-rounder will have an equal chance at the starting gig in 2021.

“We had a great exposure for one year with Jameis Winston,” coach Sean Payton said last month. “We didn’t have a normal offseason, but we had enough time to see what we had with him as a player, as a leader, and as an athlete. I really like what we had a chance to see. He was a tremendous leader for this team. That’s hard to do when you come in new in free agency your first year as a backup quarterback. So that’ll be an important checkmark for us.

“And, a lot of times, you want to hold your cards closer to the vest and he is a free agent. But him, along with Taysom Hill who’s in the building, we’ve said it all along: We’re going to develop and coach those guys. And Jameis is one of those guys that we have a big interest in.”

Saints Re-Sign OL James Hurst

March 15th, 2021 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Following a spree of cost-cutting or cost-reorganizing moves to get under the cap, the Saints made a depth signing Monday.

They will retain offensive lineman James Hurst, the team announced. Hurst will make $9MM over three years on his latest Saints accord, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets.

The Saints initially added Hurst last year and used him as a swing backup and spot starter. The veteran offensive lineman has the ability to contribute at tackle and guard. This represents nice money for a second-string-type option.

A longtime Ravens blocker, Hurst started five games for the Saints last season. While it is unknown if he will block for Taysom Hill or Jameis Winston in 2021 (perhaps both?), he will be back with the Saints.

Saints Restructure QB Taysom Hill’s Contract

March 14th, 2021 at 4:46pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Just moments after Drew Brees officially announced his retirement, the Saints took their cap gymnastics to a new level with one of their other quarterbacks.

New Orleans has restructured Taysom Hill‘s deal to create cap space by giving him a four-year, $140MM extension that entirely voids, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. A source told Schefter that “all years are voidable and it’s a mechanism to free up cap space this year,” with the 2021 cap savings being north of $7.5MM. Before you freak out, Hill isn’t getting a $140MM extension.

The consensus of Saints beat writers online seems to be that the numbers are purely theoretical, and might as well just be random numbers written down on a piece of paper. Cap maneuvering has gotten more and more complicated in recent years, and Saints GM Mickey Loomis has fashioned himself as a wizard.

Virtually every Saints veteran making more than a minimum salary has had their contract tweaked to varying degrees. In a follow-up tweet, Schefter explained that Hill’s actual contract for this year will “include a $9.686 million signing bonus, a $1.439 million guaranteed roster bonus and a $1.034 million guaranteed base salary, plus incentives.”

Thus it appears Hill’s real compensation for 2021 will be somewhere in the $12+MM range, and not the $35MM annually that four-years, $140MM would suggest. We’ll keep you posted if we get a full explanation on the new figures.

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