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Washington Signs CB Aaron Colvin To Practice Squad

September 6th, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

Aaron Colvin opted against lingering in free agency ahead of the 2020 season. The veteran slot cornerback — a Washington cut Saturday — agreed to stay in the nation’s capital, joining Washington’s practice squad.

A four-year Jaguars cog, Colvin signed a lucrative deal to join the Texans in 2018. He spent a season as Houston’s slot cornerback, but after the Texans’ final-seconds loss to the Saints in Week 1 of 2019, the team made Colvin a scapegoat and accepted a dead-money hit to cut him.

Washington claimed Colvin on waivers and used him in six games. This season’s Washington squad, however, did not include the 28-year-old cornerback. He will work as an emergency player and as one of the team’s veteran P-squad staffers.

Former 49ers first-round guard Joshua Garnett, a late-offseason Washington addition, also opted to avoid another long-term free agency stay. He signed with the Washington practice squad. Given the injury trouble Washington has experienced on its offensive line in recent years, Garnett may end up seeing game action for the first time since 2018.

Here is Washington’s practice squad, as of Sunday afternoon:

Saints Sign Anthony Chickillo, Margus Hunt To Practice Squad

September 6th, 2020 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Two of the Saints’ most notable Saturday cuts will stay with the team. Both Anthony Chickillo and Margus Hunt opted to stay with New Orleans, joining the practice squad Sunday.

The Saints signed Chickillo, a five-year Steelers linebacker, and Hunt — a former first-round defensive lineman whom the Colts cut earlier this year — earlier this year. Each will represent a veteran slot on the Saints’ P-squad.

Teams are permitted, thanks to the COVID-19-altered rules, to carry six veterans of unlimited service time on their taxi squads this year. Here is New Orleans’ full squad:

Jadeveon Clowney To Sign With Titans

September 6th, 2020 at 7:51am CST by Rory Parks

Just a few days before the start of the 2020 regular season, Jadeveon Clowney finally has a new home. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Clowney is signing a one-year deal with the Titans that is worth at least $12MM and that will max out at $15MM (Twitter link).

Though Clowney’s name has been a prominent part of the NFL news cycle all offseason, his market really started to pick up within the past week or so. It was reported at the end of last month that the Ravens had emerged as the frontrunners for his services, and then we learned that the Titans and Saints were pushing to sign him. The Seahawks and Browns were among the other clubs that expressed legitimate interest during Clowney’s lengthy stay on the market.

According to Dianna Russini of ESPN.com — who first reported last night that Clowney was planning to sign with Tennessee — the Saints’ offer came in about $2MM lower than the Titans’ proposal (Twitter link). Dan Graziano of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that New Orleans really wanted to get a deal done and even talked to veterans already on the roster about reworking their contracts to create cap room. Graziano says Seattle continued to monitor the situation but ultimately felt that a $12MM minimum payout was too rich (Twitter link). And per Albert Breer of SI.com, Clowney wanted to sign with Baltimore, but the Ravens were perhaps more lukewarm on the idea than was reported (Twitter link).

As opposed to most of the other teams that were connected to Clowney, the Titans have been involved in the process all along. They extended an offer months ago and never stopped their pursuit. Given the presence of head coach Mike Vrabel — the Texans’ LB coach and defensive coordinator during Clowney’s first four years in Houston — and Tennessee’s relative proximity to Clowney’s South Carolina home, the Titans always felt like a logical fit.

Clowney, 27, is not without his detractors. The No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 draft battled injuries in the early part of his career, and he underwent core muscle surgery this offseason. For months, teams could not bring him into their facilities to evaluate him due to COVID-19 restrictions, and (fair or not) it seems that health concerns will always be a part of his resume.

There is also the issue of his lack of sack production to consider. Clowney has never posted double-digit sacks in a season, and he mustered just three with the Seahawks last season. On the other hand, Clowney supporters will point to his ability to disrupt a passing game even without gaudy sack totals, and he can be a menace against the run as well. He earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods from 2016-18, and the Titans hope his familiarity with Vrabel’s defense will help him return to that level of play.

It may take Clowney and fellow free agent acquisition Vic Beasley a week or two to get fully up to speed. But once they do, they will team with Harold Landry and Jeffery Simmons to form the foundation of an intriguing front seven, one that could certainly help the Titans get back to the postseason.

Clowney did not get the massive multi-year contract with a $20MM AAV that he was seeking when free agency opened, but he will have a good chance to improve his stock with the Titans. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Titans have agreed that they will not use the franchise tag on Clowney next offseason. That same provision was worked into his Seahawks deal after he was traded to Seattle last year and may have ultimately cost him several million dollars, but he is clearly willing to bet on his ability to land a long-term pact with significant guarantees. With the 2021 salary cap expected to decrease, though, even a career-best showing this year might not be enough to get him that type of deal next offseason.

Saints Cut Margus Hunt, Drop Roster To 53

September 5th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here is how the Saints moved their roster down to 53 players Saturday:

Waived:

Released:

Waived/injured:

  • RB Saquan Hamilton

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Placed on IR:

Placed on reserve/suspended list:

The Saints made some notable cuts on their defensive line, dropping Edwards and Hunt. The former played with New Orleans last season, while the latter was an offseason addition. The Colts cut Hunt earlier this year, doing so after previously extending him. However, New Orleans does have Malcom Brown back and re-signed David Onyemata in March. The Saints are pursuing Jadeveon Clowney as well.
Alonso suffered a torn ACL in the playoffs last year. He will miss at least six games. The Saints signed Fowler over the summer. The former Broncos auxiliary receiver worked out with Drew Brees and Emmanuel Sanders during the pandemic-induced NFL hiatus.
Stevens, like most of the players cut Saturday, profiles as a practice squad candidate. The Saints became involved in a strange controversy over the seventh-round pick, whom the Panthers coveted. It will be interesting to see if Carolina submits a waiver claim on Stevens.

Saints Cut DE Mario Edwards, LB Anthony Chickillo

September 5th, 2020 at 2:13pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints are cutting a pair of notable veteran defensive players as they trim the roster down to 53. They’ll be letting go of defensive end Mario Edwards (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network), and linebacker Anthony Chickillo (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

Rapoport notes that Edwards could come back on the practice squad, and also that the Saints had tried moving him in trade talks this week. A second round pick of the Raiders back in 2015, he never lived up to his draft status. He was waived after three seasons in Oakland and signed a two-year, $5MM deal with the Saints last offseason after spending 2018 with the Giants. He had three sacks with New Orleans last year.

Chickillo was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth-round in 2015, and spent the first five years of his career with Pittsburgh. He signed a two-year, $8MM extension in March of 2019, but was released earlier this offseason. He signed with the Saints in May, but couldn’t make it out of camp. The Miami product was mostly a reserve and special teams guy with the Steelers.

 

Latest On Jadeveon Clowney

September 5th, 2020 at 9:24am CST by Ben Levine

As Jadeveon Clowney zeroes in on his next gig, he’s let go of his agent. According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, the defensive end has fired agent Bus Cook.

Does this sound familiar? Last year during Labor Day Weekend, Clowney fired Cook as his agent. The two ended up reconciling, and the franchise-tagged pass rusher was later traded from the Texans to the Seahawks. It sounds like there won’t be another reunion, however, as Clowney is expected to “eventually hire” Kennard McGuire for representation.

Meanwhile, as Clowney continues his free agency tour, Florio reports that the Saints brass visited the player in Houston. An image on Instagram showed Clowney posing with head coach Sean Payton, and the message indicated that two other Saints coaches attended the meeting. For what it’s worth, Clowney subsequently “liked” that post, which was posted by a chef at a restaurant.

We learned yesterday that Clowney could end up waiting until next week to sign a contract. By waiting for the roster deadline to pass, the veteran could find that suitors are operating with more financial flexibility. The Saints and Titans currently have offers out to Clowney, setting the stage for a high-priced bidding war. The Ravens have also been mentioned as a potential suitor.

Jadeveon Clowney To Wait Until Next Week To Sign?

September 4th, 2020 at 3:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Business is starting to pick up for Jadeveon Clowney, but he won’t necessarily rush to sign his next NFL deal. The defensive end’s camp has advised him to wait for Saturday’s roster deadline to pass before signing, Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com tweets. 

[RELATED: Saints, Titans Pushing To Sign Jadeveon Clowney]

By waiting, Clowney could tap into a larger pool of available dollars. He may also see one or two new unexpected suitors, if a projected starter gets dropped between now and Saturday afternoon. Of course, it’s a double-edged sword – the waiting game could actually hurt him if another valuable veteran joins him on the open market.

The Saints and Titans have offers out to Clowney, setting the stage for a high-priced bidding war. Both teams want the former No. 1 overall pick to sign by Monday, but he’ll ultimately dictate the timetable. Clowney, 27, will need to go through the necessary COVID-19 protocols before joining his future teammates.

The Ravens may also get involved, though the finances are a bit tricky. In terms of cap space, the Titans are in the best position of any known suitor with $22MM+ available. The Saints, meanwhile, will have to work some magic – they’ve got less than $7MM in spendable dollars.

Saints, Titans Pushing To Sign Jadeveon Clowney

September 4th, 2020 at 11:33am CST by Sam Robinson

The Titans look to have company in their pursuit of Jadeveon Clowney. The Saints are now be in the mix, with ESPN.com’s Dianna Russini reporting both New Orleans and Tennessee are making strong pushes to sign the Pro Bowl pass rusher (Twitter link).

Clowney has listed New Orleans as a place he would like to land, while Tennessee has been one of the teams most closely linked to the former No. 1 overall pick this year. On Friday, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed that the Titans have an offer out to the edge rusher, though he declined to go into further detail (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the team website). Add the Jaguars to the mix as well, per Russini (on Twitter). While Pete Carroll did rule out a Clowney signing, Russini adds the Seahawks still view Clowney’s price tag as too high.

This could mean a high-stakes bidding war for the Titans, who have monitored Clowney for months. But the Saints are throwing an all-out attack at Clowney, per Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who note Sean Payton has spoken to the free agent defender multiple times about a deal (Twitter link).

Both teams want Clowney under contract by Monday, Russini adds, noting Titans and Saints players and coaches are acting accordingly by attempting to persuade the former No. 1 overall pick (Twitter link). This would put him in position to clear COVID-19 protocols and be in uniform for Week 1. This now makes two straight years the 27-year-old talent has skipped training camp.

The Titans hold $22MM-plus in cap space; the Saints possess less than $7MM. However, New Orleans has approached multiple veterans about restructuring to free up room, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

While two unnamed teams remain in the Clowney mix, per NFL.com, the Saints entering the equation would be significant given Clowney’s previous interest and the team’s status as a Super Bowl frontrunner. The Saints have added Emmanuel Sanders and Malcolm Jenkins to a roster that already stood as one of the NFL’s best. Clowney would join a defensive front that already houses All-Pro Cameron Jordan and former first-round pick Marcus Davenport.

It is unclear if Clowney has dropped his price at the 11th hour, but that would make sense given the apparent acceleration of his market. The former Texans and Seahawks edge player sought a $20MM-per-year deal, then lowered it later in the spring. The Browns and Seahawks offered Clowney deals in the $15MM-AAV ballpark. The Ravens and Raiders have also been mentioned as Clowney suitors as well. The Browns redid Olivier Vernon‘s deal over the summer and have not been viewed as strong Clowney pursuers since.

The Titans may be growing frustrated with the three-time Pro Bowler, who apparently has been difficult to pin down recently. He would join Harold Landry and the recently signed Vic Beasley in Tennessee. The Seahawks would seemingly need Clowney most, but they have stood pat with lower-profile edge rushers all offseason. However, Seattle waited until roster cutdown day to reform their pass rush around Clowney last year. Regarding Jacksonville, Clowney may not be especially interested given his rebuffing of a trade to rebuilding Miami last year.

Latest On Saints, Alvin Kamara

September 2nd, 2020 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints running back Alvin Kamara met with head coach Sean Payton on Wednesday to clear the air, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Kamara is expected to practice with the team this afternoon as his camp continues extension talks with the front office. 

Kamara isn’t seeking Christian McCaffrey coin, but he wants something better than the Saints’ most recent offer of $50MM over four years. That deal would put him in line with Titans star Derrick Henry, but Kamara is aiming higher.

The Saints don’t consider Kamara to be untouchable, but they’d reportedly want a first-round pick in exchange for him. For now, it seems like the two parties are on okay terms, but it’s definitely something to file away. Even if the Saints don’t move Kamara between now and the season opener, they could explore trades all the way until late October.

Kamara’s salary demand isn’t quite clear, but he’s probably seeking something that puts him in between McCaffrey and Joe Mixon‘s recent extension.

Only four players have outgained Kamara from scrimmage over the past three seasons, and Kamara’s 6.1 yards per touch betters the three running backs ahead of him. But, in the interest of equal time, Kamara’s per-catch average has also slipped in each of the last three seasons. After averaging 10.2 yards per grab as a rookie and 8.8 yards per catch in 2018, Kamara posted just 6.6 yards per reception in 2019.

Latest On Saints, Alvin Kamara

September 2nd, 2020 at 8:59am CST by Sam Robinson

Alvin Kamara and the Saints remain in negotiations on an extension that would keep him in New Orleans long-term. While a trade rumor surfaced Tuesday, this situation does not appear to be contentious.

The three-time Pro Bowl back has not asked the Saints to pay him more than Christian McCaffrey, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports (video link). McCaffrey signed a four-year, $64MM deal earlier this year.

However, the Kamara-Saints talks may have run into some hurdles. The Saints and Kamara were believed to be making progress, but Pelissero adds the talks “went a little bit sideways” recently. The Saints have proposed Kamara a four-year, $50MM deal, Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Those were the numbers that convinced Derrick Henry to sign a Titans extension in July. Kamara is set to make $2.1MM in base salary this season.

The team would prefer to keep its three-down weapon long-term but has broached the subject of a trade. New Orleans is not shopping Kamara, but if the team were to get serious on a trade, a first-round pick is the price. The Saints received a first-rounder for Brandin Cooks three years ago and collected a first-rounder and Max Unger for Jimmy Graham in 2015. The Saints have also traded both high-profile players who previously played Kamara’s role in Sean Payton‘s offense — Reggie Bush and Darren Sproles — though Kamara has outperformed both as a running back. New Orleans received little in compensation in the Bush or Sproles swaps.

Contract matters have not been entirely at the root of Kamara’s practice absences. A back injury has sidelined him, per Pelissero, who adds Kamara intends to return to practice Wednesday. He received an epidural injection recently. Kamara missed time due to ankle and knee problems last season.

McCaffrey, Henry and Joe Mixon agreed to new deals this year, helping stabilize a running back market reeling from the disappointments the Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Le’Veon Bell deals brought. Any Kamara talks will surely involve a contract north of Mixon’s $12MM-per-year deal. With Kamara averaging more yards per touch than McCaffrey over the course of his career, and making three Pro Bowls to McCaffrey’s one, the Saints back has a case to land a contract near the Panthers star’s territory. Such demands would put the Saints to a decision, but Kamara’s importance to this season’s Super Bowl-contending roster would seemingly increase his leverage in these talks.

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