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Patriots, Saints, Packers, Others Doing Homework On Jordan Love

April 11th, 2020 at 2:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although the rules leading up to the virtual draft make it more difficult to determine teams’ interest in prospects, franchises are doing their homework in different ways. And several teams are doing extensive research on Jordan Love.

The Utah State-developed quarterback prospect has drawn interest from teams with varying levels of quarterback needs. Among the teams doing homework on Love: the Saints, Patriots and Packers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. The Dolphins, Chargers and Redskins are also examining the intriguing passer.

With Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert expected to be the first three quarterbacks drafted, that places Love in an interesting spot. Following the Bengals, Dolphins and Bolts in the top six, there are not many teams with an immediate quarterback need. The Patriots, though, do qualify. Picking at No. 23, the Pats have not used a first-round pick on a quarterback since Drew Bledsoe 27 years ago and last picked one in Round 2 in 2014 (Jimmy Garoppolo). The Pats are believed to be prepared to give Jarrett Stidham a genuine shot to succeed Tom Brady, but it certainly would not surprise if they either drafted a quarterback early or signed one of the high-profile free agents.

Some scouts view Love as the draft’s best pure thrower, but Fowler adds others see him as a Day 2 pick. He finished last season with a 20-17 TD-INT ratio, well off the prolific pace he set as a sophomore (32-6) in 2018. Texas Tech coach Matt Wells — the former Utah State head coach — said seven NFL HCs have contacted him about Love in the past five days, per Fowler.

The Saints and Packers have been previously linked to the 6-foot-4 passer and have spoken with him leading up to the draft. New Orleans placed a first-round tender on Taysom Hill, but the former UDFA has 13 career pass attempts and will soon turn 30. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers under contract through 2023, and the 36-year-old star has indicated he wants to play into his 40s.

The Dolphins got in a meeting with Love before the NFL nixed the in-person components of the pre-draft process due to COVID-19. While Miami has been most closely connected to Tagovailoa, the organization has been mentioned as being interested in Love going back to February. In addition to their No. 5 overall pick, the Dolphins hold picks 18 and 26 in this draft.

Emmanuel Sanders Contract Details

April 10th, 2020 at 6:28pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
  • The Saints got their number two receiver behind Michael Thomas when they signed Emmanuel Sanders a few weeks ago, and now we’ve got the full details on the deal. Sanders got a two-year, $16MM pact, but no money in the second year is guaranteed, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network tweets. Both 2020 and 2021 have base values of $8MM, and there are reception incentives of up to $1.5MM in each year. They also added a third year that automatically voids to spread the cap hit, so his cap number for 2020 is only $4MM. The Saints are clearly gearing up for one last Super Bowl run with Drew Brees, and they’ll be able to get out of Sanders’ contract after this season if they want to. Sanders has remained productive in recent years, but he turned 33 last month.

Drew Brees Signs With NBC Sports

April 10th, 2020 at 2:19pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Drew Brees already has his post-playing career lined up. The longtime Saints quarterback has signed a broadcasting deal with NBC, sources told Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.

We heard just a few days ago that ESPN was chasing Brees, and apparently NBC had a more appealing offer. Brees will be “groomed as the potential replacement for Cris Collinsworth” on ‘Sunday Night Football’ broadcasts, sources told Marchand. Of course, this deal won’t take effect until after Brees decides to hang up his cleats. He’s back in New Orleans for at least one more season. Saints coach Sean Payton recently let slip that Brees was “coming back for his final season,” although it’s possible he misspoke.

It’s been reported for a while now that the Saints view Taysom Hill as Brees’ successor, and that they’re anxious to increase his role on offense. All the moves that they’ve made this offseason indicate they’re going all-in on one last Super Bowl run with Brees in 2020, like signing aging vets Malcolm Jenkins and Emmanuel Sanders.

It looks like the ‘Sunday Night Football’ broadcast is getting a total makeover, as Marchand has already reported that Mike Tirico is going to take over for Al Michaels as the play-by-play caller after the 2022 Super Bowl. Brees isn’t going to take the reins on SNF immediately either. Brees “is expected to start as a game analyst on Notre Dame football and as a studio analyst for ‘Football Night in America,’” before eventually taking over for Collinsworth, Marchand writes.

Marchand also notes that ESPN’s offer was thought to be in the $6MM annually range, and that NBC’s offer was “competitive with it” financially but that they “sold him on it being the best place to succeed.” Obviously, Brees wants to avoid an experience like Jason Witten had at ESPN on ‘Monday Night Football,’ and it sounds like the chance to get eased in appealed to him.

ESPN Chasing Saints’ Drew Brees

April 6th, 2020 at 4:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Last month, Drew Brees inked a new two-year, $50MM deal to return to the Saints and continue his playing career. However, that hasn’t stopped ESPN from courting Brees for their Monday Night Football booth with an eye on signing him once he retires (via Andrew Marchand of the New York Post). 

[RELATED: Saints CB Janoris Jenkins Renegotiates Contract]

It’s no surprise that ESPN wants to add the charismatic star to its lineup. Although Brees is contracted to play through the 2021 season, it’s possible that Brees may only be coming back for one more year. Recently, head coach Sean Payton told ESPN that Brees is “coming back for his final season.” It’s possible that Payton misspoke, but that could also be an indication that Brees is heading into his final campaign.

The Saints are planning to transition from the future Hall of Famer to Taysom Hill. This year, Hill will take on a much larger role in the offense. If all goes well, and Brees decides to move on to broadcasting or anything else, Hill may stand alone as the Saints’ starter in ’21.

An offer from ESPN could play a factor in Brees’ decision next year. While the networks can’t compete with Brees’ NFL dollars, the QB could still land a lucrative deal in the broadcast booth. Tony Romo, for example, signed a ten-year, $180MM deal with CBS. ESPN isn’t using that as “the measuring stick” for Brees, Marchand writes, but they are believed to be dangling a deal worth about $6.5MM/year. That’s similar to what Jon Gruden made towards the end of his MNF tenure.

Brees is the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns. Last year, he completed 74% of his throws with 27 touchdown passes in just eleven contests.

Extra Points: Brees, Kuechly, O’Brien

April 3rd, 2020 at 7:55pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Saints coach Sean Payton might’ve accidentally let some big news slip this week. Appearing on ESPN’s ‘Get Up,’ Payton said “the unique situation with our team and quarterback Drew Brees, he’s announced he’s coming back for his final season,” via Katherine Terrell of The Athletic. When Brees elected not to retire this offseason, he said he’d be taking things year by year and didn’t make any official proclamations about this being his last campaign.

Either Payton misspoke, or he let the cat out of the bag. We’ve heard for a while now that the Saints eventually want Taysom Hill to take over as the starting quarterback, and that they plan on utilizing Hill even more this coming season. All the moves they’ve made so far point to one last run with Brees, so it would make sense if he has in fact told them this is his final ride. They’ve signed a 32-year-old Malcolm Jenkins and a 33-year-old Emmanuel Sanders, so they’re clearly all-in on 2020.

Here’s more from around the league:

  • Speaking of NFC South retirements, Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly surprisingly decided to hang up his cleats this offseason. Interestingly, Carolina still hasn’t officially placed him on the reserve/retired list, according to Joseph Person of The Athletic. Before fans get excited, that’s likely because the Panthers can add $6MM in cap space by waiting until after June 1st to make the move, Person notes. Additionally, a source close to the former Defensive Player of the Year told Person that he has had “no second thoughts” about his decision to retire. We’ve heard the former All-Pro could be eyeing a coaching/consulting gig, and Person writes he has also explored broadcasting opportunities. Kuechly is still only 28, so there’s plenty of time for him to change his mind about his playing career.
  • Texans coach Bill O’Brien caught a lot of flak for his trade of Deandre Hopkins and what he was able to get back in return, and he sought to explain himself a bit Friday. “It was in the best interest of our team. DeAndre Hopkins was a great football player. We loved DeAndre Hopkins He had three years left on his deal and he wanted a raise. David Johnson is going to be a great addition to our football team,” O’Brien said, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). O’Brien seemed to confirm that Hopkins’ desire to sweeten his deal was a driving force behind the shocking trade. It’ll be very interesting to see how O’Brien handles the locker room and growing backlash from the fanbase.

Saints To Re-Sign CB P.J. Williams

April 2nd, 2020 at 12:24pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints have agreed to re-sign cornerback P.J. Williams, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. It will be a one-year deal for the Florida State product, as Underhill tweets. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds that Williams will earn a fully-guaranteed $2MM (Twitter link).

Though he was once considered a first-round talent, Williams slipped to the third round of the 2015 draft, perhaps due to a DUI arrest shortly before that draft. He was arrested for DUI again in January 2019, which led to a two-game suspension last season. But on the field, Williams has finally found his niche as a slot corner.

He has never been a darling of the advanced metrics, but he has continued to play a critical role in the Saints’ secondary. His work as a nickel back certainly passes the eye test, even if sites like Pro Football Focus don’t love him, and he also brings valuable positional versatility.

As Underhill points out, the Saints have very little boundary CB depth behind Janoris Jenkins and Marshon Lattimore, and while Williams won’t win any awards for his work outside the numbers, he represents a marked improvement over players like Patrick Robinson in that regard. And even though New Orleans certainly hopes Williams won’t need to play a ton of snaps at safety in 2020, he performed very well at that position last year as an injury replacement.

Williams, who is particularly effective as a tackler and against the run, has four interceptions and 24 passes defensed in his career.

Bills, Packers Pursued Emmanuel Sanders

April 1st, 2020 at 5:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

Emmanuel Sanders became the third-highest-paid wide receiver free agent this offseason, trailing younger cogs Amari Cooper and Robby Anderson. But before signing a two-year, $16MM Saints deal, the veteran received extensive interest on the market.

In addition to the 49ers wanting to retain him and some interest from the Cowboys and Jets, two 2019 playoff teams sought Sanders. The Bills and Packers were in the mix for the 33-year-old wideout, Sanders confirmed.

Both teams contacted him on the first day of the legal tampering period, as did the 49ers. While the Bills discussed a deal with Sanders, they reached an agreement to acquire Stefon Diggs less than an hour after the sides’ phone call.

“I spoke with the Bills for a little bit and I told them, ‘Let me think about the idea; give me a night,'” Sanders said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show (audio link). “And 30 minutes later the Stefon Diggs deal went through and I was like, ‘OK.’ So then I kind of waited. I was talking to Green Bay; I was talking to the Niners, just trying to figure out what type of deal, what type of money we’re talking about. And then the Saints called. I was ecstatic about them, the opportunity to play with Drew Brees, and the numbers made sense.”

While Buffalo unloaded a major asset to bolster its receiving corps with a younger player, Green Bay took the cheaper route in signing Devin Funchess. The Packers figure to still be in the market for receivers when the draft opens. Their Davante Adams sidekick contingent has not panned out, leaving the Packers with a clear need. The 49ers acquired the No. 13 overall pick from the Colts in the DeForest Buckner trade, and they also will likely be in the running for a first-round wide receiver.

Sanders said he signed with the Saints because of their consistent offense reminding him of his first season with the Broncos, in 2014, and because of Brees’ two-year contract. It is not yet known if Brees will play in 2021, but Sanders appears to be rooting for that to happen.

Sean Payton Cleared From COVID-19

April 1st, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Sean Payton revealed March 19 he tested positive for COVID-19. The longtime Saints coach received good news nearly two weeks later. Doctors have cleared Payton of the coronavirus, he announced Wednesday.

The 56-year-old coach said he was cleared six days ago. Payton represented the NFL’s first scare related to this virus, which has paused the sports world and altered the way of life in hundreds of countries. Payton was tested March 16 and said (via Jarrett Bell of USA Today) his symptoms reached their worst point around two weeks ago.

“You fatigue real easy,” Payton said of this period. “I’d be up moving around, doing something, then you’d want to lay down again. That lasted three or four days. By the time I got the test results back I had begun feeling better. I had my appetite back.”

When Payton was diagnosed, the U.S. had confirmed less than 12,000 coronavirus cases. As of Wednesday afternoon, that number has climbed past 211,000. It is unlikely Payton’s positive test will be the only one to affect the NFL, but this obviously represents good news.

The 15th-year New Orleans coach took time away from football responsibilities but returned to work (remotely) Monday. The Saints are building their draft board and will hold their war room at a New Orleans bar, Larry Holder of The Athletic tweets.

Despite the dire revised COVID-19 predictions released by the White House on Tuesday, the NFL still plans to go ahead with the draft as planned — though, the event will unfold in a far different fashion — and as of now is planning to begin the regular season on time with fans in stadiums. OTAs and minicamp remain on hold but are unlikely to commence this year.

Latest On QB Jordan Love

April 1st, 2020 at 12:23pm CST by Rory Parks

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where Utah State QB Jordan Love will land in this month’s draft, and as such, he is generating interest from plenty of teams. Kevin Patra of NFL.com says that the Saints, Packers, Chargers, Raiders, Dolphins, and Colts have all been in contact with Love via FaceTime and other virtual means.

Despite an uneven 2019 season, Love possesses all the physical tools that a team could want in a signal-caller and showed enough of his ability at the scouting combine to create some buzz. So while teams like the Chargers and Dolphins have more immediate needs at quarterback, it’s not surprising that clubs like the Colts and the Packers would be taking a look as well, as they could have Love learn from their current starters while he continues to refine his game. Indeed, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says Green Bay had planned to host Love and most of this year’s top QB prospects at its facility before pre-draft visits were cancelled (Twitter link). Of course, the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers when Brett Favre was still playing at a high level, so if Love falls to them, perhaps they could make a similar move.

The Saints’ involvement is somewhat surprising since we heard last month that New Orleans was not interested in Love. But while the team holds Taysom Hill in high regard and views him as the heir to Drew Brees, the fact remains that Hill will be 30 in August and has thrown 13 passes in his professional career, so a little due diligence couldn’t hurt.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, are reportedly very high on Love. While Miami’s dream scenario remains one in which it acquires the No. 1 overall pick from Cincinnati to select Joe Burrow, the ‘Fins will definitely walk away from the draft with a high-end signal-caller in tow.

Love looked like such a player in 2018 by throwing 32 touchdowns against six interceptions. Unfortunately, his arm strength and stature didn’t yield the same results last year, as he had 20 TDs against 17 INTs while playing with a lesser supporting cast. But plenty of QBs have had disappointing final seasons in college and have gone on to do big things in the pros, and apparently a number of teams believe Love can do just that.

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