The Saints’ future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback has forged a much simpler offseason path than the Patriots’. With Tom Brady uncertain to come back to New England, thus hitting the Pats with dead money via the void-years tactic the franchise used last summer, fellow free agent Drew Brees will return to the Saints and looks set to help them out on the latter front.
Brees plans to re-sign with the Saints before the March 18 start of the new league year, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com report (ESPN+ link). This would help the Saints, who used void years to create cap space on Brees’ most recent deal. No extension talks have transpired yet, but the sides will certainly huddle up soon.
If Brees does not agree to a new Saints pact by 3pm CT March 18, the Saints would be hit with $5.4MM in dead money on their 2020 cap sheet. New Orleans finalizing a Brees extension before then would keep a $10.8MM cap charge on its 2021 books but leave Brees dead money out of the 2020 equation. The Saints, per usual, reside near the bottom in available funds. They hold just more than $9MM in cap space.
Before pledging to return to the Saints, the 41-year-old quarterback said for weeks he would not entertain offers from other teams. Brees operated this way in 2018, when he received a two-year, $60MM offer from the Cardinals. We heard at the time Brees bypassed a better offer — which indicated all $60MM was guaranteed — to continue his New Orleans run. The Cards are now believed to have submitted said offer, which would have made Brees the NFL’s highest-paid player at the time.
The league’s all-time passing leader ignored Arizona’s interest, Graziano and Fowler add, in order to stay in a winning situation. The Cardinals instead signed Sam Bradford that year, before drafting Josh Rosen.
No known outside interest has come Brees’ way this year, but that is probably because the 19-year veteran let it be known early he would stay in New Orleans. Brees’ two-year backup, Teddy Bridgewater, has received interest and is expected to relocate.
A rumor surfaced recently indicating the Lions discussed a Matthew Stafford trade. GM Bob Quinndenied this, and multiple key parties were quick to state the 11-year veteran quarterback does not want to leave Detroit. Stafford’s agent, Tom Condon, informed NFL.com’s Michael Silver his client does not want a trade (Twitter link). The quarterback’s wife, Kelly Stafford, shared on her Instagram (Twitterlinks via the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett) they are not angling for a new NFL city. Matthew Stafford, 32, is under contract for three more seasons.
Here is the latest from the quarterback realm, moving to a passer who very much is available for trade:
Despite the Saints set to start a 41-year-old Drew Brees and apply a high tender to intriguing gadget player/backup Taysom Hill, they may not be prepared to draft a passer this year. Although some mock drafts have the Saints taking Utah State’s Jordan Love, Larry Holder of The Athletic notes (subscription required) the Saints do not appear to be interested. The Saints hold the No. 24 pick in the draft, and it might now be a surprise to see Love still on the board at that point.
Brees-Hill 2020 looks like the Saints’ plan. Combine buzz centered around Bridgewater’s next team, with Holder speaking to no NFL decision-maker who expected Brees’ backup of the past two years to return. Sean Payton said it would be unrealistic for the Saints to bring back all three, and Bridgewater is expected to receive interest as a starter in free agency. The Bears, Buccaneers, Chargers, Panthers and Patriots may possess some interest, Holder hears. Though, unlike Tom Brady and Philip Rivers, no team has been connected to Bridgewater yet.
Like Brady and Rivers, Andy Dalton has also been connected to a team. The Bearsdiscussed a trade with the Bengals but may have to battle other teams for the nine-year veteran starter. Dalton’s agent has been working with the Bengals on potential Dalton deals, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com names the Colts and Patriots — in addition to the Bears — as teams who could potentially have interest in the contract-year passer (video link). The Colts have been connected to Rivers at multiple junctures this week, while some around the league have indeed viewed New England as a landing spot for Dalton if Brady does decide to defect in free agency. Cincinnati and New England have made multiple trades involving high-profile Bengals, and the same two decision-makers — Mike Brown and Bill Belichick — remain in place from when Corey Dillon and Chad Johnson were dealt to New England in 2004 and 2011, respectively.
February 29th, 2020 at 8:22pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg
Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan had another very successful season, finishing with a career-high 15.5 sacks. He managed to do it despite dealing with a significant injury, as he played the last five games of the year with an adductor muscle torn off the bone, the pass-rusher told Mike Silver of NFL Network (Twitter link).
Silver added that he had core muscle surgery shortly after the Super Bowl. Fortunately for Saints fans, he’s expected to be fully recovered by training camp, although he’ll likely miss most of the offseason program. Jordan has been a warrior during his time in the league, never missing a game in his nine seasons with the Saints. New Orleans drafted Jordan 24th overall back in 2011, and he became an immediate starter.
The Saints have one of the league’s most talented defensive fronts on paper, and they’ll be hoping that Jordan and Marcus Davenport can form an elite pass-rushing duo. Jordan has notched at least 12 sacks in each of the past three seasons, earning an All-Pro nod in each of those campaigns. Jordan inked a three-year, $52.5MM extension in June of last year, keeping him under team control through the 2023 campaign.
Drew Brees recently confirmed that he would return to the field in 2020, and he had previously made it clear that he would only play for the Saints. So at this point, the drama that would ordinarily be surrounding a free agent QB of Brees’ caliber simply doesn’t exist.
However, GM Mickey Loomis said there have been no contract talks with Brees’ camp at this point, as Katherine Terrell of The Athletic tweets. Loomis, though, understandably hopes that the two sides will have a deal in place by the time free agency opens on March 18. New Orleans does not very much cap space at the moment, and Brees will eat into the room that it does have.
Of course, Brees is only one piece of the club’s QB puzzle. Restricted free agent Taysom Hill, though he will turn 30 in August and has thrown all of 13 career passes, is rumored to be a hot commodity, to the point that the Saints may feel compelled to put a first-rounder tender (worth roughly $4.6MM) on him. New Orleans has made it clear that it plans to transition to Hill whenever Brees’ career is over.
To that end, the Saints may wish to get Hill more experience as a true QB in 2020, and they surely hope Brees gives them a little bit of a break in terms of salary. Spotrac estimates his market value at $36.5MM, and while he will probably not sign for that much, New Orleans will not have the flexibility to do much past re-signing him and retaining Hill.
Which means that Loomis will do much of his offseason work tinkering at the margins and focusing on the draft. To help Brees — and eventually Hill — the Saints are reportedly eyeing receiver prospects. This year’s draft is especially deep at WR, and Pro Football Network‘s sources say as many as 25 receivers could be drafted by the end of the third round. New Orleans doesn’t have a second-round choice, but PFN hears that the club could use its first- and third-round selections on pass catchers to serve as needed depth behind stud Michael Thomas.
The Saints lost linebackers coach Mike Nolan to the Cowboys, who hired him as defensive coordinator. New Orleans will fill the vacancy on its defensive staff by promoting Michael Hodges to LBs coach, the team announced. Previously the Saints’ assistant linebackers coach, Hodges has spent three seasons in New Orleans. The first two came as a defensive assistant.
February 18th, 2020 at 11:14am CST by Zachary Links
Drew Brees isn’t going anywhere. On Tuesday, the Saints star took to social media to announce that he will continue playing in 2020.
“I look forward to the grind and the journey, for the reward at the end will be worth it,” Brees wrote on Instagram. “Love you #WhoDatNation. Let’s make another run at it!”
Most expected Brees to stave off retirement for at least one more year, though he’s been mulling over his future since the end of the season. And, although he’ll technically reach free agency next month, he’s left little doubt about his intentions – he’s gone on the record to say that he’ll either play for the Saints, or retire. Now that Option #2 is no longer on the table, he’ll re-sign with New Orleans in short order.
Brees, who turned 41 in January, completed 74.3% of his passes in 2019, marking his third straight year as the NFL’s leader in that category. His thumb injury cost him five games, but he still managed 2,979 yards with 27 touchdowns against just four interceptions in eleven contests. And, the postseason did not go as planned, but he capped off the regular season in unbelievable fashion – he connected on 29 of 30 throws against the Colts as he set the league’s new all-time record for career touchdown passes.
Given everything he’s accomplished, it stands to reason that this will be his final season in New Orleans. He’ll also be tasked with passing the baton in 2020 – likely to Taysom Hill, a restricted free agent who is expected to be retained. Brees has said that he is comfortable with acting as Hill’s mentor in a bridge year, so it should be a seamless transition for one of the league’s most high-powered offenses.
We already knew that Brees would not be exploring the open market, but his return will have plenty of ramifications in the free agent quarterback carousel. The biggie, of course, is that backup Teddy Bridgewater is most likely out of the picture. Without the luxury of keeping the former first-round pick as a second- or third-stringer, he’ll be allowed to walk, where plenty of teams will pursue him as a starter or a bridge QB.
February 17th, 2020 at 3:28pm CST by Zachary Links
Free agent Teddy Bridgewater, in all likelihood, will be leaving the Saints this offseason. When he hits the open market next month, multiple teams expect him to attract interest as a starting quarterback option or, at minimum, a bridge to a younger QB, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com hears (via Twitter).
Assuming Drew Brees returns for another season, the Saints are expected to move forward with Taysom Hill as the future Hall of Famer’s backup. In that scenario, Bridgewater would be priced out of New Orleans. Plenty of other clubs see Bridgewater as a top option and the 27-year-old (28 in November) would likely relish the opportunity to run his own show once again.
The Saints went 5-0 with Bridgewater under center while Brees was out, but they seem more tantalized by the ability of Hill, another athletic quarterback who is on the cusp of his 30th birthday. Hill, who has flashed with his catching ability, has thrown just 13 passes over the course of his career to Bridgewater’s 1,070 throws as a pro.
In his nine total appearances last year, Bridgewater completed 67.9% of his passes with nine touchdowns against just two interceptions. He’s also respected league-wide as a locker room leader and an all-around positive influence. Years removed from his devastating injury in Minnesota, Bridgewater has the shown the ability to do much more than hold the clipboard as a third-string afterthought.
February 16th, 2020 at 3:14pm CST by Marc Delucchi
Saints quarterback/athlete Taysom Hill has been the center of quite a bit of early offseason buzz. While the free-agent quarterback class is highlighted by the likes of Tom Brady and Drew Brees, a third-string quarterback, who threw just 14 passes last season, has dominated conversations. Hill has sparked a fervent debate around whether he has a future as a franchise quarterback, or is just a valuable weapon to deploy in certain packages. In an in-depth look at the situation, Katherine Terrell of The Athletic, dives into his circumstances and makes the case for Hill.
Here are some more quarterback notes from around the league:
Some early offseason murmurs suggested that Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford could be on the trade block. Detroit general manager Bob Quinn was quick to shoot down the reports. Of course, it would not be the first time a personnel official has denied a player’s availability before subsequently moving them. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press analyzes the decision from all angles to make the case in favor and against keeping Stafford.
Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports argues that the Buccaneers need to find a way to keep free-agent quarterback Jameis Winston. Winston, of course, became just the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions (joining Vinny Testaverde). There’s no denying that Winston has had his flashes on the field, but a history of off-field issues and a historic propensity for turnovers make the decision far from straight forward.
February 12th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Marc Delucchi
As teams gear up for an offseason of roster maneuvering, teams are beginning to the arduous process of lining up their salary caps to retain key players on expiring contracts, sign free agents, and their draft picks. Teams are forced to make especially difficult salary-cap decisions when they have a chance at an elite player through free agency.
While many of the top players currently set for free agency will surely sign an extension with their current team or receive either the franchise or transition tag, it is always a fun exercise to examine who is currently the best player set to be available through unrestricted free agency.
It’s no secret that this year’s offseason will be dominated by quarterback storylines. Philip Rivers, Jameis Winston, and Teddy Bridgewater are all set to be unrestricted free agents and had success as starters last season. Yet, none of them have the pedigree of future Hall of Famers Drew Brees and Tom Brady, the combination of youth and sustained success like Dak Prescott, or match the recent performance of Ryan Tannehill.
Brady has obviously asserted himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time over his Patriots career, but he will be 43 before the start of next season and looked abnormally average at the close of this season. New England finished the season with back-to-back losses to finish out the regular season (against the 5-11 Dolphins) and in the first round of the playoffs (at home against the Titans).
Brady played a role in both losses, completing just 36 of his 66 attempts (good for a 54.5% completion percentage) for 430 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. At the same time, Brady amassed over 4,000 passing yards for the third consecutive season and produced his best touchdown-to-interception ratio (24 to 8) since 2017.
Brees is in a similar boat. He’ll be 41 next season, but just led the league in completion percentage for the third consecutive season and posted the best touchdown-to-interception ratio of his career. With that said, the Saints did not look much different in the 5 games Brees missed early in the season with backup Teddy Bridgewater in his place.
Prescott has been surrounded by the hoopla of quarterbacking America’s Team, but the Cowboys signal-caller has taken consistent strides under the bright lights. At just 26 last season, Prescott fell just 98 yards shy of reaching the 5000-yard mark. He set a career-high with 30 touchdown throws and even while throwing a career-high 596 attempts, was sacked a career-low 23 times.
Of course, unlike Brees and Brady, Prescott has yet to reach the historic status they both already have. In fact, Prescott has yet to play in a conference championship game. Furthermore, his career year this season came while Dallas struggled to an 8-8 record in a wide-open NFC East. Does he deserve credit for performing despite a difficult surrounding, or was he responsible for the team’s struggles?
Finally, one of the most interesting stories of the season surrounded the quarterback position in Tennessee. Many around the league scoffed when the Titans benched Marcus Mariota for Ryan Tannehill. It seemed like they were just replacing one disappointing quarterback with another. However, the once highly regarded prospect led the Titans to a 7-3 surge to close the regular season, upset the Patriots in the first round of the playoffs, and almost upset the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
Tannehill threw for 2742 yards in just 10 regular season starts, throwing 22 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. He led the league in yards per attempt (9.6) and quarterback rating (117.5) while helping young wideout A.J. Brown emerge as one of the best receivers in football. However, it’s fair to wonder how much of Tannehill’s success was a side-effect of a fantastic run game (led by Derrick Henry) and his receivers (like Brown). With the shortest resume of the group, Tannehill surely represents the largest risk but may have one of the highest rewards.
With all that said, what do you think? Who is the best unrestricted free agent quarterback this offseason? Submit your answer in the poll below and voice in your opinion in the comments.
The Taysom Hill momentum has continued to the point Sean Payton expects his gadget quarterback to receive an offer sheet, perhaps even if the Saints apply a first-round RFA tender to Hill.
Drew Brees has not confirmed he will return yet, but signs point to the league’s all-time passing kingpin coming back for his age-41 season. The Saints, assuming they can retain Hill, would have a chance to prepare for a potential Brees-to-Hill transition plan. If the Saints tender Hill as a first-rounder and do not match an offer sheet, they would receive that team’s 2020 first-round pick.
“Yeah, I think someone is going to make him an offer,” Payton said during an appearance on The Peter King Podcast (via NBC Sports). “But the first thing the fan has to understand is … if we tender Taysom as a one, the team that makes the offer on him and signs him to an offer understands they’re going to give up a first-round pick if we don’t match. That’s easier to do if you’re pick 22, 23, 24, 25. We might very well see it if it’s a team in the second half of the [first round].”
Even being tendered at the first-round level would represent a remarkable rise for Hill, a 29-year-old ex-UDFA with 13 career regular-season pass attempts. Hill, however, has proven immensely valuable for New Orleans. He’s frequently taken snaps and either logged carries or given handoffs to Saints running backs in what’s been a more complex New Orleans ground game. Hill also caught six touchdown passes this past season.
Despite only entering his fourth season, the BYU alum will turn 30 before Week 1. He believes he has franchise-quarterback talent and wants to play for a team that categorizes him as such.
“I definitely view myself as a franchise quarterback,” Hill said, via the Associated Press’ Rob Maadi (audio link). “I think as you look at the other questions — is it New Orleans? Is it somewhere else? — as you go into free agency, this is the time that you start to find out how people view you.
“… I think as you get to free agency there’s no denying that I love my time in New Orleans. I love coach Payton; I love [OC] Pete Carmichael. Do I want to leave? The fact of the matter is, no, I don’t. But as you look at free agency, you have to find the right opportunity for you. You have to find the situation to take care of your family. I want to play quarterback in this league, and if New Orleans doesn’t view me that way, then I have to leave.”
A first-round tender will likely bump Hill’s salary north of $5MM next season. Payton has said it is unrealistic to bring back Brees, Hill and Teddy Bridgewater for next season. Given all that’s come out of New Orleans early this offsason, Hill is probably the best bet to be Brees’ backup in 2020 — if the 19-year veteran returns. Hill is due to be an unrestricted free agent in 2021.
If Brees does not agree to a new Saints pact by 3pm CT March 18, the Saints would be hit with $5.4MM in dead money on their 2020 cap sheet. New Orleans finalizing a Brees extension before then would keep a $10.8MM cap charge on its 2021 books but leave Brees dead money out of the 2020 equation. The Saints, per usual, reside near the bottom in available funds. They hold just more than $9MM in cap space.
