Saints Rumors

Saints To Meet With Raiders QB Derek Carr; Teams Have Agreed On Compensation

February 7th, 2023 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

6:55pm: Trade compensation is no longer believed to be an issue between the teams. The sides have agreed to that part of this deal, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets. The Raiders had prevented Carr from speaking with teams that had not agreed on trade terms. That part of this process being checked off puts the ball in Carr’s court.

5:44pm: The Derek Carr guarantee vests in eight days, and the Raiders will allow their outgoing quarterback to meet with a team ahead of that date. The Saints will host Carr on Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Saints-Carr buzz has built for a bit now, but the nine-year Raiders starter holds a no-trade clause. Both Carr and QB-needy teams have been connected to waiting out this trade process and going into free agency. But the Saints are at least exploring a trade.

New Orleans has been looking into Carr for a while now, and Rapoport adds Carr is doing his due diligence on the NFC South team. The Saints do not have any question marks when it comes to their offensive staff, with the team retaining offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael for a 14th season. After Sean Payton‘s 2022 exit, Carmichael stepped back into the play-calling seat — one he occupied during Payton’s 2012 Bountygate ban.

A trade would require the Saints to pick up the $40.4MM guarantee due Feb. 15. While Mickey Loomis has earned justified praise for his cap navigation, this would be a new challenge for the veteran GM. Of course, they were ready to add Deshaun Watson last year. The Saints, per usual, rank at the bottom of the league for cap space; they are more than $60MM over the $224.8MM salary ceiling. Loomis’ abilities here should not be doubted, but Carr’s AAV will be far north of Drew Brees‘ run of deals. The sides can certainly renegotiate, however.

This meeting will bring a reunion as well. Dennis Allen resided as the Raiders’ HC when the team drafted Carr in the 2014 second round. That partnership did not last long, as the Raiders fired Allen early in his second season. But the Raiders rolled with their rookie quarterback to start that season. This familiarity could appeal to Carr, though he also could also nix any trade and take his chances in an early free agency run. Should the Raiders release Carr before the guarantee vests, he would be free to sign at any point as a street free agent. Unrestricted free agents cannot agree to terms with teams until the legal tampering period begins March 13.

Allen and then-GM Reggie McKenzie gave the Raiders the longest-tenured QB1 in franchise history; Carr has missed just three career starts (counting a 2016 wild-card game) due to injury. But the Silver and Black’s new regime signaled a change was coming when it benched Carr ahead of Week 17. Carr left the Raiders at that point. His $40MM-per-year contract runs through 2025, but the Raiders building an escape hatch has become relevant.

The Raiders would be tagged with less than $6MM in dead money by jettisoning Carr, whose completion percentage fell by nearly eight points last season. Carr did complete 68% of his throws during his final year in Jon Gruden‘s offense, helping the Raiders to the 2021 playoffs despite Henry Ruggs‘ release and Darren Waller‘s midseason injury.

Increased buzz about a Saints-Carr union emerged at the Senior Bowl last week. That came after a report indicated the Saints were one of the teams doing homework on Carr. The Commanders and Jets were among that contingent, too, and any team that pursues Carr must also consider this early strike will effectively prevent a pursuit of Jimmy Garoppolo or Aaron Rodgers. If Rodgers is traded, it will almost definitely be to an AFC destination. That opens a Carr-to-NFC door now, and the Saints make sense as a suitor. They have not found a steady option at quarterback since Brees’ 2021 retirement.

After missing out on Watson, Saints re-signed Jameis Winston in March 2022. They gave their initial Brees successor a two-year, $28MM deal. But the team quickly decided to go with Andy Dalton, not giving Winston his job back after he returned from injury. Dalton started New Orleans’ final 14 games and did rank ninth in passer rating. The longtime Cincinnati starter finished 21st in QBR, however. The Saints signed Dalton to a one-year, $3.5MM deal in 2022. Should the team be interested in bringing him back to compete for the starting job, a raise would be in order. No known negotiations have taken place. At 35, Dalton is more than three years older than Carr, who turns 32 in March.

Last week, Carr confirmed reports the Raiders were not allowing him to speak with teams. But a subsequent report clarified the Raiders would allow Carr and his agent to talk with teams — but only suitors who had met the Raiders’ asking price. The Saints being granted permission to speak with Carr points to the parameters of a trade being worked out. Even if that is the case, Carr still holds the keys here. A major QB domino could hinge on Wednesday’s meeting.

Regarding trade capital, the Saints obtained a first-round pick from the Broncos for Payton. But that is not expected to be in play here. After Round 1, New Orleans holds the Nos. 40 and 71 overall picks.

Broncos To Interview Ronald Curry For OC

February 7th, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

After some early work on his defensive coordinator position, Sean Payton is moving on his OC pursuit. The first candidate, unsurprisingly, worked with the new Broncos HC in New Orleans.

The Broncos have set up an interview with Saints quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry, Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com notes. Curry, who coached with Payton from 2016-21, is also in consideration for the Buccaneers’ OC job. Payton deciding on Denver could make a difference for the former NFL wide receiver.

Entering the coaching ranks on Jim Harbaugh‘s 49ers staff back in 2014, Curry moved up the ladder under Payton. The Saints promoted Curry to wide receivers coach in 2018 and to QBs coach in 2021. Dennis Allen kept him on in that role in 2022. Regardless of Curry’s contract status, the Saints could not block him from joining the Broncos as OC due to the promotion it would entail. Curry, a quarterback at North Carolina, played seven seasons as a Raiders wideout in the 2000s.

Curry’s promotion came shortly after Drew Brees‘ retirement, and the Saints — who had previously enjoyed one of the longest-tenured starting QBs in NFL history — have started five over the past two seasons. The team benched Jameis Winston following an early-season injury, sticking with Andy Dalton the rest of the way. Despite not being a regular starter since his Bengals tenure wrapped in 2019, Dalton ranked ninth in passer rating. Curry just finished working as the National Team’s play-caller at the Senior Bowl.

Payton is expected to call plays in Denver. The Broncos went through three play-callers this past season; OC Justin Outten represented the last of those. While the Broncos put up multiple barriers to keep DC Ejiro Evero, they allowed Outten to interview for the Ravens’ OC post early. That points to the former Packers assistant not being in the team’s plans any longer. Outten has spoken with the Ravens twice about their OC job. Eventually let out of his Broncos contract, Evero is now the Panthers’ DC.

The Broncos are expected to bring in Saints staffer Zach Strief and have Declan Doyle on the radar for a Louisiana-to-Colorado move. Payton has also made an offer to Saints assistant Kevin Petry, according to Duncan. Petry has worked as an operations assistant with the Saints for the past six years. Payton is also interested in bringing Mike Westhoff out of retirement, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Westhoff, 75, worked as a special teams assistant in New Orleans from 2017-18 but has not coached since. He previously enjoyed long tenures with the Jets (2001-12) and Dolphins (1986-2000) and has been in coaching since 1974. The Broncos are also interested in ex-Saints co-DC Kris Richard and longtime offensive staffer Dan Roushar, whom the team fired last month.

Coaching Notes: Broncos, Montgomery, Robertson, Johnson

February 6th, 2023 at 9:00pm CST by Ely Allen

After the announcement that he would become the next head coach in Denver, Sean Payton‘s new coaching staff is beginning to take form. Recent reports have clued us in to expected hires for the offensive line and tight ends coaching positions and have revealed the fate of a holdover from last year.

At offensive line coach, the Broncos are expected to hire Zach Strief, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Strief is a former seventh-round draft pick for the Saints that spent five years on the bench before taking over at right tackle for the retiring Jon Stinchcomb. He would go on to start the next five seasons as the team’s right tackle. Strief spent all 12 years of his playing career in New Orleans before eventually retiring a Saint in 2019. Since then, Strief has been working towards a role in coaching, serving as the Saints assistant offensive line coach for the past two seasons. A role as the Broncos offensive line coach would be his first opportunity as the lead coach at that position.

Payton’s poaching of his former coaching staff may not stop there. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reported today that Saints offensive assistant Declan Doyle is being considered for the Broncos tight ends coaching position. This would also be a first-time position coach hire. Doyle has spent four years in his current role with New Orleans. His only prior experience was as an offensive student assistant at the University of Iowa.

In the opposite direction, the Broncos’ inside linebackers coach from last season, Peter Hansen, is reportedly not going to be a part of the new staff, according to Mike Klis of 9NEWS. In his only year at the job, Hansen coached linebackers Alex Singleton and Josey Jewell to career highs in tackles and tackles for loss. Singleton’s 163 total tackles ranked fifth in the NFL this season. A likely outcome would see Hansen joining his former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero in Carolina.

Here are a few more coaching notes from around the league:

The Lions added a strong piece to their coaching staff today, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, reportedly hiring Scottie Montgomery in the role of assistant head coach/running backs coach. Montgomery had spent the last two years as the running backs coach in Indianapolis coaching up young super star Jonathan Taylor. Despite a third-year slump devastated by injuries, Taylor’s sophomore season benefitted greatly from the addition of Montgomery to the staff as he would lead the NFL with 1,811 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns in 2021. The respected veteran position coach was a popular candidate for many other jobs around the league. The hire is a big one for Detroit.
The Saints are on the lookout for a new defensive backs coach after dismissing co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Kris Richard earlier this week. Anderson from CBS Sports reported that Cardinals defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson is being considered for a role that may be defined as secondary coach/passing game coordinator.
Former Aggie quarterback Jerrod Johnson was back in Texas this weekend as the Vikings assistant quarterbacks coach interviewed for a senior offensive assistant staff position with the Texans, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2. The Houston-native worked closely with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterback Kirk Cousins this season. He’s quickly becoming a hot name in coaching circles, earning an interview this offseason for the Chargers offensive coordinator position that went to Kellen Moore.

Latest On Broncos, Sean Payton Hiring

February 6th, 2023 at 7:00pm CST by Ben Levine

The Broncos were connected to a number of head coaching candidates in the days leading up to their trade with the Saints, with some reports indicating that the organization was zeroing in on 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, who ended up opting for the Texans job. However, owner Greg Penner made it clear today that the team had their sights on Sean Payton days before the deal was consummated.

“We locked in five to six days before got trade done, our focus was entirely on him and closing that deal,” Penner said during Payton’s introductory press conference today (via Troy Renck of Denver7 on Twitter).

On the day of the trade, it was reported that the Broncos had made a last-ditch offer to recruit Ryans to Denver. When he declined their overtures, the team pivoted to Payton, surrendering a 2023 first-round pick and 2024 second-round pick to acquire the head coach from New Orleans. The Broncos subsequently signed their new head coach to a five-year deal.

Payton, 59, was believed to be intrigued by both the new Broncos ownership contingent and the prospect of coaching Wilson. He acknowledged as much today, and he admitted that he was ready to return to television for another year if a suitable opportunity didn’t present itself (per Kyle Newman of the Denver Post on Twitter).

More notes out of Denver:

Payton said he spoke with Russell Wilson before joining the Broncos, and he added that running back Latavius Murray helped recruit him to Denver (via Newman on Twitter). The veteran had a pair of productive seasons playing under Payton when the two were with the Saints, with Murray averaging 852 yards from scrimmage during his two years in New Orleans. Thanks to a number of RB injuries, Murray ended up starting seven of his 12 appearances for the Broncos last season, finishing with 827 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns.
The head coach’s five-year contract was suggested to be in the range of $17MM to $21MM per season, but Peter King of Football Morning in America narrows down the number to “at least” $18MM. It sounds like Payton may have had to settle for that amount, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that the coach was seeking a contract that would pay him around $23MM annually. However, “Denver wasn’t quite comfortable paying that” amount.
As Dan Graziano points out in that same ESPN article, many assumed that Payton would want full control over player personnel like he had in New Orleans. This leads to natural questions about general manager George Paton‘s job security, and Fowler notes that there’s growing buzz that Payton wants to reunite with Saints vice president/assistant general manager Jeff Ireland. However, during his press conference today, Payton expressed optimism that he’ll mesh with his GM. “I feel like I’ve got good instincts, and I feel like there’s a demeanor with him that reminds me of Mickey (Loomis) in a good way,” he said (via Mike Klis of 9News on Twitter). “Very steady. I’ve always respected the teams that he’s been a part of…There’s this myth I’m this tyrant that has to come in and control everything. I’m like, ‘Where are you guys getting all this stuff from?’ I might be a tyrant once in a while but not a lot. Anyway, I really enjoy his company and it’s worked well so far.”
King notes that Wilson was a proponent of adding Payton, and the quarterback is looking forward to being coached hard following a disappointing first season in Denver. King points out the height similarities between Wilson and Drew Brees, who had plenty of success under Payton when the two were in New Orleans. In fact, Wilson recently reached out to Brees “to get a preview of coming attractions.”
In his FMIA article, King notes that Payton won’t be in a rush to find a coordinator and will look for a coach that’s a proper match. While there’s no clarity on additions, we’re getting word on who could be out in Denver. It sounds like tight ends coach Jake Moreland and assistant offensive line coach Ben Steele will not be back next season, per Klis (on Twitter).

Saints Expected To Hire Joe Woods As DC

February 6th, 2023 at 8:33am CST by Adam La Rose

The Saints’ search for their new defensive coordinator is reportedly set to come to an end. New Orleans is expected to hire Joe Woods to lead the unit, replacing the departed co-DCs in place in 2022 (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler).

The Saints had both Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard in place last season, but neither will be returning in 2023. Nielsen has been hired by the Falcons in an intra-divisional move, while Richard has yet to land his next NFL opportunity. That vacancy has very quickly been filled by the Saints.

Woods interviewed with New Orleans last week, and was the only known candidate for the position in the wake of Nielsen’s and Richard’s departures. It comes as little surprise that he was the team’s ultimate choice, and the Saints can now move forward in the offseason with an experienced staffer at the helm. Woods most recently served as Cleveland’s DC.

That three-year tenure came to an end after the 2022 season, as the Browns fired the 52-year-old. Cleveland had a strong showing in terms of total defense in 2021, but otherwise put up middling numbers with Woods at the helm. He was increasingly thought to be on the hot seat as this past season progressed, though his unit did show signs of improvement down the stretch.

Eyeing a turnaround in front seven play in particular, Cleveland has turned to Jim Schwartz to guide their defense. That move left Woods free to explore other vacancies, including the one in New Orleans which will allow him to reunite with head coach Dennis Allen. The pair briefly worked together with the Raiders in 2014, the time which immediately proceeded Woods’ four-year stay in Denver.

That tenure saw him play a notable role in the Broncos’ suffocating defense during their Super Bowl season, coaching the team’s defensive backs. His time after being promoted to Denver’s DC did not go according to plan, but this New Orleans position will allow him to return to his coaching roots in terms of positional expertise. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football tweets that Allen will call plays on defense, allowing Woods to primarily focus on the Saints’ defensive backs.

As a result, assistant Cory Robinson – whose contract with New Orleans has expired – is likely headed elsewhere, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (Twitter link). Woods will provide the team with an experienced voice on the back end, as he looks to help the Saints build off of their success in a number of categories from 2022 (including ranking top-10 in both total and scoring defense) while taking a step forward in others (including interceptions, in which the team finished 30th with only seven).

Saints Emerging As Potential Derek Carr Suitor?

February 4th, 2023 at 9:10am CST by Ben Levine

The Raiders have yet to grant Derek Carr permission to speak to other teams about a trade, but one potential suitor may be emerging. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes that a Carr-Saints pairing “was buzzing a bit” this week during the Senior Bowl.

There’s a handful of reasons why the Saints could make sense. For starters, it seems clear that the Saints are seeking some more reliability at the quarterback position heading into next season. The organization has turned to five different starting QBs over the past two years, with 35-year-old Andy Dalton garnering 14 starts for the Saints this past year. Jameis Winston is the only experienced QB under contract heading into the offseason, but the Saints could easily cut him without leaving behind a debilitating dead cap number. The Saints are also rostering QB Jake Luton via a reserve/futures contract.

Further, the Saints now have some extra draft assets thanks to the Sean Payton trade with Denver. New Orleans got an extra first- and second-round pick in the trade, and while it’s unknown what the Raiders are seeking in a Carr trade, the extra selections could make it easier to part with their desired compensation. For what it’s worth, the Raiders slightly pushed back at Carr’s notion that the organization hasn’t allowed him to speak to potential suitors. Rather, the Raiders claim they have granted Carr permission to speak to other teams…but only teams that have shown a willingness to pony up the picks that the Raiders are seeking.

Finally, Saints head coach Dennis Allen has some experience working alongside Carr; Allen was the Raiders’ head coach during the QB’s rookie season in Oakland. Since then, Allen has worked in New Orleans, including a seven-year stint as their defensive coordinator.

The Raiders would owe Carr $40.4MM on Feb. 15, and with a dead-money charge of just $5.6MM due with a release, they can save $29MM-plus by moving on over the next week. As a result, teams are expecting the organization to ultimately release the veteran quarterback. Carr confirmed this week that he won’t restructure his contract to facilitate a trade, and it’s worth noting that his deal also contains a no-trade clause.

Broncos Hire Sean Payton As Head Coach

February 3rd, 2023 at 4:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

FEBRUARY 3: The Broncos and Payton have sorted through the details and have agreed on his contract. Payton signed a five-year deal Friday, Schefter tweets. The reported salary is believed to be between $17-$21MM on average.

JANUARY 31: Although the Broncos’ head coaching search had experienced some turbulence, the franchise will come away with its initial frontrunner. The Broncos and Saints are finalizing terms on a trade for Sean Payton‘s rights, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Payton is expected to become the Broncos’ next head coach. This will be the former Saints leader’s second opportunity as an NFL HC. While Payton had been connected to staying at FOX for another year and waiting for the 2024 hiring period, the Broncos have changed his mind.

This blockbuster transaction will lead to the Saints receiving compensation for their 16-year head coach, who stepped down after the 2021 season. The teams have finalized the compensation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter). The Broncos gave the Saints a choice of two trade packages, Schefter adds. The Saints could have received the Broncos’ 2024 first-round pick and a 2023 fourth or a package that sends Denver’s 2023 first-rounder and 2024 second to New Orleans. The latter deal, which the Saints preferred, will also see Denver acquire New Orleans’ 2024 third-round pick (Twitter link).

As far as compensation goes, this is a significant haul. The Broncos join the Jets, Patriots and Buccaneers in agreeing to send first-round picks for coaches over the past 30 years. Payton interviewed with four of the five HC-needy teams this year but made the Broncos his first meeting. The Broncos will have a depleted 2023 draft arsenal, thanks to the deals for Payton and Russell Wilson. But Payton will become by far the franchise’s highest-profile HC since Mike Shanahan.

This process included twists and turns, including another on Tuesday. Previously linked to having DeMeco Ryans as a frontrunner, the Broncos may or may not have circled back to him again hours ago. The Broncos attempted to hire Ryans, who just accepted the Texans’ HC offer, earlier today, Rapoport adds (via Twitter). When Ryans declined, the Broncos agreed to part with significant draft capital for Payton. Schefter, however, refutes this story and adds the Broncos did not contact Ryans — the Houston frontrunner for a few days now — this week (Twitter link). Regardless, the team produced one of the more eventful HC searches in recent years.

Broncos CEO Greg Penner flew to Ann Arbor to meet with Jim Harbaugh, who had previously turned the Broncos down to stay at Michigan. Dan Quinn, who interviewed with the team in each of the past two Januarys, also backed out of Denver’s search last week. Evidently not big on taking “no” for an answer, the new Broncos ownership group ended up landing the coach who was long believed to be the favorite. This certainly proved quite the journey.

Payton, 59, was believed to be intrigued by both the new Broncos ownership contingent and the prospect of coaching Wilson. The latter had included the Saints on his initial list of acceptable trade destinations back in 2021. While the Seahawks did not end up trading Wilson that year, Payton will attach his career to the potential Hall of Fame passer on the heels of his worst NFL season.

Wilson reached out to Payton during the process, and while the former Super Bowl-winning HC was connected to the Cowboys and Chargers’ jobs months ago, he will pass on those potentially opening up down the line to accept the Broncos’ offer. Said offer is likely to be massive, given the leverage Payton possessed. Payton was connected to seeking a deal worth more than $20MM per year. That would put the FOX analyst on par with the league’s highest-paid coaches.

Reports pegged Payton as both being onboard with Denver’s Rob Walton-fronted ownership contingent while also potentially fearing a power struggle with one of the struggling team’s new owners. Payton made a point to directly refute the latter stance, and it should be expected he will have final say when it comes to the Broncos’ roster. GM George Paton had held that control from 2021-22, and while a phonetically challenging Payton-Paton partnership could still be in the works, the team’s new head coach is believed to want to bring some personnel staffers with him. Penner said both Paton and the team’s next HC will report directly to him. Tuesday’s hire stands to further diminish Paton’s power, though the rumored Broncos big swing happening represents a major development for a team that has whiffed on a few HCs in recent years.

Denver won Super Bowl 50 in Gary Kubiak‘s first season and went 9-7 in 2016, narrowly missing the playoffs. Citing health reasons, Kubiak stepped down after the ’16 season. That began a wayward course for the Broncos, who saw first-time HCs Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio and Nathaniel Hackett combine for six straight losing seasons. Hackett’s tenure, in particular, led to ignominy. Despite trading for Wilson, the Broncos plummeted to last place offensively and saw their HC struggle with game management and play-calling — eventually giving up both those responsibilities — before becoming the third HC since the 1970 merger to be fired before his first season ended. That led to the Broncos’ push for an experienced coaching option. They will end up with one of this era’s top play-callers.

Despite taking over a team that went 3-13 during a Hurricane Katrina-affected 2005 season, Payton led the Saints to the 2006 NFC championship game and finished his New Orleans run without a 10-loss season. The Saints signed Drew Brees in 2006, but the future Hall of Fame passer — who had gone through an inconsistent Chargers tenure — made immense strides under Payton. Prior to the Brees-Payton partnership, the Saints had won one playoff game in 39 years. Payton and Brees ballooned that total to 10, churning out top-10 offenses annually. The Bountygate scandal dinged Payton’s reputation for a bit, but his return to the Saints produced another run of playoff berths and a would-be Super Bowl LIII trip — one a historically controversial pass interference no-call ultimately denied.

In seeing Payton follow Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick and Jon Gruden as modern coaches traded for packages fronted by first-round picks, the Saints will hold a 2023 first-rounder — months after sending their own to the Eagles in a deal that helped them move up for Chris Olave. Longtime Saints GM Mickey Loomis played his Payton card well, asking for two first-round picks and collecting first- and second-rounders.

The Saints will obtain the 49ers’ first-round pick (No. 29 overall), one the Broncos acquired from the Dolphins in the Bradley Chubb trade. This will officially close the book on the most successful tenure in Saints history. New Orleans is keeping ex-Payton lieutenant Dennis Allen around for a second season, but the second-chance HC still has plenty to prove after a 7-10 season in charge.

Over the past two years, the Broncos will have given up three first-round picks, three seconds and a fifth (while getting back third- and fourth-rounders) to bring Wilson and Payton to town. The Broncos now do not have a pick until this year’s third round. Draft-wise, this has been a historically costly period for the AFC West franchise. Denver held a second-round pick in last year’s draft, thanks to the 2021 Von Miller trade, but now will face a tougher road to adding talent around Wilson this year.

Considering the team’s 2022 disaster, making a big move to salvage Wilson trumped concerns about draft capital. The gap between Payton’s accomplishments and the non-Harbaugh wing of this year’s Broncos search will lead to the explosive transaction, and the former NFC South sideline mainstay chose a franchise that has biannual games against Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert as the place for his second HC stay. For a second straight year, the Broncos will be one of the most-discussed teams leading up to the season.

Saints To Hire Alabama’s Todd Grantham

February 3rd, 2023 at 12:31pm CST by Sam Robinson

After 13 years in the college game, Todd Grantham will come back to the NFL. The veteran college defensive coordinator will take a position on Dennis Allen‘s Saints staff, Chris Low of ESPN.com tweets.

Grantham spent the 2022 season at Alabama and interviewed for their DC job, but he will join Bill O’Brien in moving from the Crimson Tide’s staff to the pros during this year’s hiring period. The Saints have moved on from both of their co-DCs from last season — Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard — but Grantham replacing them would be a slight upset.

The Saints are believed to have complied with the Rooney Rule for coordinators, interviewing former Browns and Broncos DC Joe Woods on Friday, but Grantham has not been an NFL DC since he served as such on Romeo Crennel‘s Cleveland staff from 2005-07. Grantham last worked in the pros in 2009, finishing out a two-year stay under Wade Phillips as Dallas’ defensive line coach. The New Orleans position will be a defensive assistant role, Low adds.

Grantham, 56, does have considerable experience as a college DC. He was in that role for Florida, Mississippi State, Louisville and Georgia from 2010-21. He worked as an analyst on Nick Saban’s staff last year. Grantham coached exclusively in the NFL from 1999-2009, working mostly as a D-line coach. Allen could be keen on moving him into that role; Nielsen had coached Saints D-linemen for the past six years.

The Saints also tried to hire Grantham in 2013, Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.football notes (via Twitter), considering him for their DC role — one that ended up going to Rob Ryan. Grantham also removed his name from consideration for the Bengals’ DC post in 2019; Cincinnati hired Lou Anarumo.

The Gators ranked in the top 20 in scoring defense in each of Grantham’s first two seasons but dropped off over his final two campaigns. Although Florida’s defense produced the third-most sacks (158) in Division I-FBS during Grantham’s Gainesville run, Dan Mullen fired Grantham toward the end of the 2021 season. Grantham also oversaw a top-25 defensive performance at Louisville in his first season at the ACC program and has been in coaching since 1990.

2023 NFL Cap Space, By Team

February 2nd, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Earlier this week, the NFL revealed its 2023 salary cap. Teams can now budget for their offseasons, knowing a $224.8MM ceiling is in place. This year’s nonexclusive franchise and transition tag numbers also emerged, giving teams more clarity on those fronts as well. With that in mind, here is where every team stands in terms of cap space:

Chicago Bears: $90.91MM
Atlanta Falcons: $56.42MM
New York Giants: $44.28MM
Houston Texans: $37.56MM
Cincinnati Bengals: $35.55MM
New England Patriots: $32.71MM
Seattle Seahawks: $31.04MM
Baltimore Ravens: $26.87MM
Las Vegas Raiders: $19.78MM
Arizona Cardinals: $14.47MM
Kansas City Chiefs: $13.96MM
Detroit Lions: $13.83MM
Indianapolis Colts: $12.59MM
Denver Broncos: $9.07MM
San Francisco 49ers: $8.28MM
Washington Commanders: $8.24MM
Philadelphia Eagles: $4.24MM
Pittsburgh Steelers: $1.03MM
New York Jets: $1.31MM over the cap
Dallas Cowboys: $7.18MM over
Carolina Panthers: $8.94MM over
Los Angeles Rams: $14.19MM over
Cleveland Browns: $14.64MM over
Miami Dolphins: $16.45MM over
Green Bay Packers: $16.48MM over
Buffalo Bills: $17.88MM over
Los Angeles Chargers: $20.38MM over
Jacksonville Jaguars: $22.35MM over
Minnesota Vikings: $23.43MM over
Tennessee Titans: $23.67MM over
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $55.03MM over
New Orleans Saints: $60.47MM over

These figures (courtesy of OverTheCap) will change dramatically in the coming weeks, but this is where each team stands ahead of Super Bowl LVII. After that point, cap-casualty cuts can begin taking place. Restructures, extensions and trades will commence as well, with the Saints of recent years doing well to prove there are a few roads to cap compliance.

While New Orleans is in its usual February place, the team actually was further over the 2021 and ’22 caps at this point on the NFL calendar. Using void years to load up its roster during Tom Brady‘s three-year stay, Tampa Bay has seen much of that bill come due. If Brady does not re-sign a procedural deal, which would allow for the Buccaneers to spread out his dead money, the team will be hit with a $35.1MM dead-cap charge this year.

The Browns led the league by a wide margin in cap carryover from 2022, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cleveland carried over $27.6MM in cap space. The Browns paced the league in cap space throughout the 2022 season, bracing for the Deshaun Watson contract’s spike. As of now, Watson’s cap figure will balloon from $9.4MM to $54.9MM. No NFL player has ever played a season on a cap number higher than $45MM.

The Panthers, Broncos, Bears and Raiders rounded out the top five in carryover dollars, ranging from $10.8MM to $6.7MM. Chicago ate considerable dead money via the Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn trades. The rebuilding team is still paying most of Quinn’s salary, doing so in order to secure a better draft pick from the Eagles. The Bears will have quite the opportunity to bolster their roster in Ryan Poles‘ second year in charge, leading the league by a massive margin and holding the No. 1 overall pick. The Falcons still have $12MM-plus in Deion Jones dead money on their 2023 payroll, but the team is rid of Matt Ryan‘s record-setting dead-cap hit ($40MM).

Baltimore will have a major decision to make in the coming weeks. GM Eric DeCosta said he has not decided if the team will place the exclusive or nonexclusive tag on Lamar Jackson. Even the nonexclusive number — $32.42MM — will dramatically change the Ravens’ budget ahead of free agency. The exclusive tag, which prevents other teams from submitting an offer sheet to Jackson, is expected to come in just north of $45MM.

Joe Woods To Interview For Saints’ DC Job

February 2nd, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Sam Robinson

The Saints used a co-defensive coordinator setup in Dennis Allen‘s first season, which featured the defensive-minded head coach carrying both Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen as his top lieutenants. Both are now gone, and the Saints are looking for a new coach to work with Allen.

Allen has reached out to one of his former Raiders coworkers. The Saints are set to interview former Browns and Broncos DC Joe Woods for the job, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Browns fired Woods just after the season ended, ending a three-year stay.

Woods, 52, and Allen did not exactly overlap for long in Oakland. Allen hired the ex-Vikings assistant in 2014, months before being fired early in the season. Woods finished out the year with the Raiders but was a one-and-done with the organization. Woods then played a part in one of this era’s most dominant defenses, coaching the Super Bowl-winning Broncos’ secondary in 2015. But his time as Denver’s DC did not go as well.

Denver did not renew Wade Phillips‘ contract in 2017, promoting Woods. But the team declined defensively and ended up replacing Woods with Vic Fangio to lead the defense. Woods was also on the 49ers’ staff during their most recent Super Bowl year, putting him back on the radar for DC posts. His Browns stay generated mixed results.

While Cleveland’s defense ranked fifth in yardage in 2021, the unit struggled this past season. Woods drew criticism for miscommunications and his scheme overall and hinted at a potential firing ahead of the Browns’ Week 18 game. Cleveland ranked 23rd in defensive DVOA. New Orleans, conversely, is coming off a season in which it DVOA measured its defense eighth. Nielsen is now the Falcons’ defensive coordinator, while the Saints parted ways with Richard on Wednesday night. Allen called the signals for the 2022 Saints defensively, despite moving up to HC, so it will be interesting to see how much will change once he fills the DC post.

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