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Latest On Saints QB Jameis Winston

July 6th, 2022 at 6:12pm CST by Ben Levine

It looks like Jameis Winston has taken a major step in his recovery from a knee injury. The Saints quarterback posted a video on Instagram that showed him practicing without a brace.

When Winston was participating in Saints minicamp, he was often seen wearing a brace on his surgically repaired knee, and reports indicated he was walking with a notable limp. Now, about eight months after tearing his ACL and damaging his MCL, the QB appeared to be practicing without any restrictions. Winston previously stated a desire to continue wearing a brace even once he’s fully cleared to practice, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll stick with that plan.

Winston and the Saints have continually expressed optimism that the QB will be ready to go come Week 1 of the 2020 campaign. However, Winston also cautioned that he’ll still prioritize his long-term health as he looks to make his return.

“We’re taking this process slowly,” Winston said earlier this offseason (via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com). “It’s about getting better every day. I’m embracing it, and I’m excited to be able to talk football and just keep progressing.”

The former first-overall pick was having a bounceback season while replacing Drew Brees in New Orleans. He went 5-2 as a starter, completing 59 percent of his passes for 1,170 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions. A Week 8 knee injury ended his season prematurely, but the Saints were still willing to commit to the QB this offseason. New Orleans ended up re-signing the injured free agent to a two-year, $28MM deal, and while he sits atop the depth chart, he’ll see some competition for the starting gig from veteran Andy Dalton.

2022 NFL Cap Space, By Team

July 6th, 2022 at 11:58am CST by Sam Robinson

Between now and training camp, additional free agents will join teams. Several big names — from 2010s All-Decade-teamers Ndamukong Suh and Julio Jones — to longtime starters like Odell Beckham Jr., Jason Pierre-Paul, Trey Flowers and J.C. Tretter remain available as camps approach.

With savings from post-June 1 cuts in the rear-view mirror and fewer than 25 draft picks yet to sign their rookie deals, we have a pretty good idea of teams’ cap-space figures. Here is how the league currently stacks up for available funds:

  1. Cleveland Browns: $40.9MM
  2. Carolina Panthers: $25.1MM
  3. Chicago Bears: $23MM
  4. Dallas Cowboys: $22.5MM
  5. Las Vegas Raiders: $21.6MM
  6. Washington Commanders: $17.7MM
  7. Green Bay Packers: $16.9MM
  8. Miami Dolphins: $16.5MM
  9. Seattle Seahawks: $16.4MM
  10. Cincinnati Bengals: $15.8MM
  11. Los Angeles Chargers: $14.5MM
  12. Pittsburgh Steelers: $14.3MM
  13. Kansas City Chiefs: $14.3MM
  14. Atlanta Falcons: $13.4MM
  15. Philadelphia Eagles: $12.8MM
  16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $12.4MM
  17. Indianapolis Colts: $12.3MM
  18. Tennessee Titans: $11.9MM
  19. Arizona Cardinals: $11.5MM
  20. Denver Broncos: $11.5MM
  21. Minnesota Vikings: $10.9MM
  22. New Orleans Saints: $10.7MM
  23. Detroit Lions: $9.8MM
  24. New York Jets: $9.6MM
  25. Houston Texans: $9.2MM
  26. Los Angeles Rams: $7.7MM
  27. Jacksonville Jaguars: $7.7MM
  28. New York Giants: $6MM
  29. Buffalo Bills: $5.6MM
  30. San Francisco 49ers: $4.7MM
  31. Baltimore Ravens: $3.9MM
  32. New England Patriots: $1.9MM
  • The Browns reduced Deshaun Watson‘s 2022 base salary to the veteran minimum. The suspension candidate’s cap number checks in at just $10MM, though the figures from the fully guaranteed deal the Browns authorized begin spiking in 2023. Watson’s cap number is set to rise to an NFL-record $54.9MM next year.
  • Carolina has been in talks with Cleveland for months regarding a Baker Mayfield trade. The sides have not come to an agreement on how to divide Mayfield’s guaranteed $18.9MM salary. While the Browns are believed to have come up to around $10MM, Mayfield remains on their roster.
  • The Bears, Cowboys and Raiders each vaulted into the top five because of post-June 1 cuts. Chicago and Las Vegas were the only teams to designate the maximum two players as post-June 1 releases.
  • The Seahawks have been connected to a Mayfield trade, but they have been more likely to pursue the disgruntled QB via free agency — should this process reach that point. A Mayfield free agent signing would not require Seattle to make adjustments to its cap sheet.
  • After restructuring Patrick Mahomes‘ contract last year, the Chiefs have not done so in 2022. The superstar passer is attached to a $35.8MM figure — the second-highest 2022 cap charge.
  • Atlanta’s cap space factors in the team’s league-leading $63.2MM in dead money, a figure mostly created by Matt Ryan‘s individual dead-cap record ($40.5MM) emerging after the Falcons traded their 14-year starter to the Colts.
  • Upon learning Tom Brady would be back for a third Florida season, the Buccaneers did restructure his deal. Brady counts just $11.9MM on Tampa Bay’s 2022 cap sheet, but due to the void years that helped the team save money, that number spikes to $35.1MM in 2023 — when Brady is not under contract.
  • San Francisco power brokers have said for months a Jimmy Garoppolo trade is the organization’s goal. With the passer not yet fully cleared, the team — which is preparing for Deebo Samuel and Nick Bosa extensions to come to pass at some point — has a $26.95MM Garoppolo cap charge on its payroll. Releasing Garopppolo would save the 49ers $24.2MM.
  • The Ravens have attempted to go forward with a Lamar Jackson extension, but the team has confirmed the quarterback has not expressed much interest in doing a deal now. The sides did discuss the former MVP’s deal during minicamp. Jackson is tied to a $23MM fifth-year option salary.

NFL Teams With Most Dead Cap

July 5th, 2022 at 8:29pm CST by Ben Levine

The Falcons made history when they traded Matt Ryan to the Colts this offseason. As a result of the trade, the Falcons were left with a record-breaking $40.5MM in dead cap. Thanks to the Ryan trade (as well as the trade of Julio Jones and the release of Dante Fowler), the Falcons lead the NFL with a whopping $63MM in dead cap heading into next season.

For a team that’s probably not looking to compete in 2022, this isn’t the biggest deal in the world. For competitive squads, a hefty dead cap charge could drastically limit their ability to add to their squad following final roster cuts and into the regular season. A team’s current dead cap commitment could also influence who they decide to cut at the end of the preseason.

So which teams have the most dead cap on their books? We’ve listed them in order below (h/t to Sportrac):

  1. Atlanta Falcons: $63,209,124
  2. Chicago Bears: $57,643,341
  3. Philadelphia Eagles: $54,915,221
  4. Houston Texans: $52,289,341
  5. Seattle Seahawks: $46,022,390
  6. New Orleans Saints: $33,347,982
  7. Pittsburgh Steelers: $30,863,174
  8. Las Vegas Raiders: $29,441,565
  9. New York Giants: $29,262,372
  10. Green Bay Packers: $24,628,608
  11. Carolina Panthers: $23,507,283
  12. Dallas Cowboys: $22,713,132
  13. Minnesota Vikings: $22,092,189
  14. Jacksonville Jaguars: $21,852,872
  15. Detroit Lions: $20,324,288
  16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $19,445,910
  17. Cleveland Browns: $18,774,054
  18. Buffalo Bills: $16,601,356
  19. Denver Broncos: $14,938,136
  20. Tennessee Titans: $14,290,108
  21. Los Angeles Rams: $13,522,002
  22. Baltimore Ravens: $12,292,703
  23. Arizona Cardinals: $10,278,530
  24. Cincinnati Bengals: $9,592,578
  25. New England Patriots: $9,158,009
  26. Miami Dolphins: $8,483,400
  27. Kansas City Chiefs: $7,982,236
  28. Indianapolis Colts: $7,037,428
  29. San Francisco 49ers: $6,495,221
  30. Washington Commanders: $6,300,496
  31. Los Angeles Chargers: $3,661,167
  32. New York Jets: $2,092,411

24 Draft Picks Remain Unsigned

July 2nd, 2022 at 10:01pm CST by Ben Levine

Nineteen teams have officially signed all of their rookies, but there are still 13 squads that have a bit more work to do. As our 2022 NFL Draft results show (and with some instance from Miguel Benzen on Twitter), there are only 24 rookies who remain unsigned.

More than half those unsigned rookies were second-round picks. The rest of the unsigned draft picks are either third- or fourth-round picks.

The following draft picks remain unsigned:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

  • Round 2: No. 45 David Ojabo, OLB (Michigan)
  • Round 4: No. 110 (from Giants) Daniel Faalele, OT (Minnesota)
  • Round 4: No. 119 Jayln Armour-Davis, CB (Alabama)

Carolina Panthers

  • Round 3: No. 94 (from Chiefs through Patriots) Matt Corral, QB (Ole Miss)

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

  • Round 2: No. 34 (from Lions through Vikings) Christian Watson, WR (North Dakota State)

Minnesota Vikings

  • Round 2: No. 42 (from Commanders through Colts) Andrew Booth, CB (Clemson)
  • Round 2: No. 59 (from Packers) Ed Ingram, G (LSU)

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • Round 2: No. 43 (from Falcons) Wan’Dale Robinson, WR (Kentucky)
  • Round 4: No. 112 (from Bears) Daniel Bellinger, TE (San Diego State)
  • Round 4: No. 114 (from Falcons) Dane Belton, S (Iowa)

New York Jets

  • Round 2: No. 36 (from Giants) Breece Hall, RB (Iowa State)
  • Round 4: No. 111 (from Panthers) Max Mitchell, OT (Louisiana)

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Round 2: No. 33 (from Jaguars) Logan Hall, DL (Houston)
  • Round 4: No. 106 (from Jaguars) Cade Otton, TE (Washington)

Tennessee Titans

Latest On Saints WR Michael Thomas

July 2nd, 2022 at 9:59am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like Michael Thomas has taken a significant step in his recovery from a lingering ankle injury. Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.football passes along a video (on Twitter) of Thomas running routes.

The last time we saw Thomas on the field was during the 2020 divisional round. We heard last month that the wideout had progressed to running sprints, so it’s a positive development that Thomas is now participating in football drills.

Thomas skipped Saints minicamp as he continued to rehab his ankle injury, and the organization made it abundantly clear that they didn’t want Thomas to practice until he was 100 percent. Still, there’s been some optimism that he could return to the practice field sooner than later. The Saints have expected him back at training camp for a bit now, and this latest video (coupled with the report about the WR running sprints) should only reinforce that return date.

The receiver’s lengthy absence stems from a high ankle sprain suffered during the Saints’ 2020 season opener. The injury continued to linger, and while the Saints wanted Thomas to immediately go under the knife once the season ended, the player decided to hold off on surgery until last summer. The subsequent rehab plus a new ankle injury derailed any chance that he’d be able to return for the 2021 campaign.

Over the past two years, Thomas has missed 26 total games.The last time the wideout was fully healthy, he was the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year after hauling in 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and nine touchdowns.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

June 30th, 2022 at 10:48am CST by Sam Robinson

Wednesday, we took a look at how the 2022 offseason changed the HC landscape. While 10 new sideline leaders are in place for 2022, not quite as much turnover transpired on the general manager front. Five new decision-makers, however, have moved to the top of teams’ front office hierarchies over the past six months.

The Bears, Giants, Raiders and Vikings rebooted their entire operations, hiring new HC-GM combos. The Minnesota move bumped out one of the previous top-10 longest-tenured GMs, with 16-year Vikings exec Rick Spielman no longer in power in the Twin Cities. The Steelers’ shakeup took the NFL’s longest-tenured pure GM out of the mix. Kevin Colbert was with the Steelers since 2000, and although he is still expected to remain with the team in a reduced capacity, the 22-year decision-maker stepped down shortly after Ben Roethlisberger wrapped his career.

Twelve teams have now hired a new GM in the past two offseasons, though a bit more staying power exists here compared to the HC ranks. Two GMs (the Cardinals’ Steve Keim and Chargers’ Tom Telesco) have begun their 10th years at the helms of their respective front offices. They have hired three HCs apiece. The Buccaneers’ Jason Licht is closing in on a decade in power in Tampa Bay; Licht will now work with his fourth HC in Todd Bowles. Beyond that, a bit of a gap exists. But a handful of other executives have been in power for at least five seasons.

Here is how long every GM or de facto GM has been in place with his respective franchise:

  1. Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989[1]
  2. Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991[2]
  3. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000[3]
  4. Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
  5. John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
  6. Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
  7. Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2019
  8. Steve Keim (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2013; signed extension in 2022
  9. Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
  10. Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
  11. Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016[4]
  12. Jon Robinson (Tennessee Titans): January 14, 2016; signed extension in 2022
  13. John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  14. Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
  15. Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  16. Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
  17. Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018
  18. Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
  19. Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
  20. Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
  21. Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
  22. George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
  23. Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
  24. Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
  25. Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
  26. Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
  27. Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
  28. Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
  29. Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
  30. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
  31. Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  32. Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022

Footnotes:

  1. Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
  2. Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
  3. Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
  4. Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

Saints DE Payton Turner Cleared For Training Camp

June 29th, 2022 at 6:01pm CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like the Saints’ 2021 first-round pick will be completely healthy heading into training camp. Saint defensive end Payton Turner announced on Twitter that he’s been medically cleared to return to the field.

“It’s been a long road to recovery,” Turner wrote. “I had a pretty major shoulder surgery last November and didn’t have quite the rookie year I wanted, but shoutout to everybody that’s stayed down with me and helped me get to this point, blessed to say I’ve been cleared.”

Following a 2020 campaign at Houston that saw him finish with five sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss, and second-team All-ACC honors, the Saints selected Turner with the 28th-overall pick in the 2021 draft. The rookie saw an inconsistent role through the first half of the season, thanks in part to an undisclosed injury that halted his progress during training camp and a separate elbow injury that kept him off the field. He was inactive for three of New Orleans’ first eight games, with the defensive lineman collecting 12 tackles and one sack.

He suffered a shoulder injury in early November that ultimately landed him on injured reserve. The rook later underwent surgery, officially ending any hope that he’d return again in 2021.

The 23-year-old defensive end now has a chance at a fresh start in 2022, although it remains to be seen if new head coach (and former defensive coordinator) Dennis Allen will keep him on a tight leash. Considering his lack of experience, it could be difficult for Turner to jump Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport in the starting lineup. However, Davenport is rehabbing from his own shoulder surgery, which could open the door for the second-year pro.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured Head Coaches

June 29th, 2022 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

The NFL experienced a busy offseason on the coaching front. A whopping 10 teams changed coaches during the 2022 offseason, with the Buccaneers’ late-March switch pushing the number into double digits.

Fourteen of the league’s 32 head coaches were hired in the past two offseasons, illustrating the increased pressure the NFL’s sideline leaders face in today’s game. Two of the coaches replaced this year left on their own. Sean Payton vacated his spot in second on the longest-tenured HCs list by stepping down from his 16-year Saints post in February, while Bruce Arians has repeatedly insisted his Bucs exit was about giving his defensive coordinator a chance with a strong roster and not a Tom Brady post-retirement power play.

While Bill Belichick has been the league’s longest-tenured HC for many years, Payton’s exit moved Mike Tomlin up to No. 2. Mike Zimmer‘s firing after nine seasons moved Frank Reich into the top 10. Reich’s HC opportunity only came about because Josh McDaniels spurned the Colts in 2018, but Indianapolis’ backup plan has led the team to two playoff brackets and has signed an extension. Reich’s seat is hotter in 2022, however, after a January collapse. Linked to numerous HC jobs over the past several offseasons, McDaniels finally took another swing after his Broncos tenure ended quickly.

As 2022’s training camps approach, here are the NFL’s longest-tenured HCs:

  1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000
  2. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers): January 27, 2007; extended through 2024
  3. John Harbaugh (Baltimore Ravens): January 19, 2008; extended through 2025
  4. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks): January 9, 2010; extended through 2025
  5. Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs): January 4, 2013; extended through 2025
  6. Sean McDermott (Buffalo Bills): January 11, 2017; extended through 2025
  7. Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams): January 12, 2017; extended through 2023
  8. Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco 49ers): February 6, 2017; extended through 2025
  9. Mike Vrabel (Tennessee Titans): January 20, 2018; signed extension in February 2022
  10. Frank Reich (Indianapolis Colts): February 11, 2018; extended through 2026
  11. Kliff Kingsbury (Arizona Cardinals): January 8, 2019; extended through 2027
  12. Matt LaFleur (Green Bay Packers): January 8, 2019
  13. Zac Taylor (Cincinnati Bengals): February 4, 2019; extended through 2026
  14. Ron Rivera (Washington Football Team): January 1, 2020
  15. Matt Rhule (Carolina Panthers): January 7, 2020
  16. Mike McCarthy (Dallas Cowboys): January 7, 2020
  17. Kevin Stefanski (Cleveland Browns): January 13, 2020
  18. Robert Saleh (New York Jets): January 15, 2021
  19. Arthur Smith (Atlanta Falcons): January 15, 2021
  20. Brandon Staley (Los Angeles Chargers): January 17, 2021
  21. Dan Campbell (Detroit Lions): January 20, 2021
  22. Nick Sirianni (Philadelphia Eagles): January 21, 2021
  23. Nathaniel Hackett (Denver Broncos): January 27, 2022
  24. Matt Eberflus (Chicago Bears): January 27, 2022
  25. Brian Daboll (New York Giants): January 28, 2022
  26. Josh McDaniels (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
  27. Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings): February 2, 2022
  28. Doug Pederson (Jacksonville Jaguars): February 3, 2022
  29. Mike McDaniel (Miami Dolphins): February 6, 2022
  30. Dennis Allen (New Orleans Saints): February 7, 2022
  31. Lovie Smith (Houston Texans): February 7, 2022
  32. Todd Bowles (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): March 30, 2022

Bryce Thompson In Line For Larger Defensive Role?

June 28th, 2022 at 10:15am CST by Adam La Rose
  • The Saints have a number of new faces on the backend of their defense, such as Tyrann Mathieu and Marcus Maye, but another potential difference-maker could be a player who was already on the roster when the offseason began. In a breakdown of players who stood out in the spring, ESPN’s Mike Triplett names Bryce Thompson as a candidate for a significant role in 2022. The former UDFA saw limited time on special teams as a rookie last year, but has been taking snaps with both the first- and second-team units this offseason. His positional versatility, Triplett contends, could land Thompson a notable role somewhere within the secondary.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Saints RB Alvin Kamara Facing Civil Lawsuit

June 25th, 2022 at 10:42am CST by Ben Levine

With a six-game suspension looming, Saints running back Alvin Kamara is also facing a civil lawsuit. A source tells Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com that the man who Kamara allegedly punched in Las Vegas will sue the NFL player for financial damages.

[RELATED: Alvin Kamara Bracing For Six-Game Ban]

Kamara was charged with felony battery following an altercation in Las Vegas during Pro Bowl weekend. Video surveillance showed Kamara punching Darnell Greene eight times following an argument, with Greene being knocked unconscious and sustaining an orbital bone fracture. The victim’s impending lawsuit is seeking compensatory damages based on those injuries.

Florio pointed out yesterday that the NFL’s personal conduct policy calls for a six-game suspension for felony battery. That battery charge could also land Kamara on paid leave, which would result in some roster uncertainty for the Saints as they navigate through training camp and the preseason.

For what it’s worth, Kamara quickly questioned Florio’s report on Twitter. As we’ve seen many times, these ordeals can drag out for months or seasons, so there’s no guarantee that Kamara ends up missing any games due to suspension in 2022.

The five-time Pro Bowler collected 1,337 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns in 13 games last season. The Saints welcomed back Mark Ingram last season, but the team isn’t rostering much experienced depth behind the veteran RB. Holdovers Tony Jones and Dwayne Washington could see increased reps if Kamara is out of the lineup.

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