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Marcus Williams (S)

Saints Likely To Extend At Least One Of Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Williams

June 30th, 2021 at 9:03pm CST by Rory Parks

The Saints crossed a key item off their 2021 agenda earlier today by agreeing to a massive extension with right tackle Ryan Ramczyk. With that deal done, New Orleans can now turn its attention to the contract situations of several of its other high-profile talents.

Katherine Terrell of The Athletic writes that the Saints are likely to extend at least one of CB Marshon Lattimore and S Marcus Williams this summer. As Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com tweets, the Ramczyk extension cleared roughly $5.5MM off the club’s books for the 2021 season, so a Lattimore or Williams extension isn’t necessarily vital for cap purposes (plus, since Lattimore’s fifth-year option for this season was already restructured, an extension for him wouldn’t create more cap room anyway). But both players are integral pieces of DC Dennis Allen‘s defense, and the Saints would certainly like to keep them for the long haul if they can.

The problem is that New Orleans is already projected to be over the 2022 cap of $208.2MM, and GM Mickey Loomis might not be able to re-sign both of his young defenders. Terrell says Lattimore has always seemed like the higher priority, and as he plays a premium position and has three Pro Bowls to his credit, he will certainly be more expensive. On the other hand, he does not always play up to his potential, and Pro Football Focus’ metrics considered him the 70th-best corner out of 121 qualifiers last year. A March arrest could also complicate matters.

Loomis, though, has more time to talk contract with Lattimore than he does with Williams. As a franchise-tagged player, Williams cannot sign a multi-year deal after July 15. Given the Saints’ cap crunch, there was a belief that the team would not be able to retain the Utah product this year, let alone hit him with a franchise tag that carries a $10.6MM cap charge. The fact that Loomis made the financials work might be an indication of the team’s long-term outlook for Williams, who did well to clean up his one glaring weakness (his tackling abilities) in 2020.

In addition to Lattimore and Williams, left tackle Terron Armstead is also entering a contract year (his deal automatically voids in 2022). Terrell says it’s unclear what the Saints have in mind for their longtime blindside protector, but he will not come cheap either. We just saw soon-to-be 33-year-old Trent Williams pull down a $23MM/year deal, and Terrell suggests that Armstead — who will turn 30 in a few weeks — could shoot for a similar figure. With Ramcyzk now carrying a $19.2MM AAV and left guard Andrus Peat working on a $15MM/year pact, that would be a ton of money invested into the O-line.

We heard earlier this year that the Saints could let Armstead walk next offseason and shift Ramczyk to left tackle, and Terrell says that remains a possibility. Still, one would think that New Orleans will at least have serious discussions with Armstead about continuing what has been a very fruitful partnership.

Marcus Williams Signs Franchise Tender

March 20th, 2021 at 2:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

No franchise tag-related training camp absences are set to commence this year. Each member of the 2021 tag contingent has now either signed his tender or agreed to terms on an extension.

Shortly after Marcus Maye signed his Jets tender, Saints safety Marcus Williams signed his, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This will prevent the Saints from rescinding Williams’ tag. His $10.6MM tender is now fully guaranteed. A former third-round pick, Williams has been a Saints starter since his rookie season. He has become one of the NFL’s top safeties, leading to the Saints’ tag decision.

Tagged players are often not in a rush to sign tenders, leading to belated camp arrivals on some occasions. This year, Williams, Maye, Taylor Moton, Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin, Cam Robinson and Brandon Scherff signed their tenders within a week of being tagged. Justin Simmons and Leonard Williams have agreed to extensions. So did Dak Prescott, but his second franchise tag was a formality that ensued after he signed a long-term Cowboys deal.

Even as franchise tag prices (for first-time tag recipients) dropped this year, it made more sense for players to protect themselves against teams rescinding their respective tags. With the salary cap reduction resulting in a less lucrative market (in most cases), a team rescinding a tag now could result in a player being thrust into free agency at an inopportune time.

The Saints surprised many by tagging Williams, doing so after creating a staggering amount of cap space entering the 2021 league year. New Orleans has been quiet on the market, as could be expected, and would be better off by extending Williams to drop his 2021 cap hit. But they found a way to use their franchise tag despite a historic cap crunch. They have until July 15 to extend Williams, who joins Alvin Kamara, Ryan Ramczyk and Marshon Lattimore in remaining with the team from the 2017 draft class. The Saints can also create cap space with extensions for Ramczyk and Lattimore, who are attached to fifth-year option salaries.

Saints Franchise Tag S Marcus Williams

March 9th, 2021 at 2:30pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Saints are in a bad cap spot, but they’re finding ways to make things work. New Orleans has franchise tagged safety Marcus Williams, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

As Rapsheet points out, this one is a bit of a surprise, mostly due to the Saints’ poor cap situation. As he noted in a follow-up tweet, this move will necessitate further “cap gymnastics” for GM Mickey Loomis. We heard last week that the Saints wanted to keep Williams in the fold, and clearly they weren’t playing around. As of last week, the Saints were around $70MM over the projected cap, so Loomis has his work cut out for him.

A third-round pick back in 2017, Williams became an immediate starter and has always been very highly graded by the folks at Pro Football Focus. With Williams and Justin Simmons of the Broncos both getting franchise tagged, the potential top two free agent safeties are both off the board. John Johnson of the Rams will now possibly be the most sought-after safety on the open market.

He started 14 games last year, picking off three passes and racking up seven passes defended. He has multiple interceptions in all four of his pro seasons. In order to make this tag work the Saints will need to clear about $11MM in space immediately, Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football tweets.

Saints Want To Keep S Marcus Williams

March 1st, 2021 at 4:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

Facing a historic cap crunch, the Saints will still try to retain one of their own marquee free agents. They intend to prioritize safety Marcus Williams, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Two weeks before the start of the legal tampering period, the Saints are a staggering $69MM-plus over a projected $180MM cap. The franchise has continually faced difficult cap situations, only to navigate them and still manage to bolster its roster — as it did last year via Emmanuel Sanders and Malcolm Jenkins. But this year’s situation presents a final boss-type challenge for New Orleans’ front office.

No other team is within $25MM of the Saints’ present payroll obligations, with the Eagles residing as the league’s only other franchise more than $40MM over the projected cap. The Saints will go through an eventful two weeks to comply with the cap, though the NFL’s in-progress TV deals could help the organization to a degree. It is not certain yet where the 2021 cap will land, which has halted NFL activity to a degree.

Part of one of the best draft classes any team has put together in many years, Williams has been a starter since arriving in the 2017 third round. Pro Football Focus has graded him as a top-eight player at his position in three of his four seasons, including 2020. While 2017 draft classmate Trey Hendrickson figures to have a market as well, Williams has reeled off a much longer run of production with the Saints. Mickey Loomis has acknowledged keeping Hendrickson will be tough.

Williams stands as one of the league’s top free agents, with he and Justin Simmons perhaps residing as the top safeties available. The Broncos are set to make Simmons unavailable, via the franchise tag, which would take a key target off the board. The Jets are also likely to take Marcus Maye off the market via the tag. While other safeties may well be available — from Anthony Harris to Keanu Neal to John Johnson — Williams may be the top prize at this position, should he hit the market. As PFR’s Rory Parks noted recently, a Williams tag — in the $10MM vicinity — will be off the table, meaning the Saints would need to have him extended by March 15 to avoid the talented defender negotiating with other teams.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Marcus Williams

February 17th, 2021 at 9:17pm CST by Rory Parks

Though he has yet to earn a Pro Bowl nomination, the Saints’ Marcus Williams has established himself as one of the best young safeties in the NFL. A member of New Orleans’ loaded 2017 draft class that also included Marshon Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Alvin Kamara, and Trey Hendrickson, Williams’ presence in the secondary has been instrumental in the Saints’ defensive success over his first four years in the league.

Williams, a free safety, is a prototypical centerfielder and ball-hawker whose one true weakness coming into the 2020 season was his tackling ability. But he made great strides in that regard, as Pro Football Focus charged him with just two missed tackles last year. PFF ranked Williams as the seventh-best safety in the game in 2020, and while it was especially bullish on his run defense, he also scored well in coverage.

Between that and his playmaking abilities — he has recorded 13 interceptions and 30 passes defensed over his first four years in the league — Williams will be a hot commodity if the Saints let him hit the open market. And New Orleans might not have a choice. The club’s salary cap problems have been well-documented, and we heard over the weekend that re-signing Hendrickson — whose 13.5 sacks were the second-most in the NFL last season — may not be possible.

The same goes for Williams. The Utah product will justifiably be aiming for the top of the safety market, which is currently headed by the Cardinals’ Budda Baker‘s $14.75MM average annual value. The Bears’ Eddie Jackson ($14.6MM) and the Titans’ Kevin Byard ($14.1MM) are not too far behind in terms of AAV, and all three players landed guarantees north of $30MM. Theoretically, GM Mickey Loomis could backload a Williams contract in an effort to fit him under the 2021 salary cap, but Loomis will have a number of difficult decisions to make, and even a backloaded deal might be too rich for the Saints at this point.

It seems that the franchise tag, which would carry a projected value of about $10.5MM, is definitely out of the question since the Saints would need to carry that entire amount on their cap in 2021. So if the Saints can’t bring back Williams, where might he end up?

The Raiders are one obvious potential landing spot. Las Vegas recently hired Gus Bradley as its new DC, and Bradley was one of the architects of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom secondary that saw Earl Thomas playing centerfield against opposing offenses. The Raiders’ offense is in pretty good shape, and after a series of straightforward cuts, they will have enough cap space to sign a quality free agent or two. Williams would team with Johnathan Abram to form a young and talented safety tandem.

The Lions and Jaguars were the two worst teams in the league in 2020 in terms of total defense, and while both clubs are very much in the rebuilding phase, Williams is young enough that he could still be a part of the next competitive outfits in Detroit or Jacksonville. Those teams have plenty of areas of need, but a strong back-end defender is a worthwhile target for any defense.

One way or another, Williams is about to get paid. He might not be the most talked-about FA at this point, but assuming the Saints don’t hit him with the franchise tag, he will be one of the first players off the board when free agency officially opens next month.

Saints Sign Rookie CB Marshon Lattimore

June 2nd, 2017 at 1:06pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have officially signed first round pick Marshon Lattimore, according to a team announcement. Second round safety Marcus Williams and third round running back Alvin Kamara have also put pen to paper. Marshon Lattimore (Vertical)

There was tons of trade speculation surrounding the Saints on draft night, but they stood pat at No. 11 and drafted a player who many see as the best cornerback in this year’s class. Lattimore, an Ohio State product, finished his collegiate career with 46 tackles (34 solo), one stop for a loss, four interceptions and 16 passes defensed. In his final year on campus, Lattimore was a first-team All-Big Ten selection and proved to scouts everywhere that he can succeed at the next level.

“I’ve studied the top cornerbacks coming out and he’s the best I’ve seen,” one pro personnel director for an AFC team told NFL.com before the draft. “He’s so athletic that he can just post up under the receiver’s chin and shadow him all over the field. And he’s tough, too. He’ll be one of the top cornerbacks pretty quickly.”

The 5-foot-10, 215-pound Kamara was a dual threat as a member of the Volunteers, with whom he averaged 6.2 yards per rush, caught 74 passes, and combined for 23 touchdowns over two seasons. Now, he’ll be learning from the best as he backs up both Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson. Kamara split carries with Jalen Hurd at Tennessee, so he’s no stranger to a timeshare.

Cowboys Meet With 21 NFL Draft Prospects

April 4th, 2017 at 6:20pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cowboys have now used more than two-thirds of their 30 allotted predraft visits, and Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link), Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), and Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News have provided the list of prospects with whom Dallas has met:

The Cowboys’ visits with Michigan DE Taco Charlton, UCLA DE Takkarist McKinley, UConn S Obi Melifonwu, UCLA CB Fabian Moreau, and Wisconsin LB T.J. Watt had all been previously reported.

Draft Rumors: Mahomes, Kizer, Thomas

March 23rd, 2017 at 7:40pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who could go anywhere from the top of the first round to the second round in this year’s draft, is drawing interest from three teams with aging franchise signal-callers. A Chargers contingent consisting of head coach Anthony Lynn, offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and quarterbacks coach Shane Steichen put Mahomes through a private workout in Lubbock, Texas, last week, reports Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com. The Bolts have a starting passer in Philip Rivers, but he’ll be 36 in December, so they’ll at least consider taking a QB early. The club is set to pick seventh and 38th in the first two rounds.

New Orleans, meanwhile, has a 38-year-old under center in Drew Brees, meaning there’s more urgency for the club to find its next passer than there is for the Chargers. With that in mind, Saints head coach Sean Payton, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and members of the team’s front office traveled to Lubbock to work out Mahomes on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. “They said every time they see me under center, I look better and better,” Mahomes said of the Saints, who currently own three of the draft’s first 45 selections (Nos. 11, 32 and 42).

The Cardinals, who are led by 37-year-old quarterback Carson Palmer, attended a Mahomes workout on Thursday, relays Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Owner Michael Bidwill and head coach Bruce Arians were on hand for the Cards, who hold the 13th and 45th selections in the opening two rounds.

More of the latest on the upcoming draft:

  • Even though the Bears handed quarterback Mike Glennon a significant contract in free agency, they aren’t necessarily content under center. Evidence: The club is likely to conduct a private workout with Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer next week, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks Kizer as the 33rd-best player in this year’s class, which could make him a possibility for the Bears in Round 2 (No. 36).
  • The Panthers had a meeting with Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas on Thursday, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Thomas figures to come off the board quickly and might be gone by the time Carolina’s on the clock at No. 8.
  • The Bills have scheduled a private April workout with Pittsburgh quarterback Nathan Peterman, the player told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link). Earlier this year, one scout informed Matt Miller of Bleacher Report that Peterman has a chance to pull a Dak Prescott and go from a mid-round pick to a viable starter as a rookie.
  • A Saints representative had dinner with Utah free safety Marcus Williams on Wednesday, writes Herbie Teope of NOLA.com. Williams is a ballhawk “who will make plays in the passing game, but he needs to improve in run support,” observes Jeremiah, who ranks him as this year’s 47th-best draft-eligible player.