6 pending free agents the Saints should make priorities to re-sign in 2020

With quarterbacks Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater headed for free agency, the New Orleans Saints have many tough decisions to make in 2020.

[jwplayer sXRjQXFa-ThvAeFxT]

The 2020 offseason is full of difficult decisions for the New Orleans Saints, particularly in unrestricted free agency. Both of their top two quarterbacks are headed for the open market, as is a starting defensive back who’s rapidly developed into one of their most-reliable playmakers. Some role players are also up for new deals and should be retained.

We’ve already considered what should be done with the Saints’ restricted free agents, and highlighted several unrestricted free agents who should probably be allowed to leave due to prohibitive costs or poor fits moving forward. Here are six names the Saints must make priorities in the months ahead.

Drew Brees, quarterback

This is easy: Brees is the best player in Saints history and still the face of the franchise. He should never throw for another team. Now keeping him around is easier said than done, and the adjustments the Saints must make to remain competitive with an aging quarterback are another set of issues. If Brees can’t be counted on to complete passes 35 or more yards downfield, it dramatically impacts the entire offense.

Teddy Bridgewater, quarterback

Bridgewater deserves a big payday, that’s not under debate. The question is how much it would cost to retain his services as the backup to Brees. Bridgewater is just 27 and very much in the prime of his career, and proved he can win in the NFL by going undefeated in his five starts last season. If there isn’t much of a market for Bridgewater in free agency, it’s possible he and the Saints can reach an agreement.

Vonn Bell, safety

Bell emerged as one of the most consistent big-play threats in the secondary, having led the NFL in fumble recoveries and logged his first career interception. He’s a sure tackler and a vocal leader in one of the youngest position groups in New Orleans, and they’d do well to retain him. The trouble with him is that he was just a part-time player for his first three years before finally hitting his groove in 2019. Additionally, we’ll be curious to see whether Eddie Jackson’s big contract with the Chicago Bears woke up what was a sleepy free agent market at safety.

P.J. Williams, cornerback

Williams has proven to be a capable slot defender and a quick fill-in at safety, thanks to his understanding of inside-breaking route concepts and aggressive downhill tackling. The Saints would be smart to keep him around as one of their most-experienced defensive backs, but he should receive more active interest in free agency than he saw last year after an early-offseason DUI arrest.

Dwayne Washington, running back

Alvin Kamara is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and Latavius Murray played well enough to safely demand more snaps moving forward. That leaves Washington on the outside looking in as far as the Saints running back rotation goes. But his real value is on special teams, where he’s developed into a nice blocking specialist in the return game alongside J.T. Gray, Justin Hardee, Craig Robertson, and Taysom Hill. Of that group, only Hardee and Robertson played more snaps. Washington will hardly command a huge salary, so the Saints should do the smart thing and retain him.

Zach Line, fullback

Few teams utilize a fullback more often than the Saints, and Line’s proven to be a great fit for their offense. Before he went down late in the season with a knee injury, he was ranked top-three leaguewide in snaps played at his position. Though he isn’t asked to run often (which is no surprise with talents like Kamara, Murray, and Hill on the team), Line has converted 16 first downs on his 23 career attempts, while occasionally catching passes or flipping them to Kamara on a trick play. The Saints should be able to re-sign him in the same $1.1 million to $1.9 million range they originally agreed to back in 2017.

[vertical-gallery id=26750]

Is Taysom Hill the future at quarterback for the Saints? Probably not

The New Orleans Saints have tough decisions to make at quarterback, but betting the farm on third-string passer Taysom Hill isn’t the answer

[jwplayer gDZGKLBo-ThvAeFxT]

Taysom Hill is a very fun player to watch in the NFL. He runs, he catches, he chips in heavily on special teams, and he’s even asked to throw occasionally. It makes plenty of sense that he’s already become such a fan-favorite among New Orleans Saints supporters.

None of that is enough to suggest Hill is the future of the quarterback situation in New Orleans. Here’s the reality: Hill turns 30 in August and has only gone 7-of-15 as a passer in 34 regular season games. His biggest gains have required difficult adjustments by his receivers because he lacks the touch to put the ball out in front of them, hitting them in stride. He’s a limited passer. The list of players who continue to improve and have lengthy careers with his resume is almost nonexistent.

Yes, Hill showed improvement in last year’s preseason. He reacted better to pressure and hung out in a collapsing pocket to let his receivers’ routes develop further downfield. But few of the opposing players he stood tall against are still in the NFL, having made up third- and fourth-string units around the league. So far, he’s shown nothing to justify hinging the future of the franchise on.

And the Saints know that. While Sean Payton may offer fun soundbites comparing Hill to an all-time great like Steve Young, he’s also been quick to acknowledge that Hill’s best contributions come on the ground as a runner, as a receiver in the red zone, or on special teams as a heady athlete who’s eager to embrace contact. If Payton and the Saints believed in Hill so strongly, they wouldn’t have made such a strong push to recruit Teddy Bridgewater during free agency last offseason. They should make similar efforts this spring.

So, no, fans should not be putting expectations on Hill to be the next guy to step up after Drew Brees moves on. That’s just not fair to him. Celebrate Hill for what he is — a tough, throwback football player who defies position titles. He’s an important part of the team and arguably one of their best pieces in the receiving corps. He’s a staple of the punt and kick units. He’s arguably their best short-yardage ball-carrier. But it’s far from certain that he’s the long-term answer at quarterback, and he shouldn’t be treated as such. Let him continue doing what he does best.

[lawrence-related id=26793]

[vertical-gallery id=26750]

What should the Saints do with their 5 restricted free agents?

It’s time for the New Orleans Saints to make contract decisions on restricted free agents like Taysom Hill, Justin Hardee, and Austin Carr.

Many New Orleans Saints players are set to enter unrestricted free agency, giving them the opportunity to negotiate with new teams and potentially land a big payday. However, five of their teammates are going into March’s signing period with restricted free agency status. Here’s what that means.

Restricted free agents can negotiate with other teams, but their current squad can claim the right of first refusal through exercising one of several different one-year contract tenders. But the ability to match contract offers comes with a price.

The latest projections from Over The Cap suggest tender values in the range of $4,667,000 (for first-round pick compensation) to $3,278,000 (second-round pick compensation), and $2,144,000 (for original-round draft pick compensation). Those totals are fully-guaranteed against the salary cap.

New Orleans doesn’t have a good history with restricted free agency. They have only used the lowest tender level in recent memory, and rarely matched opposing contract offers. They let wide receiver Willie Snead leave uncontested when the Baltimore Ravens signed him to a two-year, $7 million deal in 2018. Backup tight end Josh Hill signed a three-year, $7.5 million offer sheet with the Chicago Bears in 2016, but the Saints matched it and extended him again in 2018.

They didn’t even tender defensive tackle Tyrunn Walker back in 2015, despite it only costing about $1.54 million at the time and Walker having shown some rare bright spots in a historically-bad defense (the Detroit Lions signed him to a one-year, $1.75 million deal, and re-upped him the next season). He’s an example of a player the Saints hoped they could keep on a veteran’s minimum salary, which is obviously a riskier option.

But things are projecting differently in 2020. There’s a good chance the Saints exercise one of the more-valuable tender options; in fact, they may have to. They could also work out long-term contract extensions if they so choose; Saints kicker Wil Lutz did just that last year, when he was a restricted free agent. Here are the five Saints players that qualify, and what the team should do with each of them.

Justin Hardee, cornerback

Hardee’s had an interesting career path, and now he’s one of the Saints’ central special teams aces. He plays often on the punt and kickoff units, and led the team in snaps played in the game’s third phase (362) last season, outpacing even Craig Robertson (324) and Taysom Hill (286). He’s someone the Saints coaches have invested years of development in, and should definitely try to keep around for the future.

The question they have to ask now is how much Hardee’s contributions are worth. He doesn’t play defense (just 37 snaps logged last season) and is still learning the position’s finer points after entering the NFL as a wide receiver. He can’t be counted on just yet to be a top backup behind Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins. But his presence on special teams speaks for itself, and the Saints might do well to sign him to the lowest contract tender, then wait and see whether the market can set a price on his long-term contract value.

Verdict: Sign him to a right-to-match tender.

Pages: 12345

5 pending free agents the Saints should let walk in 2020 offseason

Whether they’ve earned a huge contract or performed poorly, not all of the New Orleans Saints pending free agents should re-sign in 2020.

[jwplayer xFfiGD7g-ThvAeFxT]

The New Orleans Saints have dozens of tough decisions to make in the next few months. They’re facing a large group of pending free agents, with several starters and many big contributors among them. New Orleans is going to be dealing with limited salary cap resources again this year, but the 2020 signing period could be the first time they’ve really been limited by it.

Not all of their free agents should return. Whether it’s because they’ve played themselves out of the Saints’ price range or have disappointed by not playing as well as expected, some Saints will be looking for new squads in March. Here are our five picks for players who shouldn’t re-sign, for one reason or another.

Ted Ginn Jr., wide receiver

Hopes were high for Ginn after his breakout 2017 campaign with the Saints, having posted the highest rate of receptions per game (3.53), receiving yards per game (52.5), and catch rate (75.7%). Each of those numbers trailed off during his next two years in New Orleans, falling to 1.9 catches and 26.3 yards per game in 2019, with a catch rate of just 53.6%. He closed out the 2019 season with only three catches for 41 yards in his final four games. It’s time for the Saints to invest in younger, more capable options in the receiving corps behind Michael Thomas.

Andrus Peat, guard/tackle

The Saints have been patient with Peat, trying him out at four different offensive line positions before he settled in at left guard. Film study gurus swear that he’s one of ten or twelve best guards in the NFL, but that says more about the sad state of guard play in the league than anything great about Peat. He’s been a liability in too many big moments and is by far the weak link for the Saints up front. Even if they have to draft a rookie guard highly or invest in another veteran, they have to find a way to upgrade his roster spot.

A.J. Klein, linebacker

Klein has developed into a fine starter for the Saints, and even come through in some clutch situations. With two of next year’s three projected starters currently rehabbing injuries, it does make sense for the team to consider re-signing him. But the relatively-high salary cap hits for Demario Davis ($9.9 million) and Kiko Alonso ($6.4 million) make it tough to justify investing too much in a third veteran, and this could be Klein’s last opportunity to cash in with a big NFL contract. It’ll be tough for the Saints to reach a compromise with him, because he probably deserves more than they’ll be able to budget for him.

David Onyemata, defensive tackle

Much like Klein, Onyemata is someone the Saints picked up and developed into a quality NFL player — he hadn’t even heard of football until he started classes at the University of Manitoba. He’s come a long way; Onyemata created 3 sacks and a career-best 11 quarterback hits in 2019 while starting 15 games in place of Sheldon Rankins. He’s a big part of the rotation up front, having led all interior linemen with 37.7 snaps played per game. Losing him would be huge, but he’s set himself up to earn at least as much as the Saints just paid nose tackle Malcom Brown ($15 million over three years), and the Saints may have bigger fish to fry. At least they’ve been developing backups like Shy Tuttle and Taylor Stallworth for larger roles.

Austin Carr, wide receiver

Carr played the fourth-most snaps at wide receiver for the Saints last year (188), which is almost as much as Deonte Harris, Krishawn Hogan, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, and Keith Kirkwood had combined (213). He used all those opportunities to catch one pass for nine yards. The Saints were so thin at receiver this year that Carr was averaging 31.3 snaps per game and he still wasn’t a viable part of the passing game. If he’s back on the roster in 2020, it’s because the Saints failed to take a serious look at the depth chart and realized big changes are needed to support Drew Brees.

[vertical-gallery id=26750]

A.J. Klein reflects on three years in New Orleans ahead of free agency

New Orleans Saints linebacker A.J. Klein and his family have called the city home for 3 years, but the 2020 free agent could be on the move.

[jwplayer Y0hsMpqj-ThvAeFxT]

It’s been an eventful three years for New Orleans Saints linebacker A.J. Klein. He signed with the team as an unrestricted free agent back in 2017, having backed up Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis with the division-rival Carolina Panthers for the first leg of his career.

Since then Klein has risen to prominence as a starting linebacker in New Orleans. It’s the city where he and his wife became parents, having adopted a son and welcomed the birth of their daughter in 2019. He’s put down roots and isn’t very eager to move on, even though he acknowledges that’s part of the business he’s in.

He originally signed a three-year, $15 million contract with the Saints; for salary cap accounting purposes, that deal included an automatically-voided fourth year, which means he’ll hit the open market in March. He’ll turn 29 in July, and this might be his last chance to draw a big contract.

Klein spoke about his uncertain future with The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell, saying, “I would obviously be very excited about the opportunity to come back. I’ll cross that bridge when we get there and obviously take this time to digest everything that happened.”

Wherever Klein goes next, he’s poised to cash in during free agency. He had a career year with the Saints in 2019, posting career-bests in solo tackles (45), sacks (2.5), and quarterback hits (5). He capped it all off by returning an interception for a defensive touchdown in Week 17 against the team that showed him the door, his first scoring play in seven years in the NFL.

Lining up predominately as a strongside and middle linebacker, he showed an ability to make an impact as the backside pursuer on stretch plays while holding up well in run defense when the ball came his way. The 753 snaps he played on defense beat his previous career-highs of 669 and 664, each totals from his past two years with the Saints.

“It’s been,” Klein continued, gathering his thoughts, “a quick three years since I’ve gotten here, and just to see the change in the culture and obviously be able to be part of a defense that’s been able to win football games around here is huge.”

On paper, the Saints are set up well at linebacker for 2020, even if they’re a little beaten up. First-team All-Pro Demario Davis will continue to start on the weak side. Alex Anzalone is the projected starter in the middle, even though his year ended on injured reserve. He has a lot to prove in what will be a contract year. The Saints acquired Kiko Alonso in a preseason trade with the Miami Dolphins and he’s the easiest fit on the strong side, but he’ll spend the offseason rehabbing a surgically-repaired torn ACL. Rookie backup Kaden Elliss also went down with an ACL injury back in September, leaving Davis and veteran backup Craig Robertson as the only healthy options on the roster right now.

While there’s no guaranteeing whether Klein would start, his presence would do a lot to solidify that group. Maintaining continuity from one year to the next is important in the NFL, especially on defense. But Klein’s acutely aware that whether he sticks around is not something he can control right now.

“I don’t know whats going to happen,” Klein admitted, “I don’t know what my future is here, whether it’s this team or a different team. I’ll let things run their course but … I’d love to be back. I love this city, I love this team. I love this locker room and I’m invested in it, but we’ll see.”

[vertical-gallery id=26617]

3 ‘go for broke’ big free agent signings the Saints could pursue in 2020

The New Orleans Saints may shake up the NFL in free agency. Here’s the case for signing Brandon Scherff, Yannick Ngakoue, or Amari Cooper.

The New Orleans Saints are going into the 2020 offseason in a precarious position. They’ve assembled one of the most-talented rosters around the league, featuring star talent at nearly every position group. They also don’t have a single quarterback under contract past March. And fresh off of a painful postseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings, it’s fair to wonder whether they’re one or two big upgrades away from getting back to Super Bowl contention. It’s possible that this team has deeper-running issues that could take a while to fix.

Unfortunately, time isn’t on their side. Drew Brees should be expected to re-sign for another title run as the team’s starting quarterback, and he’ll be turning 41 next week. Many of those same Pro Bowl-bound core players are going to be due big paydays in the near future. The Saints haven’t shied away from making a splash in free agency in the past, with varying results (some are good, like Brees himself and linebacker Demario Davis. And then you have the Jairus Byrd and Brandon Browner signings), so it’s possible they go that route again.

Let’s be clear: betting everything on one blue-chip free agent pickup isn’t the route we’d like to take. The Saints got where they are now by patiently investing in their scouting and coaching staffs, carefully selecting high-upside free agents and trusting their process to develop them into studs. That’s how you sustain success in the NFL. If anything, this year feels like one where the Saints could keep their investing in-house, holding onto homegrown talent while angling to qualify for a compensatory draft pick or two next offseason.

But if the Saints are truly desperate to win a Super Bowl championship with Brees still around, and if they think a huge free agent addition is the way to get there, then these are the moves we’d advocate for.

Brandon Scherff

Scherff, 28, was voted into the Pro Bowl in three of his first five years in the NFL. He’s appeared in 65 of 80 possible games, playing 4,130 snaps during that time, and been fouled 22 times (three offsetting/declined). While he’s played right guard exclusively in the NFL, Scherff starred on the left side at both tackle an guard in college with the Iowa Hawkeyes — the position he’d fill in New Orleans.

With one-time Pro Bowler Andrus Peat on the outs in free agency, the Saints will have a hole to fill in the starting lineup at left guard. For context, Peat has also appeared in 65 of 80 regular season games, logging 3,702 snaps, drawing 24 penalties (just one offset/declined). In other words, Scherff played 428 more snaps (the equivalent of seven more games) and committed just two more fouls. Going from Peat to Scherff would be as strong an upgrade as you’ll see in the NFL, but it would carry a huge cost. Scherff wants to be the highest-paid guard in the league, and reportedly turned down a $13 million per-year contract offer from the Washington Redskins to get it.

That’s a tall ask. Salary cap management isn’t as much a concern for the Saints as other teams (general manager Mickey Loomis is comfortable with creatively manipulating contract structures to create new spending room), but it is something worth noting. The Saints have already handed out big-money deals to left tackle Terron Armstead and right guard Larry Warford, while right tackle Ryan Ramczyk has two years left on his rookie contract if the Saints pick up his option for 2021 (they will). Standout center Erik McCoy is entering the second of his four-year rookie deal. It won’t be easy, but there’s room for Scherff in the Saints’ budget.

The Risk: Scherff is already 28, and will require a market-resetting contract to acquire. He’s ended each of his last two seasons on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle (in 2018) and elbow and shoulder issues (in 2019). If these are connected problems, it could be a sign of his body breaking down, which would limit his availability moving forward.

The Reward: Scherff sets the pace for the rest of the NFL’s guards in pass-blocking efficiency, and his presence would do a lot to solidify an offensive line that got exposed in the playoffs by a talented Vikings front. Whether Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, Taysom Hill, or someone else is under center the next few years, Scherff would be an excellent upgrade — when he’s healthy.

Pages: 123

Sean Payton keeping cards close to his vest on Saints draft needs

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says it’s too early to discuss any firm strategy for the 2020 NFL Draft, but he likes what he’s hearing

[jwplayer wdnn9DBg-ThvAeFxT]

Ready or not, the New Orleans Saints are transitioning into the offseason. It’s not where they wanted to be right now, but it’s their reality. It means exit interviews, in-house evaluations, and strategizing for the future.

And for head coach Sean Payton, it means meeting with his scouts and front office staff to see how the team can improve. He was short on details in his end-of-year press conference on Tuesday, but did give some ideas about where the franchise is headed.

“There’s some ‘musts,’ right now that are, at least in my mind, positions that we’ve gotta solidify to be better,” Payton said. “And I think we’ll try do that in any way, shape, or form.”

Payton said that he’s only had cursory conversations about this year’s draft class, though he likes what he’s heard early on about the prospects at wide receiver when asked about it specifically. He explained that most of New Orleans’ internal discussions have surrounded the team’s restricted and unrestricted free agents, many of whom will test the open market in March.

It’s easy to point to wideout as the Saints’ biggest roster need in 2020; Michael Thomas put on a one-man show in 2019, outpacing the next-best wide receiver by 119 receptions and 1,304 yards through the air. This year’s draft class is being talked about as one of the best in recent memory at the position, which should be music to Saints fans’ ears.

Traditionally, the Saints like to load up on veteran free agents and go into the draft without one significant position still to draft. That’s what Payton referred to by ‘musts’ — his in-house ranking of roster needs designates different groupings as ‘musts,’ ‘needs,’ and ‘wants,’ in order of priority. So if wide receiver is a ‘must-add’ position, linebacker could be a ‘need,’ and so on.

Tight against the salary cap and with so many of their own free agents to consider, it’s possible the Saints flip the script and try to limit their investing to players who have already succeeded in their system. But it’s a long road until March, when free agency opens up, and even further to get to April’s draft. It’ll be fascinating to see how Payton and the Saints get there and what they choose to do when they’re on the clock.

“There are some 'musts,' at least in my mind. Positions that we have to solidify,”

Payton on being pleased with the roster’s depth this season but still looking to improve pic.twitter.com/TjimSoKq3B

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 7, 2020

[lawrence-related id=15811]

[vertical-gallery id=26617]

Would the Saints use the franchise tag to keep Teddy Bridgewater?

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees as a clause against it in his contract, but could they use the franchise tag on Teddy Bridgewater?

[jwplayer ooYL34ml-ThvAeFxT]

Few teams have a quarterback situation as complicated as the New Orleans Saints face in 2020. All three rostered passers are going to be free agents — Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater are scheduled to test the open market, while the team will likely have right-of-first-refusal status for Taysom Hill. No matter what happens, Brees and Bridgewater have a combined $25.3 million in dead money on the books for 2020, though that can could be kicked further down the road with new deals.

Brees, who turns 41 next week, has said he’ll continue to take things year-to-year. It’s a safe bet that the’ll return given how well he played in 2019 (even if Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer out-dueled him and Sean Payton in the playoffs), but it’s not a completely-sure thing.

It’s easy to argue that Bridgewater should return to New Orleans and continue to wait it out, having proven himself a worthy heir-apparent when Brees missed five games with a hand injury. But asking a young player to ride the pine for two years is easier said than done, and Bridgewater shouldn’t lack for options in free agency.

Teams that could part ways with incumbent quarterbacks include the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers. Neither Tom Brady nor Philip Rivers have committed to returning to the Patriots and Chargers, while Raiders coach Jon Gruden is famously fickle with his quarterbacks. Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians publicly vented frustration with Jameis Winston, while new Panthers coach Matt Rhule may want to start fresh after Cam Newton missed more than a year with injuries.

Other teams like the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars are determined to go down with the ship, anchoring themselves to bad starters like Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles (though Gardner Minshew gives Jaguars coach Doug Marrone a life-line). The Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins are targeting quarterbacks in the draft, while the Tennessee Titans may have caught lightning in a bottle with Ryan Tannehill.

So Bridgewater should have more suitors than he heard from last offseason, when the only serious offer came from the Dolphins. And Miami simply wanted him to be a sacrificial lion in their tanked 2019 campaign; Ryan Fitzpatrick played that role instead. It would be a serious stunner if the Saints can recruit Bridgewater into sticking around another year as a backup.

Even more unlikely is their option to use the franchise tag. It would guarantee Bridgewater more than $24 million in 2020 (official amounts are not yet set by the league office) but would keep him off the open market, and guarantee the Saints significant draft capital (two first-round picks) if another team tried to sign him. They’re already fairly cash-strapped, so this isn’t realistic.

An alternative could be the transition tag, which would fully-guarantee something north of $22 million. It offers the right of first refusal, allowing Bridgewater to negotiate a contract with another team which the Saints could opt to match. The downside is the Saints are left with no compensation should he leave. Even though the NFL is a business first and foremost, tagging Bridgewater to force him to remain with the Saints would be a huge reversal from the positive relationship he’s built with the team since they first traded for him. And for what it’s worth, Brees has a no-tag clause in his contract.

So neither of these options feel like routes New Orleans wants to take. The best situation for the team could be a repeat of the 2019 configuration; Brees and Bridgewater both return at depressed salaries (Brees drawing $20 million-plus as a starter, and Bridgewater getting around $8 million as a backup) while Hill plays on a low-cost restricted free agent tender. But that may not be a realistic expectation considering where each player’s career arc is trending.

Uncomfortable as it may be, fans will have to remain patient and let this process play out. We won’t know whether Brees or Bridgewater sign contract extensions until the free agent signing period is here, but the tag deadline (March 10, at 3 p.m. CT) is a date to circle on the calendar. Hopefully they work out something more amicable.

[lawrence-related id=15811]

[vertical-gallery id=26617]

4 potential Saints salary cap casualties for the 2020 offseason

New Orleans Saints veterans like Janoris Jenkins, Patrick Robinson, Nick Easton, and Mario Edwards could be salary cap casualties in 2020.

There’s no getting around it: the 2020 offseason will be difficult for the New Orleans Saints. They must navigate contract decisions with a number of important free agents, including all three quarterbacks (Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater will be unrestricted free agents, while Taysom Hill is designated with restricted status). With the 2020 salary cap expected to settle somewhere around $200 million, the Saints will have between $16 and $20 million to spend. That won’t be enough to keep everyone.

Some restructures should be expected; it’s a staple of the playbook built by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and salary cap specialist Khai Hartley. But they’ll also have to consider cutting veteran players to curb costs. Here are four potential Saints salary cap casualties.

Janoris Jenkins

Potential savings: $11.25 million

The Saints claimed Jenkins off of waivers in December, inheriting the final year of his New York Giants contract in the process. That agreement carries with it a 2020 salary cap hit of $11.25 million, none of which is guaranteed — yet. Jenkins will be due a $1 million roster bonus on March 16, which would be fully-guaranteed. So the Saints could theoretically release Jenkins before that date and leave no dead money behind; doing so afterwards would leave $1 million in dead money.

That said, cutting Jenkins doesn’t make sense, but it could benefit him and the Saints to add a year or two onto his current deal to spread out the salary cap hits. He played so well in his two starts for New Orleans (ending the Week 17 game Carolina Panthers with an interception, and erasing Stefon Diggs in the the wild-card loss to the Minnesota Vikings) that he should definitely be a part of their plans for 2020.

Keeping Jenkins is even more sensible when you consider Saints cornerbacks Eli Apple and P.J. Williams will test free agency in a few months. Ironically, Apple and Jenkins were once teammates with the Giants — and the Saints declined Apple’s fifth-year option, which would have guaranteed him about $13.6 million for the 2020 season. Instead, Jenkins has taken his starting job.

Pages: 1234

Assessing the Jags’ top-7 positional needs heading into 2020 offseason

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of needs, but luckily they at least have the draft capital to make some progress on fixing the roster.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have made their decisions on moving forward with Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell, which now means fans can now look forward to free-agency and the draft. If there was one thing that can be taken away from the 2019 season it’s the fact that the Jags have a ton of needs, and in all probability, they won’t be able to address all of them.

Regardless, we’ve decided to evaluate the Jags’ biggest needs based off how the Jags’ last season which resulted in a 6-10 record. Here’s how we rank each need at the moment:

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

7. Wide receiver

Heading into the 2018 season I felt as though the Jags’ receiver corps was a strength of the Jags, but after watching the season unfold, there is room for improvement. Clearly, DJ Chark Jr. was the No. 1 player within the group and proved to be a stud, racking up 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. His 2019 campaign made him the youngest receiver in franchise history to garner 1,000 receiving yards (alongside Allen Robinson) and the first receiver since 2015 to hit that mark (which was also held by Robinson).

Behind Chark, however, there are question marks. Dede Westbrook, who many (including myself) was high on, had a very average campaign in 2019 where drops were an issue for him. Chris Conley flashed on occasions and was the team’s No. 2 statistically (775 yards), but he too had some drops that were concerning.

All of that said, receiver isn’t a huge need for the Jags but with the strongest receiver class fans have seen in quite some time arriving in 2020, the Jags could have a grand opportunity to make their receivers group elite. If they truly use a best available player method in the first-round, their No. 9 overall pick looks like the sweet spot to land the No. 1 receiver in the class. Whether that’s Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb varies between draft pundits, but both are simply too good for a team lacking offensive fire power to pass on.

Pages: 1234567