Category: 2021 free agency

Pros and cons of Marcus Williams playing on the franchise tag

Pros and cons of Saints’ Marcus Williams playing on the franchise tag

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

As the NFL deadline for franchise-tagged players to sign an extension passed on July 15, New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Williams and the team were unable to make a deal work. As such, Williams, one of the top-ranked safeties in the league heading into the season according to Pro Football Focus, will indeed play on a franchise tag this season. He and the Saints can’t talk about a new deal until the 2021 season ends.

So Williams will be count just over $10.6 million against the 2021 salary cap, which far exceeds the $6.2 million he’s earned in his NFL career so far. A decent payday for the safety even if his long term fate has not been decided. So, how does this benefit the Saints, or does it actually hurt them?

Pros

To start, the biggest positive is that Williams is actually playing in New Orleans this season. Since the inception of the franchise tag, many high profile players have sat out of camp, protested, or tried to use leverage to make their team offer a deal rather than sign the tag.

While it would have been nice to sign Williams to an extension, perhaps opening up additional salary cap space as Saints financial wizard Khai Harley is known to do, the salary for Williams is fair. Spotrac has Willaims’ market value north of $13 million a year, so paying him $10.6 million could be seen as a bargain.

Cons

But where the last positive ends is where the first negative consequence begins. The $10.6 million cannot be manipulated like an extension could, especially long term in a restructure. New Orleans has a very precisely plotted financial path, especially this season and next in which the salary cap is set to be lower than in previous seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If too many resources are tied up in Williams, the Saints may be unable to re-sign someone like Marshon Lattimore.

The other downside to not signing Williams to an extension is that the Saints did not lock up one of the top safeties in the game going forward. During a time when the defense, and potentially the entire roster, is going through a re-tool, Williams is one of their important playmakers. Ensuring his presence and talent is around for the foreseeable future would have been a huge boon heading into the season.

Williams is eligible for one more franchise tag next season, but that tag could cost just over $12.7 million. Here is to hoping New Orleans and Williams figure it out.

[listicle id=46707]

5 free agent DT’s that can help fill in for David Onyemata

5 free agent DT’s that can help fill in for David Onyemata

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

New Orleans Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata shared Friday on Instagram that he has been suspended to start the 2021 NFL season after testing positive for a banned substance. With two of the top three Saints defensive tackles (Malcolm Brown and Sheldon Rankins) leaving the team this offseason, depth along the line was already worryingly thin.

The Saints will likely need to add a tackle to the roster in order to help fill the void Onyemata’s loss will create. Of the seven defensive tackles left on the roster, only one of them was drafted to enter the NFL, and he (practice squad holdover Ryan Glasgow) is also the only one with more than three years’ experience in the league.

An experienced option to hold it all together would be nice, but it’s worth noting everyone still available is either older, returning from injury, or both. Here are five free agent options New Orleans could pursue:

Marcus Williams, Saints pass deadline without extension; what comes next

Marcus Williams, Saints pass deadline without extension; what comes next

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Deadlines spur action, but even these stakes weren’t enough for Marcus Williams and the New Orleans Saints to shake hands on a new contract. The cutoff date for franchise tagged players to sign an extension before the 2021 season was at 3 p.m. CT on Thursday, July 15, and it ultimately didn’t happen.

So now Williams is on track to be a free agent in 2022. It means that he will have the highest salary cap hit of all Saints players while playing on the $10.612 million franchise tag. His agent can’t negotiate with New Orleans on a new deal until after the 2021 season wraps up. This wasn’t the ideal outcome. Williams has the threat of a career-threatening injury hanging over him, while the Saints don’t have as much financial stability to address other needs.

Both sides tried to reach an agreement, but ultimately fell short. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on the Pac McAfee Show hours before the deadline that, “I know they have negotiated heavily, I have not gotten the sense they are close on anything.” That lines up with a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that put Williams and the Saints among a group of franchise tag situations with little prospects of reaching a new deal.

So what comes next?

If Williams turns in another productive season, he’ll be lined up for the franchise tag again in 2022 or a big pay day — or maybe both, as was the case for Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons. Simmons received the tag for a second time this year (valued at $13.729 million, a 20% increase over 2020’s amount), but it bought enough time for Denver to hammer out a record-setting four-year extension paying out $15.25 million per year.

That might be the path forwards for Williams and the Saints. A similar price increase for his second franchise tag would come up to roughly $12.734 million next year, but as with Simmons and the Broncos that’s money New Orleans could shuffle around upon reaching a new deal. Ideally, though, it won’t come to that.

Of course, we’ve already missed out on an ideal outcome. Now we’re exploring the consequences of that swing-and-a-miss. The Saints are already navigating a complicated salary cap situation and this doesn’t alleviate that pressure. Here’s hoping cap guru Khai Harley can keep the ship steady until the cap goes to the moon in 2023.

[listicle id=46116]

Who is still on franchise tag with extension deadline approaching?

Who is still on franchise tag with extension deadline approaching?

The NFL is one week away from a key deadline for a few teams in the league. In total, seven players had the franchise tag placed on them by their respective teams who have yet to work out a long-term deal.

Ahead of that July 15 date, here are all seven players still slated to play under the franchise tag in 2021:

ESPN tabs this free-agent signing as Cowboys player most on camp bubble

Jayron Kearse has NFL pedigree, but will be fighting for a spot on the Cowboys’ final roster as the team searches for answers at safety.

It happens every year. Training camps get rolling across the league, cuts are made, and a few veteran players suddenly find themselves out of a job. A younger player steps up during practice, a team draws a line in the sand over salary, a project player doesn’t live up to billing, an older player’s skills diminish just a little bit too far, and the circle of life continues in the NFL.

The bubble is a dangerous place to be during training camp, but basic math says several Cowboys will be on it as they arrive in Oxnard later this month. Trying to predict who will or won’t survive is a dicey proposition; one head-turning play in a scrimmage is often enough to cement a spot on the final roster. For others, that moment never even presents itself.

ESPN asked its NFL Nation reporters to offer up the name of one player on each team who may be in a precarious spot as training camp gets underway. Todd Archer looks squarely at the position that the Cowboys perennially have trouble with and says free agent safety Jayron Kearse could be the odd man out.

Writes Archer:

“The Cowboys do not have a lot of veterans in danger for the traditional reasons, like money, age, or draft resources at that spot. So it comes down to Kearse or Darian Thompson, though both could make the final roster. Thompson started seven games last year and is a core special teamer. Kearse, who is guaranteed just $137,500 on the one-year deal he signed, can do the same. It could come down to the development of sixth-round pick Israel Mukuamu. If he shows he can make the transition from college corner to safety, then Kearse and Thompson will be in a battle. Thompson’s time with the current staff gives him the slightest edge.”

Kearse signed with Dallas in late March. The Clemson product was a seventh-round draft pick by Minnesota in 2016. The nephew of former Titans defensive end Jevon Kearse and the cousin of Raiders ex-cornerback Phillip Buchanon, Kearse seemingly had the DNA to make some noise in a pro defense.

But over four seasons, Kearse got just five starts with the Vikings. He signed a one-year deal with Detroit in 2020 and eventually started seven games, but missed the first portion of the season due to a substance-abuse suspension. Following the regular season, he spent a few weeks on the Ravens practice squad during their postseason run.

Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 215 pounds, the 27-year-old has the size that new coordinator Dan Quinn openly covets in his defensive backs. But so do many of the guys Kearse will be competing against in camp.

As Archer points out, Thompson has tenure and a relationship with the staff. And the rookie Mukuamu was taken because the Dallas coaches clearly feel there is some level of untapped potential there. With Donovan Wilson and Damontae Kazee projected by most to be the starting safeties, it could well come down to making a big special teams play in a fortuitous situation that determines whether the bubble underneath Kearse bursts.

[listicle id=672906]

[listicle id=672578]

[vertical-gallery id=670746]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys stay getting shipped to free agent CB Richard Sherman

The Cowboys are largely done adding players this offseason, but picking up a veteran like Richard Sherman could make sense for the club.

With less than three weeks before the start of training camp, the Cowboys are largely done adding players to their roster. Some analysts however believe there is one high-profile free agent remaining who makes sense for Dallas to consider brining in to potentially bolster their secondary. As the calendar turns to July, Richard Sherman is still being linked to the Cowboys.

This week CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan deemed Dallas the ideal landing spot for the savvy Sherman.

“Sherman is best known for his days as a key piece to Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense that was routinely contending for Super Bowls but his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers over the last few years continued to show that he’s still a more-than-solid corner when healthy. He was second-team All-Pro in 2019 as the Niners reached Super Bowl LIV, but Sherman was limited to just five games in 2020 due to a calf strain. He was released in February and has patiently been waiting for the right opportunity to arise ever since.

While it was tempting to project a storybook ending to Sherman’s career with a return to Seattle, the Cowboys do present an interesting landing spot as well. Dallas has invested in the secondary over the last two seasons with second-round picks Kelvin Joseph (2021) and Trevon Diggs (2020), but they could use a veteran piece like Sherman to help mold the still-developing unit over the next season or so. It also doesn’t hurt that Sherman would have some familiarity with Dallas’ defensive scheme with former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn now running that unit for head coach Mike McCarthy.” – Sullivan

It’s easy to understand why the Cowboys and Sherman are a natural fit.

Dallas possesses one of the league’s most talented offenses, a unit that is primed to push for a playoff run.

The Cowboys also possess one of the league’s worst defenses from a season ago, and the secondary may just be their biggest question mark on that side of the ball.

This was summarized in a recent experiment, where PFF ranked the Cowboys as the eighth best roster in the NFL, but cited that youthful secondary as the clubs biggest weakness.

“This secondary bled production to opposing passing offenses in 2020, and it didn’t get noticeably better this offseason. Second-round selection Kelvin Joseph has a chance to start opposite Trevon Diggs. While that might represent an upgrade in talent, last season showed the risk involved with relying heavily on rookie cornerbacks. Eight of the 20 highest yards per coverage snap marks at the cornerback position belonged to rookies in 2020, including Diggs in Dallas. The Cowboys are banking on young players improving on the fly in a new system.”

Trevon Diggs returns for his sophomore season and should only improve after a promising rookie year. After Diggs however, the question marks begin.

After losing Chidobe Awuzie in free agency, Dallas invested in two corners during Day 2 of the NFL draft; Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright. Joseph, a second-round pick, was lauded as a potential first-round talent out of Kentucky. Wright was consider a reach by some in the late third round, but impressed Cowboys coaches throughout the summer with his length, fluidity, and ball skills. The future may be bright for Joseph and Wright, but relying on rookie cornerbacks to play significant roles hasn’t been a recipe for success for many NFL teams in the past.

Dallas still has the services of Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown, who will more than likely battle for the slot corner role, as neither really fits the mold of outside cornerback that new Cowboys’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn likes to employ.

Speaking of Quinn, the former Seahawks defensive coordinator’s connection to Sherman is another reason why the veteran joining Dallas makes sense. The elephant in the room remains how critical Sherman has been of Jerry Jones’ ownership style.

Sherman many no longer be the athlete he was in Seattle during their the Legion of Boom days, but he has always been a player who relies on mental abilities like preparation and anticipation rather than raw physical traits. A familiarity with Quinn and how he likes his cornerbacks to play would only increase Sherman’s chance of success in Dallas.

The former Stanford cover man has expressed his preference to play for a contender, and some believe the Cowboys are that based on the aforementioned dynamic offense led by Dak Prescott.

Along with playing on a contender, money is always the factor that seals the deal in the NFL. Dallas current has just over $5 million in cap space, which may not be far off what Sherman will request, considering how late in the offseason the transaction would take place, but the club has shown the ability to quickly generate a bit of cap relief if needed.

Based on how the Cowboys have operated in recent years, it seems likely that Dallas enters the year without making another splash signing. Although, the Cowboys should be interested adding a stable veteran cornerback to their unproven secondary, and Sherman could be just the man for the job.[listicle id=672762][listicle id=672578][lawrence-newsletter]

Ryan Ramczyk, Saints agree to $96 million contract extension

Ryan Ramczyk, Saints agree to $96 million contract extension

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyahgz6p2j3xp7 player_id=none image=https://saintswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Whew: this is a big one. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the New Orleans Saints have agreed to a multiyear contract extension with All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk; the deal will pay out $96 million over five years, carrying $60 million in guarantees.

It’s a huge pay day for one of the team’s top 2017 NFL draft picks. Ramczyk seamlessly transitioned to right tackle after starring at left tackle in college for Wisconsin, earning All-Pro recognition in each of the last three seasons (first team in 2019, second team in 2018 and 2020). He’s played 95% or more of the team’s offensive snaps every year he’s been in the NFL, only missing one game — the 2018 regular season finale, when New Orleans pulled its starters after locking up the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed.

Ramczyk is also the only player on the roster to have logged 1,000 or more combined snaps (offense plus defense plus special teams) in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. He’s battled through some injuries but rarely left the field. He turned 27 earlier this spring (on April 22, for anyone tracking Saints player birthdays, for some reason) and could continue to improve. Considering he’s already made a habit of shutting down star pass rushers like Shaquil Barrett, Khalil Mack, and Za’Darius Smith, well; that’s quite a cause for celebration in New Orleans.

Additionally, Ramczyk’s contract extension restructured his 2021 salary cap hit. He was due to count $11,064,000 against the cap due to his fifth year option, but this new deal should consolidate that into a more-manageable figure, saving cap space. That will allow the Saints to extend franchise-tagged free safety Marcus Williams and maybe cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who restructured his deal on the eve on training camp. Maybe the Saints can add a couple of veteran free agents, too.

[lawrence-related id=45500]

[listicle id=45789]

Cowboys News: Julio Jones rocking Cowboys gear, Parsons vs Sanders

Sean Lee discusses a tradition after injuries. Power rankings, cornerback depth, and a feud between Dallas rookies and the Eagles?

The Dallas Cowboys are always in the news and when it comes to free agency they always seem to be used to drive up the notoriety and potentially price. But when a player is on the trade market? That’s interesting. Even more interesting is when it’s a wide receiver and there’s no room at the inn. Julio Jones in a Cowboys’ t-shirt? Prepare for the Monday morning water cooler talk.

Meanwhile in more serious news, Sean Lee opens about who helped motivate him while injured. Products of Lee’s alma mater Penn State have engaged in some friendly banter as new rivals in the NFC East. The corner situation, depth at quarterback and whether or not the Cowboys should be considered as one of the top teams in 2021 are all up to bat.

QB Visit: Cowboys to bring in former McCarthy draft pick for workout

Coach Mike McCarthy is looking to a familiar face as a possible veteran backup to Dak Prescott; Brett Hundley made 9 starts for the Packers.

The Cowboys continue to search for quarterback depth behind Dak Prescott. While the team worked out journeyman Jeff Driskel last week, the 2016 sixth-round draft pick with nine starts for three different squads left Dallas without a contract. The club brought in former Ohio State passer J.T. Barrett and Illinois State’s Brady Davis for last weekend’s rookie minicamp, too, but ultimately signed neither player.

Now Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is dipping into the old Rolodex from his Green Bay days by inviting Brett Hundley in for a visit, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

Hundley is a former fifth-round pick out of UCLA who spent his first three pro seasons with the Packers during McCarthy’s tenure. The 27-year-old saw considerable playing time in 2017 when he took over for an injured Aaron Rodgers in Week 6 and then finished out the season as the starter.

Hundley was traded to Seattle prior to the 2018 season, but did not play. He spent the last two seasons in Arizona, backing up Kyler Murray.

The Cowboys, after losing Andy Dalton in free agency, have retained Garrett Gilbert, Ben DiNucci, and Cooper Rush behind starter Dak Prescott. Gilbert and DiNucci each got a start in 2020; Rush was with Dallas from 2017 until last May. He returned to the club in October after a short stint on the Giants’ practice squad.

In 18 game appearances and nine starts, Hundley is 199-of-337 with 1,902 passing yards. He’s thrown for 9 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

[listicle id=671096]

[vertical-gallery id=670875]

[vertical-gallery id=665911]

[lawrence-newsletter]

Cowboys trying out QBs, DiNucci not allowed at rookie minicamp

The Cowboys brought in two QBs for tryouts, and Ben DiNucci is getting another shot at some of the rookie programs he missed a year ago.

The Dallas Cowboys do not have many holes on the offensive side of their roster, however the club is actively in the market for a backup quarterback.

Last week Dallas brought in Jeff Driskel for a visit. Driskel departed without a deal, and now two more quarterbacks are visiting with the Cowboys. Former Ohio Sate QB J.T. Barrett and former Illinois State QB Brady Davis are both set to tryout with Dallas, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Following an extremely successful collegiate career, Barrett has yet to find an NFL home, although he spent time with the Saints, Seahawks, and Steelers’ practice squads.

Davis is an undrafted rookie who spent the last two seasons as the started for Illinois State after transferring from Memphis. Davis did enough to get on the radar of draft guru Dane Brugler, who said this about the former Red Bird signal caller, “Davis is an athletic competitor who can rip the ball, but inconsistencies as a passer (timing, placement, balance) will be tough to overcome vs. NFL speed.”

As far as quarterbacks behind Dak Prescott that are currently under contract, the Cowboys have Garrett Gilbert, Cooper Rush, and Ben DiNucci.

It looked like DiNucci was going to participate in this weekend’s rookie minicamp, as last year the rookies were never given the chance, but Archer reported that DiNucci was ineligible for this weekends rookie minicamp. However,  Archer did note that DiNucci can still take part in the Rookie Football Development Program that begins next week.

It remains to be seen how the Cowboys will handle deciding on the backups for Prescott.

[vertical-gallery id=670875][vertical-gallery id=670746][lawrence-newsletter]