Category: 2022 free agency

Former Saints DL Akiem Hicks joins Buccaneers in return to NFC South

Former New Orleans Saints DL Akiem Hicks joins Tampa Bay Buccaneers in return to NFC South, via @DillySanders:

Former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Akiem Hicks finds himself back in the NFC South after reaching an agreement on a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers valued at up to $10 million, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

After turning pro with the Saints in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft out of Canada’s University of Regina, Hicks was traded to the New England Patriots for tight end Michael Michael Hoomanawanui. Hicks then went on to join the Chicago Bears in 2016 where he spent five years. Feeling spurned by that trade, Hicks openly regarded his old team with a chip on his shoulder even after earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2018, though he’s since said he’s buried the hatchet with New Orleans.

Hicks joins Vita Vea, William Holston, and Logan Hall as the main pieces on the defensive interior for the Buccaneers. He has 387 career tackles, 40.5 sacks, and 6 forced fumbles. He’ll be a tough challenge for the Saints interior linemen to guard against, but they’ve beaten him before. Let’s not forget how often they’ve beaten the Buccaneers, too.

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Projecting the Saints’ starting offense before training camp

Some key additions for the New Orleans Saints bring up a new-look offense in 2022, with several new starters projected in the lineup, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

As organized team activities (OTAs) begin around the NFL, important roster battles get started, injured players show their progress, and rookies look to establish themselves. There’s no exception for the New Orleans Saints as the team reports to the facility on Airline Drive. Many of the new additions and standout rookies will be on the offensive side of the ball thanks to the offseason additions of rookie wideout Chris Olave, fellow first-round selection tackle Trevor Penning, and veteran wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

From now through OTAs and the upcoming mandatory minicamp events the Saints offensive roster will look to shake out. Training camp will bring not only a clearer look at the 2022 depth chart, but will certainly provide it’s own intrigue as starters get solidified. Here’s a look at the projected starting Saints offense ahead of training camp and the preseason:

Cowboys DT Brent Urban signs new deal with Baltimore

The native Canadian played just 6 games in Dallas before a triceps injury ended his season. Now he’ll wear the purple and black in 2022. | From @ToddBrock24f7

After six game appearances in Dallas in 2021, veteran defensive tackle Brent Urban is returning to the team that originally drafted him.

Urban has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens. The sources on this move are pretty airtight: Urban’s own wife tweeted the news Friday evening.

The native Canadian was a fourth-round pick out of Virginia in 2014, as well as a second-round selection by the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Urban elected to stay in America, though, and played his first four pro seasons for the Ravens. He began the 2019 season in Tennessee but was released partway through the year and signed with Chicago.

Urban inked a one-year contract with the Cowboys in March of 2021 and was expected to beef up the interior of the Dallas defensive line along with Neville Gallimore, Trysten Hill, free agent Carlos Watkins, and then-rookies Osa Odighizuwa and Quinton Bohanna.

But injuries plagued the tackles group, and Urban himself was bitten by the bug in late October. A triceps injury landed him on IR and then closed the book on his 2021 campaign.

As with his signing in Dallas and his season-ending surgery in November, this latest news of the free agent’s signing with Baltimore was broken by Urban’s own wife via social media.

The writing had been on the wall that the 6-foot-7, 308-pounder would likely not return to the Cowboys. Rookie nose tackle John Ridgeway had already been issued Urban’s No. 95 jersey for minicamp.

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Mickey Loomis sees ‘unique’ response to Jarvis Landry, Tyrann Mathieu signings

Landing big free agents is exciting for any fanbase, but Mickey Loomis sees a unique response to the Jarvis Landry and Tyrann Mathieu homecomings, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

After signing two impact free agents, any team’s fan base would be excited. But for the New Orleans Saints, things were different after signing veterans Tyrann Mathieu and Jarvis Landry. More than landing a pair of key free agents at positions of need, both Landry and Mathieu return to New Orleans as hometown heroes.

Landry starred at Lutcher High School in nearby Metairie, while Mathieu was a multi-sport fixture at St. Augustine High School in the heart of New Orleans. They went on to briefly play together with the LSU Tigers, and now they’ll be wearing black and gold. It’s safe to say they’ll have a lot of supporters crowding the Caesars Superdome on Sundays.

Both Pro Bowlers had early visits with the team as free agents and continued contact until their deals were finalized after the 2022 NFL draft. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was present this week for the Saints Hall of Fame Golf Classic where he met with New Orleans media and described the specificity of the situation.

“Both these guys, Tyrann and Jarvis, it’s a little bit unique,” Loomis said. “When you bring somebody back to their home state and their home territory and just the excitement that those guys had.”

That excitement didn’t stop at the players themselves. Teammates, fans and players from other NFL clubs expressed their excitement following the moves. Loomis also quipped that the team would have wanted both of these players even if they had been from New Jersey. So for the Saints, this was business as usual. Trying to build the best team possible. But there’s no denying that the excitement generated around the homecoming element of each move is meaningful and unique.

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Signing Odell Beckham Jr. is the exact sort of overkill the Saints should pursue

Signing Odell Beckham Jr. is the exact sort of overkill the Saints should pursue, via @DillySanders:

The New Orleans Saints have nearly $10 million left in salary cap space this season, and they should spend that money wisely. But the best move may be an investment on yet another hometown reunion by bringing in Isidore Newman graduate Odell Beckham Jr. Would that be filling a need? Not really. But there is definitely something to add outside of what he would bring as a receiver.

He would have to come in understanding that he would be behind Michael Thomas, Chris Olave, and Jarvis Landry on the depth chart, and better-established receivers like Marquez Callaway, Deonte Harty, and Tre’Quan Smith in the rotation ahead of him early on. Not leaving a ton of room for targets there, barring injury. Beckham himself likely won’t be ready to play until late October or early November from his knee injury sustained in the Super Bowl, so that could actually work out well. He wouldn’t have to rush back and immediately step into a featured role before his body is ready for that kind of workload.

Despite the loaded receiving room, Beckham seems eager to join the team as he commented on Landry’s post announcing he would be joining the Saints, and we’re quoting directly here, “TAKEEEE MEEEE HOMEEEEEE SLIMEEEEE!!!!!” Beckham and Landry are close friends dating back to their time as roommates at LSU and continuing on to the NFL, playing together again with the Cleveland Browns.

Adding Beckham would bring a great piece to the locker room, despite whatever media narrative from Cleveland tried to get spread, as he would be surrounded by friends and family. A talented veteran who fits the vibe being molded is never a bad thing. He is also the best remaining piece of insurance that would have talent at the position if something were to happen further up the depth chart.

Realistically given his injury and the state of the depth chart, he’d be looking at somewhere between 20-40 targets in total. His impact, however, could be much more than that. Let’s see if the Saints are on the same page.

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Saints under the cap by $9.6M after signing Tyrann Mathieu, Jarvis Landry, and 2022 draft class

The Saints were over the cap by more than $70M, and went on to sign Tyrann Mathieu, Jarvis Landry, and their 2022 draft class with $9.6M to spend, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

Starting the offseason in the red by more than $70 million would concern most teams. But not the New Orleans Saints. After clearing more than $100 million in salary cap commitments for the second year in a row, the Saints have found key weapons on both sides of the ball and landed big additions in their 2022 draft class. Now, after signing all of those deals, they still sit under the cap with $9.6 million left to spend — Over the Cap’s records have New Orleans at $12.6 million in cap space, but that doesn’t reflect the small charge for Jarvis Landry.

The Saints’ newest free agent pickups in All-Pro safety Tyrann Mathieu ($3.4 million) and Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry ($3 million) plus their entire 2022 draft class ($8.3 million in cap hits for receiver Chris Olave, left tackle Trevor Penning, cornerback Alontae Taylor, linebacker D’Marco Jackson, and defensive lineman Jordan Jackson) combine for just over $14.7 million, collectively.

New Orleans has done a remarkable job structuring team-friendly deals for their impact free agent signings and benefited from their patient approach on the open market. Also, neither Mathieu nor Landry will count against the Saints for the 2023 compensatory picks formula.

Now, with over $12 million remaining, the Saints could look for another LSU reunion by bringing back free agent linebacker Kwon Alexander. This would be a move that helps to shore up depth on the defense’s second level. But they could also choose to roll the majority of these funds over as insurance for any injured reserve additions throughout the season and to carry into 2023 as a cap management measure ahead of the next offseason. Returning Alexander would continue the momentum of what’s turned into a very exciting offseason, but the less exciting decision to roll money into next year is a pragmatic and wise one.

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Jarvis Landry’s Saints contract carries a base value of $3 million

Jarvis Landry’s Saints contract carries a base value of $3 million, can double his money through incentives:

Wow: NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared details of the New Orleans Saints’ one-year contract with wide receiver Jarvis Landry, which brought the five-time Pro Bowler home for just $3 million. Landry can double his money a number of incentives written into his contract for individual performance (hitting various thresholds for catches, yards, and so on), but this is still a surprisingly low figure.

Landry was reportedly seeking the $20 million per-year average that some receivers found in free agency back when the Cleveland Browns first released him, even firing his agent when those offers didn’t emerge. So for him to sign with New Orleans at a fraction of his initial asking-price is remarkable. Maybe some of that is due to Landry taking a hometown discount, but the bigger factor is almost certainly how little interest he received from other teams after hitting the market.

Hopefully Landry does well enough to maximize his value. From the Saints’ perspective, they just made a low-cost move to bring in a player with plenty of hides on the wall and who is going to be pushing their top draft pick for targets each week. Michael Thomas is still top dog, but having Landry and Chris Olave in clearly-defined roles as receivers working out of the slot and out wide, respectively, should do a lot to make Jameis Winston’s life easier.

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Free agent wide receiver Jarvis Landry to sign with the Saints

Free agent wide receiver Jarvis Landry to sign with the Saints

This is huge: the New Orleans Saints are signing free agent wide receiver Jarivs Landry, the player announced in a video from his official Twitter account. Just 29 years old, Landry has carved out a nice career for himself after turning pro out of LSU — catching 711 passes to gain 7,812 receiving yards and score 39 touchdown receptions in his 126-game career, including the playoffs. Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reports that it is a one-year deal.

And he’s found the perfect landing spot to continue his career. Landry is a specialist working out of the slot, whereas New Orleans’ top draft pick Chris Olave has a strong resume out on the perimeter, and Michael Thomas, well; when healthy, Thomas can line up wherever he wants and beat the man opposing him. It’s a great group for Jameis Winston to work with, not even considering his leading receivers from the 2021 season (Marquez Callaway and Deonte Harty) are also still in the mix.

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ESPN: Anthony Barr would bring needed veteran experience to Cowboys LB corps

The former 1st-round pick had a major injury in 2020, but could pair with Leighton Vander Esch in a young LB group with availability issues. | From @ToddBrock24f7

Cowboys fans are hoping that patience is a virtue that pays off for their team before the 2022 season begins. The Dallas front office mostly sat on their hands for the wildest free agency period in recent memory, watching big-name talent bounce around the league as massive paychecks followed.

Stephen Jones has said that the team was “not done yet” in free agency, perhaps waiting until after the draft to add a veteran at a post-frenzy price. And now that the compensatory pick deadline has passed, the Cowboys could grab a remaining free agent without giving up a middle-round draft pick in the future.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN has sifted through the free agent pool to find a good home for ten of the most notable veterans out there, and he sees Dallas as a perfect match for four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Anthony Barr.

Barr was the ninth overall pick by Minnesota in the 2014 draft. The UCLA alum started 98 games for the Vikings, compiling 495 tackles, five interceptions, eight forced fumbles, 17.5 sacks, and 31 passes defensed along the way.

But now Barr, 30, is an unrestricted free agent, available to sign with any team that offers him a deal.

Writes Barnwell:

“In 2019, the Jets signed Barr to a five-year deal in the $70 million range amid rumors that they were going to turn the linebacker into an edge rusher. Barr backed out of the deal and re-signed with the Vikings, but while he saw occasional reps on the edge, the Vikings didn’t unleash Barr as a pass-rusher. He racked up four sacks over three seasons while missing 22 games, most notably with a torn pec in 2020.

“Now that he’s a free agent, what if a team took a chance on using Barr in more of a hybrid role? We saw the Cowboys unlock something truly special from Micah Parsons by using their 2020 first-round pick as both an off-ball linebacker and an edge rusher a year ago. Barr isn’t Parsons, but after Dallas lost Randy Gregory this past offseason, Barr would give the Cowboys another eligible rusher who is also capable of playing a more traditional linebacker role.

“Barr and Leighton Vander Esch would each be leverage against the other’s injury history, and senior Cowboys defensive assistant George Edwards served as Barr’s defensive coordinator between 2014 and 2019.”

The Cowboys are encouraged by their current linebacker corps, but there are indeed uncertainties at the position. Second-year man Jabril Cox had a promising start last season as a rookie, but is now coming off an ACL tear. Damone Clark out of LSU could prove to be a fifth-round steal, but may not play at all in 2022 as he rehabs from spinal fusion surgery. After Parsons and Vander Esch, there’s just Luke Gifford, Devante Bond, and sixth-round selection Devin Harper.

Safety Jayron Kearse is expected to take on some linebacker duties in a hybrid role, but some experienced depth in the middle level would be a significant and welcome addition to Dan Quinn’s defense.

And now the price may be right.

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Details on Tyrann Mathieu’s $28.3 million contract with the Saints

The Saints signed Tyrann Mathieu to a 3-year contract valued at $28.3 million in total, with a couple of void years and a 2022 cap hit of just $3.4 million:

Here’s another feather in the cap for New Orleans Saints salary cap guru Khai Harley: details are out on the team’s contract with recently-signed safety Tyrann Mathieu, and now we know the three-time All Pro carries a 2022 salary cap hit of just $3.4 million, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Hired by Saints general manager Mickey Loomis more than a decade ago, Harley has managed the Saints’ cap dealings to maximize their resources and field competitive teams year in and year out. Fitting an accomplished player like Mathieu under the cap like this is impressive.

Harley helped structure the three-year, $28.3 million deal so that Mathieu is guaranteed his 2022 and 2023 salaries, giving the Saints an exit ramp in 2024 if they want it. But they have options — future restructures are possible, which could free up as much as $4.7 million in 2023 or $6.2 million in 2024 if New Orleans needs it. It’s a good deal for the player that gives the team some flexibility.

Per Nola.com’s Amie Just, Mathieu’s contract also includes a $9.5 million signing bonus and two void years in 2025 and 2026. If he plays out all three years he’s under contract for, it’ll leave behind $3.8 million in dead money once the deal expires in 2025, but that could change if the Saints do a restructure or sign him to an extension. Here are the salary cap hits at the time of signing:

  • 2022: $3.4 million ($1.5 million base salary, $1.9 million signing bonus proration)
  • 2023: $8.9 million ($7 million base salary, $1.9 million signing bonus proration)
  • 2024: $10.9 million ($7 million base salary, $1.9 million signing bonus proration, $1.5 million roster bonus)
  • 2025 (void): $1.9 million (signing bonus proration)
  • 2026 (void): $1.9 million (signing bonus proration)

So where does this leave the Saints against the salary cap? New Orleans currently ranks in the upper half of the NFL with $16.9 million to work with, but that number is a little misleading. The team still hasn’t yet signed its five rookie draft picks, which will drop them down to about $10.5 million in cap space. That’s more than enough for the Saints to add another free agent or two at above-minimum salary and carry enough cap space for operating costs during the season.

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