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One of the New Orleans Saints’ top pending free agents is on his way out the door. Trey Hendrickson is expected to sign a contract offer from the Cincinnati Bengals, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport; his colleague Tom Pelissero reports that the deal on the table is valued at $60 million over four years, with $32 million guaranteed. It remains unclear which moves the Saints will make in free agency or which other contracts around the NFL will qualify, but that loss could fetch a third-round compensatory draft pick for New Orleans in 2022.
Hendrickson would replace Carl Lawson in Cincinnati, who left on a free agent deal with the New York Jets, while reuniting with his former teammate and Bengals captain Vonn Bell.
Remember, no pens can be put to paper until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 17. This is a verbal agreement during the NFL’s early negotiating window (also called the legal tampering period). The deal could fall apart, but it’s tough to see Hendrickson walking away after earning that kind of money.
He broke out at the right time in the final year of his contract with 13.5 sacks, leading the team and tying with Los Angeles Rams supervillain Aaron Donald for the second-most takedowns in the entire league. Despite his injury history and several quiet seasons to start his career, Hendrickson played his way into the top of the free agent market. Good for him.
Hendrickson will leave New Orleans having appeared in 50 games through four years, notching 21 sacks and 3 forced fumbles along the way (including the playoffs). It’ll be tough to replace him, and adding more playmakers at defensive end should be an offseason priority for the Saints. For now, they’re leaning hard on a declining veteran in Cameron Jordan, a potential draft bust in Marcus Davenport, and an opportunistic backup in Carl Granderson (who had 5 sacks last year). Hendrickson had nearly as many sacks last season as all three of them combined (14).