Tag: Bengals

Saints’ comp picks take a hit after NFL adjusts 2024 draft order

The New Orleans Saints saw several compensatory picks fall lower after the 2024 draft order was altered on Monday:

The NFL made an adjustment to the compensatory pick formula for the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft, which moved what was a sixth-round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals up to a third-round pick at No. 97 overall. So what’s the ripple effect for the New Orleans Saints?

Ultimately, this also moves the remaining compensatory picks behind 97 overall down one spot. The Saints began with picks at No. 167, 169, and 174, which will now all move down to 168, 170, and 175.

As a refresher, those three picks the Saints received are from losing David Onyemata, Marcus Davenport, and Kaden Elliss in free agency last year. They will not receive picks for Shy Tuttle, Andy Dalton, or Deonte Harty as those losses counteracted the additions of Nathan Shepherd, Jamaal Williams, and Khalen Saunders. The loss of Justin Evans will also not be factored in as a CFA (compensatory free agent) as he was countered by the signing of Jonathan Abram.

After this adjustment, here is what the Saints’ 2024 draft picks are looking like:

  • Round 1, Pick 14
  • Round 2, Pick 45 (via Denver Broncos)
  • Round 5, Pick 150
  • Round 5, Pick 168 (compensatory)
  • Round 5, Pick 170 (compensatory)
  • Round 5, Pick 175 (compensatory)
  • Round 6, Pick 190
  • Round 6, Pick 199 (via Philadelphia Eagles)
  • Round 7, Pick 239 (via Denver Broncos)

While the Saints are missing third and fourth round picks after last year’s trades, they ultimately have enough Day 3 picks to trade back into Day 2 if they so choose.

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NFL rumors: Chiefs reach an agreement with free agent TE Irv Smith Jr.

Kansas City Chiefs reach an agreement with free agent TE Irv Smith Jr.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made their first splash in the legal negotiations period of free agency by adding to their offense.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cincinnati Bengals free agent tight end Irv Smith Jr. has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Chiefs. The reported agreement adds another dynamic option for Patrick Mahomes to play alongside Travis Kelce or provide rest moments in games. During his lone season with the Bengals in 2023, he struggled with hamstring injuries, leading him to lose his starting job midway through the year.

Smith Jr. was a standout in college for Alabama and was a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to the Minnesota Vikings. He spent his first four professional seasons in Minnesota, missing the entire 2021 year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus. He has accumulated 109 catches for 973 yards and ten touchdowns in four seasons on the field so far in his career.

When healthy, the 25-year-old’s versatility makes him a valuable part of the offense. Head coach Andy Reid usually finds success in players who can adjust to the fast offensive style and play a key role.

PFF says the Saints should pursue this DL on Day 2 of free agency

Pro Football Focus says the New Orleans Saints should sign former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader on the second day of free agency:

The first day of free agency was quiet for the New Orleans Saints, who lost a couple of backups on defense to other teams — but things could pick up as we enter the second day of the NFL’s legal negotiating window. Could the Saints finally make a move to improve their team?

Pro Football Focus analyst Brad Spielberger has a suggestion, pointing to the Saints’ mediocre run defense as an obvious problem. Spielberger writes that former Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle D.J. Reader would make sense for New Orleans:

Only injuries slowed Reader down in Cincinnati. Otherwise, he was a dominant force on the interior of a talented defensive line that was able to control the line of scrimmage and win big games up front over the past few seasons. The eighth-year veteran was the anchor in the middle. Reader is as stout as they come and nearly impossible to displace by just one blocker. And while he’ll never fill up the stat sheet with sacks, he can push the pocket and free up teammates as well as any nose tackle. Reader, unfortunately, suffered a torn quadriceps injury in Week 15 that knocked him out for the remainder of the season. We will await more details on the recovery process before changing his projection, but the injury could obviously impact his market.

Reader’s ability to stop the run would be a welcome addition to a team that ranked in the middle of the pack in PFF run-defense grade.

Reader hasn’t played a full season since 2018, back before the NFL expanded to a 17-game regular season. But he wouldn’t be asked to play as many snaps in the Saints’ rotation with Bryan Bresee, Nathan Shepherd, and Khalen Saunders as he has been in Kansas City. Reader has averaged 51.8, 39.3, 37.1, and 38.2 snaps per game through four years with the Bengals.

Here’s how many snaps per game the Saints’ top four defensive tackles averaged last year:

  • Nathan Shepherd: 34.9 (51.1% on running downs)
  • Bryan Bresee: 31.7 (27.5% on running downs)
  • Khalen Saunders: 30.8 (52.9% on running downs)
  • Malcolm Roach: 24.2 (47.9% on running downs)

Roach is a free agent himself, so if he’s on the way out then there’s a clear void for Reader to fill. He’ll turn 30 this year and can clearly still play at a high level when healthy, so limiting his snaps in the rotation would help protect him from injury and keep everyone fresh. Bresee was a liability against the run last year, which is why the Saints focused on playing him against the pass, so Reader could shore up that weakness, too.

The move would make sense, but the money would need to check out, and it’s unclear what Reader’s seeking in a new contract. We’ll have to wait and see if anything materializes here but it’s a good suggestion.

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Panthers cutting former Saints safety Vonn Bell

The new Panthers GM is cutting many of his predecessor’s free agent signings, including former Saints safety Vonn Bell. Would a reunion make sense?

The Carolina Panthers are releasing veteran safety Vonn Bell, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, who they just signed a year ago. Depending on whether or not the Panthers are designating Bell a post-June 1 cut, they’ll be paying $7.9 million to $9.8 million in dead money while Bell is playing elsewhere.

Could he return to the New Orleans Saints? Bell, who turned 29 in December, has developed into a well-rounded safety with better ball skills than he showed in his four years with the Saints. After intercepting just one pass (and breaking up 14 others) in his first 61 games, all in New Orleans, Bell has picked off opposing quarterbacks 6 times with 23 pass deflections in his last 61 games, all starts for the Panthers and Cincinnati Bengals.

Bell clearly knows the system Dennis Allen is running very well. He just had the misfortune of being stuck in Carolina during the middle of a regime change with new general manager Dan Morgan torching many of the contracts his predecessor handed out, including Bell’s. The Saints have to be looking for a replacement at free safety after deciding to release Marcus Maye, or at least competition for second-year pro Jordan Howden. Bell would fit the bill.

So this is something to watch in the days ahead. Bell is several years younger than Malcolm Jenkins was when he reunited with the Saints after a successful run on the Philadelphia Eagles, and he may still have something left in the tank. We’ll see if any interest materializes.

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1 pending free agent the Ravens could target from each AFC team

We’re looking at one pending free agent from each AFC team that the Baltimore Ravens could target

Free agency is about two weeks away, and the Baltimore Ravens have several players set to hit the open market. General manager Eric DeCosta has to make crucial decisions to fill roster holes.

While DeCosta will likely look to the free agent market for answers, several in-house free agents are candidates to sign an extension ahead of free agency.

But there are also many of them, including some of Baltimore’s higher-profile free agents, likely on the way out.

With the NFL combine set to wrap up and the new league year just eight days away, we’re looking at one pending free agent the Ravens could target from each AFC club.

1 pending free agent Chargers should target: AFC North Edition

Listing one free agent from the Steelers, Ravens, Browns and Bengals who could be a fit for the Chargers.

The Chargers won’t be aggressive when it comes to signing free agents, as they’re currently $35 million over the projected salary cap.

While they’re cash-strapped, general manager Joe Hortiz will make some moves to have some spendings available to them so they can sign some.

That said, I will list one pending free agent from each team in the NFL that could be a realistic target for L.A.

Next up is the AFC North.

Trevor Lawrence: ‘It would be great’ if Jaguars signed Tee Higgins

Trevor Lawrence doesn’t think Tee Higgins will hit the free agency market, but he loves the idea of a Clemson reunion in Jacksonville.

Trevor Lawrence and Tee Higgins combined for more than 25 touchdowns and 2,000 yards in two years playing together at Clemson. With the latter now set to become a free agent, could a reunion be in the cards?

Probably not, according to Lawrence, but he certainly doesn’t hate the idea.

“I would be very surprised if Cincinnati lets him go, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Lawrence told Yahoo Sports when asked about Higgins this week. “But if there was an opportunity, it would be great to play with Tee.

“We’ve texted a little back and forth. The league’s funny, you just never know how things are gonna work out. So many factors are at play, but of course, that’s a guy that I played with, we have a great chemistry, great player. I would not be upset at all if he came to Jacksonville.”

Higgins, who was a second-round pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, has 257 career receptions for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns. While he’s been a valuable part of the Bengals offense, the team made Joe Burrow the highest paid player in the NFL and will presumably want to dole out a huge contract to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase too.

If that means Higgins hits the market in March, he’ll be one of the top players available and will likely receive a hefty deal wherever he lands. For the Jaguars to be the team that opens up the pocketbooks for Higgins, it’d likely mean Calvin Ridley is allowed to leave.

Like Lawrence said, the Bengals may be interested in keeping their core of young offensive talent in place. And even if Higgins does leave, the Jaguars may not be the team in the best position to scoop up the receiver.

You probably shouldn’t count on Jacksonville getting the Clemson band back together. Even for Lawrence, it’s an idea that is fun to think about, though.

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Dan Pitcher passes on Saints to accept Bengals promotion

Dan Pitcher passed on the Saints to accept Bengals promotion, taking an offensive coordinator candidate off the table for New Orleans:

This seemed to be the way the wind was blowing: Dan Pitcher will be staying with the Cincinnati Bengals to succeed Brian Callahan as offensive coordinator under head coach Zac Taylor, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Pitcher previously interviewed with the New Orleans Saints for their offensive coordinator opening and was scheduled to travel to New Orleans for a second meeting on Thursday. But they’ll never get that opportunity to speak with him now that he’s staying put and taking a promotion in Cincinnati.

It’s disappointing to miss out on one of their first choices for the job, but the Saints aren’t lacking for qualified candidates. Hopefully they can pivot to another option quickly. Coordinator jobs are being filled around the league and Saints decision-makers Dennis Allen and Mickey Loomis have a lot to prove by recruiting a good one. If they fall short of that aspiration, well: it would justify much of the criticism they have faced over the last two years in life without Sean Payton.

Titans head coach news could have big ripple effects for Saints

Bengals QB coach Dan Pitcher has an interview scheduled with the Saints, but another opportunity just opened up with the Titans hiring Brian Callahan as head coach:

Every head coach change in the NFL creates ripple effects that are felt by other teams around the league, and the Tennessee Titans’ decision is a good example of that. The Titans are hiring Brian Callahan as their next head coach — and that move could hurt the New Orleans Saints’ own personnel plans for 2024.

Callahan previously worked as the Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator, and the Bengals have an obvious candidate to replace him already on staff in quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher. The problem for the Saints is that Pitcher is on their list of candidates to interview for their own offensive coordinator opening. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that Pitcher already scheduled an in-person interview with the Saints for Thursday after meeting with a few other teams. He’s already spoken with the Saints in an introductory virtual interview per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill.

But that second sit-down interview may never come to pass if Pitcher would rather stay in Cincinnati and take a promotion (or follow Callahan to Tennessee). It’s too soon to say whether that’s actually going to happen. At the same time, it’s a very realistic possibility.

And that’s a tough break for New Orleans. They swung at a couple of high-profile candidates and haven’t yet made contact. Shane Waldron is joining the Chicago Bears. Jerrod Johnson interviewed with the Saints on Monday, but not even getting a chance to speak with Pitcher in person would be disappointing. Hopefully Pitcher sticks to his commitments and gives the Saints a fair shot. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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Chargers’ home, away opponents for the 2024 NFL season

Check out the full list of upcoming opponents for the Chargers in 2024.

The 2023 season is in the rearview, and all eyes are set on what the 2024 season will hold for the Chargers.

Los Angeles knows who they will have to go through during the regular season as they look to make a potential deep run to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, LA.

The actual schedule that dictates the order of the games won’t be revealed until later this offseason.

Here’s a look at the 14 teams on next year’s list of opponents