Tag: contract

Report: Saints are set to make big decision on Derek Carr’s future

NFL Network reports the New Orleans Saints are set to decide on Derek Carr’s future. But cutting him won’t be easy, and he has a lot of leverage in trade talks:

The New Orleans Saints aren’t playing today, but here’s your Sunday splash report. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo shared some insight to the team’s big offseason decision on Derek Carr’s future with the team.

“He’s got a $10 million roster bonus that is fully guaranteed. And then he’s got another $30 million in base salary for this upcoming season that becomes guaranteed three days into the league year in March.”

There’s your deadline for the Saints to make a decision, but they’ll really need to act quicker. They’re in the red by more than $50 million and must be compliant with the salary cap no later than March 12. Carr has the heaviest salary cap hit on the team at $51.4 million. You do the math, or check here to see how the Saints could get under the cap after cutting him. It isn’t easy.

Garafolo continued: “So the Saints are gonna have to make a decision on what they want to do with Derek Carr, who does have a no-trade clause I might mention as well. The Saints (are) massively over the salary cap, what else is new, then they start to renegotiate contracts. I do know that quarterbacks who have $40 million basically in guarantees aren’t real quick to give that up. So if the Saints come to Carr and ask him to do that, I think he would resist, and then potentially could be gone.”

Carr has already made it known publicly that he would refuse to accept a pay cut. So the options are to restructure his contract and have this discussion again in 2026, or to try and work with him on a trade. Carr wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause to get from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Saints back in 2023. It’s a safe assumption he wouldn’t waive it to get from the Saints to another new team in 2025, especially if he has options waiting in free agency. That’s a scenario Garafolo sees as realistic.

“If he’s gone I would expect interest from multiple teams out there. There’s not a lot of great options both in free agency and the draft. He’ll have interest,” Garafolo finished.

Sure, the Saints could explore trading Carr. That would be less expensive than cutting him or restructuring his contract. But any team trading for him may prefer waiting to save their draft picks so they could sign him as a free agent, which would mean lowball offers for New Orleans. The quarterback has leverage here. Carr’s future may be in Kellen Moore’s hands if the Saints do officially hire him as their head coach. If Moore can see a path forward with Carr at quarterback, he’ll be back. If the new coach wants a new QB, the Saints could make it happen.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints coach candidate has ‘ton of respect’ for QB Derek Carr

There have been rumors about Kellen Moore not liking the Saints QB situation, but when asked, the head coach candidate said he has ‘a ton of respect’ for Derek Carr:

As the attention on Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is in full focus this week in New Orleans before Super Bowl LIX, many local media members have been able to get a gauge for what he thinks of the Saints organization and more specifically, his thoughts on quarterback Derek Carr.

Moore, as a former Boise State standout, was asked about his matchup with Carr back in college, (a 57-7 blowout win for his Broncos) but quickly shifted to give praise to Carr and his body of work in the league.

“I’ve known Derek for a long time, tons of respect for him as a quarterback in this league. He’s had a tremendous career and done a lot of really good things,” Moore told reporters this week.

There were some reports prior to this statement regarding Moore’s potential concerns in the Saints quarterback room, however it is just about a guarantee that Carr will be the teams signal caller if Moore does take the teams head coaching job. Carr as his contract stands, will account for $51.5 million of the team’s salary cap for next season. If Carr was to be cut prior to June 1, the team would take on $50.1 million in dead money, meaning the team is more likely to restructure Carr’s and keep him than to move on from him at anytime in the near future. At least Moore is a fan of Carr’s game, if the Saints are indeed able to hire him as their new head coach.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Demario Davis has made his retirement plans, but he isn’t leaving just yet

Demario Davis has made his retirement plans. He knows exactly how many more seasons he wants to play in the NFL, hopefully with the Saints:

How much longer will Demario Davis play for the New Orleans Saints? He gave a definitive answer to Matt Moscona for After Further Review: “My goal is to do three more years and then I’m out of here.”

Davis is in an interesting place in both his career and his positioning with the team. The Saints are more than likely going into a youth movement. Davis remains one of the best players on the Saints’ defense. If there were a veteran to predict would be safe, it’s him. There’s still the unpredictability factor of a new coach wanting to clean house.

For the first time in five years, Davis didn’t make an Associated Press All-Pro team. For all of the criticism that he has received this year, Davis still received an All-Pro vote. He still played at a high level, but he didn’t perform to the standard he set over his tenure with the Saints.

Because of that, you’ll often hear that he’s losing a step. He’s 36 years old and the oldest linebacker in the NFL, so his athleticism taking a dip is to be expected. He isn’t performing poorly, however. An athlete playing well but not at the standard they previously set is a difficult thing to grapple with.

Davis isn’t in the position where you are placing him in the “farewell tour” category, but you are preparing for life after him or getting an athletic linebacker to pair with him.

Davis plans on three more seasons and told Moscona, “I’m not planning on no drop-off going out of here.” That would place him near 40 years old and we’ve already seen a slight drop off in athleticism. We should also point out his contract expires after the 2025 season, so he’ll need another extension to bring this vision to fruition.

There seemed to be an uptick in physicality this year. Allowing Davis to not have to be as rangy by pairing him with an athletic partner could allow him to be equally as effective. It won’t be as flashy, but it could help Davis and the Saints defense in the long run.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

2024 Saints free agent report cards: Was letting Malcolm Roach go a big loss?

Taking a look back at the 2024 offseason, was letting Malcolm Roach go a big loss? Here’s the New Orleans Saints report card grade for this free agent decision:

The NFL offseason is nearly upon us, as the only thing standing in the way between teams and beginning their roster management is the Super Bowl, held in New Orleans. This gives us a little bit of time to look back in retrospect and cover the New Orleans Saints free agent signings from 2024, but also take a look at those players they let walk.

One of the more intriguing players they let go was defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, who was an exceptional run defender with them, but they chose not to pay and he would move on to the Denver Broncos. Here is how things have played out for his career so far:

Free agent contract

Given the price tags on some of the premier defensive line talents across the league in recent years, Roach signed for a pretty good contract all things considered. He is on a two-year $7 million deal, $3 million of which was guaranteed at signing, and the remainder will come in the form of bonuses and incentives.

He was able to hit one of his performance incentives in 2024, playing more than 40% of snaps which gave him an extra $250,000 this year as well.

Snap counts

The snap counts for Malcolm Roach have been extremely consistent throughout his career, as he is predominantly a run defending rotational defensive tackle who gets on the field in late down scenarios. Here are his snap rates by season, only including games he played in:

  • 2020: 37% (233)
  • 2021: 42% (193)
  • 2022: 37% (315)
  • 2023: 37% (290)
  • 2024: 42% (489)

2024 season review

2024 was a strong season for Roach, as he would accrue his highest snap total of his career, while also posting career highs in total tackles (43), tackles for loss (5), forced fumbles & fumble recoveries (1 each), sacks (2.5), and QB hits (8). Funny enough, he actually had one pass come his way as the closest defender, and it was an incompletion 13 yards down the field, pretty impressive. Overall a good year for the former Saints undrafted free agent.

Report card grade

Grading this loss is relatively easy. The Saints lost a run-stopping defensive tackle who had the best year of his career, while they had one of the worst run defenses in the early half of the year and never fully recovered. Roach was a player that in retrospect they absolutely should have retained, and especially so at the price tag he received.

Saints grade for allowing the departure: D-

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

2024 Saints free agent report cards: Was Lucas Patrick a good signing?

Taking a look back at the 2024 offseason, was Lucas Patrick a good signing for the Saints? He played some important snaps at left guard:

The NFL offseason grows ever closer by the day, and as the New Orleans Saints look towards the future under a new head coach, there is also some time to look in retrospect at their 2024 offseason. While they only had a couple of signings and departures, it is worth taking a look at how each of those panned out during the season.

One of their more notable 2024 signings was left guard Lucas Patrick, who ended up being the starter for the large majority of the time he was available and was an intriguing piece throughout the course of the year. Let’s take a look at his contract, 2024 season, and give the signing a grade:

Free agent contract

Lucas Patrick signed one of the more simple contracts when it comes to the Saints, with a one-year deal worth $1,210,000 with $324,000 guaranteed. Among the left guards in the 2024 season, this was the 38th largest contract of 94, so near starting value as he almost made the top 32.

There are no additional void years or additions as it was a smaller scale contract, so the Saints have full flexibility to let him walk or bring him back if they wish to do so.

Snap counts

Patrick has had a very split snap count in his career, as early on he did not get many at all, but then he started getting significantly more in recent years. Here are his offensive snap totals for each season, only including games he played in:

  • 2017: 29% (227)
  • 2018: 29% (278)
  • 2019: 15% (137)
  • 2020: 90% (939)
  • 2021: 82% (911)
  • 2022: 65% (269)
  • 2023: 88% (958)
  • 2024: 79% (563)

2024 season review

2024 was a solid season for Patrick, not his best but absolutely one of his best, and it went heavily under the radar due to the time he missed with injury. In his 11 games played (10 started), he allowed 0 sacks, 10 pressures, and had 3 penalties, good for a 98.4% pass blocking rate. This type of production is exceptional, especially when dealing with injuries later in the season that made things difficult on him. 

Report card grade

Overall this was a solid signing for the Saints, given the price and production both being solid. The six games missed makes it tough to go higher than where we have him graded, however it was definitely a season worth following up with another one-year deal. Given he was expected to be replacement-level or a low-end starter, he had an exceptional season statistically and worked well with the offensive line in place.

Signing Grade: B-

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Steelers receive great news regarding potential Rams Cooper Kupp trade

NFL insider Ian Rapoport reports the Rams will take on part of Cooper Kupp’s contract, making the trade even more enticing for the Steelers.

One wide receiver has taken the 2025 offseason trade rumors by storm—and that is none other than Los Angeles Rams superstar WR Cooper Kupp.

Kupp announced on social media that the Rams informed him of their desire to trade him this offseason, much to the delight of the Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL insider Ian Rapoport provided the Black and Gold with even better news—the Rams are willing to take on some of Kupp’s contract.

Rapoport described the Rams’ willingness to pay part of the money Kupp is owed on his current contract, such as covering his $7.5 million signing bonus, in order to “make the trade a little easier.”

The trade already seemed like a slam dunk for the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially considering that Kupp isn’t expected to demand much in trade compensation due to his age and previous injury concerns. However, the news that the Steelers could acquire him without taking on the entirety of his nearly $30 million owed in 2025 makes this deal even more of a steal.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Mark Ingram II lobbies for Saints to get Alvin Kamara some help in the NFL draft

Legendary New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram II made the case for his team to pair Alvin Kamara with Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL draft:

Some New Orleans Saints fans have balked at the idea of picking a running back at ninth overall in this year’s 2025 NFL draft, but don’t count Mark Ingram II in that number. The team’s former leader in touchdown runs and rushing yards is a big fan of Boise State superstar Ashton Jeanty. And he sees a scenario where Jeanty could not just coexist with Alvin Kamara, but help the Saints offense get back where it belongs among league leaders.

Ingram made the case for Jeanty when he sat down with Kay Adams this week.

“Man, I think you’re seeing how pivotal the running back position is. And, given my guy AK is getting up there in nine years, you know, give him a little break so he can be healthy the whole year. Maybe you go running back. Maybe you go pair with him Ashton Jeanty. Whatchu you think about that?” Ingram asked.

Kamara’s most effective seasons as a runner by Pro Football Reference’s stats for Success Rate came in 2018 and 2020, when he had a capable partner to split carries with. In those years Kamara had 12.9 and 12.5 rushing attempts per game, respectively, while Ingram and Latavius Murray each had 11.5 and 9.7. Those are also the years Kamara scored the most touchdowns and gained the most yards from scrimmage, both as a runner and receiver. There’s absolutely room for another talent in the New Orleans backfield.

As for what Jeanty can add to the offense? Ingram says the Heisman Trophy runner-up can do just about everything: “Ashton Jeanty’s just a beast, man, he has juice, he can run the ball inside, run the ball outside, comes out the backfield and he catches it. Why not have another two-headed monster so my guy AK can be thriving again, in New Orleans?”

Those are some good points, but the financials should be considered, too. Kamara is under contract for 2025 and 2026 but could very well enter retirement in 2027. If the Saints draft someone like Jeanty now, they could get through the first two years of their contract as his tag-team partner before taking on the lead role in Year 3. And if the Saints take Ingram’s advice to pick Jeanty at No. 9? They would get a fifth-year option in his contract that ties him to the team through 2029. He turned 21 in December and wouldn’t be in line for a big-money extension until a few months after his 25th birthday, when he’d be hitting his athletic prime.

It isn’t the same as getting a star quarterback on a low-cost rookie contract, but these are the kind of competitive edges the Saints should be chasing when their new head coach begins to remodel the team. If they believe Jeanty can help Kamara finish his career strong before getting promoted to the offensive focal point, he’d be well worth the pick at No. 9.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Would Rams WR Cooper Kupp be an option for the Commanders?

Could Cooper Kupp be an option for Washington in 2025?

The Washington Commanders will add help at wide receiver this offseason. We’ve discussed potentially adding free agents Tee Higgins and Chris Godwin.

Now, another veteran name has become a possibility. On Monday, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp revealed on social media that the Rams had informed him they’d be exploring trade options for the veteran.

So, it’s only fair to ask: Would Kupp be an option for the Commanders?

Before we explain why or why not, let’s make sure to explain the differences between Kupp and the other options. First, Kupp will be 32 in June. His prime years are behind him, and he’s also dealt with multiple injuries over the last three seasons.

Kupp’s contract has two years remaining. However, the Rams are reportedly willing to pay part of it to facilitate a trade. 

If the Commanders acquired Higgins, he’d be paid as one of the NFL’s best and clearly be a 1b to Terry McLaurin’s 1a. Godwin would be in a similar role but much cheaper than Higgins. Kupp, arguably the best receiver in the NFL a few years ago, is a tier or two below Higgins and Godwin. But that doesn’t mean he can’t help Washington.

Kupp wouldn’t need to be the Commanders’ No. 1 receiver. He could slide in behind McLaurin, and his presence would help take away some of the attention from McLaurin. He doesn’t address Washington’s need to add more speed and big-play ability to the offense. But to say Kupp can’t be another strong option for quarterback Jayden Daniels is just not true.

However, Washington should not trade for Kupp. It doesn’t matter if the Rams want a seventh-round pick for Kupp — and the Commanders have three. If Los Angeles receives no offers for Kupp, he will be released. At that point, we could discuss Kupp as a potential option for Washington.

Until then, the Commanders should pass.

2024 Saints free agent report cards: Was Chase Young a good signing?

Taking a look back at the 2024 offseason, was defensive end Chase Young a good free agent signing for the Saints?

The New Orleans Saints have desperately needed an influx of talent along the defensive line for a few seasons now, and despite their attempts to fix that through the draft vis-à-vis the selections of Payton Turner and Isaiah Foskey, it has not panned out how they expected.

In the 2024 offseason, they tried at a different method of adding talent, signing defensive end Chase Young to a one-year deal. With him coming off a neck injury and requiring surgery to get back to where he needed to be, the Saints took the shot on him with a short contract.

With the 2025 offseason nearly upon us, we will first take the opportunity to look back at the 2024 signings and grade them based on their first season with the black and gold. So without further ado, we begin with arguably their biggest signing of the offseason.

Free agent contract

Young was signed by the Saints to a 1-year, $13 million deal last offseason, with $12.55 million being guaranteed. This contract was the 26th largest contract at his position among the 244 signed defensive ends/edges in 2024. His cap hit did get split partially into 2025 however, with his 2024 cap number at $3,912,000 and his 2025 cap number at $9,088,000. 

The 2025 number was via a prorated signing bonus, so if Young were to leave this offseason, it would count towards the dead cap figure. If he were to return on a new contract it would be added onto that new deal, and would be able to be spread out further over the life of that instead.

Snap counts

When it comes to career snap counts for Chase Young, he has been utilized pretty heavily. Here is his defensive snap rate for each season of his career, only counting games he played in:

  • 2020: 78% (770)
  • 2021: 80% (477)
  • 2022: 65% (115)
  • 2023: WAS 84% (407), SF 58% (328)
  • 2024: 63% (742)

As you can see, he has always been a pretty heavily played pass rusher when on the field, but years like 2022 stand out where he missed all but three games, and 2021 where he played in nine.

2024 season review

2024 was a relatively solid season for Young, and while it was not as strong as his rookie season in 2020, he was making a positive impact all season long. This was the first season of his career where he has played every game, and in that span had 5.5 sacks, 31 total tackles (21 solo, 10 assisted), 8 tackles for loss, 21 QB hits, 66 pressures, 3 pass deflections and a forced fumble. 

Overall he performed better in the second half of the season as he grew more accustomed to the system. While the Saints are looking for a new head coach entering 2025, if he were to return it would likely benefit him to get a jump start and have a full offseason process.

Report card grade

Grading this signing is a little difficult, as on one hand Young was enormously impactful in many key statistics, but the sack number being only 5.5 is slightly underwhelming. This defense needs someone who can get the quarterback on the ground more than anything at the moment, and despite Young being exceptional at getting into the pocket, he had a tough time finishing the rep fast enough to get the quarterback down.

Regardless, for a one-year rental and only 13 million dollars spent, this was a strong season for Young. If he could be brought back for that range on multiple years it would be a positive, and that’s all you could ask for.

Signing Grade: B+

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints involved in two trade proposals that would reshape the NFL

This B/R writer says two New Orleans Saints veterans getting traded to the AFC North could impact the NFL playoff picture:

Rebuilds typically lead to an exodus of veteran players as the team gets younger. As the New Orleans Saints begin their rebuild, reload or whatever they want to call it, they too will get younger.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport saw two Saints veterans as bargaining chips. He cooked up six trades that could reshape the league, and New Orleans was involved with two of them. Davenport had the Saints sending two players to the AFC North: Derek Carr to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tyrann Mathieu to the Baltimore Ravens.

Carr to the Steelers would probably make the fans in black and yellow pretty upset and fans donning the black and gold may rejoice. Carr would feel very similar to the acquisition of Russell Wilson. He’s been discussed already as a possible trade target for Pittsburgh.

While Davenport is right to say the Steelers showed they don’t need an elite quarterback to be competitive, their limitations on offense still showed. On the note of competitiveness, Davenport pointed out “the opportunity to play for a contender” could entice Carr to waive his no-trade clause.

Davenport pairs Mathieu with Baltimore to help a struggling pass defense. This trade may become less likely because the Ravens improved mightily after moving Hamilton to deep safety. It would allow Mathieu to play closer to the box, but Baltimore may not be in the market for safety help anymore.

But what would the Saints get out of this? In terms of draft picks, Davenport’s trades have New Orleans getting a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a conditional pick in 2026 for Carr, plus a fifth-round pick in 2025. As for the salary cap benefits? Trading Carr before June 1 saves the Saints $11.3 million. But trading Mathieu saves only $16,000. That’s it. The team would still be paying $11.3 million this year if they trade Mathieu before June 1. They might be better off holding onto him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]