Tag: Deadline

Chiefs don’t use the franchise tag in 2021 as NFL’s deadline passes

The Chiefs weren’t expected to be one of the teams to use the franchise tag this year.

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The NFL’s franchise tag deadline has officially come and gone.

For the first time since 2018, the Kansas City Chiefs have not used the franchise tag. The Chiefs were not expected to use the franchise tag this year as they didn’t have any clear uses for it. It also didn’t help that the team is still at least $20 million over the projected salary cap floor for the 2021 NFL season.

In the past, Chiefs GM Brett Veach has used the franchise tag as a tool to extend negotiations on a long-term deal ahead of free agency. Last season, Veach used this method with DT Chris Jones. The Chiefs didn’t have any players this year who make sense for this option, though.

The team also didn’t have any players who made sense as tag-and-trade candidates. They used that method with LB Dee Ford back in 2019. It worked out splendidly for them, while not so great for the 49ers, who traded for Ford and signed him to an extension.

They also didn’t have any players worth keeping on the franchise tag’s one-price-fits-all system. Sure they have players set to become free agents that they’d like to keep, but applying the tag to say, a player like Daniel Sorensen, would be far too expensive.

The franchise tag could be back on the table for the Chiefs as early as 2022. Players like Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Fisher, Mitchell Schwartz and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif are set to become free agents that year and all could be deserving of the franchise tag, depending upon what happens during their 2021 seasons.

For a full list of players who were tagged by their respective teams this year, visit our friends over at Touchdown Wire.

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As deadline nears, will NFL dare flex out Cowboys-49ers game in Week 15?

The combatants aren’t good, and the deadline to make a decision draws closer. Will the NFL move out Cowboys-49ers?

The Dallas Cowboys’ 2020 season has been anything but enjoyable for the fanbase. As the team has plummeted to a 3-8 record and standing as good a chance as holding a top 3 pick as they do appearing in a playoff game, the campaign has been an abject failure. Injuries have mounted to epic proportions and the team has been unable to right the ship.

Perhaps the only team that has suffered similar catastrophic injuries across the board, and possibly moreso, have been the San Francisco 49ers.  At 5-8, they are at the bottom of their own division and even though their efforts have been more gallant, they have barely been more fruitful. The fact that the two are scheduled to face each other in Week 15 wouldn’t normally register o the radar, except for the fact that it is a Sunday Night Football affair.

Will it remain that way? Since 2006, the league has had the ability to flex out the SNF matchup if it isn’t appealing to a broad audience. From Week 11, the league can swap out the predetermined matchup and replace it with something more enticing. They just need to decide 12 days in advance.

That means the deadline to flex out the December 20 matchup will be Tuesday, December 8. That means prior to the Cowboys taking on the Ravens in their moved-twice-matchup of Week 13.

As logical as it seems on the surface though, the game likely won’t be moved.

For one, the rules of what can and can’t be flexed make it difficult. The most intriguing matchup on the Week 15 schedule is a potential Super Bowl preview as the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints collide.

However, each network is allowed to protect one game a week, and CBS would be pretty crazy to let that matchup get moved over to NBC, which hosts SNF.  The late-afternoon games draw just as much of an audience as the night games, anyway. The rest of the Week 15 schedule isn’t nearly as appetizing.

There’s Patriots-Dolphins and Bears-Vikings and… that’s about it.

The NFL isn’t stupid. Please, hold your jokes for a moment. The league knows which organizations butter their bread when it comes to getting eyeballs on their TV screens. In a season where viewership is more important than ever thanks to COVID-19 culling the in-person crowd at every venue across the U.S., the Cowboys are even more important than they have been in the past.

The latest example was when more people watched the Dallas-Washington suckfest on Thanksgiving than any other game this season; over 33 million sets tuned in.

So while Cowboys-49ers doesn’t seem enthralling on the surface, tens of millions of people will still tune in. Partially because so many want to see the Cowboys struggle, they still bring in a contingent of league fans outside of Cowboys Nation. The 49ers have national cache as well, so even though it’s likely to be a matchup of sub-.500 teams, it’s probably a safe bet the game stays right where it is, in primetime.

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Saints’ Kwon Alexander trade earns high grade from NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund

The New Orleans Saints received a very positive grade for acquiring San Francisco 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander at the NFL trade deadline.

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How would you grade the New Orleans Saints’ trade deadline pickup? The Saints shipped out backup linebacker Kiko Alonso and a conditional fifth-round draft pick for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander in a bid to improve their inconsistent-at-best defense.

NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund is a fan of the move to acquire Alexander, citing the Saints’ vulnerabilities in defending the middle of the field. While Frelund did take time to temper expectations due to Alexander’s injury history, she still graded the trade with a B+ for New Orleans. Here’s some of what she wrote to explain that praise:

“The middle of New Orleans’ defense has been an area of weakness this season, especially at critical times. On third down, the Saints have allowed the second-most yards per play (7.0) and fourth-highest passer rating (74.4). For New Orleans, first downs yielded on passes to the middle of the field — where Alexander will roam — are up about three per game from the first eight weeks of last season (18 in 2020, 15.2 in 2019). Alexander hasn’t played since Week 5 due to an ankle injury; however, PFF still credits him with 10 defensive stops — only one fewer than Saints star Demario Davis. Trading Alexander for Alonso actually nets the Saints a small cap gain for the season.”

Frelund spoke about her background in analytics and how she applies those skills to NFL analysis with the Saints Twitter Podcast, also sharing some of her takes on the team earlier this season:

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2021 NFL Draft: Updated future Saints picks after trade deadline

For now, the New Orleans Saints are projected to own a pick in each round of the 2021 NFL Draft after trading for Niners LB Kwon Alexander.

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Well that was a dud. The 2020 NFL trade deadline passed by so quietly that it was hardly noticed, if you weren’t paying attention. Like most of the league, the New Orleans Saints filed their moves with the NFL office well ahead of the cutoff date, having worked out a trade for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander.

So now we know exactly what sort of draft resources New Orleans will carry into 2021. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that the Saints included a conditional fifth-round draft pick in their trade package for Alexander (along with backup linebacker Kiko Alonso, returning from a 2019 season-ending injury).

And the conditions for that pick are interesting: if Alexander meets enough play-time incentives, the Saints will send their 2021 fifth rounder to San Francisco. But if Alexander does not get on the field often enough, either due to his recent high-ankle sprain, simply taking longer to pick up the system, or some other factor, then the 49ers will have to wait until 2022 to receive New Orleans’ fifth-round pick.

It’s a little more complicated than your standard pick-swap conditions, but not ridiculously so. Certainly not as contrived as what the New Orleans Pelicans will be receiving from the Los Angeles Lakers over the next half-decade.

Anyway: here are all of the 2021 draft picks the Saints are scheduled to make after the Alexander trade, as well as their draft-day maneuvering in 2020 and with projected compensatory selections:

  • Round 1 (own)
  • Round 2 (own)
  • Round 3 (compensatory for losing Teddy Bridgewater)
  • Round 4 (own)
  • Round 5 (conditional, could revert to 2022)
  • Round 6 (compensatory for losing A.J. Klein)
  • Round 7 (own)

To recap on a few of the picks traded earlier this year, the Saints swapped out their own third- and sixth-rounders in 2021 so they could move up the board in the 2020 draft. The rookies acquired in those moves were linebacker Zack Baun and quarterback-turned-tight end Tommy Stevens.

Additionally, the compensatory picks projected to New Orleans after Bridgewater and Klein signed with new teams in free agency are just that: projections. We won’t know for certain whether the NFL is awarding those selections until they are announced in the spring, so don’t get too attached to the idea of the Saints owning a selection in each round for once.

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4 realistic 11th-hour Saints trade targets before NFL deadline

The New Orleans Saints are rapidly approaching the 2020 NFL trade deadline having made one big move, but there is still room for more.

Could the New Orleans Saints make another move before the NFL trade deadline? They already acquired San Francisco 49ers linebacker Kwon Alexander, but a bigger shakeup doesn’t feel likely.

One popular target has been New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, and while he would add a lot to the Saints secondary, they may not be willing to pay the reported asking price of a first-round pick and player in exchange for him.

So here are four more realistic options to keep an eye out for in the hours ahead. They may not move the needle as strongly, but these are the sort of band-aids that could help the Saints sustain success by fixing a number of smaller problems.

Keeping an eye on Seahawks as 2020 NFL trade deadline looms

Keeping an eye on the Seattle Seahawks as the 2020 NFL trade deadline looms on November 3 at 1:00 p.m. PT. Track all the moves here.

November 3 marks Election Day around the nation and cutoff day for trades around the National Football League. The official 2020 NFL trade deadline is Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. PT.

Like voters throughout the country, many teams – including the Seahawks – executed trades over the last week or so, well ahead of last call.

On October 28, the Seahawks traded with the Bengals for defensive end Carlos Dunlap, sending offensive lineman B.J. Finney and a seventh-round pick to Cincinnati in exchange.

“Seattle’s languishing pass rush is arguably the foremost problem with the NFL’s last-ranked defense, so John Schneider and Pete Carroll went bargain hunting,” notes the USA TODAY staff.

“Dunlap provides the Seahawks with an accomplished edge presence looking for a new chapter in his career after falling out of favor in Cincinnati, which seemed eager to move on from the veteran.”

Seattle is welcoming back a number of injured players in the near future and isn’t likely to make a splashy trade as the minutes count down. Never say never, though so . . .

You can keep up on all the trade rumors around the league with USA TODAY’s NFL trade deadline tracker found here.

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PODCAST: Saints-Bears preview, trade deadline speculation

The newest episode of the New Orleans Saints podcast is up, reviewing their Panthers victory and surveying the Bears game, plus trade rumors

The newest episode of the Saints Wire Podcast is here, as always hosted by Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG on Twitter) with Saints Wire managing editor John Sigler (@john_siglerr on Twitter). You can subscribe for new episodes released each Thursday on Apple Podcasts or your podcast service of choice.

This week, we’re reflecting on the New Orleans Saints’ too-close-for-comfort win over the Carolina Panthers before shifting gears to survey their next matchup with the Chicago Bears. And with the NFL trade deadline just days away, we’re asking a big question: how great would J.J. Watt look in a Saints uniform?

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NFL insider Jay Glazer updates the Saints-Michael Thomas situation

FOX Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer is close with Saints coach Sean Payton, giving insight on the Michael Thomas injury and trade speculation.

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There isn’t an NFL insider better connected to the New Orleans Saints than FOX Sports reporter Jay Glazer. He’s a personal friend of Saints coach Sean Payton, joining him on parade floats during Mardi Gras or for a round of golf in the offseason.

Whenever really big Saints news breaks in New Orleans — like Jimmy Graham getting traded, or Payton signing a long-term contract extension with the Saints, or Pro Bowl guard Andrus Peat getting hurt in training camp — Glazer is often the first to know. His close relationship with Payton informs his analysis.

And the dominant storyline in New Orleans recently has been friction with star wide receiver Michael Thomas. A Week 1 ankle sprain put him on ice for longer than expected, and that frustration led to a fight in practice and subsequent one-week benching. When Thomas returned after mending fences with his teammates, he suffered a hamstring injury that could sideline him another week.

Glazer shared an update on where things stand between Thomas and his coach. “Here’s the situation: even when he had a hamstring injury, people looked at it a little bit sideways. The truth is, the Saints [performed an MRI], and it did come back with a Grade 1 strain of that hamstring. Which means it’s like a one- or two-week injury.”

So, as we’ve known along: it’s a legitimate injury. This isn’t a Jalen Ramsey situation where the player was “injured” to avoid having to get on the field while interest trade partners worked out a deal. Thomas lives for football and he’ll want to join his teammates in games again as soon as possible. The opportunity for him to contribute to wins presents a chance for Thomas to get back in Payton’s good graces.

“I do think there is still room for Mike Thomas and Sean Payton to get back on the same page here,” Glazer continued. “His contract is probably too much to trade. There aren’t too many teams that can take on that contract. I think the best bet right now is for those two guys to get back on the same page.”

Of course, this isn’t stopping someone like Mike Florio from speculating for Pro Football Talk. He’s insistent that Thomas’s agents have been angling for another team to make a Godfather offer to the Saints in a trade for the embattled superstar, but it hasn’t happened yet, and it probably isn’t going to happen before the NFL trade deadline.

Sure, things could change after the season. But at this point, Glazer’s take seems to be the most realistic. Hopefully Thomas can be cleared to run routes and catch touchdown passes from Drew Brees again soon.

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Saints DE Marcus Davenport suggested as possible trade target before NFL deadline

Bleacher Report suggested New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport as a potential trade target at the 2020 NFL trade deadline.

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The New Orleans Saints are usually active in the trading market, but most of their business is held during the annual NFL Draft. But they rarely execute deals near the league trade deadline; most notably acquiring cornerback Eli Apple in 2018.

But it’s possible they could be sellers rather than buyers this year. It isn’t likely considering how important it is to keep all hands on deck and rally towards a Super Bowl push in the final days of Drew Brees’ career, but it’s possible. One possible name who could be moved comes from Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report, who suggested third-year defensive end Marcus Davenport (no relation). Here’s some of what he wrote to flesh out the idea:

“There’s no way the team would consider trading impending free-agent edge-rusher Trey Hendrickson, who has been the team’s best pass-rusher this year. Given how badly the team is playing the pass, general manager Mickey Loomis might want to fire half the cornerback room, but the Saints can’t afford to do so. However, maybe they should consider trading another edge-rusher.

The trade up in 2018 that brought Marcus Davenport to New Orleans was a mistake, plain and simple. He has missed time in all three seasons he’s been in the pros and has just 10.5 sacks in 27 career games. That said, given Davenport’s youth (24) and athleticism, there will be teams willing to gamble that he’s just a late-bloomer.”

Trading Davenport at this point in the season doesn’t make any sense. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill went in depth on how important Davenport’s return was to the team’s pass rush success against the Los Angeles Chargers last week, and while we need a larger sample size before making any forecasts it’s clear that he’s someone teams expect to plan for.

And the Saints didn’t wait patiently for Davenport to recover from his training camp elbow injury (and subsequent toe issue in a midweek practice session) just to trade him once he’s back in action and helping them win football games. The better move is to let him finish out the year and reevaluate things in the spring before making a decision on his fifth-year contract option.

However, there are some names on Bleacher Report’s survey from around the league that could interest the Saints as buyers. Carolina Panthers receiver Curtis Samuel, Dallas Cowboys wideout Michael Gallup, Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons, and Chargers defensive back Desmond King could all juice up thinner areas of the depth chart. New Orleans went all-in on Jadeveon Clowney as a potential upgrade in free agency, so it shouldn’t shock anyone if they try and make a bold move at the Nov. 3 trade deadline.

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NFL, NFLPA set deadline for players to opt out for COVID-19 concerns

The NFL and the NFLPA have officially agreed to the deadline for players to opt out of the 2020 season for COVID-19 concerns.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association have now settled all remaining issues related to the Collective Bargaining Agreement “side letter,” which details how to go forward with the 2020 season in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the major sticking points for the two sides was the deadline for players to opt out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns. That deadline has now been set and agreed upon, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Players must give notice of their intention to opt out of the year by Thursday, Aug. 6 at 1:00 p.m. PT.

Pelissero also noted that there are two specified situations during which a player may opt out after the deadline. The first involves a player receiving a new high-risk diagnosis and the second scenario relates to the death, hospitalization or treatment of a family member as a result of a coronavirus-related condition.

As of this post, over 50 players around the NFL have already confirmed they will be opting out of the 2020 season. Guard Chance Warmack is the first and only Seahawk to opt out so far.

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