Tag: Demario Davis

Four 2021 Saints free agents who need contract extensions this offseason

The New Orleans Saints must get ahead of the curve and work out new contract extensions for players like Alvin Kamara and Demario Davis.

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NFL free agency is just weeks away, and it’s time for the New Orleans Saints to get to work negotiating new deals with pending free agents. But their discussions aren’t limited to just the players whose contracts expire in March; they must also begin to look ahead to the 2021 offseason, getting ahead of the curve on growing markets while restructuring contracts to create more salary cap space. And some players, such as Marshon Lattimore and Ryan Ramczyk, have team options that must be triggered this summer (and they should be, without question).

Here are four 2021 Saints free agents who the Saints should consider signing to contract extensions sooner rather than later.

RB Alvin Kamara

The asking price for top-shelf running backs will only increase as new deals for Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry are handed out. Kamara will likely never be more affordable than he is right now, and the Saints can avoid a potential training camp holdout by signing him to an extension. Even when injured last year, he had the sixth-best yards per carry (4.7) among running backs who logged equal or greater total carries (171).

LB Demario Davis

Davis would be the best free agent signing in Saints history if not for Drew Brees. He’s an All-Pro talent on the field and a charismatic leader who takes charge both in the locker room and in his community. He’s everything you’d hope to add to your team when making this kind of investment. The Saints could lower his $9.9 million salary cap hit with a contract extension, retaining one of their best players for the rest of his career.

RG Larry Warford

Even if Warford may have taken a step back last season (Pro Football Focus rated his pass-blocking at 71.4, which is near the middle of the pack for guards), but he’s still a durable, positively-graded starter who’s played 91% or more of snaps in each of the last two years. Additionally, his 2020 salary cap hit is one of the highest on the team at $12.875 million, and the team could create a lot of breathing room by signing him to a new deal and converting much of his base salary into a signing bonus.

FS Marcus Williams

Williams is probably going to be the most controversial name on this list due to his high-profile gaffes, but he shouldn’t be. He was the best playmaker the Saints had in the secondary last year. He was the only Saints defender to intercept multiple passes (finishing the year with four). Depending on how contracts for talented safeties like Denver Broncos star Justin Simmons shake out, Williams could be in line for $15 million or more per year in 2021. The Saints need to get out in front of this development before they get priced out of a good player.

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How the NFL’s 30 percent rule for 2020 could impact the Saints

The New Orleans Saints might be one of many NFL teams waiting for a new CBA to be ratified, erasing a new hurdle in the league’s 30% rule.

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The New Orleans Saints are used to getting creative in their efforts to work around the NFL salary cap, often backloading contracts and relying on crafty salary cap structure to max out their resources every year. However, there’s a chance that one of their favorite tricks won’t be available in the 2020 offseason, unless the league and the NFL Players Association are able to settle on a new collective bargaining agreement.

As recently pointed out by ESPN’s Dan Graziano, “Article 13, Section 7 of the CBA mandates that ‘no player contract extending into a season beyond the Final League Year may provide for an annual increase in salary … of more than 30 percent of the salary provided for in the Final League Year, per year, either in the season after the Final League Year or in any subsequent season covered by the Player Contract.’”

In translation: teams are not allowed to sign players to contracts with a raise of more than 30% in 2020 during subsequent years, though this doesn’t include prorated signing bonuses. According to Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald, this is designed to stop teams from taking an unfair advantage of a potentially uncapped season.

Here’s an example: let’s say that a Saints player is under contract for 2020 on a $1 million base salary, with no other bonuses on the books. If the Saints were to sign that player to a contract extension, the most they could raise his total salary to in 2021 would be $1.3 million. They could still prorate payments (and remain under the cap) with a big signing bonus, but those can only be handed out when ownership has the funds on hand, in cash. For smaller franchises like the Saints, there could be a limit to just how far they can stretch themselves in a year with this added rule in play.

The Saints have circumvented the salary cap in the past with tactics outlawed by this rule; in 2014, they signed safety Jairus Byrd to a six-year, $52.5 million contract that featured an initial salary of just $1.3 million. That figure climbed to $2 million in 2015 and $7.4 million in 2016, climbs of 153% and 569% over the first-year base salary. Strapped for cash again in 2020, the Saints would normally be expected to use this strategy again, but that won’t be an option under the current CBA. Fortunately, it’s not a new development. General manager Mickey Loomis and his staff, headed by salary cap specialist Khai Hartley, have been planning for this.

If a new CBA is not ratified before free agency begins in March, the Saints will face an uphill battle to fit contract extensions (and pay raises) for pending free agents like Vonn Bell and David Onyemata on their books. They also could struggle to work out new deals with players who could benefit from re-signing ahead of schedule, like Alvin Kamara, Larry Warford, and Demario Davis.

However, there’s good news: NFL owners voted to approve the terms of a new CBA on Thursday, which precedes a vote by the NFLPA as soon as Friday. There’s no guarantee that the players will accept these terms right away, but teams are certainly counting on it. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Friday that multiple NFL franchises are poised to make roster moves should the new CBA be approved, which would void this 30% rule. Few teams have more pending free agents than the Saints, so it’s logical to think they may be in that group ready to make changes as soon as they’re given the green light of a ratified agreement.

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Alvin Kamara, Demario Davis among 5 Saints who deserve early contract extensions

The New Orleans Saints have made a habit of signing early contract extensions with franchise players, and these five options should be next.

The New Orleans Saints have been working to get ahead of the curve for quite some time now. Last year, they inked contract extensions ahead of schedule with players such as kicker Wil Lutz, wide receiver Michael Thomas, and defensive end Cameron Jordan. Each of those contracts were hammered out before their current deals expired, allowing the Saints to solve future problems before they could get bigger, and more expensive.

New Orleans has a long list of free agents to consider as it is, but they could create more salary cap space by signing some of these players to new contracts. They can also potentially save future funds by getting the jump on developing markets at safety and running back. Using salary cap data sourced from Over The Cap, we highlighted six players the Saints should prioritize this offseason:

Alvin Kamara

2020 salary cap hit: $1,220,693

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Kamara is set to play at a bargain next year, but he’ll command big money on his next contract. The question is how much that new deal will cost. Going into the 2019 season, it looked like he was going to cash in somewhere close to the top of the market; he’d scored 32 touchdowns (22 as a runner, 9 as a receiver, 1 as a returner) in his first two years while averaging 101.5 yards from scrimmage per game.

Instead, he scored just six touchdowns in 2019 and was limited to 95 yards from scrimmage per game while dealing with leg injuries throughout the year. With new deals coming soon for running backs like Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook, and Aaron Jones, the Saints could feasibly get Kamara to sign a long-term deal at a more-affordable price before the market strengthens. If they wait and risk one of those running backs resetting the market, Kamara could be priced out of their budget. Assuming he isn’t traded.

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Ranking the Saints defensive position groups going into 2020 offseason

Which position group reigns supreme for the New Orleans Saints defense, and where must they add upgrades? Cornerback, linebacker stand out.

The New Orleans Saints have a number of questions to ask themselves this offseason, many of them surrounding starters headed for free agency either this March or next year. Most of those starters play defense, including names like cornerback Eli Apple, safety Vonn Bell, defensive tackle David Onyemata, and linebacker A.J. Klein.

While the defense came up short in the playoffs, it’s arguably been a more consistent unit than the lauded Saints offense the last few years, especially in the postseason. But should the Saints look to maintain consistency on that side of the ball or instead pursue upgrades?

To help find out, we’ve ranked each defensive position group, taking stock of where they stand going into the offseason:

Cornerbacks

Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints have just three corners under contract right now: Marshon Lattimore, Janoris Jenkins, and Patrick Robinson. Lattimore is one of the best (if somewhat high-variance) young cover corners in the league, and the decision to pick up his fifth-year option for 2021 is a no-brainer. But it’s less clear whether the Saints should keep veterans like Jenkins and Robinson around on their bloated salaries. And the lack of depth behind them doesn’t add any clarity. This is a position the Saints must invest in, whether it means retaining mainstays like Apple and P.J. Williams or bringing in new faces.

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2019 Saints Season in Review: Linebacker A.J. Klein

We continue our season reviews at Saints Wire with New Orleans Saints linebacker and pending unrestricted free agent, A.J. Klein.

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We continue our season reviews at Saints Wire with New Orleans Saints linebacker and pending unrestricted free agent, A.J. Klein. 2019 was a defining season for the linebacker. Significant injuries to the linebacker corps allowed Klein to see a higher than usual snap count throughout the season.

Klein quickly became a piece of the foundation for the defense in a season that saw the unit become the one heavily relied upon.

Level of play in 2019

Klein played in 15 games in 2019, with the Week 14 contest against the San Francisco 49ers as the only game he did not compete in due to injury (thigh). During his 15 appearances, the linebacker recorded 49 solo tackles, and tacked on an interception that was returned for a touchdown in Week 17. Furthermore, Klein was great with pressure as he had six tackles for a loss, along with 2.5 sacks.

Pro Football Focus gave Klein a 48.4 grade on the season, which is below average for the linebacker position. However, Klein performed admirably when called upon, especially when fellow linebackers Alex Anzalone and Kiko Alonso had injury issues that saw them miss significant time in 2019.

What to expect in 2020

Klein is an unrestricted agent heading into the offseason. This status allows him to negotiate with any team in the NFL for his services. It is possible that New Orleans decides to bring back the linebacker, who has been incredibly durable. Klein signed a three-year, $15-million contract in 2017, and since then he has started in at least 12 games per season.

At just 28 years old, Klein has quite a bit left in the tank, and it seems the Saints will make a push to keep him on the team come 2020 and beyond. With Anzalone expected back in 2020, and Demario Davis coming off of a career season, Klein could see a slight reduction in his role.

Klein has proven he can help hold the linebacker unit together despite facing adversity early on. It would probably take another three-year deal with significantly more guaranteed money to keep the veteran linebacker around.

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Demario Davis using his offseason to advocate for Mississippi prison reform

New Orleans Saints LB Demario Davis traveled to Parchman, Miss. to advocate for criminal justice reform following violent prison riots.

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New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis is a leader on and off of the field; it’s not for nothing that he’s been voted a team captain in each of his first two years with the team. He was also recognized as a first-ream All-Pro linebacker this year, but was snubbed by the Pro Bowl selections process. Left with some free time, Davis turned his attentions to a cause much more important than football: prison reform.

Davis, a Brandon, Miss. native, returned to his home state for a rally near the State Penitentiary at Parchman, which has been the site of weeks of violence and drawn national attention over poor living conditions for inmates. He’s been very vocal in the past about the fight for inequality in America and abroad, delivering supplies to immigrant children separated from their families while helping post bail to release a jailed immigration activist. He’s also spoken about the need to help families broken by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement raids in Morton, Miss. and at the Mexican border.

Davis shared his thoughts on the developing crisis at Parchman in an interview from the rally, saying, “Well I think the problem is, specifically here in Mississippi, is that it’s part of a larger issue. We have a problem in our country which is mass incarceration. We have all moved past where we were trying to take care of people, and now we’re using people to make a profit.”

He took aim at several issues in his explanation, including for-profit prisons, oversentencing for non-violent offenders, and the need to rehabilitate people with drug-addictions rather than punish them. Davis, a devout born-again Christian, often cites his faith as his motivation to remain compassionate and help others, stressing the need to match his words with his actions.

“We’ve got too many people with not enough beds,” Davis said. “And so in these situations, what happens is, under-resourced facilities. Here in Parchman is a great example. People are underfed, they lack healthcare, they’re subject to living in inhumane situations. It ends up happening where human beings are treated worse than animals.”

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Demario Davis named a finalist for NFLPA’s Alan Page Community Award

New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was named one of five finalists for the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award, along with Bobby Wagner

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New Orleans Saints linebacker Demario Davis was named a first-team All-Pro, and now he could add another honor to his trophy case. Davis was named one of five finalists for the NFL Players Association’s Alan Page Community Award for his efforts off the field, embracing the New Orleans community and working to enact positive change with his neighbors. The award’s winner will receive a $100,000 donation to a charity of their choosing.

Davis rose to prominence in the wake of a controversial NFL uniform violation fine. The league initially fined him for wearing a headband labeled “Man of God” during an early-season game, which he overturned in appeals. Davis then sold similar headbands in a fund-raiser for a Mississippi hospital, reporting more than $120,000 in donations. He also met with students and faculty at a New Orleans-area elementary school who had supported him during the appeals process.

The winner of this NFLPA award will be named during Super Bowl LIV. Here all five finalists:

  • Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals
  • Brandon Carr, Baltimore Ravens
  • Brandon Copeland, New York Jets
  • Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints
  • Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks

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Important dates in the 2020 Saints offseason calendar

The New Orleans Saints have a busy 2020 offseason calendar featuring the NFL Draft, free agency legal tampering and signing period, and more

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The New Orleans Saints started their offseason rather early this year, to much surprise. Now the team must look ahead to 2020 and how it plans to reshape itself in order to again be a Super Bowl contender.

This offseason must answer many questions about the Saints’ long-term future: Will quarterback Drew Brees return, and what does that mean for the quarterback situation? How will the Saints approach free agency and the draft, and will their strategy defer from past philosophy? These are the types of questions the fans are yearning to have answered, and issues that the front office will need to address.

Here are some important dates for the 2020 Saints offseason, where these questions will be addressed:

January 25: Reese’s Senior Bowl

New Orleans will be looking for several key additions through this year’s draft, despite owning just five selections. Wide receiver, offensive line, and additions in the defensive secondary should rank atop the list for their biggest needs.

This all-star game in Mobile, Ala. figures heavily into the Saints’ draft strategy. It’s a first introduction for the coaching staff to many top prospects, and they’ve drafted many previous Senior Bowl alums — including Erik McCoy and Marcus Davenport, their first picks in the last two years.

February 24: NFL Scouting Combine

The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis will give the Saints more information in order to better assess who could be available with their given picks. Aside from the actual NFL Draft, this is the biggest event for football fans during the offseason.

While teams can meet with players and see them practice at all-star events like the Senior Bowl, this is where they get to spend more time interviewing prospects and seeing how they measure up athletically. “The underwear Olympics” provide crucial data that does a lot to back up observations in film study, or sometimes raise questions about previously-unnoticed concerns.

March 10: Franchise and transition tag deadline

The Saints do not really have any candidates to issue the franchise tag to, though Teddy Bridgewater could be a long-shot possibility. Transition tags are not heavily utilized in the NFL, and the Saints hardly utilize them, if ever. However, if they do break that trend, the Saints will have until 3 p.m. CT to make a decision.

March 16: Legal tampering period begins

While no agreements can be signed, this is the real beginning of free agency. Teams can contact free agents to negotiate new deals, and they can also call each other to facilitate trades. Any deals can only be formalized in verbal agreements, and it’s possible for parties to back out if they so choose. This is where the Saints lost Mark Ingram and picked up Latavius Murray last season, even if pens weren’t put to paper until a few days later.

March 16: First day of 2020 league year

Beginning at 3 p.m. CT, all teams can start signing free agents and issuing new contracts to players. Recently, New Orleans has brought in players like linebacker Demario Davis and nose tackle Malcom Brown, who helped reshape the landscape of the defense. Additional help being brought in could be a real possibility this offseason, but the Saints could just as soon lose some of their homegrown talent like safety Vonn Bell or defensive tackle David Onyemata. This also opens the door for 2017 draft picks like Alvin Kamara to negotiate contract extensions, even if they have a year left on their current deals.

April 23-25: NFL Draft in Las Vegas

New Orleans currently holds pick No. 24 in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. It is anyone’s guess as to what the team will do with it. Drafting a wide receiver, offensive lineman, or even a quarterback have all been thrown out there, but the Saints usually like to address their needs in free agency. It gives them more flexibility on draft day.

The Saints do not have a second-round pick this year, having traded it to the Miami Dolphins. That pick was part of a package that turned into McCoy and breakout defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson. After the second round, the Saints own picks in rounds three through six, while their seventh-round pick was included in the Eli Apple trade with the New York Giants.

May 4: Fifth-year options for players drafted in 2017

New Orleans will have to decide if they want to exercise the fifth-year options for players such as offensive lineman Ryan Ramczyk and cornerback Marshon Lattimore. Neither of those decisions should go down to the wire — Ramczyk and Lattimore are two of the best players at their positions, and picking up their options will keep them under team contract control through 2021.

Late July: NFL training camp begins

The NFL hasn’t announced official start dates just yet, but we know teams will open up training camp late in teh summer. In 2019, New Orleans began their training camp on July 26 at their Metairie, La. practice facility. For many fans, this will be their first live look at their 2020 Saints team.

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Kiko Alonso suffered torn ACL in wild-card round loss to Vikings

The New Orleans Saints lost starting linebacker Kiko Alonso to a torn ACL in their wild-card round defeat to the Minnesota Vikings.

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New Orleans Saints linebacker Kiko Alonso received tough news on Monday, learning that he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. It’s the third ACL tear for Alonso in his career, following previous injuries in 2014 and 2015. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported the injury news, which was confirmed by Nola.com’s Amie Just.

This is a big blow for Alonso, 29, who is projected to start at linebacker next season. It’s unclear who plays where — starting weakside linebacker Demario Davis is returning, as is versatile backup Craig Robertson. Alonso replaced former middle linebacker Alex Anzalone in the starting lineup when the Saints acquired him in a trade with the Miami Dolphins, and Anzalone will be entering a contract year coming off of season-ending shoulder surgery. Starting strongside linebacker A.J. Klein’s contract will expire in March. Rookie backup Kaden Elliss also ended his year with a torn ACL back in September.

In other words: Davis is the only healthy starting linebacker the Saints have slotted in for 2020. The good news is that the Saints run so deep at defensive back that they often play just two linebackers at a time, so these are hits they can absorb. The position shouldn’t be seen as a glaring need given deficiencies at other spots on the roster, but the Saints could look to add more-durable options in free agency or through the 2020 NFL Draft. It’s just disappointing to see Alonso go into the offseason like this after he played so well during his first year in New Orleans.

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Demario Davis keeps perspective after difficult loss to Vikings

Demario Davis is keeping himself and his New Orleans Saints team grounded after their wild-card round playoffs loss to the Minnesota Vikings

How many more years can the New Orleans Saints keep feeding off the idea that they’ve left “unfinished business” in the playoffs? That’s been the narrative the Saints have chased ever since their exit in the 2017 postseason, and it stayed alive after their 2018 finale, too. Now, with the 2019 playoffs behind them, where do they go next?

Fortunately, that’s a question experienced leaders like linebacker Demario Davis can answer. And his message to his teammates is one cautioning patience.

“You have to realize it’s the end of a chapter and not a book,” Davis told ESPN’s Mike Triplett. That doesn’t mean the journey is painless. He continued, “Not all losses feel the same. But all losses hurt the same.”

It makes sense that Davis would take such a measured approach. He toiled thanklessly for years with the rudderless New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, watching playoff games from his couch or a treadmill at the gym. He’s acutely aware of how difficult it is to even reach the postseason, much less win games there.

And like he pointed out, this isn’t the end of things. Sean Payton and Drew Brees are still running the show in New Orleans. Davis is still the captain of the defense. The team is on a great trajectory to get right back into the thick of things next year, and with this kind of experience behind them, they should be better-prepared than ever. But that’s not going to do much to dull the pain of an early playoffs exit, and it’s a natural reaction. Like Davis said, it’s important to remember that this is the end of a chapter, not the last page in the book.

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