Tag: free agent

New Orleans Saints sign Rashid Shaheed to one-year contract extension

The Saints reached an agreement on a contract extension with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed. The deal will keep him in New Orleans through the 2025 season:

The New Orleans Saints have signed wide receiver Rashid Shaheed to a contract extension, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and confirmed by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Shaheed had signed an exclusive rights free agent deal for the 2024 season earlier this offseason that was worth just $985,000. The former undrafted free agent agreed to a one-year, $5.2 million extension that will keep him with the Saints through the 2025 season.

Good for him. The Weber State product is coming off a career year. Shaheed finished last season with 46 catches, 716 receiving yards, and five touchdowns. He also had 339 punt return yards, which ranked third in the league, and won him his first Pro Bowl appearance.

He’s a special player with elite speed and an ability to track the football deep downfield. Additionally, Shaheed’s value on special teams is equally as important. This deal could end up being a bargain for the Saints. Shaheed has improved every year and could be looking at an expanded role under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak.

The future is bright for what is undeniably one of the NFL’s best stories.

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Ranking Saints’ toughest offseason departures: No. 4, Zack Baun

Zack Baun moved on to Philadelphia to chase a higher ceiling as a pass rusher. The Saints never had a great plan for getting the most out of him:

Continuing our series of ranking the toughest departures from the New Orleans Saints this offseason, linebacker Zack Baun finds himself fourth on the list.

Baun leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles has the potential to be a huge regret for New Orleans, but their usage of him prevented him from entering the top-three in this list. Baun entered the NFL draft as a pass rusher whose size best suited him as a linebacker in an odd-front defense. That would allow him to stay on-ball and rush the passer on most downs.

Instead, the Saints converted him to an off-ball role, which immediately negated his greatest asset. It wasn’t until the end of his tenure they let him rush the passer more. Would that have continued? With Payton Turner returning from injury and Isaiah Foskey entering his second season, Baun may have been limited to being a minor part of the pass rush at the beginning of the year.

In Philadelphia, they have experience using small pass rushers. Even if he does succeed, his ceiling in New Orleans wasn’t that high.

The addition of Chase Young also makes this departure less impactful. The situation at  a position is just as important as the talent of the player. Young comes to the Saints hoping to capitalize on the potential that made him the second overall pick in 2020 NFL draft.

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Tyrann Mathieu snubbed by ESPN’s safeties rankings, but two ex-Saints make the cut

Tyrann Mathieu was snubbed by ESPN’s safeties rankings, but two ex-Saints starters made the cut. So did a free agent who could really help New Orleans out:

Well this is disappointing, but that’s been the state of New Orleans Saints football for much of the last few years. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled dozens of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to identify the best players at every position this offseason, and on Thursday he shared their rankings for safeties around the league.

And Tyrann Mathieu didn’t make the list. Neither did any of his Saints teammates. Mathieu has been one of their best defenders since he signed in 2022, and he’s intercepted more passes than many of the players ESPN’s sources chose to highlight instead. But there’s more to the game — and getting recognition — than takeaways.

What stings is that several ex-Saints starters were highlighted. Both Marcus Williams and C.J. Gardner-Johnson were featured as honorable mentions. The Saints bungled the situation with Williams back in 2022, having chosen to let breakout pass rusher Trey Hendrickson leave in free agency so they could use the franchise tag on Williams a year earlier, only to fail to sign him long-term. His replacement Marcus Maye was a bust in free agency.

Gardner-Johnson’s situation was more complicated. The Saints were reluctant to play him at free safety, viewing him as a slot specialist, and they refused to pay him like one. His contract dispute turned ugly and he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for pennies on the dollar. The Eagles didn’t want to pay him, either, even after he thrived in the role he’d coveted. He only appeared in a handful of games with the Detroit Lions last season while dealing with injury but the Eagles missed him so badly they had to re-sign him this offseason.

If the Saints had navigated these situations differently maybe they wouldn’t be in their current state, where either Johnathan Abram or Jordan Howden is expected to start next to Mathieu. Abram hasn’t held down a starting job before and Howden hasn’t been able to dislodge him, so neither are super convincing options. What’s notable is that one player on ESPN’s list is still available as a free agent: Justin Simmons, another honorable mention. We’ve made the case for the Saints to sign him before, but here’s why Fowler’s sources around the league regard him so highly:

Simmons had three interceptions, two forced fumbles and 70 tackles with the Broncos in 2023. “Still really good but not the blue-chip player he was. More of a high-level red at this stage. Still versatile and can play in the post with leadership and smarts,” an NFL personnel evaluator said.

Saints fans aren’t the only ones hoping their team splurges on Simmons. While New Orleans has the salary cap space ($12 million) to compete with other offers, there may be better situations for him to consider on Super Bowl contenders or familiar coaching staffs in other cities. But the point is that the  Saints are risking a lot by gambling on an aging Mathieu and a couple of bargain-bin options carrying them at safety. At least one clear upgrade is available. They should consider going after him.

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Countdown to Kickoff: Kyle Hergel is the Saints Player of Day 60

Countdown to Kickoff: Kyle Hergel is the Saints Player of Day 60. The rookie from Boston College has some experience that could give him an edge:

There are 60 days left until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 season, which makes the current owner of the No. 60 jersey our Saints Player of the Day. But what must Kyle Hergel do to make the team in 2024? The undrafted rookie has some experience in similar systems that could help him out when the Saints regroup for training camp in  a few weeks. Let’s get to know him better:

  • Name (Age): Kyle Hergel (24)
  • Position: Offensive guard
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-2, 315 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 7.83
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $798,333
  • College: Boston College
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2024 (New Orleans Saints)
  • NFL experience: Rookie

Hergel played a ton of snaps as a starter at right guard through his first four years in college (two at North Dakota, two at Texas State) before transferring to Boston College in 2023, where he started at left guard. What’s interesting is that he worked with offensive line coach Matt Applebaum last season, who spent the 2022 staff on Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins staff. There’s a lot of overlap between the offense McDaniel runs and what Klint Kubiak is installing with the Saints, both of them being former Kyle Shanahan assistants.

That experience with Applebaum may have given Hergel a slight edge over his competition. He’s fighting for a roster spot with other undrafted rookies like Nouri Nouili and Sincere Haynesworth, as well as seventh-round draft pick Josiah Ezirim and last year’s undrafted free agent Mark Evans II. While only one or two of those players might make the 53-man roster, it’s likely several of them could return to the practice squad. But the Saints can’t keep everyone. Hergel must set himself apart during training camp and show he has the skills to thrive in Kubiak’s offense.

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When will Michael Thomas sign with a new team for 2024?

When will Michael Thomas sign with a new team for 2024? The ex-New Orleans Saint is still waiting for his next opportunity:

Take a look at the list of former New Orleans Saints players still searching for a new team in 2024 and one name stand apart from the rest: Michael Thomas. The former NFL Offensive Player of the Year and two-time All-Pro fell off hard after a series of complicated injuries and frustrating surgeries interrupted what looked like a Hall of Fame-worthy career.

And now, months after a high-profile split with the only NFL team he’s played for, Thomas is still waiting for his next opportunity. There isn’t another free agent with his credentials, but that injury history and public criticism of his coach, quarterback, and team training staff may have cooled interest he’d otherwise find on the open market.

Thomas is 31. He’s coming off another season-ending injury which he chalks up to a bad ball from Derek Carr. He’s only been available for 13 of the Saints’ 51 games since the 2020 season, when his ankle was painfully rolled up on while blocking in a blowout win, which started this whole mess. Thomas played through the injury to support Drew Brees in his last year before retirement, but he missed the entire 2021 season recovering from surgery. He went down with another injury three games into 2022, and was sidelined for the last seven games of 2023.

There aren’t many cases like his, but one situation to consider is Odell Beckham Jr. Like Thomas, he’s 31 years old and a three-time Pro Bowler, with a pair of All-Pro nods and an Offensive Rookie of the Year award to his name. He’s also caught 566 passes in his career compared to 565 for Thomas, though in 27 more games for four different teams. And Beckham has twice suffered serious knee injuries by tearing his ACL.

The second time happened in Super Bowl LVI, causing him to miss the subsequent 2022 season in recovery. Beckham didn’t sign with a team until well after the start of free agency in 2023, meeting with the Baltimore Ravens at NFL owners meetings in the spring, and he turned in a modest performance last season with 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns. Compare that to what Thomas posted with the Saints — 39 receptions, 448 yards, and a single touchdown. Beckham went on to sign with the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

So does this mean Thomas may have to sit out the 2024 season before finding a new team, like Beckham did? Probably not. We don’t know how far along he is in recovery from last year’s injury but it was never expected to put him on ice for multiple seasons. But we may not see any movement until training camp. If there aren’t many suitors, or if Thomas is being selective about his next opportunity, it could take a while for him to find the right fit.

Either way, it’s so disappointing to see his career end up here. Thomas was on track to break every receiving record in Saints history while leaving his mark on NFL history. That injuries and personal conflicts have derailed what should have been something special. Time will tell where Thomas catches his next football. It’s just too bad it won’t happen while he’s wearing black and gold.

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NFL.com says Paulson Adebo is the Saints’ most underappreciated player

Paulson Adebo was named the New Orleans Saints’ most underappreciated player. His star is rising going into a contract year:

It’s been a good spring for Paulson Adebo. The New Orleans Saints cornerback has received a lot of hype from a variety of outlets covering the NFL, which have described the corner as an underrated player, one of the league’s most-improved defenders, a secret superstar for New Orleans, and the Saints’ best-kept secret.

The latest praise for Adebo comes from NFL.com’s Tom Blair, who cited some numbers from NFL Next Gen Stats to build Adebo’s case as one of the league’s most underappreciated players:

One highlight of the Saints’ forgettable 2023 season was the pass defense — and one player who shined individually within that unit was Adebo, a second-year pro who tied for the team lead in picks (four). He also ranked third in the NFL in passes defensed (18) and posted the 10th-best passer rating allowed (58.5), according to NGS (min. 400 coverage snaps). Whether or not Derek Carr and the offense can fully cohere after an up-and-down 2023 is still uncertain, but Adebo is one of a handful of young standouts (along with Carl Granderson, Bryan Bresee and Alontae Taylor) who can help keep New Orleans competitive on D while Carr and Co. try to take a step forward.

Adebo was a third-round pick in the 2021 draft, so he’s a third-year pro, which means he’ll be a free agent in 2025 if the Saints don’t extend his contract. His star is rising at the perfect time to cash in next offseason. He leads the Saints in passes defensed (33) since he joined the team in 2021, which is tied with L’Jarius Sneed for 17th-most in the entire NFL.

Will the Saints let him leave? It’s possible. Their outlook at cornerback is tough to suss out. Marshon Lattimore could be traded this summer or next spring, and they have a couple of young draft picks competing for snaps in Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry. It’s very possible that Adebo’s asking price in 2025 is too high for them to match, so they opt to let him walk and  promote Taylor or McKinstry to a starting role opposite Lattimore. We also can’t rule out the possibility of Lattimore moving on, too. Both starting corners might be on new teams this time next year.

Still, the Saints have to be appreciating Adebo while they have him. He bounced back from a down year in 2022 while playing through injury to lock down opposing wideouts in 2023. Coverage penalties were a problem for him early in his career but he played clean football last season after knocking off some rust in the opening weeks. Whatever his future is after 2024, he’s going to be a critical piece of Dennis Allen’s defense in the fall.

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Countdown to Kickoff, Day 99: Chase Young is the Saints Player of the Day

Chase Young is the Saints Player of Day 99 as we count down to the 2024 kickoff. He’s hoping to make a big impact in a pivotal year:

There are 99 days remaining until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 season against the Carolina Panthers, which means this year’s No. 99 is our player of the day: Chase Young. The veteran defensive end signed with the Saints as a free agent this spring, and he’s in line for a big role in the fall — once he’s healthy.

But first, let’s get to know him a bit better:

  • Name (Age): Chase Young (25)
  • Position: Defensive end
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-5, 265 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: N/A
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $3,442,000
  • College: Ohio State
  • Drafted: 2nd overall in 2020 (Washington Commanders)
  • NFL experience: 5 years

Before he can worry about anything else, Young must finish recovering from neck surgery he underwent in March to address an injury he played through in 2023. He’s expected to miss some time in training camp, but the Saints have protected themselves by structuring his contract so that it essentially gives them a refund for any games Young misses after Week 1.

For his part, Young is excited to learn from Cameron Jordan, one of the best in the game, while reuniting with old teammates like Pete Werner and Chris Olave. The former Buckeye had more sacks last year with Washington and the San Francisco 49erse than anyone in New Orleans (besides Carl Granderson, tying him at 8.5) as well as more quarterback hits and pressures than many of his new Saints teammates.

The hope is for Young to get healthy and juice up one of the NFL’s least productive pass-rush units. He’s facing a four- to six-month recovery, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, so we’ll see if he’s able to return during training camp or later once the regular season kicks off. The Saints will be without backup defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon after his offseason Achilles injury, but they’ll be leaning on draft picks like Isaiah Foskey and Payton Turner until Young can get on the field.

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Ex-Chiefs WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling visited with Bills

Marquez Valdes-Scantling visited with the Buffalo #Bills on Monday. He won Super Bowl rings with the Kansas City #Chiefs the last two seasons.

The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills made for unlikely bedfellows during the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, when the defending Super Bowl champions struck a deal with their bitter AFC rivals to trade up for wide receiver Xavier Worthy.

On Monday, the teams’ paths crossed yet again when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that former Chiefs wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling met with the Bills as a free agent.

Valdes-Scantling played a key role on offense on the Chiefs’ last two Super Bowl-winning teams but was released in March after an underwhelming 2023 season.

While there has been no indication that a signing is imminent for Valdes-Scantling, very few wide receivers on the market have Super Bowl experience.

Buffalo traded star WR Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans shortly before April’s draft and selected Florida State wideout Keon Coleman with their first pick.

Adam Schefter: Veteran WR Zay Jones to visit Chiefs on Thursday

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, veteran WR Zay Jones is set to visit with the #Chiefs on Thursday.

The Kansas City Chiefs might not be done adding talented receivers to their roster in the offseason as they look toward their 2024 Super Bowl defense campaign.

On Wednesday night NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that veteran wideout Zay Jones would be visiting the Chiefs as a free agent, potentially indicating Kansas City’s desire to bring in an experienced pass-catcher.

While the Chiefs were just one of the teams on Jones’ shortlist, the former second-round pick would be a natural fit with Patrick Mahomes as part of Kansas City’s offense and could help Andy Reid ease the burden of being without Rashee Rice early in the 2024 season.

No news of an imminent signing has been reported since Schefter’s initial tweet about the visit, but Chiefs fans should stay tuned for news as Jones’ visit to Kansas City plays out.

Jones could become one of Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets next season if he elects to join the Chiefs.

Former Notre Dame Linebacker Signs With Washington Commanders

Way to go, Bo!

Former Notre Dame linebacker [autotag]Bo Bauer[/autotag] has signed a free agent contract with the Washington Commanders.

Bauer last played for Notre Dame in 2022 before suffering a knee injury in October of that year.  He received a camp invitation from the Seattle Seahawks last season but didn’t make the team.

Bauer participated in Notre Dame’s pro day again this Spring, having worked much of the last year to develop long snapping skills.

“I want this more than ever,” Bauer said at this most recent pro day. “I’ve had a whole year just working with little results up to this point. We always say standards over circumstances. I have a high standard and I hold on to that to this day. I’ll do whatever it takes to put my best foot forward.”

Bauer recorded 120 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions while at Notre Dame.

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