Tag: free agents

Bleacher Report suggests the Saints sign new left tackle this offseason

Bleacher Report suggests a current Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle as a priority signing for the Saints in the upcoming offseason:

Bleacher Report has completed its article detailing the biggest needs for each NFL team in the remainder of the 2024 season, as well as a potential signing for each team in the upcoming offseason. There are some big-name free agents in this class, however, the Saints will have to work around the cap space once again to get in on any if they want some, and this seems to have been factored in when considering who they should target according to this article.

The recommended player they should pursue according to Bleacher Report is Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Dan Moore Jr. Their opinion on why he should be targeted is the following:

“With Ryan Ramczyk’s future in doubt, it would make a lot of sense to move Taliese Fuaga to right tackle and Trevor Penning to guard next season. Penning was already scheduled to make the position switch this fall until Ramczyk went down and Fuaga was a First-Team All-American on the right edge in college.

However, that would leave New Orleans with a need at left tackle. Moore could be a good option in free agency as he’s been solid this season with just 27 pressures surrendered and a 70.3 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus heading into this past weekend. Plus, he’s only 26 years old to help the team’s roster get younger.”

Dan Moore Jr. is an intriguing option for the Saints, and to be completely honest, after Trevor Penning’s Week 15 showing, I think some re-arranging could be utilized. While I do not love the idea of Fuaga moving back to right tackle, it was the place where he excelled in college and despite a strong start at left tackle, it could be considered. Moore has had a 96.0 blocking efficiency rating this season, including his amazing Week 1 performance against the Atlanta Falcons surrendering no pressures, sacks, or giving up penalties on 69 offensive snaps.

The biggest issue for Moore has been allowing sacks, giving up a total of eight so far this season, along with five penalties to his name. In 921 snaps total, this means he is giving up a sack every 115 snaps or so, which is not perfect, but also something you could definitely work with. If the Saints were able to shift things around, Moore could be a good option for the short term to see how Fuaga and Penning work out at new positions, but maybe not the best option when it comes down to it.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Insider offers wild option at QB for 49ers if they don’t extend Brock Purdy

Oh dear…

It would appear the San Francisco 49ers’ future at quarterback is set with Brock Purdy.

The Athletic’s 49ers beat reporter Matt Barrows isn’t so sure.

Barrows in an appearance on 95.7 the Game in San Francisco told hosts Steiny and Guru that quarterback Aaron Rodgers could be a route the 49ers go instead of extending Purdy in the offseason since their other options are relatively thin.

“I don’t really know what the recourse would be,” Barrows said. “Do you play hardball with Brock Purdy? Who else is going to be your quarterback? Do you want Brandon Allen to be your quarterback? Do you go out and sign Sam Darnold who will be a free agent?

The one sort of intriguing possibility is in New York if things just fall apart with the Jets and all the sudden Aaron Rodgers — a guy that the 49ers were definitely interested in in the past — becomes available.”

It’s hard to imagine San Francisco would still be as interested in Rodgers as they were three or four years ago when his exit from Green Bay looked imminent. His tenure in New York has featured a catastrophic Achilles injury and a worse start than they had under Zach Wilson. Not to mention Rodgers isn’t playing particularly well and he turns 41 on Dec. 2.

Even if they’re still not sold on Purdy, they could conceivably have him play out the final year of his rookie contract before committing to a deal at or near the top of the market. The final pick in the 2022 draft is under contract through the 2025 season.

Rodgers is also under contract through 2025, but New York may be eager to move on from him given how calamitous his tenure there has been.

It sounds, per Barrows, like having Purdy play out his rookie deal would be a route the team went before making a seismic shift to an aging Hall of Famer like Rodgers.

”I just think that — two things — one is that the 49ers are not as down on Brock Purdy as the public is,” Barrows said. “I think they realize Purdy is dealing with a lot of challenges this year. And we can go over them, it’s a laundry list of things that are different from last year and that they’re very happy to have him for the future.

And B, and probably most important … the market is the market. They’re not going to — just like Brandon Aiyuk and wide receivers — they’re not gonna be able to get a discount if Brock Purdy’s numbers dip a little bit this year. That doesn’t come with a discount. They’re gonna have to pay what the going rate for a starting quarterback is, and it’s been well established — some guys we don’t think of as top-tier quarterbacks have gotten paid like top-tier quarterbacks recently.”

If Rodgers does come available, we can probably expect his name to be tied to the 49ers. He and the club are inextricably linked since they passed on him in the 2005 draft, but it sounds more like San Francisco would sooner roll with Purdy than take on Rodgers at this point.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Trevor Penning’s progress at right tackle may be too little, too late

Trevor Penning’s progress may be too little, too late for the Saints. They can’t afford to wait much longer in finding a backup plan:

It’s tough to feel much better about the New Orleans Saints’ outlook at right tackle at the end of August than we regarded it back in May, when Trevor Penning started taking his first snaps at right tackle. He’s made some progress. But it may have been too little, too late to make a positive impact when the season starts in September.

Penning is an effective run blocker. He had some great pancake blocks in this game and we’re seeing him throw his weight around with more confidence than earlier in his career. The problem lies in pass protection. He’s significantly more inconsistent in that phase, and there are too many instances where he abandons his technique and gives ground to his opponent. Holding penalties could become a problem for him in a hurry.

Still, he’s made some progress. The question is whether it’s enough. Head coach Dennis Allen reflected on Penning’s summer after their preseason finale with the Tennessee Titans.

“I do think there was a few plays in there I thought was an improvement,” Allen said, acknowledging that he hadn’t had time to check the coach’s tape. It’s not easy to evaluate line play from his vantage point on the sideline.

Still, he did see more incremental progress from Penning in the third preseeason game: “I thought overall, I know this. I thought he played better in last week’s game (than the first preseason game). I thought he improved this week in practice. And I saw some good things tonight, too. I think there’s some improvement being made.”

That’s a positive takeaway, but it’s far from a full-throated endorsement. Penning should be much further along at this point in his career. He has too many athletic gifts and too many quality coaches working with him to where every compliment comes with a disclaimer. It doesn’t feel like the Saints can trust him to start against the Carolina Panthers in two weeks. So what’s the backup plan?

Sure, Olisaemeka Udoh is an option. But Udoh only started taking practice reps on the first-team offense a week ago, and his inexperience at right tackle (about 500 career snaps between the preseason and regular season, with just two starts) doesn’t inspire much confidence. It’s not like he’s spent his entire career at that position. But what alternatives do they have?

We’ve already looked at the options hanging around in free agency. Spot-starters at right tackle like Phil Haynes and Tyre Phillips are still available. So are Billy Turner and Matt Feiler, but they’re both on the wrong side of 30. And would any of them be better fits than Penning or Udoh? Would the Saints be willing to pay what someone like D.J. Humphries may be looking for, and would he even entertain a move to right tackle? What about Donovan Smith? It’s tough to say.

Expect the Saints to actively scour the waiver wire this week, and maybe call other teams about a trade. They could also check in with some of those free agents we just highlighted. Since they’re determined to keep Taliese Fuaga on the left side instead of his college position at right tackle, that’s still a spot that needs to be addressed. Maybe they really are comfortable lining up Penning in Week 1. But it sure would be nice to have a more convincing backup plan before they go skydiving with a parachute that’s failed before.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Saints sign former Patriots second-round pick Joejuan Williams after group tryout

The Saints signed former Patriots second-round pick Joejuan Williams after a group tryout. He played college football at Vanderbilt:

The New Orleans Saints signed former Patriots second-round pick Joejuan Williams after a group tryout, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. The cornerback played college football at Vanderbilt and has lined up almost exclusively out wide in the NFL — on 436 of his 608 career defensive snaps, with 111 of them starting in the slot.

So he’s not exactly the Justin Simmons consolation prize some fans may have hoped for.  Instead, look for Williams to compete at the bottom of the depth chart with other corners like Rejzohn Wright, Mac McCain II, and Kaleb Ford-Dement. The Saints are still looking for players to round out their practice squad as guys like Rico Payton and Shemar Jean-Charles separate from the pack. And with injuries hitting three of their top four corners (Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and Kool-Aid McKinstry) they need the help just to keep practice on schedule.

As for Williams? He’s listed  at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds and was drafted at No. 45 overall in 2019, the sixth cornerback to be picked. But he played out his four-year contract with the Patriots without intercepting a single pass. He’s since spent time with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings but has struggled to earn snaps for either team, instead coming up from their practice squad. He needs to impress right away if he’ll catch on with the Saints.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

What should be the Saints’ next move after striking out on Justin Simmons?

What should be the Saints’ next move after striking out on Justin Simmons? The higher priority all along should have been their offensive line:

What should be the New Orleans Saints’ next move after striking out on Justin Simmons? Committing so much time and resources to recruiting a Pro Bowler just to come up short is disappointing, but it isn’t the end of the road. What’s the plan for the salary cap dollars that had been earmarked for Simmons’ offer?

Looking outwards, the higher priority all along should have been the New Orleans offensive line. Trevor Penning has been a big disappointment at right tackle and there aren’t any viable alternatives on the roster behind him. Landon Young can’t cut the mustard. Neither can Jesse Davis. Olisaemeka Udoh doesn’t have much NFL experience there with just three starts at right tackle.

You’ll find a similar problem at left guard. Lucas Patrick has done well relative to the players around him but he’s ultimately closer to a replacement-level starter than someone the Saints can lean on. Nick Saldiveri can’t stay healthy long enough to make a compelling argument for why he should start. Udoh was nearly a disaster in that role during last week’s preseason opener.

So who is available? The Saints waited too long to make a move for veteran players like Mekhi Becton and Dalton Risner, who signed with other teams. At this point the free agent market is made up of players who are either coming off serious injuries, on the wrong side of 30, or who couldn’t hold down starting jobs of their own last year — if not some combination of the three.

But beggars can’t be choosers. At some point the Saints will have to admit the group they’ve assembled isn’t good enough. They could wait to trawl the waiver wire in a few weeks or try to trade for a better blocker, but what are the chances another team’s castaways would be upgrades? We’ll guess it’s unlikely.

The smart thing to do would be to check in on the free agents still available. Guys like D.J. Humphries, Donovan Smith, Connor McGovern, and Billy Turner are all out there looking for work. They couldn’t be much worse than the players competing at Saints training camp right now. But there’s only one way to find out.

Alternatively, the Saints could look to continue extending their own talent. They signed Rashid Shaheed and Pete Werner to new contracts this summer, getting a jump on their 2025 free agent class. It’s possible they could  cut a deal with someone like breakout cornerback Paulson Adebo, too. Or they might come to terms on a new agreement with Alvin Kamara. The point is that they have options. At this stage the only mistake they can make is sitting on their hands and accepting mediocrity.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

B/R shines a spotlight on Derek Carr’s contract in 2025

Bleacher Report calls Derek Carr’s contract the most important contract decision for the Saints next year, but their options are limited:

Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder took a look into the near future to take a look every team’s most important contract decision. The list primarily consists of 2025 free agents. That may feel like a decision for a year from now, but these decisions are often made ahead of time.

Players who enter the final year of their contract are ideal trade pieces. In the New Orleans Saints’ case, Derek Carr was the selection. He isn’t a 2025 free agent, but making a decision on his contract will impact the team-building strategy moving forward.

Unlike the other players mentioned, Carr isn’t an impending free agent, but his contract has an out that would save the Saints $30 million of cap space with a post-June 1 designation, per Over The Cap. That could be intriguing for a club that’s currently projected to begin the offseason over $90 million in the hole, especially if the team wants to rebuild.

Carr is a good choice, but this isn’t the right reason.

Finances are an annual talking-point around the team, and there’s no reason to see that ending. Carr’s cap hit is relevant to that topic because it’s salary cap-related. However, the decision on Carr will not be a salary cap decision.

The decision on what to do with Carr is purely performance based. If he’s a good fit in Klint Kubiak’s offensee, the Saints will keep him. He’s the starting quarterback. New Orleans isn’t getting rid of him before or after June 1 in the name of saving $30 million. His no-trade clause limits their options. And if they do want to move on with that post-June 1 cuts designation, they’ll have to find a way to get under the salary cap while carrying his $51.4 million cap hit on the books until June 2.

The decision to make is really does New Orleans want to be tied to him any more. Carr’s 2024 season will answer that question. It’s on him to earn more job security and put off talk about a potential rebuild (possibly surrounding Spencer Rattler) for another year.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Could Michael Thomas be an alternate option to Brandon Aiyuk?

Michael Thomas remains unsigned, and Bleacher Report named him as a top option for teams who can’t land Brandon Aiyuk:

As of right now, it’s unclear if Brandon Aiyuk will play for the San Francisco 49ers, the Pittsburgh Steelers, or a different team this season. There have been reports about the wide receiver declining potential trade options. Regardless, he’ll only play for one team. Everyone else will have to look elsewhere to fill the void.

Insert former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox looked at the best options at the position not named Aiyuk. This goes for teams who were in the mix for him but didn’t land him and also other teams in the wide receiver market.

Thomas’ injury history is a big reason he isn’t in New Orleans any longer and likely why he isn’t on a roster at the moment. Thomas returned to action in 2022 after an injury that kept him out the better part of two years. In the two seasons that followed, Thomas has struggled to remain healthy.

The difference between Aiyuk and Thomas is you’re picking up the former to be your top option. It’s hard to imagine a team trusting Thomas to lead their wide receiver corps. He should come in as a complimentary piece with a high ceiling that depends on his health.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

What’s next for Saints with Ryan Ramczyk out for the 2024 season?

What’s next for the Saints with Ryan Ramczyk out for the 2024 season? Their options are limited on the eve of training camp, but they knew this was coming:

What’s next for the New Orleans Saints with former All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk out for the 2024 season? Their options are limited on the eve of training camp, but they knew this was coming — head coach Dennis Allen has alluded to it as a possibility as far back as NFL owners meetings in March. That’s around the same time they informed Trevor Penning he’d be moving to right tackle while making plans to pick a new left tackle early in April’s draft.

In a perfect world they wouldn’t have to make any moves: Penning would develop as hoped with a new coaching staff and hold down the job at right tackle for years to come. Taliese Fuaga would convert to left tackle with ease and be a foundational piece moving forwards. Veteran free agents they’ve already signed like Olisaemeka Udoh and Justin Herron could join young backups Landon Young and Josiah Ezirim on the bench.

But they aren’t living in a perfect world. Things don’t always go to plan. Development isn’t linear, and it’s possible either or both of Penning and Fuaga struggle after flipping sides. If Penning is a bust at right tackle and Fuaga has to go back to his college position, who covers Derek Carr’s blind side? Young or Udoh?

That’s a hard sell. And as we said, the cupboard is looking awful bare in free agency. The Saints could look into signing another experienced pro but it has to be the right fit. Older players like Jason Peters, Duane Brown, and David Bakhtiari aren’t going to be eager to sign as a backup. If they’re going to join a team for camp it’ll likely be with the expectation that they’re starting. Other free agents like D.J. Humphries and Charles Leno Jr. are coming off of serious injuries.

Then you have free agents like Donovan Smith and Billy Turner. They’re both past their prime but they’ve played valuable snaps for teams recently, and they could be upgrades over the depth on the Saints’ roster as it stands right now. The question becomes whether they would be willing to sign on for a backup role and the league-minimum salary that comes with it. If the Saints are looking for an experienced left tackle who could take over if Fuaga moves back to the right side, Smith would make a lot of sense. Turner has mainly played right tackle as of late.

If we’re guessing today, the Saints won’t sign anyone. They’ll wait until pads come on and the first few days of practice are behind them before considering new additions. Give the youngsters time to settle in with their new coaches and test the veteran players competing behind them. They’ve had all offseason to make more moves and this Ramczyk development didn’t take them by surprise. If the Saints weren’t comfortable with their depth chart they would have done more to change it during the last two or three months.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Free agent safety market shrinks for Colts as Ravens sign Eddie Jackson

Safety is a perceived need for the Colts, but the free agent market continues to shrink with the Ravens signing Eddie Jackson.

The safety position is where the Indianapolis Colts could still use some help, but the free-agent market continues to shrink.

On Friday it was reported by Adam Schefter that the Baltimore Ravens signed Eddie Jackson to a one-year deal. At this time, the contract specifics haven’t been reported.

Jackson, a fourth-round pick by the Bears in 2017, has spent his entire career in Chicago up to this point. Jackson was a Pro Bowler in 2018 and 2019 and an All-Pro in 2018.

Foot injuries have kept Jackson off the field at times over the last two seasons with him missing 10 games during that span. However, when on the field, Jackson has still maintained good ball production, totaling five interceptions and 11 passes defensed, according to Pro Football Reference.

Safety, of course, is a question mark for the Colts entering training camp. Collectively, the Colts’ secondary surrendered too many big plays in 2023 and didn’t make enough plays on the ball, ranking in the bottom third of the NFL in both yards per pass attempt allowed and passes defensed.

However, the Colts’ didn’t make any outside additions to this position group during the offseason. Re-signing Julian Blackmon will help provide some stability, but there are still unknowns around the free safety role.

As of now, this will be one of the more intriguing positional battles to take place this summer between Nick Cross and Rodney Thomas. Based on what we heard from offseason programs, the two have been rotating starting reps in the practices that were open to the media.

“As much competition as we can have, we feel that will raise the bar with that group,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said via the Indy Star. “We’re just keeping it as competitive as we can right now.”

In addition to bolstering the competition at free safety, the Colts could also use more depth at the position with Daniel Scott out for the season with an Achilles injury.

Whether or not the Colts are actively looking to add to the safety position is not known, although following the draft, GM Chris Ballard did mention that they would explore remaining free agent options (he didn’t specify a position) at that time to see if there were any potential fits.

“Between now and the start of the season – there are still some good players out there,” Ballard said after the draft. “There’s some veterans out there that can still play. We’ll dig and investigate all of them and then make a decision if we think they are the right fit for us as we go along.”

In addition to the Ravens signing Jackson, in recent weeks the Rams have signed John Johnson, the Titans signed Jamal Adams, and it was reported that free agent Tashaun Gipson will serve a six game suspension for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.

Ranking Saints’ toughest offseason departures: No. 2, Jameis Winston

Saints fans know the value of a backup quarterback, but to boil Jameis Winston’s impact down to that wouldn’t tell the whole story:

Jameis Winston may not have played a meaningful down for the New Orleans Saints had he stayed, but his departure for the Cleveland Browns is still heavily felt.

Winston was the Saints’ backup quarterback and one of the better backups in the NFL. He stepped in for Derek Carr on two occasions in 2023, but he didn’t start any games. Saints fans have enough familiarity with backup quarterbacks to know the value of the position.

Go look at how Winston’s backups performed in 2021 and how Teddy Bridgewater performed when filling in for Drew Brees. Drastically different products that yielded drastically different results.

Winston is replaced by Jake Haener or Spencer Rattler. A training camp battle between the two will decide who fills that role. It’s hard to feel as confident with two unproven players at backup instead of a former Pro Bowl quarterback.

Boiling Winston’s impact down to what he did on the field is inadequate. It’s not even his biggest contribution to the team. Winston’s role took a step back last season, but he continued to galvanize the team. Leading the charge to get Jamaal Williams a touchdown in the season finale is one of the best examples of this.

Winston has always had a strong personality. It endeared him to his teammates and the fans. Locker room vibes are highlighted with post-game parties, but they can have an impact on team morale. Winston was a player who kept the vibes and morale high. They’ll have to replace that as well in 2024.

[lawrence-related id=146112,145982,145886]