Tag: offseason

Saints’ offseason assets ranked among the NFL’s worst war chests

PFF has the Saints in the worst position to be in: a bad team without many offseason assets. They need more draft picks and more salary cap space to compete:

Pro Football Focus has New Orleans Saints in the worst position to be in as we get closer to the talent acquisition portion of the offseason. The Saints are a bad team without a lot of assets to change this reality. That means they’re short on draft picks and salary cap resources.

PFF ranked New Orleans as having the third-worst assets this offseason. Most teams at the bottom of the asset rankings are playoff teams. The Seahawks, who rank at the bottom, were a tiebreaker away from winning the NFC West. Then you have the Saints and Atlanta Falcons at 30 and 31st.

These rankings were determined by three categories: effective cap space, restructure potential and draft capital. The problem for the Saints is they’re the only team without any effective cap space after pushing so much money from past deals into this fiscal year.

New Orleans does have a good amount of restructure potential, as always, but most of the restructuring will be to get under the salary cap. It doesn’t mean they won’t sign anyone in free agency. New Orleans signed Chase Young last year after starting in a similar situation. However, the restructuring won’t give the Saints much to play with this offseason.

Building the roster will come through the draft for New Orleans in 2025. PFF’s rankings is a great depiction of that. Having one of the lowest sets of assets shouldn’t be too startling for New Orleans. This was expected to be a job that required a multi-year renovation.

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Saints interim coach lumped into a group of the coaching cycle’s losers

There won’t be any interim coaches retained this coaching cycle, so B/R has that group as one of the offseason’s biggest losers:

The New Orleans Saints have yet to finalize a deal with Kellen Moore to be the next head coach, but the only impediment is waiting for Moore’s season to be over.

That would mean the Saints would pass over Darren Rizzi and no interim coaches will be retained.

The Saints, New York Jets and Chicago Bears all fired their coach midseason and went outside of the building for their newest head coach.

Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton called interim head coaches one of the coaching cycle’s biggest losers. He believes Antonio Pierce’s quick departure from the Las Vegas Raiders could have played a part in team’s reluctance to commit to interim coaches.

A larger contributing factor could be the lack of success of interim coaches in 2024. Pierce had a winning record as an interim coach. The three teams with an interim coach are all picking inside the top-10.

Rizzi may be a part of the loser group, but he doesn’t need sympathy. He’s one of the top special teams coordinators in the league and already has his next job lined up.

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Should the Chiefs explore a trade for Browns DE Myles Garrett?

Should the #Chiefs explore a trade for #Browns DE Myles Garrett after their Super Bowl LIX matchup against the #Eagles?

The Kansas City Chiefs have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL and may have an opportunity to improve the unit even more in the offseason after they take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

On Monday, news broke that Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett had formally requested a trade, which may open the door for Chiefs general manager to explore a move to acquire the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

Garrett is widely considered to be among the best pass-rushers in the NFL and has earned First-team All-Pro honors four times since he entered the league in 2017.

His presence could make Kansas City’s front four a nearly indomitable force, given that Garrett would potentially be lined up alongside the likes of Chris Jones, George Karlaftis, Charles Omenihu, and Mike Danna, who are all dynamic linemen in their own right.

Though it is far too early to tell if the Veach and the Chiefs will be in the market for a defensive lineman in the offseason, Garrett’s availability adds a layer of intrigue to the speculation about Kansas City’s future ahead of its showdown against the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

REPORT: Bears hiring former Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy

According to a report, the Chicago #Bears are set to hire former Kansas City #Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy to be their running backs coach.

According to a report from FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz on Saturday, the Chicago Bears are hiring former Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy as their new running backs coach.

Bieniemy spent nine years as a running backs coach and offensive coordinator with the Chiefs before moving to the nation’s capital to become the offensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the Washington Commanders for the 2023 season.

After his stint with the Commanders, the two-time Super Bowl champion was named offensive coordinator and assistant head coach of the UCLA Bruins but was unfortunately relieved of his duties after the 2024 season.

Bieniemy was rumored to be a potential replacement for the Chiefs if Kansas City’s current offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy, sought a new position with another team in the offseason.

Bears head coach Ben Johnson is sure to benefit greatly from Bieniemy’s experience and leadership in his first season with Chicago.

PFF shockingly lists Saints veteran as best TE in free agency

PFF recently listed New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson as the best player at the position in free agency. Are they correct?

The New Orleans Saints waited years for Juwan Johnson to break out to become the star tight end they needed him to be. While he never really worked out with them, could he be on his way to a big pay day simply because of a weak market in free agency?

Pro Football Focus recently released their ranking of every tight end available this offseason and Juwan Johnson took the top spot. The players listed behind him are Mike Gesicki of the Cincinnati Bengals and Tyler Conklin from the New York Jets.

Johnson would not be viewed as the best player in every free agent class, but this certainly isn’t one with a ton of competition.

The former Penn State Nittany Lions and Oregon Ducks star gets a little bit of grace for the weak start of his career, as he was a pure wide receiver in college and needed time to transition, but still wasn’t a huge receiving threat out of the tight end spot. At least not consistently.

His best season came in 2022 when he had 42 catches for 508 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s been massively inconsistent since then, though, failing to capitalize on the momentum. So far in his career, he has 146 catches for 1,622 yards and 18 scores across five seasons. That kind of production might be attractive to the right team on the open market.

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How much longer can Cam Heyward defy age heading into 2025 season?

Cam Heyward continues to defy age, but how much longer can the Steelers rely on him before finding his eventual replacement?

The 2025 NFL offseason must be treated with careful planning, great attention, and reflection if the Pittsburgh Steelers are to rebound from their disappointing five-game losing streak to end the 2024 season.

One of the most painful questions the Pittsburgh Steelers must ask themselves heading into the offseason, however, is how much longer they can rely on the sole efforts of Cam Heyward to uphold a weakening defensive line.

Heyward will be 36 years old by the time the 2025 regular season rolls around—just one year older than when legendary Steelers DT “Mean” Joe Greene retired.

Heyward put together one of his greatest seasons to date in 2024, but Father Time waits for no man. Ideally, he would be able to play at an elite level for another five years, but this simply isn’t realistic.

Ultimately, if the Pittsburgh Steelers care about staying competitive in the postseason—and there’s little evidence to suggest that they do—drafting his heir apparent in the 2025 NFL Draft would be the right move.

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Saints free agent preview: DE Payton Turner, stay or go?

Previewing free agency for the New Orleans Saints: Should they retain defensive end Payton Turner, or let him walk in the 2025 offseason?

The New Orleans Saints have some decisions to make this offseason, with a litany of free agents hitting the market (both their own and others), they will have to use their money sparingly to try and accrue new talent. Deciding who stays and who goes is a difficult process, as players like Trey Hendrickson get away sometimes due to cap space.

One of the players set to become a free agent this offseason is defensive end Payton Turner, who had his fifth-year option declined by the Saints last offseason. The 2021 first round pick has unfortunately not lived up to his potential, and that makes the decision regarding his contract easier than some others.

With that said, here is his career summary so far:

Career Stats

Payton Turner has had an exceptionally slow start to his career to date, as in four seasons he has only played in 31 games, starting none, and accrued 50 total tackles (30 solo, 20 assisted), 39 pressures, 11 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 4 pass deflections, 2 forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. These stats are something you would expect in one season from a first round pick, not over their entire rookie contract.

Statistically he has struggled and that heavily coincides with his lack of time played and injuries accrued. Even when he does play, he seems a step or two slow due to the accrued injuries over four seasons.

Snap Counts

Here are the snap counts for the games Turner played in his four seasons:

  • 2021 – 41% (143)
  • 2022 – 32% (171)
  • 2023 – 20% (25)
  • 2024 – 31% (335)

2024 season review

2024 was not much of a revelation for Turner, as despite being able to play in 16 games, he was unable to accrue any meaningful statistics over the course of the year. His 4 pass deflections were one of the very few stats he showed up for, as his height allowed him to make plays on passes off the edge rather often. Other than that though, it was not particularly a good season, and in what is a contract year, it was likely not enough to earn another with the Saints.

Stay or go?

As is clear by the analysis of his stats, health, or eye test, Turner just has not shown enough to prove he is worth another contract. As much as he looked like a solid player coming out of his draft class, he ultimately has struggled immensely with injuries which is truly unfortunate, as you hate to see any injuries to younger up and coming players.

As much as I would like to validate a one year deal, the defensive end room needs a bit of an overhaul, and new talent needs to find its way into that group. Turner would also likely benefit from new scenery and new coaching, so it is in the best interest of both teams to go there separate ways and find what they need.

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Experts suggest Chiefs TE Travis Kelce could be cut in offseason

The experts @PFN365 suggested that #Chiefs TE Travis Kelce could be cut by Kansas City in the offseason.

Though the Kansas City Chiefs are squarely focused on their upcoming matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, most teams in the NFL are already looking ahead to the offseason.

Last week, the experts at Pro Football Network revealed their list of potential cut candidates for each of the league’s teams, which included a few surprises.

Among the most controversial cut candidates was Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who was an instrumental contributor in Kansas City’s win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night.

Take a look at PFN’s justification for listing Kelce as a cut candidate below:

“I know. Your instinct is to yell and call me stupid, but first, just hear me out. Travis Kelce is a legitimate cut candidate for the Kansas City Chiefs for a couple of reasons, the first being that he may just retire, which essentially means he will cut himself.

The second reason is that, despite his playoff performances, Kelce has been a fading force this season. His yards per reception had been above 12 for nine straight years entering 2023. Last year, that dropped to 10.6, and in 2024, it fell to 8.5. The eight touchdowns he scored over the last two seasons combined would have been considered a bad year between 2017 and 2022.

Kelce can clearly still be a role player for the Chiefs, but a role player costing $19.8 million is crazy, no matter how great they have been for your franchise in their career. Any cut for Kelce could be procedural, where he is nominally cut and then re-signed at a more cap-friendly deal. Equally, they could just throw four void years on and move upward of $12.5 million into the future as a thank-you to the veteran.”

Expect fans in Kansas City to riot if the Chiefs decide to cut Kelce, especially if he puts together a career-defining performance against the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX.

B/R names Saints the worst offseason landing spot for their own former QB

Should the Saints pursue one of their own former quarterbacks in free agency? Bleacher Report says if they call Andy Dalton, he shouldn’t answer the phone:

The New Orleans Saints quarterback situation is all of a sudden up in the air with speculation on a Derek Carr trade starting to heat up. If that happens, the Saints would likely be in the market for a new veteran to guide their younger passers on the roster.

Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox recently suggested they avoid a reunion with a former quarterback, as they were named the worst landing spot for Andy Dalton this offseason. Here is what Knox had to say about his reasoning:

If Carr remains in New Orleans, Dalton could only hope for a low-level backup contract with the Saints. If they part ways with Carr, he might get a chance to compete with Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler for the starting job. However, he’d have to do so on a bargain contract and for a new coaching staff with which he is unfamiliar. Dalton would have almost nothing to gain from a Saints reunion.

For reference, the best landing spot was with the Tennessee Titans. That is a spot that he could get a higher-than-minimum deal while also having a chance to compete given the lack of talent in that quarterback room.

Dalton should not get too picky, though, seeing as he is clearly not in the best form of his career. He started five games, played in six, for the Carolina Panthers this past season. He completed 66.3% of his passes for 989 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

If he can get a nice-sized deal for some reason elsewhere, he should absolutely take it. New Orleans might not be the worst case, though. He is familiar with the city and with a handful of veterans that will still be on the team from his last run.

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B/R picks three Saints veterans as likely cap casualties this offseason

The New Orleans Saints have little money to work with this offseason, which could lead to these veterans being salary cap casualties:

The New Orleans Saints are strapped for cash this offseason, which means that a number of veterans could be let go in an attempt to free up some more money.

Bleacher Report’s scouting department recently scoured through each NFL team’s roster to find players likely to be cut this offseason in an effort to free up some money. For the Saints, it was three veteran role players that do make some sense.

First up, it was fan-favorite defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, who could clear up about $2.6 million in cap if he were cut.

Saunders was an exciting player when he was picked up in free agency ahead of 2023, but he has not been exactly the player that was hoped for. It’s not a great sign when all of your defensive tackle’s best plays came on the offensive side of the ball. The Saints run defense was abysmal last year and everyone on the interior outside of Bryan Bresee is expendable.

Next was someone who is almost assuredly going to get cut, Cedrick Wilson Jr. He would clear just a bit less at $2.4 million, but he was a non-factor this year so it is a no-brainer. Wilson had just 20 catches for 211 yards and a score.

Lastly, it was someone that would hurt to see get cut. Hometown tight end Foster Moreau would free up almost $2.8 million.

This is one that doesn’t make much sense. He is, by far, the most likely of the three to survive this offseason. Moreau had 32 catches for 413 yards and five scores despite largely being a blocker. He is a fine second tight end and is a leader on the team. Replacing him for less than $2.8 million would be a tall task.

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