Tag: Saints

Report: Saints, Tyrann Mathieu share ‘mutual’ interest ahead of free agency

If the Saints lose Marcus Williams in free agency, teaming up with Tyrann Mathieu could be in the cards. C.J. Gardner-Johnson sure hopes so, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

With starting safety Marcus Williams likely to test the free agent market, the New Orleans Saints may find themselves shopping for a replacement this offseason. Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reports the Saints share “mutual” interest with Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu is set to enter free agency next week after playing out his three-year, $42 million contract with the Chiefs.

The three-time All-Pro reportedly drew a lot of interest when he was available ahead of the 2019 season. While that is reasonable to expect this year, any mutual interest between Mathieu and the Saints should set them apart. Mathieu is from New Orleans, played college football at LSU, and has continued to be active in those communities since being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in 2013.

It seems that there is interest within the roster as well. Fellow safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson took to Twitter to do his part in recruiting Mathieu to the Big Easy himself. One has to imagine that safety group featuring Mathieu, Gardner-Johnson, and Malcolm Jenkins would be a lot of fun to watch on Sundays. Gardner-Johnson is certainly into the idea of it:

If Mathieu is seen as the potential replacement for Marcus Williams, his usage would have to be different in New Orleans than it has been in Kansas City. According to Pro Football Focus play by play charting, the former LSU Tiger lined up at free safety just 308 times in 2021. Compare that to Marcus Williams who lined up at the same spot for 922 of his 1,037 2021 snaps.

The affectionately nicknamed “Honey Badger” played most of his snaps in the slot or in the box. He aligned in those roles a combined 745 defensive snaps. Meanwhile Williams was only charged to take 87 snaps in the box and 21 from the slot in the Saints offense last year. New Orleans would probably have to move some players around in the secondary to accommodate Mathieu’s unique skills set.

Of course, playing safety in the NFL is about more than just where a player aligns at the snap. But the assignments of Dennis Allen’s defense would be a far venture from what Mathieu was asked to do with the Chiefs. Mathieu is one of the top safeties in the NFL and would be a great addition to the Saints defense. He has shown a lot of versatility over his nine years in the NFL, and couple possibly continue to do so in a 10th with his hometown New Orleans Saints. Let’s see how it shakes out.

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Where the Saints stand after Broncos trade for Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson is being traded to the Broncos. Aaron Rodgers is staying with the Packers. So where does that leave the Saints in their QB search?

Well the NFL quarterbacks market was quiet — until it wasn’t. The Green Bay Packers reached an agreement to run it back with Aaron Rodgers on Tuesday, and, not to be outdone, hours later the Denver Broncos cut a deal with the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Russell Wilson. That takes both of the top passers looking to maybe change teams out of play, so where does it leave the New Orleans Saints?

Let’s put on a brave face. Jameis Winston has to be the favorite to start in 2022, right? But he’s a free agent who should get some offers from other quarterback-needy teams around the NFL. It isn’t guaranteed that he’ll return to New Orleans. So maybe they could consider someone else like Teddy Bridgewater or Mitchell Trubisky. And a trade for Jimmy Garoppolo can’t be ruled out.

If none of those options sound too appealing, well, that’s because they aren’t. The Saints entered the offseason with one of the NFL’s largest question marks at quarterback and now they’ve been left in the cold. They aren’t getting Rodgers (which always felt like a long shot). They won’t be getting Wilson, either (which had quite a bit of smoke to it). It doesn’t seem like any other blue-chip quarterbacks will be on the move. It means New Orleans has to make do with what’s left.

Depending on how you feel about Winston, that may be a good thing. If he does return he’ll be the unchallenged starter and the Saints can really focus on upgrading his supporting cast. It’s also possible the Saints could choose to wait and draft a rookie passer, but that doesn’t feel likely. If anything, it’s beginning to feel like New Orleans is knee-deep in quarterback purgatory after losing Sean Payton and Drew Brees.

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Report links Jaguars, Dolphins to Saints pending free agent Terron Armstead

Report links Jaguars, Dolphins to Saints pending free agent Terron Armstead

Well isn’t that interesting. NFL Network’s Mike Giardi shared some of his takeaways from this year’s NFL scouting combine, and there’s already plenty of intrigue surrounding one of the New Orleans Saints’ biggest free agents: left tackle Terron Armstead.

Giardi reports two teams, the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars, are already preparing to make a run at Armstead when teams can begin contacting free agents on March 14. No deal can be signed until the new league fiscal year begins on March 16 but from the sounds of it these two are readying strong contract offers.

And more teams could enter the sweepstakes for Armstead’s services; we identified five possible landing spots earlier this offseason, with Miami and Jacksonville each making the cut. They’re easy fits given the massive amount of salary cap space they have to spend (the two teams rank second- and third-most around the league in effective caps pace) and, you know, the young quarterbacks they’ve already invested so much in who are in need of protection.

What’s really interesting about this is the possible fit for Armstead in Jacksonville. The Jaguars of course own the top pick in the 2022 NFL draft, and they’ve often been projected to spend it on left tackles like Alabama’s Evan Neal and North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu. If the Jaguars instead land Armstead in a blockbuster signing, the top of the draft is suddenly highly unpredictable. But we’ll just have to wait and see how the situation develops should Armstead actually reach the open market.

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Saints re-sign backup offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge

The Saints are re-signing restricted free agent Ethan Greenidge, a backup offensive tackle with some experience at guard:

Here’s a good move: the New Orleans Saints brought back Ethan Greenidge for the 2022 season, as first reported by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Greenidge, who will be 25 when the season starts, has been a backup left tackle for the Saints the last few years and began taking snaps at right guard during the 2021 preseason until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

Now healthy, Greenidge is likely returning on a minimum salary (valued at about $965,000) rather than on a restricted free agent tender. Having some experienced depth is never a bad thing. Look for Greenidge and second-year draft pick Landon Young (who is also recovering from a season-ending injury) to compete for snaps behind the starter, whoever that may be — the Saints could re-sign Terron Armstead, keep James Hurst at left tackle, or flip All-Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk back to the left side, where he lined up in college. They’ve got options.

What’s interesting, though, is that the Saints are now shifting their attention to their restricted free agents. Retaining Greenidge at what should come in at near-minimum salary makes sense. New Orleans also chose not to tender another restricted free agent, tight end Garrett Griffin, and he could come back at a similar pay rate. Other Saints players in this category include wide receivers Deonte Harty and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, defensive tackle Shy Tuttle, and defensive end Carl Granderson. If not tendered, they will become unrestricted free agents.

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Bengals apply franchise tag to Jessie Bates, making Marcus Williams the best available safety

Bengals apply franchise tag to Jessie Bates, making Saints pending free agent Marcus Williams the best available safety:

No one was happier to see the Cincinnati Bengals issue the franchise tag to star safety Jessie Bates III more than Marcus Williams. The New Orleans Saints’ pending free agent stands to benefit in a huge way from Bates staying in Cincinnati; in his absence, Williams will now be one of the most sought-after players to hit the open market — assuming the Saints don’t tag him, too, which isn’t expected ahead of March 8’s 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT deadline.

And Williams should enjoy an active market. There just aren’t many players with his skills set as a ballhawk with rare sideline-to-sideline speed. He could be seen as a foundational piece for rebuilding teams like the New York Jets and Detroit Lions, or the last piece missing from a playoff hopeful like the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles. He’s rightfully going to chase the $17.5 million per-year figure that Jamal Adams is getting from the Seattle Seahawks. Whether he gets it is anyone’s guess, but Williams should come close.

So that’s obviously going to leave a huge void in New Orleans, and a possible third- or fourth-round compensatory draft pick in 2023 isn’t going to do a lot to make up for his departure. There’s a chance Williams doesn’t get the hefty offers he’s expecting in free agency, and if that’s the case maybe he stays in New Orleans. If not, though, there are some options in this free agent class who could replace him.

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Saints have the means to make a big draft-day trade for a top wide receiver

The Saints haven’t traded up for a wide receiver since picking Brandin Cooks in 2014, but it may be time for them to make a big draft-day move, via @RossJacksonNOLA:

The New Orleans Saints have traded up at some point in the NFL draft every season since Jeff Ireland joined the staff as director of college scouting assistant general manager. The pattern of aggressive mobility in the draft hasn’t been isolated to Ireland’s time, but he’s the connective tissue that binds the team’s most successful drafts of recent years. In 2022, with Sean Payton no longer with the team, Ireland’s draft habits shouldn’t be expected to change and neither should the front office’s willingness to go get the players they want.

With the Saints heading into the new league year as one of the NFL’s wide receiver-neediest team, there are ample opportunities to address the position with a talented rookie group in this year’s draft. However, after some impressive NFL scouting combine performances, prospects like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and even Jameson Williams could possibly require the Saints to trade up from pick 18. Could this be the first year in Jeff Ireland’s tenure that the Saints trade up for a wide receiver?

Of the positions the Saints have moved up for since his hiring in 2015, wide receiver is not one of them. In fact, it’s the only non-special teams position the Saints haven’t traded up for with Ireland on staff. The last time the Saints did make a jump for a wideout was in 2014 when New Orleans selected Brandin Cooks. Since then the team has only drafted three wide receivers: Michael Thomas in 2016’s second round, Tre’Quan Smith in 2018’s third round, and Kawaan Baker in 2021’s seventh round.

Since the selection of Michael Thomas, who went on to become a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, New Orleans has mostly relied on the veteran player market or undrafted free agents to population the receiver room. This year, there’s reason to expect that to change and for a new focus to be granted to the position, including new wide receivers coach Kodi Burns.

With that said, the Saints could look to add a top wideout talent in the first year this year’s NFL draft, such as Ohio State receiver Chris Olave. Olave stole the show, even if only briefly at the combine after running an unofficial 4.26 40-yard dash. His time has since been adjusted to a 4.39, only .06 seconds behind Brandin Cooks’s 4.33. And Olave’s teammate Garrett Wilson clocked in just barely ahead of him with an official 4.38. If the Saints have shown that they are willing to make a move for anything, it’s top-tier speed and athleticism.

And if the Saints were interested in moving up for either Ohio State Buckeye, the team to get ahead of may be the in-state Cleveland Browns, who also have a big need at receiver, and who select 13th overall. For the Saints, there is a familiar draft-day trade partner in the Minnesota Vikings at 12th overall, a team that loves to stockpile picks (the Saints traded four picks with Minnesota in a bold move just a few years ago). A trade for the Saints’ 18th overall selection and either their compensatory third or one of their two expected fourth round picks could possibly help New Orleans get up ahead of the Browns and have their pick of the litter at wideout.

If the Saints pulled that off, it would still leave them four selections in the top 140 to continue to retool their offense. With needs at offensive line, tight end, and possibly even quarterback, they’d have enough fodder to continue to be aggressive in the trade market and make the moves necessary to maximize the fresh talent they can bring in this April.

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Full 7-round Saints mock draft: The post-scouting combine edition

Full 7-round Saints mock draft: The post-scouting combine edition

The 2022 NFL scouting combine is in the books, so it’s time for an update to our seven-round New Orleans Saints mock draft (you can compare it with the pre-combine mock draft we put together here). Between everything we learned from workouts in Indianapolis to the news that trickled out from after-hours meetings, we’ve really shaken up some of our projections for the 2022 draft. Let’s dig in.

Saints owner Gayle Benson to be featured on NFL Network

New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson to be featured on NFL Network, via @MaddyHudak_94:

New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson is set to be featured on NFL Network’s upcoming episode of NFL 360: Women in Sports. Reporter Jane Slater will join Melissa Stark, host of NFL 360, in interviewing Mrs. Benson set to air on Tuesday, March 8th at 8:00 p.m. CT on NFL Network.

The Emmy Award-winning show utilizes in-depth documentary-style storytelling to highlight important people, places, and moments in the NFL each month. In the midst of Women’s History Month, there’s no better time to highlight the first woman to be the majority shareholder in both an NBA and NFL franchise; an exclusive club in either sport alone.

Benson became the owner of the two teams in 2018 following the passing of her husband, Tom Benson. In her first three seasons assuming ownership, it was clear the Saints were in good hands. Posting three consecutive NFC South division titles and an NFC Championship Game appearance in her first season in 2018, New Orleans has seen a seamless transition and immediate success under a rare female owner. They also had a lot of grit in those three years – no NFL team has matched the team’s 20 road victories since 2018.

Say what you will about the ability to co-manage two sports teams, but if you haven’t been paying attention to the New Orleans Pelicans, now would be the opportune time. Despite falling 138-130 in an overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets Sunday night, the Pelicans’ four-game winning streak that beat teams by 30-point margins all ties back to a crucial hire: coach Willie Green. The culture of the Pelicans finally matches that of the Saints – it was clear back in July. I had the opportunity to co-host an exclusive interview with Green following his introductory press conference on ESPN 100.3 FM and was sold immediately. In attendance was also Mrs. Benson, who makes it a point to attend most if not all Saints training camp practices with fans to do a lap on the field and greet both fans in the stands and us sweaty reporters.

This feature feels like it’s long overdue, and with the Saints at a critical point in the juncture of a new coaching era, and the Pelicans fighting for a play-in spot in the NBA Pelicans, it’s the perfect time to spotlight an incredibly accomplished women in the sports industry.

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Saints pick Trojans WR Drake London in post-combine mock draft

The Saints picked USC Trojans wide receiver Drake London in the latest post-combine 2022 NFL mock draft:

Almost every NFL mock draft we’ve run across this offseason has the New Orleans Saints moving quickly to address their subpar passing game, whether it’s meant selecting a top quarterback prospect or one of many impressive wide receivers available in the 2022 draft cycle. That’s still the case, and it should stay that way until we get an idea of what the team plans to do in free agency later in March.

In the latest 2022 mock draft from Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire, the Saints again went with a wide receiver at No. 18 overall — but, ironically, they landed one of the few receiver prospects who didn’t run during this year’s record-setting combine. USC Trojans product Drake London is still recovering from an ankle fracture and expects to go through athletic testing drills at a private pro day in April.

London did measure in well at the combine, tipping the scales at 219 pounds while standing a hair under 6-foot-4 (he’s officially listed at 6-foot-3 and 7/8 of an inch, if you’re a stickler for that kind of thing). He’s also got one of the largest catch radiuses in this draft class with 33-inch arms on a 77 and 3/4-inch wingspan.

Take that physical profile with his college resume (160 receptions for 2,153 yards, with 15 touchdown catches in 22 games) and you’ve got a highly appealing prospect. Once London’s medicals check out and he goes through whatever paces NFL teams want to see, he should be a lock to go in the first round this year. There are concerns about London’s ability to separate from defensive backs, but it’s worth remembering how little help he got from his quarterback at USC. A more accurate passer will do him a lot of good.

As for where he slots in among the rest of the rookie class: Farrar’s mock draft has London going to the Saints at No. 18 as the third receiver off the board, following Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson landing with the Cleveland Browns at No. 13 and Arkansas standout Treylon Burks picked by the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 16. He projects three other wide receivers to go in the first round: Jameson Williams (Alabama), Chris Olave (Ohio State), and Skyy Moore (Western Michigan).

The Saints probably can’t go wrong with options like that. But there is a long way to go until draft day, and they could very well make enough additions in free agency to where receiver isn’t their most pressing need come late April. We’ll see how the situation develops.

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Terron Armstead, Marcus Williams place high in top NFL free agents rankings

Marcus Williams and Terron Armstead would be big losses for the Saints. NFL free agent rankings often have them both inside the top 10:

We all know that the New Orleans Saints have some big-time players on track to test free agency. But where exactly do Terron Armstead, Marcus Williams, and Jameis Winston rank among their rest of the class?

To get an idea of how the top Saints free agents (and a few other players of interest) are valued, I surveyed six different rankings from around the league. They were:

So while these different lists do cover different numbers of free agents, most of the prominent Saints players did make the cut. Here is where they rank against their peers: