Tag: Saints

Saints also restructured contract with Andrus Peat, saving another $7.8M

In addition to Michael Thomas and Ryan Ramczyk, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports the Saints also restructured their deal with Andrus Peat to work towards salary cap compliance:

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In addition to reworked contracts with wide receiver Michael Thomas and  offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports that the New Orleans Saints also restructured their deal with Andrus Peat to work towards salary cap compliance. Peat’s restructure freed up about $7.8 million against the 2022 salary cap.

Taken with the $26.2 million wiped out in restructures with Thomas and Ramczyk, and that’s about $34 million taken off the books on a lazy Saturday afternoon in-between Mardi Gras parades. If Saints general manager Mickey Loomis can hurry, he just might get over in time to catch Endymion as it starts rolling.

So how did the Saints do this? Thanks to reporting from the analysts at Over The Cap, we can see that the Saints reduced Peat’s 2022 base salary (which was fully guaranteed already) from over $10.8 million down to the veteran’s minimum of about $1.1 million, converting the difference into a new signing bonus that will count against the remaining years left on his contract. In order for the math to work out, the Saints must have added two void years onto his contract, which was set to expire after the 2024 season anyway.

The downside to this, though, is that Peat has a 2023 cap hit north of $18.3 million. If he’s playing well and avoids injury, nobody cares about that and the Saints will likely restructure him again in 2023 (as they’ve done in 2022 and 2021). With the salary cap expected to go to the moon next year as new media rights agreements flush cash into the NFL’s coffers, Peat’s specific cap hit will be even less of a deal. But injuries and subpar play have dogged him throughout his career, and there is some risk here. The Saints won’t save significant cap space in cutting Peat until after June 1, 2023 as things currently stand.

So let’s hope it doesn’t get to that point. Right now, the Saints are still over the 2022 cap (set at $208.2 million) by approximately $42.2 million, down from the $76 million albatross they started with. And while that may seem like a lot they’ve only got a few more easy moves to make before reaching cap compliance: restructuring contracts with cornerback Marshon Lattimore (saving up to $18.4 million), quarterback Taysom Hill ($7.2 million) and  running back Alvin Kamara ($6.4 million) gets them most of the way there.

Reaching a decision on backup corner Bradley Roby (releasing him from his contract recoups over $9.4 million) leaves the Saints over the cap by roughly $800,000, and then they’re in the clear. At that point, New Orleans can make tougher calls on expensive veterans like defensive end Cameron Jordan, linebacker Demario Davis, safety Malcolm Jenkins, and defensive tackle David Onyemata. Simple restructures create immediate cap space, but make it tougher to get out of those contracts if the player’s performance erodes with age. And in Onyemata’s case, a true extension may be better than another restructure.

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How many Saints players will be franchise tag-ineligible due to void years?

The Saints previously restructured contracts with Cameron Jordan and Demario Davis that make them franchise tag-ineligible, but it’s an option in the future for other players:

No team has weaponized automatically-voided contract years (also sometimes called “ghost years”) like the New Orleans Saints. Their go-to tool has helped them navigate some hazardous waters, working around the salary cap to put the best team together and hold onto as much talent possible. But it’s not without costs. Whenever a contract voids, any prorated payments (often leftover signing bonus payouts kicked down the road) accelerate to the immediate offseason if the player doesn’t sign a new deal. And, depending on when the contract is scheduled to void, it could take the franchise tag out of play.

Teams can pick any date they want in determining when future contract years will void. It could be two days after the Super Bowl or two days before free agency begins, or anywhere in-between. Most teams have preferred to schedule these void triggers shortly after the Super Bowl, giving them time to evaluate the player’s season and decide whether they should be part of their long-term plans.

Putting the trigger date there also places it before the franchise tag window opens. That benefits the team in case this is a player they badly want to retain, keeping the franchise tag (and the transition tag, which works similarly but only brings right of first refusal to another team’s contract offer) in play during contract negotiations.

But we’ve seen the Saints make concessions to players in scheduling the void date as late as possible — contracts with Terron Armstead and Jameis Winston both include void years for accounting purposes, and the date triggering their expiration is March 16. That’s the same day free agency kicks off, and it’s also a week after the franchise tag window slams shut. So both Armstead and Winston were given concessions that they would either re-sign with the Saints or hit the open market so they could take the best possible offer, dodging the tag altogether.

Side note: that’s also the case for Tre’Quan Smith, whose contract was restructured to add void years late in 2021 and will expire on the same date as Armstead and Winston. New Orleans was pressed for cap space late in the 2021 season with so many players on injured reserve and unavailable in COVID-19 protocols. But, to be frank, Smith wouldn’t be considered for the tag either way. He’s not getting paid the $19 million the tag is valued this year by the Saints or anyone else. We’ll write that one off as the Saints choosing to keep things simple.

But let’s take a look at which other Saints players currently have void years written into their contracts, and how that could come into play with the franchise tag down the road:

Report: Drew Brees, Sean Payton among top candidates to replace Troy Aikman

Report: Drew Brees, Sean Payton among top candidates to replace top FOX analyst Troy Aikman if he leaves for ESPN

Well that’s interesting. ESPN is closing in on a landmark broadcasting deal with lead FOX Sports analyst Troy Aikman, per the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand, which would shake up things for multiple networks covering the NFL. And two New Orleans Saints legends could wind up in the middle of it.

Marchand lists both Drew Brees and Sean Payton as candidates for Aikman’s job spearheading FOX’s flagship “America’s Game of the Week” feature each week during the NFL season, along with the network’s No. 2 analyst Greg Olsen. While Olsen is already under contract with FOX, they could sign Payton outright or work out a trade with NBC should Brees be their preference.

It’s an interesting situation. Marchand reports that Aikman is envisioned as the new face of their “Monday Night Football” special each week, and with his broadcast partner Joe Buck’s contract expiring after next year, ESPN could grow bold and try to poach both of them.

Brees has worked in the same role as Aikman in offering color commentary during games, though he’s frankly looked a little green for such a big stage. He’s done better in studio work reviewing the day’s action rather than in-the-moment broadcasting. He could be a great replacement for Aikman if chosen, but that’s hardly guaranteed.

Payton is a wild card, though. He’s taken an interest in broadcasting and has been actively interviewing for jobs with various networks since his sudden resignation from coaching the Saints. Whether it’s with FOX or someone else, let’s hope he finds a job he likes well enough to stay there rather than return to coach a different team.

But doesn’t this feel like Olsen’s job to lose? He’s been a natural fit in front of cameras after a long, productive playing career, and it seems like his natural charisma comes across easier in calling games than it has for Brees. Then again, Marchand notes that FOX executives could consider other candidates around the NFL’s orbit.

It’s obviously a very fluid situation, and things could change in a hurry. Maybe Aikman stays at FOX after all. Wherever this story goes next, we’ll be sure to keep an eye out.

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One free agent from every NFC South team the Jets should target

A look at a few NFC South free agent targets for the Jets:

The NFC South has produced a lot of playoff-caliber teams recently. Now, those teams could lose marquee contributors on both sides of the ball, and the Jets are in a great position to pounce.

New York should look at several free agent targets from this division to shore up various positions of need. That includes wide receiver, along the front-seven and in the secondary.

Here is one possible target from every NFC South team.

Saints announce changes for 2022 coaching staff

The Saints announced changes to Dennis Allen’s coaching staff, including the promotion of Ronald Curry to passing game coordinator and the hire of two co-defensive coordinators:

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The New Orleans Saints announced several changes to Dennis Allen’s 2022 coaching staff, including the promotion of quarterbacks coach Ronald Curry to passing game coordinator, some shifting responsibilities at other spots, and the finalized hires of two co-defensive coordinators. Here is everything you need to know from Wednesday’s news:

College teammates Kris Richard, Ryan Nielsen now Saints co-defensive coordinators

Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen were college teammates at USC, and now they’re working together as the Saints’ co-defensive coordinators:

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Here’s a cool angle to the latest New Orleans Saints news: defensive backs coach Kris Richard and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen have been promoted to work as co-defensive coordinators under first-year head coach Dennis Allen, and they have quite a history together.

Richard and Nielsen were college teammates at USC from 1998 to 2001 under then-Trojans coach Pete Carroll. Nielsen earned All-Pac 10 recognition in 1999, and Richard went on to be selected in the third round of the 2002 NFL draft.

And while their coaching careers took them in vastly different directions, the Saints aren’t exactly throwing together a pair of strangers and telling them to figure it out. Richard immediately began coaching in the NFL on Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks staff after his playing career ended, rising to the post of defensive coordinator in 2015. Meanwhile, Nielsen spent years working at the college level and was twice nominated for the Broyles Award at NC State, until the Saints hired him as their defensive line coach in 2017.

Richard and Nielsen were coworkers last season, and now they’re in a great position to collaborate and boost both of their careers. They’ve been coveted by other teams at both the pro and college level in recent years, and if this works out, it’s going to look great on each of their resumes. If things work out as planned they could each be running their own teams in the not-so-distant future. Dennis Allen is still going to call the shots on defense given his background there, but it sure helps to have some well-positioned advisors like Nielsen and Richard at his side.

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Saints to name Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard co-defensive coordinators

Saints to name Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard their co-defensive coordinators:

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There we go: the New Orleans Saints have found their way forward at defensive coordinator, filling the void left by Dennis Allen’s promotion to head coach by naming two of his key assistants to the job. Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen and secondary coach Kris Richard will work as co-defensive coordinators in 2022.

The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman first reported that Nielsen has signed a two-year contract in accepting the co-defensive coordinator title, which was confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg who added that Richard was elevated to the same position. The Saints brought in several outside candidates for the job, but ultimately opted to put coaches already on staff into a bigger spot. It continues a theme of maintaining continuity in the post-Sean Payton era.

This move was expected given all the chatter about it in recent days, and it might be what’s best for everyone. Allen has two voices he trusts to help shoulder the load in managing a defense they’ve built together while he handles larger responsibilities as head coach. And both Nielsen and Richard are coaches on the rise — Nielsen has had multiple offers to work as a defensive coordinator at the college and NFL level, while Richard interviewed for that post with three different teams this offseason alone.

So how will it work in practice? Expect Nielsen and Richard to help craft the game plan each week with Allen, but they could split responsibilities calling plays early in the season to find the best combination. Maybe you have Nielsen handle first and second downs while Richard takes third downs and red zone possessions, and then switch it the next week. Allen could also choose to stay on the mic in communicating with his defense most often. It’s going to take some time to figure out, but the Saints wouldn’t have taken this route if they didn’t have a plan.

Putting them into this position also puts them on track to maybe become head coaches of their own someday. It’s tough to go from being a position coach to a head coach, but spending a year or two helping to run a wildly successful unit as a coordinator would really juice up their resumes. We’ll have to wait and see if these guys can maintain the success they’ve found before, but it’s a good situation to work with.

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2022 draft spotlight: Vols WR Velus Jones Jr. is a prospect on the rise

2022 draft spotlight: Vols WR Velus Jones Jr. is a prospect on the rise, and the Saints should take note

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We’ve already discussed how the New Orleans Saints hiring wide receivers coach Kodi Burns may help give them an inside track on some prospects in the 2022 NFL draft, but one player to note in particular is Tennessee Volunteers wideout Velus Jones Jr. Listed at 6-foot-even and exactly 200 pounds, Jones broke out in 2021 during Burns’ first year at Tennessee after transferring from USC a season earlier.

He was an effective No. 2 receiver in the Vols’ offense, ranking second on the team in receptions (62), receiving yards (807), and touchdown catches (7) while playing in all 13 games. And his role in the NFL will likely be a complimentary weapon working across from an established No. 1 wideout like Michael Thomas. But what’s interesting is that Jones didn’t hit his stride until Burns started coaching him; in his first 46 games, most of them at USC, he totaled just 58 receptions for 627 yards and 4 touchdowns.

And then Jones parlayed that production into a big week at the Senior Bowl, impressing NFL scouts and coaches in attendance. Zebra Technologies tracking found that he was consistently one of the fastest players in practices during the week, and he’s put enough work into refining his routes to compete at the pro level. His experience fielding kickoffs (he’s returned 122 of them in 59 college games) should also help his case.

New Orleans has a history of going after Tennessee prospects. Alvin Kamara of course has been their most notable pickup from Rocky Top, but they’ve also gotten great returns on undrafted free agent finds like Marquez Callaway and Shy Tuttle. Ethan Wolf and Bryce Thompson are also returning for 2022 from the Saints practice squad.

Maybe Jones joins them. He would be a good pick on the third day of the draft, especially if the Saints add a more-established weapon sooner. Whether that means spending an early-round pick on a top prospect or investing in a veteran free agent, you’d like to see New Orleans double down on the receiving corps. Jones has real potential, but he’d be best served competing with Deonte Harty and Marquez Callaway in the rotation behind Michael Thomas and a new starter. Throwing him into the starting lineup right away wouldn’t serve anyone well.

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NFL’s franchise tag window introduces crucial deadline for Saints, Marcus Williams

The NFL’s franchise tag window is now open. It makes sense for the Saints to issue the tag to Marcus Williams again, but it isn’t an option for Terron Armstead:

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Feb. 22 is an important date on the NFL calendar: teams may now issue the franchise tag to eligible players, keeping them under contract through the 2022 season. They have until March 8 to reach a decision on whether or not they’ll use the tag.

And that includes the New Orleans Saints, who must decide whether they’ll use the franchise tag again on free safety Marcus Williams. Williams had another excellent season in 2021 while playing on the tag, valued at $10.612 million — if the Saints choose to deploy it again, they’ll owe him a fully-guaranteed $12.911 million.

It isn’t a big jump in price (a different of just $2.299 million, or a 122% increase) but it would be a tough hurdle to navigate. Franchise tag figures can’t be restructured or reduced if the team and player don’t reach a long-term extension by midsummer (last year’s deadline was July 15). That’s what happened last year, when the Saints had that $10.612 million cap hit weighing them down. By season’s end they were restructuring almost every player making more than minimum salary just to fill out their roster.

So while it wouldn’t be ideal to see Williams play on the tag again this year, issuing it in the first place still may be the team’s best move. Hopefully the Saints can meet with Williams’ representatives at the NFL Scouting Combine next week to negotiate an extension instead — a lot of deals get cut in private dining rooms at Indianapolis steakhouses. But if they haven’t agreed to terms this late in the process, it feels unlikely they’ll get there now. Using the tag to buy more time to talk about a lucrative contract with one of their best players makes sense. If Williams tests free agency, teams will be lining up to sign him.

There really aren’t many tag candidates for New Orleans beyond Williams. Left tackle Terron Armstead is going to be one of the top free agents available this offseason, but he isn’t eligible to receive the tag. Because the Saints restructured his last contract with void years that won’t trigger until the start of the new league year on March 16, a week after the franchise tag application cutoff date, he isn’t an option. He’ll technically still be under contract when the franchise tag window closes on March 8.

That doesn’t feel like a clerical oversight from the Saints and salary cap specialist Khai Harley; if anything, it’s likely a concession to Armstead to ensure he’ll get his money in free agency. New Orleans could have scheduled the void years to trigger earlier (as other teams have done) and keep the tag in play for them and Armstead, but instead he’ll have an opportunity to seek the best possible contract. That could very well be with the Saints, but it just doesn’t feel realistic given how many needy teams have cash to spend.

So to recap: here are the relevant dates and deadlines to know for the Saints and the franchise tag:

  • Feb. 22: Franchise tag application window opens
  • March 8: Franchise tag application window closes
  • July 15: Deadline to sign franchise tagged players to extensions

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Saints narrowing DC search, could promote both Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen

The Saints are narrowing their defensive coordinator search, and could choose to name Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen co-DC’s:

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Well that’s interesting. The New Orleans Saints are considering a move to run with co-defensive coordinators under first-year head coach Dennis Allen, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who reports that the team has narrowed its search to in-house candidates Kris Richard and Ryan Nielsen. And there’s a possibility that Richard and Nielsen end up being named co-defensive coordinators.

That’s an eventuality first suggested by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, and the Saints may agree with his logic. If Allen is going to continue to call plays defensively after being promoted to head coach, elevating his top two assistants to these positions empowers them to make a greater influence on game planning and shaping the unit overall.

It doesn’t feel like either of them will be long for New Orleans. Richard, the Saints’ secondary coach, interviewed for three different open defensive coordinator jobs this offseason, meeting with the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Nielsen, their defensive line coach, was considered for the Green Bay Packers coordinator opening last year, when the Saints gave him a raise and the title of assistant head coach to block the LSU Tigers from poaching him.

Both assistant coaches are on the rise, and a good performance as co-defensive coordinator could help their chances of landing a head coach job. It’s really tough to go from being a position coach to a head coach. Doing well with greater responsibilities as a coordinator (or, in this case, a co-coordinator) might be the resume-padding needed to go the distance.

And if Allen is looking to take more of a hands-off approach to his defense on game days, promoting Richard and Nielsen like this could give both coaches the opportunity to call plays. Whether they’re on the mic for entire games or just drives or sequences, it’s an opportunity for everyone to share their input and earn more experience while doing their best to help the team. It’s worth noting that Nielsen hasn’t worked as a coordinator before, but Richard has experience as a passing game coordinator in his past NFL stops.

It’s important to remember that we’re in a fluid situation as Allen works to finish reorganizing his coaching staff before they fly out to Indianapolis next week for the NFL Scouting Combine, where everyone will have their hands full interviewing draft prospects and observing workouts. He could ultimately choose Richard or Nielsen as his coordinator, or as we just explored, go with both of them. Other tweaks are on the way — it’s been reported that special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi, who interviewed for the head coaching job himself, could be promoted too but it’s unclear what that may entail (naming him assistant head coach feels appropriate).

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