Tag: Seahawks

After early games, Saints-Bucs winner will hold a lead on the NFC South

The New Orleans Saints could take an early lead on the NFC South title by beating the Buccaneers, after the Panthers and Falcons lost Week 1

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The NFL’s early slate of Week 1 games have just about wrapped up, and the two contests most important to the New Orleans Saints’ interests are decided. The Carolina Panthers lost their home opener to the visiting Las Vegas Raiders despite late-game heroics from former Saints backup Teddy Bridgewater, and the Atlanta Falcons were easily dispatched in their own building by the road-warrior Seattle Seahawks.

So what does that mean, exactly? If the Saints can handle their business against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans will have a critical lead over their competition for the NFC South title. The Buccaneers would trail them by a game, while the Panthers and Falcons would be a game-and-a-half behind (by virtue of a divisional win).

Of course, that also holds true for the Buccaneers. If the Saints have one of their typical slow starts to open the season, they’ll be playing catch-up right out of the gate. That’s not something they can afford, even in a long 16-game season. Kickoff is just minutes away, so tune in on your TV, radio, or streaming device of choice.

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Saints, Seahawks outbid by Titans in Jadeveon Clowney sweepstakes

The New Orleans Saints made a competitive contract offer to free agent DE Jadeveon Clowney, but the Tennessee Titans had more to give him.

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It’s finally over: the Tennessee Titans have won over free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, agreeing to sign him to a one-year contract worth as much as $15 million. That follows a strong recruiting effort from the New Orleans Saints spearheaded by head coach Sean Payton.

And it doesn’t look like the various contract offers were that far apart. The Saints were able to get within $2 million of the Titans offer, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini, but NFL insider Josina Anderson spoke with Clowney and reported that, “it came down to familiarity over economics.”

That suggests that, in a vacuum, the Saints and Titans put money on the table that Clowney would have signed off on. But the opportunity to reunite with his old Houston Texans position coach, Mike Vrabel, was too good to pass up.

Don’t get it twisted: it’s a bummer that the Saints took such a big swing at a big-time free agent and whiffed. At least they didn’t need him to turn the pass rush into a functional unit, instead acting as the X-factor that could have helped the defense take a step up. The Saints will still be stout up front without him.

And if it’s any consolation, they weren’t the only team Clowney turned down. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reports that Clowney passed on proposals bringing in north of $15 million per year earlier this summer because he didn’t want to play for those teams; the Saints, Titans, and Seattle Seahawks each made competitive offers over Labor Day weekend, but the Titans were his preferred fit. Breer added that while Clowney had interest in joining the Baltimore Ravens, the feeling wasn’t very mutual.

Crafty contracts, salary cap accounting can help the Saints afford Jadeveon Clowney

The New Orleans Saints are going hard after free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, and could find the salary cap resources to sign him.

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Could the New Orleans Saints land Jadeveon Clowney? They’re making a spirited effort according to reports from ESPN and NFL Network, aiming to get Clowney in the building with a week to spare before their Sept. 13 season opener against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But how can they afford Clowney’s services? Mike Garafolo reported for NFL Network that the Saints have reached out to agents representing their players already under contract about restructures, which would do a lot to increase their room beneath the salary cap (currently at about $7 million, per the NFL Players Association).

Those restructures have been a common tactic for the Saints, who frequently convert large chunks of guaranteed salaries into signing bonuses to spread cap hits over future years. It requires that a player already be under contract in the next fiscal year or two to pull off, but it’s a strategy that’s worked for New Orleans against the backdrop of an always-rising salary cap.

If Clowney is still set on a per-year salary of $15 million, the Saints could accommodate him with a one-year deal featuring “ghost years” to offset the salary cap charge. This is a contract model they pioneered with Drew Brees and Teddy Bridgewater that relies on automatically-voided future years that exist only for cap accounting purposes. It would allow Clowney to get the money he wants now while the Saints get billed for it later.

But it’s risky when teams know the cap will be as low as $175 million in 2021, a plummet to the tune of $23.2 million. Doing restructures and writing up voided years now limits what the Saints can do later to retain star talents like Demario Davis and Alvin Kamara, but those are problems for next year.

There’s a world where Kamara gets extended and Clowney brought on board right around the same time, but it’s the equivalent to walking a tight rope at 15,000 feet. One misstep could bring everything crashing down, as happened when contracts with Jairus Byrd and Junior Galette tanked for the Saints in the mid-2010’s. They survived that stint in the darkness, and must have learned enough to think it’s worth risking again. With their window to win a Super Bowl with Brees about to slam shut, they’re sparing no expense.

So the tools are there for the Saints to make a huge splash at the end of training camp. The question seems to be whether they can successfully outbid (or at least out-recruit) competitors like the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and maybe Clowney’s last team, the Seattle Seahawks.

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Saints, Titans ‘making strong pushes’ to recruit Jadeveon Clowney

Ex-Seahawks DE Jadeveon Clowney is the best free agent available in the NFL, and the New Orleans Saints are making a run at signing him.

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The New Orleans Saints are making a last-minute run at one of the top free agents still available, per ESPN’s Dianna Russini. Russini reports that the Saints and Tennessee Titans are each trying to lock down pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney near the end of training camp, looking to add a blue chip talent that just might be the missing piece of their Super Bowl puzzle.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero characterized the Saints’ recent interest in Clowney as “an all out blitz” including conversations with Sean Payton, but noted that several other teams are in on his sweepstakes.

Clowney played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2019 after they acquired him in a trade from the Houston Texans, who drafted him first overall back in 2014. Seattle was unable to reach an agreement with Clowney on a contract extension and he turned down a $15 million per-year offer from the Cleveland Browns, so it’s unclear just how high he’s expecting his 2020 salary to climb.

Landing Clowney would beef up a Saints pass rush rotation that became a strength of the team last year, allowing them to platoon a solid mix of veteran players including Clowney, Cameron Jordan, and Mario Edwards Jr. with an ascending group of youngsters like Marcus Davenport, Trey Hendrickson, and Carl Granderson. But bagging Clowney won’t be easy, especially if the Saints are still determined to extend Alvin Kamara’s contract before the start of the season. Stay tuned for updates as the situation develops.

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REPORT: Saints willing to trade Alvin Kamara

The New Orleans Saints open to consider trading Pro Bowl running back Alvin Kamara per a report from NFL insider Josina Anderson.

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A day after ESPN reported that Alvin Kamara had logged three unexcused absences during New Orleans Saints training camp while negotiating a contract extension, NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that the Saints are open to trading their superstar running back.

This follows news of an extension between the Cincinnati Bengals and their own powerhouse running back Joe Mixon, who signed a deal paying out $48 million over the next four years. That sort of arrangement would be the floor for any new contract between Kamara and the Saints.

And it appears to be similar to the last offer the Saints made Kamara. The Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reported that the team’s proposal is valued around that $48 million number, while also throwing out the four-year, $50 million deal Derrick Henry signed with the Tennessee Titans earlier this summer as a model. Kamara may be asking for more.

What would it take for the Saints to agree to trade Kamara? The deal that sent franchise tagged Jacksonville Jaguars sack artist Yannick Ngakoue to the Minnesota Vikings returned a second-round pick in 2021 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2022, but it required the Vikings to take on $12 million of Ngakoue’s salary while the Jaguars shed $16 million off their books.

Unlike Ngakoue, Kamara is set to earn just over $2.1 million this year, so any draft assets he’d return would be more valuable. A better comparison might be the Jamal Adams trade, which saw the Seattle Seahawks swap their first-round pick in each of the next two drafts plus a 2021 third-round pick and starting safety Bradley McDougald. Adams is set to count $3.8 million against the salary cap this year.

So there’s probably some truth to Anderson’s report in that the Saints would consider moving Kamara for the right trade package. But there’s a big difference between that passive interest and actively seeking out partners. Keep an eye out for the next development.

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Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar no longer facing armed robbery charges in Florida

Florida prosecutors announced today that they will not proceed with armed robbery charges against Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar.
Dunbar and New York Giants CB DeAndre Baker were charged in May with robbing guests of cash and valuables at a party in Miramar, Florida.
Having Dunbar on the team will add incredible depth to a secondary that recently added All-Pro Jamal Adams as well

Florida prosecutors announced today that they will not proceed with armed robbery charges against Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar.
Dunbar and New York Giants CB DeAndre Baker were charged in May with robbing guests of cash and valuables at a party in Miramar, Florida.
Having Dunbar on the team will add incredible depth to a secondary that recently added All-Pro Jamal Adams as well

Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar no longer facing armed robbery charges in Florida

Florida prosecutors announced today that they will not proceed with armed robbery charges against Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar.
Dunbar and New York Giants CB DeAndre Baker were charged in May with robbing guests of cash and valuables at a party in Miramar, Florida.
Having Dunbar on the team will add incredible depth to a secondary that recently added All-Pro Jamal Adams as well

Florida prosecutors announced today that they will not proceed with armed robbery charges against Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar.
Dunbar and New York Giants CB DeAndre Baker were charged in May with robbing guests of cash and valuables at a party in Miramar, Florida.
Having Dunbar on the team will add incredible depth to a secondary that recently added All-Pro Jamal Adams as well

Former 49ers DB DJ Reed claimed off waivers by Seahawks

The 49ers lost DJ Reed on waivers to the Seattle Seahawks.

The 49ers took a risk when they placed waived/Non-Football Injury defensive back DJ Reed. Their hope was that he’d clear waivers and revert to their injured reserve. That plan backfired when their division rival Seattle Seahawks claimed him off the waiver wire.

San Francisco could’ve kept Reed on the reserve/Non-Football Injury list where he was placed after suffering a torn pectoral in the offseason. So why would the 49ers waive him instead of keeping him on the reserve/NFI list?

Players who begin the season on the reserve/NFI list are able to return to practice after six weeks. That return is followed by a three-week practice window, after which a team either has to activate the player or put them on season-ending injured reserve.

General manager John Lynch on Monday in his press conference indicated Reed’s chest injury would likely put him out for the year. Since he suffered the injury in an offseason workout away from the team, they couldn’t simply put him on injured reserve, which would officially end his season.

Had San Francisco kept Reed on the reserve/NFI list all year, they would’ve carried his $827,843 cap hit. Had he reverted to IR he would not have counted against the cap.

By waiving him though they ran the risk of a team claiming him, which Seattle did. Now the 2018 fifth-round pick out of Kansas State will suit up for the 49ers’ biggest rival.

Reed served in multiple roles for the 49ers, including free safety, nickel corner and special teams. Last season he started at nickel when K’Waun Williams missed the team’s Week 15 game vs. the Falcons. He had 54 tackles, 1.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups in 31 games across two seasons.

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Unsurprisingly, Saints aren’t an odds-on favorite to sign Antonio Brown

The New Orleans Saints are not among the favorites to sign ex-Steelers, -Raiders, and -Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown per BetOnline.

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The New Orleans Saints were the last team to host embattled wide receiver Antonio Brown for a free agent workout, but they aren’t being considered by oddsmakers as a viable betting favorite. That’s probably because Brown had a meltdown in its aftermath, producing a high-profile, profane diss track against Sean Payton and claiming the Saints only invited him as part of a bizarre publicity stunt.

So it shouldn’t shock anyone that BetOnline hasn’t included the Saints in their list of favorites to sign Brown, who recently agreed to serve an eight-game suspension for multiple NFL personal conduct policy violations. The top spot belongs to the Green Bay Packers (2/1), but the same sportsbook has better odds of Brown not playing any games at all in 2020 (2/3). Other teams on their radar include the Seattle Seahawks (5/2), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3/1) and Baltimore Ravens (4/1), each of whom have been connected to Brown to some degree in recent weeks.

We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next. For his part, before his suspension was announced, Brown had mused on social media about maybe retiring from the NFL again. But it sure doesn’t seem like anyone expects the Saints to link up with him again.

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Saints haven’t reported any positive COVID-19 tests yet

The New Orleans Saints are one a few teams including the Patriots, Chargers, Texans, and Seahawks to not report any positive COVID-19 tests.

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The New Orleans Saints have been testing players for COVID-19 coronavirus infections daily, but they have not returned any positive tests since the first wave of rookies arrived on July 27. Players must test negative twice before they will be allowed to enter the team practice facility, and while it’s early, it appears that Saints players have done a great job protecting themselves and their families during the long offseason.

While the Saints have seen just two players opt out of the 2020 season (backup tight ends Cole Wick and Jason Vander Laan), they have not had to designate anyone to the NFL’s Reserve/COVID-19 list because of an infection. They’re one of a handful of teams to not do so, including the Patriots, Texans, Chargers, Panthers, Cardinals, and Seahawks.

That’s not to say the Saints won’t experience infections. Head coach Sean Payton was diagnosed with the coronavirus earlier this year and spent two weeks quarantined in his home while recovering. General manager Mickey Loomis confirmed that “a couple of other” members of the organization tested positive over the summer, too.

So the Saints will have to be vigilant and limit risk as best as they can once training camp begins in earnest, but the high-contact nature of the sport and its large rosters make breakouts feel like an inevitability. Payton himself has said that, at the end of the day, all the precautions in the world go out the window once two teams gather for a two- or three-hour game of tackle football.

But at this early stage, it’s hard to not feel encouraged by how the Saints are starting out. Hopefully things will continue trending in a positive direction.

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