Tag: speculation

What does the future hold for Chris Olave?

Between uncertain contract status, concerning injury history, and a new coach on the way, what does the future hold for New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave?

Change is in the air for the New Orleans Saints, and some of it might impact the best players on their roster. Between uncertain contract status, concerning injury history, and a new coach on the way, what does the future hold for Chris Olave?

The Saints must make a decision by May 2 on whether or not to pick up Olave’s fifth-year option, which is estimated at $15,161,000. He’s already under contract for the upcoming 2025 season. The question is whether to pay him like a top-15 player at his position in 2026, or to risk letting him walk away as a free agent. The franchise tag could be in play but it’ll be even more expensive than his fifth-year option. It’s going to increase from this year’s estimate of $25,693,000, which is top-five among wide receiver salaries.

So Olave’s long-term outlook is in doubt before we even get to his health. He’s one of the younger players on the team (he’ll turn 25 this summer) but has already suffered a series of concussions, including two in 2024. He’s given every indication he plans to keep playing football but those are serious brain injuries. He was limited to a career-low 32 catches and 400 yards in eight games because of it. Recurring concussions, or even the concern for them, can end a career. Some of Olave’s family members have already spoken out against him putting his body on the line for a team with no future.

And then you’ve got a new coach coming in, with the Saints expected to hire Kellen Moore after his duties as Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator conclude in Super Bowl LIX. On the one hand, Olave’s presence should be an attraction for a young, offensive-minded coach like Moore. That’s exactly the type of talent he’ll need to get the most out of his system. On the other hand, there may be other players Moore views as better fits for the role Olave would have in his offense. Rashid Shaheed was outproducing him last year before they both went down with injuries. For his part, Olave is excited about the prospect of working with Moore and says he plans on being a better version of himself for whoever is coaching the team.

We shouldn’t dismiss a trade out of hand. If the Saints have doubts about Olave’s health, future contract value, or fit in the offense they could look to get something back for him. One team that makes sense? The Houston Texans, who are working around the clock to support franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud. Stroud and Olave played together at Ohio State and remain close. The Saints traded up in the 2022 draft to get Olave because they felt he was their missing piece. That was the wrong read on their situation. If they’re going to embrace a rebuild (and they should), sending him to a contender and getting back some draft picks back makes sense. Houston controls their own picks in each of the first four rounds. While they swung and missed in a trade for Stefon Diggs last year, they could try again with Olave. If the Saints can possibly get a first-round pick back for him, they owe it to themselves to look into it.

Ideally, none of this comes to pass. You’d hope for Olave to stay healthy and produce well in new offense before signing a long-term contract extension to keep playing in New Orleans. But things rarely go according to plan in the NFL. His career to this point has been proof of it. And with a critical juncture ahead this offseason, we have to assume anything could happen for No. 12.

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ESPN: Chase Young open to Saints extension, but may ‘opt for stability’

It’s been previously reported that the Saints are open to re-signing Chase Young, and ESPN reports he’s open to it. But he may not accept another prove-it deal:

The New Orleans Saints have some interesting decisions to make when it comes to their 2025 free agency class. With 19 players set to be unrestricted free agents, there are a few near the top who are most definitely worth looking at retaining. One of those players is defensive end Chase Young, who had a solid season with the Saints in 2024, and according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, is open to sticking around:

“Young is open to a return to New Orleans, where he just played out a one-year deal — though a different defense could generate more sack opportunities for him. He might opt for stability over last year’s prove-it-deal status coming off a serious neck injury.”

In this article of the top 50 free agents, ESPN had ranked Young at No. 39 among his pending free agent peers.

Free agent contracts have always been nice to defensive ends, as their production can make or break a defense. In 2024, the top three DE-specific contracts had an average yearly value of $21.5 million (Leonard Williams), $19 million (Jonathan Greenard) and $14.5 million (Arik Armstead).

However 2025 is not as top heavy of a defensive end class, with Spotrac projecting the following yearly values for the top free agent DEs in 2025:

  • DeMarcus Lawrence: $12.0 million
  • Josh Sweat: $18.8 million
  • Chase Young: $17.5 million
  • Calais Campbell: $7.1 million

Re-signing Young will likely be a priority for the Saints, however doing so at a yearly rate of $17.5 million is quite the staggering price. It is doable, and the Saints may get a bit of a lower number if they go for a longer deal, but ultimately it will end up being a large contract whether he remains with the Saints or goes elsewhere.

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Saints suggested as a dark horse to trade up for No. 1 draft pick

Mickey Loomis is known for gambling with draft picks. Bleacher Report has his Saints as one of five teams who could trade for the Tennessee Titans’ No. 1 pick:

The New Orleans Saints are huge fans of trading up in the NFL draft, there is no doubt about that. Their history of doing so is a long one, and while it works out sometimes, it also backfires spectacularly other times.

In a recent article put out by Bleacher Report, they discussed some of the top candidates who the Tennessee Titans could trade the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft to. Among those five teams are the Saints, who while considered somewhat of an outlier among the others, are on the list regardless.

The package for the pick would be a relatively large one, even in a down class compared to some others. The compensation they provide as their projected return is:

  • 2025 No. 9 overall pick
  • 2025 third round pick
  • 2026 first round pick
  • 2026 second round pick

Then following that up, their rationale for the Saints being a candidate:

“This would be the exact same jump Carolina made two years ago, with the Saints leaping from No. 9 to No. 1. It’s extremely unlikely considering that New Orleans still has Derek Carr and would be better off loading up on more picks if it were to finally commit to a rebuild, but it also can’t be totally ruled out because…NFL.

The Saints have an extra third-round pick this year. I believe they’d have to give that up along with the obvious 2026 first-rounder, and probably another Day 2 selection.”

The logic is… less than sound to say the least. Trading up just to trade up is something that nearly never happens in the NFL, teams trade up for a player they want, and the team trading down has to keep that in mind. With the Saints in desperate need of a youth movement, it feels like trading away all their premier assets for 2025 and 2026 in the draft is a ridiculous notion, especially when the 2025 class is not particularly plentiful with blue-chip prospects.

Trading away the 2026 first round pick is asking for disaster, as if the Saints fall apart in the 2025 season, they would be missing out on a high draft pick in a class that is currently viewed quite highly, especially at the quarterback position.

The Saints feel more like an inclusion due to lack of competitors more than anything. While they do have a knack for trading up, it tends to happen in day two or three predominantly, and unless the Saints get extremely desperate for a quarterback that they’re willing to make that jump, it is hard to rationalize.

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Report: Saints have ‘open mind’ to bring back last year’s biggest signing

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the New Orleans Saints may be keeping an “open mind” to bringing back defensive end Chase Young this offseason

The New Orleans Saints are entering an offseason where they have 19 pending free agents, which leaves them with a lot of decisions to make. One of the higher-priority free agents that they should be looking to bring back is defensive end Chase Young, who had a solid 2024 season and looked to be a quality player on the defensive side of the ball at many points.

While the price tag may be high, Jeremy Fowler reports for ESPN that the Saints are keeping an “open mind” to signing him back beyond 2024:

“Young, the No. 2 pick in 2020, is still searching for his first double-digit-sack season. But he’s 25 and has big-time ability. The Saints, who signed him to a one-year deal last offseason, have had an open mind about signing him beyond 2024.”

This is an interesting development, and while somewhat expected due to Young’s high level of play, it is nice to see the Saints feel the same way about retaining him. It will no doubt be a competitive market, however with the Saints capabilities to clear cap space, and desperate need for a youth movement, bringing Young back seems like a no-brainer. If the Saints can fit him in their budget, that is.

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If Kellen Moore is going to coach the Saints, he must bring this assistant with him

If Kellen Moore is going to coach the Saints, he must bring this Eagles assistant with him. There isn’t a better offensive line coach in the league than Jeff Stoutland:

Kellen Moore shouldn’t be the only Philadelphia Eagles coach on the New Orleans Saints’ radar. If they’re serious about hiring him as their head coach, the Saints must make a strong effort to recruit Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland into becoming his top assistant.

There isn’t a better offensive line coach in the league than Stoutland, who has held that job since 2013. That’s through multiple regime changes and head coach firings, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a team which has done a better job drafting and developing offensive linemen than the Eagles over the last decade-plus. He was given the run-game coordinator title back in 2018 and has been a vital part of one of the league’s most consistent rushing attacks.

Stoutland has demonstrated a unique ability to scout talent and teach his players the techniques they need to win on Sundays. The Eagles reached a deal on a new contract extension for him in 2023 to ward off interest from other teams interested in hiring Stoutland as an offensive coordinator. Whatever number he needs to move from Philly, the Saints must match it.

Much of Moore’s success calling plays has come because of the work Stoutland does getting his linemen ready to block well and fight in the trenches; the best-designed plays fall apart without good protection, and Stoutland has done an excellent job making sure that blocking is great, not just good.

So pay him what he wants to wear the offensive coordinator title. Maybe draft an explosive running back who can take advantage of the lanes his blockers open up, and take some pressure off Alvin Kamara’s shoulders in the final stretch of his career. Let Stoutland take in young pros like Cesar Ruiz and Trevor Penning (both 25 years old) and Taliese Fuaga (22) and see if they can hit their ceilings under his tutelage.

The Saints have gone through three offensive line coaches in the last four years; Brendan Nugent in 2021, Doug Marrone in 2022 and 2023, then John Benton in 2024. If they’re going to bet big on Moore succeeding as a first-time head coach, it’s only right for them to back him up by spending big on his support cast. You can bet the Eagles want to keep Stoutland around until he’s done coaching football. But there’s no salary cap on paying coaches. If they can’t get the most out of their investments along the offensive line, it won’t matter who’s throwing the football or running with it, or even calling plays. And Stoutland has the resume that makes gambling on Moore worthwhile, as long as they’re a package deal.

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This Saints coach candidate has big name in mind for his defensive coordinator

This New Orleans Saints coach candidate has a big name in mind for his defensive coordinator. Mike Kafka reportedly wants to bring Wink Martindale with him:

Now this is interesting. New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is a candidate for the New Orleans Saints head coaching job, and he’s begun putting feelers out for his potential staff. ESPN’s Giants beat writer Jordan Raanan shares that former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is widely expected to join Kafka in New Orleans with the same role in mind, should he get the job.

Martindale spent the last year on the Michigan Wolverines coaching up top-10 draft prospects like defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson. He’s got a lot of experience calling plays for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens prior to his turn with the Giants, where a public fallout with head coach Brian Daboll led to his departure.

At a time when the Saints may be seen as a sinking ship, it’s refreshing that Kafka at least appears to genuinely want the job. He’s expressed that eagerness to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy (he’ll be coaching the National Team this week).

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Does Aaron Glenn’s order of interviews disclose a preference?

Does Aaron Glenn’s order of interviews suggest a preference? He’ll meet with the Jets on Tuesday, and only visit the Saints if New York can’t close the deal:

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has a meeting scheduled with the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday. The operative word here is scheduled. First, Glenn has to make it to Wednesday without taking another job. That wasn’t the case for his teammate Ben Johnson who reached an agreement with the Chicago Bears on Monday.

Glenn’s first in-person interview is with the New York Jets on Tuesday. It had been previously reported that Glenn’s preferred destination was New York, though local outlets in New Orleans dispute that. This decision to meet with the Jets first definitely gives that report a little more credibility.

The Jets getting the first interview also means they are the first team that can make Glenn an offer. Does hearing a real offer take the Saints out of the running? That depends on what it looks like and how determined Glenn is to get the right fit, not the first one.

That offer is more than just monetary. It’s also about alignment of vision and path to success. Glenn may already have his opinion of the latter, but the first two aspects being adequate may make a trip to New Orleans unnecessary. If Glenn does sit down with the Saints, that means he at least wants to hear what the Saints have to offer. That would suggest it is at worst an even race between New York and New Orleans.

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Lions coach Dan Campbell ‘prepared to lose both’ coordinators this year

Dan Campbell is preparing for the loss of Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson. It could all happen quickly. Will the Saints be involved?

New Orleans Saints head coaching target Aaron Glenn has expressed the comfort of returning to the Detroit Lions if it came to that. But his head coach, Dan Campbell, surely doesn’t seem to see that happening.

Campbell told media, he’s “prepared to lose both” Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson this offseason. This mindset likely stems from two things: Campbell has high belief in both of his coordinators, and he’s had conversations with both of them after their interviews.

Campbell’s belief in his coordinators has been validated by what the Lions have built over the last couple of years. He says “they’re one of the major reasons we’ve been able to get to where we’ve been,” and it’ll hurt to lose them.

As for conversations Campbell may have had with his coordinators, this likely means he knows Glenn and Johnson have specific jobs they would take if offered. Focusing on Glenn, the main landing spots have been New Orleans and the New York Jets.

If those are truly his top two jobs and they both have him as their top candidate, the Saints have to have a 50% chance of landing their guy.

Campbell’s statement echoes reporting from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who believes this could all be resolved by the end of the week. Schefter called Glenn and Johnson, “the dominos that have to fall before other head coaches start to get hired.” He expects that to begin this week. Maybe Glenn ends up in New Orleans to get that movement going.

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Former Saints QB shares his prediction for who will be head coach in 2025

Former Saints quarterback Chase Daniel shared his prediction for who will be head coach in 2025. Does he have an inside track on their thinking?

Does Chase Daniel have an inside track on the New Orleans Saints head coach search? The longtime NFL backup has found success as a media analyst and commenter after hanging up his cleats, and Drew Brees’ old handshake partner shared his predictions for which candidates will take which jobs in this year’s cycle.

And he doesn’t have Aaron Glenn, Kellen Moore, Mike McCarthy or Kliff Kingsbury going to New Orleans. Instead of those A-listers, it’s New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka who Daniel sees wearing in black and gold.

Kafka is visiting the Saints this week for a second, in-person interview. What’s interesting is that his time with the Giants isn’t really the selling-point for him. It’s his past experience coaching quarterbacks under Andy Reid on the Kansas City Chiefs that’s most appealing. Interestingly, Daniel previously noted that Kafka wasn’t running Reid’s playbook under Giants head coach Brian Daboll, and that it was clear he “definitely isn’t a part of the conversations” surrounding the team’s draft strategy at last year’s combine.

So it sounds like Kafka made a bad bet in going from Kansas City to New York, and wound up stuck in a dead-end job under Daboll. Half the teams with job openings are competing for time with him during this hiring cycle and he’ll be in a prominent role at the Senior Bowl, so he’s clearly highly regarded around the league. Maybe a move to New Orleans with more opportunities to make decisions and run his own offense could be good for him.

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Saints urged to pursue underrated offensive mind for HC opening

Bleacher Report argues the New Orleans Saints should pursue an underrated candidate in Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik:

The New Orleans Saints are one of the teams still looking for a new head coach and are also considered to be one of the least-desirable jobs in the market.

With some top options potentially looking elsewhere, knowing they could potentially land at an easier spot, the Saints could be forced to look at one of the less sought-after coaches this cycle.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport found someone that fits that bill, but is also very promising. He recently searched for an underrated head coach candidate for each team that would be a great fit. For New Orleans, he decided on Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

Here is what Davenport had to say about why he would suggest the decision:

Hire a young offensive coach like Slowik. Be patient while the team pulls itself from salary-cap purgatory. And then reap the rewards when the young offense he helped build finally clicks.

Or, do the same thing as the past few years, break out 11 rolls of duct tape and hope Slowik can scheme a flawed team to 10 wins and the postseason.

Slowik has an interview lined up with the Jets, but he was a hotter candidate after C.J. Stroud’s rookie year. A sophomore slump slowed down that train, but Davenport walked away impressed with how Slowik led the Texans offense in the playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

At first, DeMeco Ryans’ defense kept the Texans in the game. When the offense clicked, however, they rolled the rest of the game. The Chargers are a tough defense, so Slowik deserves credit for that success.

He is another member of the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree, which the hire of Klint Kubiak shows that Mickey Loomis is intrigued by. Davenport sees Slowik’s age as another positive. He’s only 37 years old which gives the Saints and him a chance to grow together. As the Saints take their bumps, Slowik could refine himself as a coach. This isn’t the best win-now set up in New Orleans. They could afford to take their time with Slowik.

The Texans finished this season averaging one yard per game less than the Saints, making them the 11th-least productive unit in the league. A sophomore slump isn’t too worrying, given what he has shown before. He clearly knows the sport well and would be an intriguing option.

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