The dust has settled on the sprint to the start of the new league year, and the New Orleans Saints were the only team in the NFL to activate a first-round restricted free agent tender — and they issued it to backup quarterback Taysom Hill.
While a few other teams around the league did use second-round tenders, the majority of qualifying players received original round-level tenders or nothing at all. That was the case for the other Saints restricted free agents, with offensive lineman Cameron Tom, wide receiver Austin Carr, and cornerback Justin Hardee each testing the open market (long snapper Zach Wood agreed to a four-year contract extension).
As for their exclusive-rights free agents: only All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray was tendered, with both linebacker Colton Jumper and wide receiver Keith Kirkwood allowed to look for other offers. The decision to let Kirkwood go is disappointing given the hype he earned in training camp last summer, but a yearlong hamstring injury kept him off the field for much of the 2019 season.
That said, Kirkwood’s chances of turning it around aren’t over just yet. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that Kirkwood could re-sign with the Saints, just not at the rate his exclusive-rights tender would have qualified for.
The New Orleans Saints completed an expected move by issuing a first-round restricted free agent tender to backup quarterback Taysom Hill.
The New Orleans Saints formally placed a first-round tender on restricted free agent quarterback Taysom Hill on Wednesday, as reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last week that this move was coming, but now it’s official. But what does it mean?
Hill is now expected to play the 2020 season on a one-year, fully-guaranteed contract valued at around $4.641 million, per Over The Cap. While the Saints will have the ability to sign him to a contract extension at any time, he will otherwise become an unrestricted free agent in March 2021.
Additionally, other NFL teams can now sign Hill to an offer sheet, which the Saints can opt to match dollar for dollar — but if they choose not to, the team signing Hill away from New Orleans forfeits a first-round draft pick. We previously identified a few teams that could make that kind of gamble, with some (Jon Gruden’s Las Vegas Raiders, who own a pair of first rounders and are dissatisfied with easy-to-cut franchise QB Derek Carr) more plausible to take the plunge than others.
So while Hill is all set up for another year of throwing, catching, and rumbling ahead for touchdown scores (or making key blocks for his teammates), things are very much changing between him and the Saints. If he’s going to spend more time practicing as a traditional quarterback, we might see less of Hill on special teams, which is a shame given the highlight reel he’s built in that area of the game.
And as we just pointed out, there’s a possibility he ends up playing somewhere else in 2020. But while we’re speculating about his potential fits around the league, isn’t it interesting that the Raiders could host the Saints to open their new home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas?
New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is a pending free agent, but he is not ruling out a contract extension with his team
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A New Orleans return for Teddy Bridgewater is not off the table, as both sides have remained in talks about a potential return, per sources. Bridgewater figures to have a strong market but is keeping all options open, including with a current team that values him.
With NFL free agency set to kick off during the start of Monday’s legal tampering period, it’s felt like a safe bet that New Orleans Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater would leave for a new team. Bridgewater impressed in his five starts during the 2019 season in relief of the injured Drew Brees, winning every game he started and protecting the football well.
So far, common thought has been that Bridgewater will be rewarded with an opportunity to become the face of another franchise, with Brees expected to return in 2020. But ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Bridgewater is not ruling out any options, including a reunion with the Saints. Even if doing that would mean a significant drop in salary based off the going rate for starting quarterbacks; Ryan Tannehill just signed an extension averaging $29.5 million per year with the Tennessee Titans.
If there is a scarcity of offers, however, a return to the Saints would make plenty of sense for Bridgewater. He has shown he can win within the structure of the Saints offense, and would be a more-proven and younger heir-apparent for Brees than the soon-to-be 30 Taysom Hill.
So if teams like the Chicago Bears are determined to go down with a sinking ship like Mitchell Trubisky, the best move for Bridgewater would be another year as the backup in New Orleans. Bridgewater has made it clear that he wants to start in the NFL, not be a band-aid for a tanking team or a lame duck waiting to be displaced by a rookie.
With the legal tampering period — when Bridgewater and every other free agent can entertain offers from other teams — just hours away, keep a close eye on this space for further developments.
The NFL has established its 2020 salary cap at $198.2 million, per a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. That falls on the low end of estimates, with most expectations suggesting an even $200 million salary cap. The 5.3% rise in the salary cap is the lowest year-over-year increase since the 2013 season. So how does it impact the New Orleans Saints?
To be blunt: it’s not great. With about $190.7 million on the books for their top 51 contracts in the upcoming season, per Over The Cap, the Saints needed the salary cap to rise as high as possible so that they could maximize their resources in free agency. While they can make a number of roster moves to create more cap space, for now the Saints have roughly $7.5 million with which to spend.
Considering their list of pending free agents includes franchise quarterback Drew Brees and backup passer Taysom Hill (whose expected first-round restricted free agent tender should cost around $5 million by itself), the Saints will have to be as crafty as ever to just retain important contributors, much less find upgrades.
But there’s good news. The salary cap is expected to grow dramatically in 2021 and beyond once new broadcast rights deals are worked out between the NFL and television networks, so the Saints will have plenty of future capital to work with in constructing new contracts. The difficulty comes in projecting just how high the future salary caps might rise.
The Redskins will definitely sign a QB in free agency and give him a chance to compete for the top spot, but who will they choose to sign?
Despite having a second-year quarterback in the building, working tirelessly to get better and improve on his rookie season, the Washington Redskins are likely to find a second signal-caller to add to the roster this offseason, be it in free agency or the NFL Draft.
That doesn’t mean that the Redskins are going to look to replace Dwayne Haskins as the QB1, but they absolutely will find someone that can compete with him for the starting job, while coming on a relatively team-friendly contract. Head coach Ron Rivera has been clear about that much; he mentioned the desire to bring in a veteran quarterback in his introductory press conference, and he harked at the combine that there will be a “very competitive” competition in the QB room this offseason.
So who might the Redskins be looking at? Who are a few players that check both of those boxes, and aren’t above a trip to Washington to compete with a young gun who could potentially leave them riding the pine? Back by popular demand, it’s our handicapping breakdown. For sports gamblers, you know the deal. Should you need a refresher on how the odds work, you can find one here.
NOTE: The goal of this exercise is to consider the realistic options that are on the table for the Redskins — realistic being the operative word. Washington isn’t looking to sign a star quarterback that is going to demand $20 million or more per season, so we can removed names like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Ryan Tannehill, and Dak Prescott.
Jacoby Brissett — Indianapolis Colts (+225)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 22: Jacoby Brissett #7 of the Indianapolis Colts against the Carolina Panthers at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
The Colts made great use of Jacoby Brissett in 2019 after they were forced to ask him to step in for the recently retired Andrew Luck and lead their highly-competent roster with little notice. While he did a great job to keep the Colts in playoff contention deep into the season, his statistics didn’t jump out at you — he averaged less than 200 passing yards per game, with just 18 total touchdowns and six interceptions.
His ability to lead the locker room was what the franchise most admired about him, but they may not have as big of a need for that going forward, depending on what happens in free agency, or the draft. The Colts are believed to be major players when it comes to some of the top FA QBs, like Rivers, Brady, or Tannehill. There are also some expectations for Indianapolis to look at drafting a QB should they come up short in free agency.
A move to Washington could be in the cards for Brissett. We know that he has the skillset to be a competent starting QB in the NFL, and he would undoubtedly push Haskins in a competition once camp rolls around. If we were to compare his 2019 form to Haskins’ 2019 form, it would be easy to crown Brissett the QB1 right now, but should we see some anticipated growth from the Redskins’ rookie this offseason, that would be a great battle for the top spot on the depth chart.
With (+225) odds, if you wagered $100, you would win $225 in profit.
No, the Dolphins shouldn’t explore signing RFA QB Taysom Hill
The Miami Dolphins’ search for a franchise quarterback has spanned twenty years and taken the Dolphins to the backwoods of West Virginia, the sprawling mountains of Utah and everywhere in between. The list of former quarterbacks to walk behind center is long — and the list of successful ones is marginal at best.
But 2020 feels different — because these Dolphins are committed to finding a long-term answer to the position. They’ve been transparent about their intentions for about a year now, even if they’re not being transparent about which player is “their” guy. The amount of options the Dolphins have has caused some to ponder alternatives that involve Miami not spending their first 1st-round pick on a quarterback. And while it’s an enticing proposition, it only works as well as the potential solutions.
Which brings us to New Orleans Saints quarterback/fullback/tight end/punt gunner Taysom Hill. The Saints are placing a 1st-round restricted free agent tender on Hill this offseason, meaning any team that wishes to sign him may do so but only if the Saints pass on their right to match the deal. Any deal that takes Hill away from New Orleans would also cause the other party to surrender a 1st-round pick for Hill’s services.
Should Miami consider?
No. Is there a word in the dictionary stronger than no? Absolutely not. Hill is a fun football player who has done well for himself carving out a role based in versatility and a selfless approach. His staying power to this point deserves a lot of credit. But the Saints seem to think he’s something more — Sean Payton has compared him to Steve Young. Seriously.
Quick, pull up your favorite clip of Steve Young on the punt return team!
New Orleans’ usage of Hill speaks louder to what his value is as an NFL player than their tender does. And if New Orleans really had the next Steve Young on their hands, they wouldn’t have tabbed Teddy Bridgewater as the starter last season when Drew Brees went down with a thumb injury. Nor would they have continued to use Hill on the special teams units. A player that can step into so many roles is undoubtedly valuable — but it also calls into question his viability as a potential starting quarterback. Hill has thrown for 119 yards on 13 attempts over his NFL career but has rolled up 590 yards from scrimmage and 9 touchdowns as a rusher/receiver.
That’s not a resume you pay a 1st-round pick for under any circumstances, period. Case closed — the search continues.
The New Orleans Saints made a lot of great plays in the 2019 NFL season, but these 15 highlight reel-worthy moments stood out more than most
The NFL’s calendar is just weeks away from flipping over to the 2020 fiscal year, meaning that free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft are on the horizon. For the New Orleans Saints, it’s time to finally shut the book on a highlight-filled 2019 season that, unfortunately, came up short. But we’re here to celebrate the year’s best moments.
Whittling down the thousands of snaps played by the Saints last year wasn’t easy, and this list may not jive with everyone’s expectations. So let us know what you think we got wrong, and which big plays deserved greater recognition in our Saints Forum.
Now, let’s get to it. Here’s our ranking of the 15 best Saints plays of 2019:
15. Teddy Bridgewater connects with Ted Ginn on 33-yard TD vs. Buccaneers
This was just a perfectly-executed play, with the route concepts opening Ginn up for a well-thrown ball from Bridgewater. It showcased everyone’s strengths — Ginn’s speed, Bridgewater’s accuracy, and Sean Payton’s clever play design against a coverage poorly-suited to defend it. It’s the sort of thing that should lead off any and all of Bridgewater’s 2019 highlight reels.
The New Orleans Saints will place the most-valuable restricted free agent tender on quarterback Taysom Hill, their most-versatile playmaker.
First-round tender for RFA QBs is expected to come in around $5 million for 2020. But the Saints believe they’ll have a deal done with Taysom Hill before free agency, when another team can sign him to an offer sheet. https://t.co/PIYV8QxAsJ
The New Orlenas Saints plan to apply the first-round tender to quarterback Taysom Hill, a pending restricted free agent, per a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This one-year, fully-guaranteed contract is estimated to be worth between $4 and $6 million (Schefter clarified that the total is expected to fall in the middle, near $5 million), and will allow the Saints to match any contract offers Hill receives from other teams. If they decline to match an offer sheet, the Saints will recoup a first-round draft pick from the team that signs Hill away.
It’s not really unexpected given the length to which Saints coach Sean Payton has talked up Hill this offseason, doubling down on the notion that he and the team view Hill as franchise quarterback material. Hill, who turns 29 this August, has thrown 15 passes in 42 career NFL games (including the playoffs). But this tag is a real, tangible commitment to Hill after months of media chatter.
Still, Schefter added that the Saints are prepared to commit even more to Hill. He reported that the teams plans to re-sign Hill to a long-term contract extension anyway, so this tender may end up having just bought them some time. It could also help give the Saints an idea of Hill’s value on the open market, which may be difficult to identify internally — more than half of Hill’s 2019 snaps came on special teams, and most of his time on offense was spent at slot receiver.
The New Orleans Saints have a habit of making bold moves in the offseason, but are they bold enough to trade for Jaguars QB Gardner Minshew?
Just how weird could the New Orleans Saints offseason get? The Saints are in the business of making bold moves, ranging from big hits (like signing Jared Cook and Demario Davis in consecutive years) to big whiffs (Jairus Byrd and Brandon Browner once shared the field), with others still to be decided (the jury’s out on Marcus Davenport, a player with terrific potential and a growing injury history).
So we should expect more big swings from the Saints in 2020. We took a shot at projecting four scenarios that might test the boundaries of what’s realistic; so take note that we aren’t advocating for these moves, just speculating. Think of it as a series of thought experiments, in the form of our hottest takes.
Trade up for a top-three wide receiver prospect
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CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, and Henry Ruggs III are all expected to be picked in the first half of the 2020 NFL Draft. They’re the cream of the crop, the most-accomplished and most-athletic receivers available, and the Saints won’t have a shot at any of them barring a big trade up. So that’s where we’ll start.
The Saints have made big leaps up the draft board before, moving from No. 27 to No. 14 (for Marcus Davenport in 2017) and from No. 56 to No. 28 (for Mark Ingram, back in 2011). They’ve been willing to give up future picks for immediate returns before, and could so again. It’s just kind of puzzling to do so in such a deep receiver class.
Maybe instead of jumping up that high for Lamb or one of the Alabama prospects, the Saints could make a smaller move up for Justin Jefferson or Jalen Reagor (like their trade from No. 27 to No. 20 in 2014, targeting Brandin Cooks). But that wouldn’t be ridiculously bold as another Davenport-esque trade, would it?
The Philadelphia Eagles could sign Taysom Hill and cut down on Carson Wentz’s snaps in a crazy scenario from ESPN
The NFL offseason has dry spots and lulls in time that allow for prognosticators and experts to come up with some creative and daring free agent and NFL draft scenarios.
Earlier in February, Nick Foles to the Eagles was a possibility and now thanks to ESPN Insiders, the Birds land a jack of all trades signal-caller in free agency.
Taysom Hill is looking for a chance to be a starting quarterback and the Eagles would like to subject Wentz to less punishment during a 16 or possible 17 game NFL season.
In a daring scenario from ESPN via Football Outsiders, free-agent quarterback Taysom Hill leaves the Saints for greener pastures in Philadelphia.
Wentz has been exceptional when he has played the past three seasons, finishing second, 13th and 11th in QBR in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. But he has missed 13 combined regular-season and playoff games in that time and played through injuries in many others. Wentz can’t seem to avoid big hits, and the Eagles’ improvements in offensive pressure rate and adjusted sack rate haven’t helped.
The surest way to keep Wentz healthy for the playoffs is to keep him off the football field as much as possible. Philadelphia can accomplish this by signing super-utility quarterback Hill, a restricted free agent, and playing him 10 to 15 snaps per game under center. That would reduce Wentz’s injury risk, ease sophomore back Miles Sanders’ transition to a workhorse role, and provide Hill 200 or so snaps at quarterback to prove to future teams that he is capable of being a starter. That might be a hard sell for Hill this offseason despite his breakout divisional-round performance — he has attempted just 15 regular-season passes in his three-year Saints career.
Running the ball with a purpose, getting speedy wideouts and playing efficient defense is a sure way to keep Wentz healthy and off the field.
Wentz is a Ferrari and 10-15 plays on the bench provide less of an opportunity for the Eagles to secure big-plays while limiting his ability to dictate the pace of the game.
It’s an exciting idea, but with the Eagles making wholesale changes to the offensive coaching staff, the Birds are focused on getting even more out of Carson Wentz.
