Tag: Taysom Hill

Saints hope to re-sign Drew Brees before free agency, less clear on Taysom Hill

While Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was happy to prioritize a contract extension for Drew Brees, he was mum on a deal for Taysom Hill

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Unlike many shot-callers around the league, New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis did not schedule any formal media availability during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine. Still, Loomis did share some quotes with New Orleans media in a brief question-and-answer session Thursday afternoon, and the conversation predictably focused on a complicated contract situation with Drew Brees.

“We certainly want to have that done before the league year begins,” Loomis said to NewOrleansSaints.com’s John DeShazier. “Whether that’s first or not (in priority of other free agents), I don’t think that matters. But we definitely have a goal of having that done before the league year begins.”

It makes sense that re-upping Brees would be at the top of Loomis’ list, even if he played it cool regarding the overall landscape of Saints free agency. Brees will no doubt have one of the largest salary cap hits on the team, effectively serving as the first domino to fall in a series of moves. It’s going to be difficult for the Saints to budget for other free agents if they don’t know what they’ll be committing financially to Brees.

Loomis and the Saints must make difficult decisions on many Saints players, including each of their quarterbacks. Like Brees, Teddy Bridgewater will be an unrestricted free agent on March 18, while Taysom Hill carries restricted free agent status. While Saints coach Sean Payton has suggested re-signing Hill to a long-term deal could be a possibility before that March 18 deadline, Loomis declined the opportunity to share his take on it.

“I don’t want to talk about that in the media before we have a chance to talk about that with him and his people. But, look, I know Taysom has had a good experience in New Orleans and we’ve had a good experience with him. Obviously I think we’d like to continue that, and he’s stated he’d like it to continue,” Loomis told Nola.com’s Luke Johnson.

While the circumstances and contexts are totally different in re-signing Brees versus Hill, it’s interesting that Loomis feels no such compulsion to speak about Brees’ situation only behind closed doors. That might suggest a little more reluctance on his part to inking Hill to a multi-year extension, which adds another level of intrigue to what already looks like a busy Saints offseason. Or maybe we’re looking too deeply into what reads like a quick aside, and Loomis really hasn’t broached the topic with the agents representing one of his most-fascinating players.

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Sean Payton suggests Saints could sign Taysom Hill to a long-term extension

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton acknowledged that it would be difficult, but his team could sign a contract extension with Taysom Hill.

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The New Orleans Saints are set to begin contract negotiations with franchise quarterback Drew Brees, who announced he intends to play in 2020 after taking a month away from football to mull over his future. That creates serious implications for backup passers Teddy Bridgewater (who won’t lack for suitors on the open market) and Taysom Hill, whose upside on special teams and pass-catching ability could draw offers as a restricted free agent. The Saints have their work cut out for them in trying to keep their quarterbacks room intact, and it’s clearly on Sean Payton’s mind.

Payton appeared on WWL Radio with Bobby Hebert and Kristian Garic earlier this week, with the Saints head coach discussing a range of topics including Hill’s complicated free agency. The best bet for the 29-year-old to return in 2020 would be on a restricted free agent tender, but Payton acknowledged that there’s other ways for the Saints to retain him.

“Well, there are two [ways] to go about it,” Payton said. “Number one, we can sign him to a deal before the league year starts and you never get to that point [of applying a tender]. I think if he was unsigned prior to the league year, I’d anticipate us really paying close attention to that and looking at that first round tender.”

As Payton noted, there are multiple tenders available. We’ve broken them down in greater detail before, but the gist of it is that the highest-level tender would guarantee the Saints a first-round pick in compensation should Hill leave for another team. And it’s probably more likely that the Saints will tender Hill than sign him to a long-term contract extension, but Payton still added that an agreement might be worked out.

Payton continued, “Now I think it will take some time relative to his contract because it’s unique, A, in what he’s doing now and [B] what we feel like he can be and what he can do when Drew does retire, so that will probably take a little bit more work than the contract that Mickey does with Drew.”

It might be difficult for the Saints to agree with Hill’s agent on exact contract figures. Hill is adamant that he’s a franchise quarterback, and Payton has agreed with that take in media appearances, but his actions tell a different story. 54% of Hill’s snaps last season came on special teams. As much as Payton may talk up Hill’s comparisons to Steve Young, Young was never asked to sprint downfield in punt coverage or line up in a three-point stance and block with his throwing shoulder. Hill’s unique usage is definitely going to factor into contract talks, meaning a restricted free agent tender is the likely path forward.

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What does Drew Brees coming back mean for Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill?

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced his intent to return in 2020, and his decision impacts Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill

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The first domino fell in the 2020 free agent quarterback class, with Drew Brees announcing his decision to return for his 20th season in the NFL — with the New Orleans Saints. While has not signed a contract extension just yet, it’s essentially nothing more than a formality before he’ll take the field again in black and gold.

But what sort of ripple effects will Brees returning to start for the Saints send throughout the NFL? While that’s hard to say, we can suggest what it means for the other two Saints quarterbacks headed for free agency: Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill.

Bridgewater is expected to receive offers to start for other teams once free agency is up and running, and the high salary boost that comes with those opportunities. While we can only speculate on the teams that may be interested in him (the Los Angeles Chargers should be in the hunt, while the Chicago Bears would be wise to see him as an upgrade), Bridgewater shouldn’t lack for options. So Brees returning makes it all but certain that Bridgewater will be joining a new squad in 2020. At least the Saints will have their own candidates to replace him either as a clipboard-holder or heir-apparent.

However, Hill is the real story here. Saints coach Sean Payton has been working overtime shifts to pump up Hill’s value and perception as a starting-quality franchise quarterback, but it’s anyone’s guess whether he’s sincere or hoping to lure another team into swapping a high draft pick for the restricted free agent. Payton’s words and actions have been in direct conflict surrounding Hill. As much as Payton insists his third-stringer could be the next Steve Young, more than half of Hill’s plays came on special teams last year. If the Saints decline to place a first-round tender on Hill, chances are another team will try to poach him, which Payton knows (and may be counting on). It’s very likely we’ll see some movement here.

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Drew Brees announces his return for the 2020 season

A contract still needs to be finalized, but New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees intends to return for the 2020 season, maybe his last.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced on his official Instagram account that he will return for the 2020 season, writing, “My feelings about the 2020 season! I look forward to the grind and the journey, for the reward at the end will be worth it!!! Love you #WhoDatNation. Let’s make another run at it!”

There were doubts that Brees would re-sign for the Saints after his last season, largely fueled by the interest he received (and reciprocated) from television networks for a job in calling NFL game broadcasts. But he still has some unfinished business on the field before he’ll be ready to leave for the booth, so Saints fans can expect Brees to lead their team again in 2020.

The details still need to be worked out — such as what salary Brees will accept in what’s likely his final year in the NFL. His last Saints contract earned $25 million per year, which was well beneath the market-setting price he could have demanded. Whether he’ll accept less again to help the team or choose to push the envelope again remains to be seen.

What’s also unclear is what this means for the other two Saints quarterbacks whose contracts expire in March: Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill. Bridgewater is expected to draw heavy interest from teams needing a new starter, while Saints coach Sean Payton anticipates serious offers for Hill, who is a restricted free agent (meaning the Saints can match any offers he receives). It’s shaping up for another busy Saints offseason.

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The Saints should be keeping a close eye on Cardale Jones, the face of the XFL

It’s been a while since Cardale Jones won a national title at Ohio State, but the XFL star should draw attention from the New Orleans Saints

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Who’s going to quarterback the New Orleans Saints in 2020? The easy answer would be Drew Brees, assuming he returns for one more year before entering retirement. That’s far from certain with TV networks trying to add him to the broadcast booth. And who’s going to be under center in 2021? Teddy Bridgewater or Taysom Hill, maybe? The future of the most important position in football has never been less certain for New Orleans than right now, but an interesting option could be making a name for himself in the upstart XFL.

D.C. Defenders quarterback Cardale Jones is the biggest name the spring football league has to offer, and he’s lived up to that billing with a 2-0 record and an impressive resume through the first two weeks. Jones has completed 39 of 63 passes (62%) for 511 yards and four touchdowns against just one interception, tacking on 42 rushing yards. His ability to execute plays within structure of the offense while also improvising once things fall apart has to be an intriguing draw for NFL teams, including the Saints.

He’s someone the Saints should be familiar with, having practiced against Jones for a week during the 2019 preseason in joint sessions with the Los Angeles Chargers. They presumably got a good look at him when evaluating his top receiver (Michael Thomas) and the quarterback who somehow started ahead of him (J.T. Barrett) on the Ohio State Buckeyes way back when, during the 2014 and 2015 seasons. But whatever the NFL overlooked in Jones’ college game has clearly translated to the XFL: he’s 13-0 as a starting quarterback between his college, NFL, and XFL experience, leading teams to a 25-1 overall record whenever he steps on the field. That’s what you call a gamer.

But how does Jones compare to Bridgewater and Hill, the heirs-apparent to Brees? He’s 27, a few months younger than Bridgewater, while Hill is several years their senior. Jones is a much better-developed passer than Hill, though he probably doesn’t offer the same running ability or aptitude on special teams. If the Saints aren’t able to retain Bridgewater once he tests free agency, Jones would make more sense as a backup or understudy to Brees than many other journeymen quarterbacks. He won’t be going anywhere until the XFL’s first season concludes, but it’s easy to imagine the Saints giving him a shot in training camp. They’ve added just about every other ex-Buckeyes prospect possible in recent years.

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Taysom Hill thinks he’s a franchise QB; former Saints coach says he’s a better passer than Lamar Jackson

The Saints’ explosive weapon Taysom Hill has suddenly become one of the most intriguing free agents of the offseason.
Is he the next Tim Tebow or the next Lamar Jackson?

Taysom Hill: Franchise quarterback?

The multi-faceted New Orleans Saints player sure thinks he is:

In his interview with the Associated Press, he told Maddi: “As you go into free agency, this is the time you start to find out how people view you. We haven’t gotten far enough into free agency to know how these guys view me and we’ll just handle it as it comes.”

The 29-year-old former BYU quarterback has made a remarkable journey from injury-plagued college player to versatile NFL weapon for the Saints.

Hill told Maaddi during the interview, which was held during Super Bowl week, he would rather stay in New Orleans, where all three of its quarterbacks are headed into free agency this offseason, although Hill is a restricted free agent. Future Hall of Famer Drew Brees and his backup Teddy Bridgewater are unrestricted free agents.

Nobody seems sure if Brees, 41, will retire. That includes Hill, who described Brees “one of my best friends and like a brother to me.”

Hill told Maadi, “As you look at free agency, you have to find the right opportunity for you. You have to find the situation to take care of your family. I want to play quarterback in this league, and if New Orleans doesn’t view me that way, I have to leave.”

Saints coach Sean Peyton told NBC Sports’ Peter King that he believes Hill will get an offer sheet from another team but also seemed to remain uncommitted to Hill, saying:

“But the first thing the fan has to understand is … if we tender Taysom as a one (meaning the Saints put a first-round draft tag on him), the team that makes the offer on him and signs him to an offer understands they’re going to give up a first-round pick if we don’t match,” Payton told King. “That’s easier to do if you’re picking 22, 23, 24, 25. We might very well see it if it’s a team in the second half of the (first round).”

Hill has attempted just 13 passes in his NFL career, completing six, although it’s clear he’s speedy and got good moves, and one former Saints coach thinks he might become as good a dual-threat as current NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

Mike Westhoff, who served as a special-teams coordinator with the Saints in 2017 and 2018, praised Hill’s skills in a January interview with Zach Gelb of CBS Sports Radio.

“Take a look at Baltimore,” Westhoff said when discussing Hill’s skill set. “It’s the same kind of guy. Taysom Hill does those same kind of things. I think he throws better.”

“If you don’t think Taysom Hill is a future star in the NFL, you haven’t been paying close enough attention to him,” Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk said recently. “He was the best player on the field for either team in the Saints-Vikings playoff game. The biggest question is can he stay healthy if used all the time?”

So, yeah, Taysom Hill has suddenly become one of the most intriguing free agents of this offseason.

Is he the next Tim Tebow or the next Lamar Jackson?

 

Could Taysom Hill be a QB option for the Colts?

Could the Colts look to the Swiss Army Knife of the NFL?

With free-agent speculation and offseason predictions at an all-time high…let’s throw one more headline in there. As crazy as the idea may seem, Taysom Hill might just be the man for the job for the Indianapolis Colts. A young, talented roster that is missing a mobile quarterback with an elite arm would benefit Hill tremendously.

Hill is a restricted free agent this offseason and with Teddy Bridgewater likely departing in free agency and Drew Brees retirement rumors heating up, Hill has a good chance to be the starter in New Orleans. All this would depend of course if all the chips fell in Hill’s favor.

Used a utility guy with the Saints over the past three seasons, Hill has played quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, and multiple spots on special teams. Hill and his agent are ready to take the next step and be taken seriously as a legitimate starting quarterback, wherever that may be.

During Super Bowl week, Hill was asked about his future with the Saints in an interview with the Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi.

“I think as you look at the other questions ‘Is it New Orleans? Is it somewhere else?’ as you go into free agency, this is the time that you start to find out how people view you. And we haven’t gotten into free agency long enough to really know how these guys view me, and we’ll just handle it as it comes.”

Hill also talked about his desire to leave New Orleans as well saying.

“Do I want to leave? The fact of the matter is no, I don’t. But as you look at free agency, you have to find the right opportunity for you.”

Hill and the Saints know that if he is not given the promotion to starting QB this offseason then the undrafted third-year Swiss-army knife out of BYU will be on his way to greener pastures.

The biggest problem with Hill potentially hitting the market is the fact that he’s a restricted free agent. Unless the Saints allow Hill to test the open market, it’s highly unlikely he will have the opportunity to do so. And if he does, it will come at a high cost for the Colts.

But what if that greener pasture was Indianapolis? If Chris Ballard decided to bring Hill in and have him compete with Jacoby Brissett for the starting job, it would be an interesting contest between two fairly equal quarterbacks as far as skill level.

Brissett has him beat with experience and starts, but Hill’s rushing ability and arm strength (featured in the playoff game vs Minnesota) might make him a better candidate.

Hill would also be a huge discount for the Colts if they were able to get him in free agency (as opposed to the tender the Saints would put on him). Another veteran quarterback, like Philip Rivers or Tom Brady, might want more money to finish out their careers, but Hill would be available at a lower price because he is not an established starter yet.

Granted this is all speculation, but Hill seems like he would be a good fit behind the Colts stellar offensive line and already dominant run game.

The offense could look somewhat like Baltimore with a mobile quarterback who can carve up defenses with his feet or arm. This would also free up the spot at No. 13 in the draft to get more pieces to put around Hill to make sure he can succeed.

What do you think Colts fans? Is Hill an option for Indy?

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ESPN predicts RB Devonta Freeman, QB Taysom Hill to Bills

ESPN lays out prediction for Taysom Hill, Devonta Freeman, to sign with Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills are in the market to improve their offense during the ongoing offseason. Free agency could be were the Bills do so.

Once again under head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills had a fantastic, top-tier defense last season. In 2019, the offense caught up, but didn’t catch the defense. That’s where the Bills need to improve.

ESPN recently laid out some free agency trickle-down effects across the NFL. In that piece, perhaps the most intriguing idea of them all involves the Bills.

As free agency typically, works, there’s the top options. Then you go to the next, and so on. The worldwide leader laid out a few of those scenario’s via Bill Barnwell. Starting with quarterback Phillip Rivers moving on to the Colts, eventually the trail of breadcrumbs leads Saints quarterback/ utility man Taysom Hill to the Bills.

But as it’s explained, Hill wouldn’t be taking the throws from Allen:

While the Bills are happy with Josh Allen’s development, you could understand if the coaching staff wanted to see its quarterback of the future take fewer hits in 2020. Allen excels on designed runs, but Hill can take some of those snaps and continue to make an impact without threatening Allen’s role as the long-term starter.

While an interesting idea, there might be one big problem: Hill himself. Hill told the AP ahead of the Super Bowl recently that he wants to play quarterback, not the utility thrower/ rusher/ special teamer role he’s playing with the Saints.

“I definitely view myself as a franchise quarterback,” Hill said. “I think as you look at, you know, the other questions, is it New Orleans? Is it somewhere else? As you go into free agency, this is the time that you start to find out how people view you. We haven’t gotten into free agency long enough to really know how guys view me and we’ll just handle it as it comes.”

Because of Hill’s feelings, if another team opts to give him a try under center, he’ll probably prefer them over the Bills. But if he falls back into his current role and leaves the Saints, the Bills might be a perfect fit the way Brian Daboll likes to keep opponents on their toes with trick plays and gadget options.

The next offensive weapon the Bills appear in, involves Falcons rusher Devonta Freeman. In a scenario involving Chargers running back Melvin Gordon signing with the Redskins, ESPN finds a scenario where Freeman replaces Frank Gore:

With Freeman likely to be cut by the Falcons and veteran Frank Gore moving on from Buffalo, the Bills need a back to take some of the reps away from Devin Singletary. Freeman would take over as the goal-line and early-down specialist.

ESPN predicts a one-year, $3 million deal for Freeman with the Bills. That deal would be in line with the type of minimal deal the Bills would want to give to a veteran back, like they did with Gore.

Freeman would feature in a veteran role with Singletary, while also providing a better option in the receiving game. He cause 59 catches in 2019 with the Falcons and 257 in his career, including 73 in 2015.

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Let’s just put an end to this Taysom Hill nonsense right now

Taysom Hill is not going to be a franchise QB.

Taysom Hill is a useful NFL player. With only 48 players on an active roster on game days, a guy who can play as a wide receiver, tight end, h-back, punt gunner and line up at quarterback clearly provides some value.

And because he wears all of those hats, Hill, who will turn 30 in late August, is also a fun player who is easy to root for. But I’d imagine it would be significantly less fun to root for Hill if he was also your favorite team’s franchise quarterback. As well as Hill has performed as Sean Payton’s Swiss Army knife, we have seen nothing out of Hill to suggest he’s capable of leading an NFL franchise.

Hill doesn’t see it the same way, though.

And at least one NFL analyst agrees. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio got NFL Twitter all riled up on Monday with this tweet.

Sean Payton added more fuel to the NFL Twitter fire when he told Peter King he believed somebody would make an offer to the restricted free agent, which would cost that team a first-round draft pick.

Via NBC Sports:

“Yeah, I think someone is going to make him an offer. But the first thing the fan has to understand is . . . if we tender Taysom as a one [meaning placing a first-round tag on him], the team that makes the offer on him and signs him to an offer understands they’re going to give up a first-round pick if we don’t match. That’s easier to do if you’re pick 22, 23, 24, 25. We might very well see it if it’s a team in the second half of the [first round].”

So if you’re wondering why there’s so much discussion surrounding a third-string quarterback (who will be 30 next season) with all of 13 pass attempts on his career ledger … that’s why.

That sentence alone should be sufficient for explaining why Hill’s prospects as an NFL starting quarterback or “a future star” is so silly, but if you still think a 30-year-old quarterback with fewer career pass attempts than Mohamad Sanu has a chance, the film should convince you otherwise.

I mean, there’s not a lot of it (even though Hill will be 30 by the start of next season), which is an issue in and of itself. Here is a cut-up of all of his career attempts if you want to do your own exhaustive film study.

You typically need more than a handful plays to form an opinion on a quarterback, but I don’t know if that’s even true for Hill. He just doesn’t look like an NFL-caliber passer. He plays with no sense of timing or rhythm. If you were talking yourself into Hill as a viable starting quarterback, I’m not sure what trait of his really gets you excited outside of his athleticism and toughness.

It’s certainly not his accuracy…

And his arm strength is, um, not great, as his deep ball seems to just die out at about the 45-yard mark…

Hill’s numbers aren’t any better. For a larger sample size, let’s just include his preseason stats from the last two years when Payton started to give him extended looks at quarterback. That gives us 132 dropbacks to work with. Over those dropbacks, Hill produced an ANY/A of 5.2 (which would have ranked 28th during the NFL regular season), a TD rate of 4.1% (22nd), an INT% of 3.3% (29th) and a sack rate of 8% (27th). That’s the stat line of a bottom-five passer and 90% of those reps came against third-stringers in games that did not matter.

Whether you’re looking at the film or the stat sheet, there’s nothing to suggest Hill is anything more than a gadget player who just so happened to play quarterback in college. The NFL has seen a handful of those types in recent history and none of them went on to be franchise quarterbacks.

If we’re going to talk about Hill as a starting quarterback in this league, we have to wonder what an offense quarterbacked by Taysom Hill would even look like. Do not even think about bringing up Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, because Hill ain’t Lamar. Nobody is Lamar, which is why Baltimore capable of succeeding with an offensive scheme and philosophy that is not supposed to work in this era of pro football.

Unlike Lamar, Hill isn’t a burner or a runner who is going to make people miss. He’s a downhill, power runner who needs run schemes designed for that kind of runner in order to be productive. Here’s Kyle Shanahan explaining why that difference matters when considering the viability of a run game centered around the quarterback:

“Everyone [in Cleveland] wanted me to run the same stuff with [Johnny Manziel] as we did with RGIII. Well RGIII runs a 4.3, Johnny runs a 4.68. That is a different type of running style. Johnny is not going to outrun people on a zone read. Johnny needs to go downhill and make you miss which is quarterback draw, quarterback power, things like that. The problem with that stuff is that’s where you get hit. You don’t get hit going to the sideline, you get hit going downhill and Johnny has the quickness to make people miss but the next guy is going to kill him. You can’t do that all game in the NFL, that was my worry for Johnny, that you couldn’t develop a running game to protect him without him getting hurt.”

Keeping Hill healthy becomes an even bigger concern when you consider his injury history. Four of his five seasons at BYU were cut short by injury. His injuries included a torn knee ligament, a broken leg and a Lisfranc injury.

So if an NFL team did acquire Hill and anoint him as its franchise quarterback, it would have to overhaul the offense for an inaccurate quarterback with questionable arm strength who isn’t likely to last for a full 16-game season.

And, oh yeah, he’s going to be THIRTY!!! Hill is two months younger than Geno Smith, and Smith has actually put some decent tape out there, at least.

Taysom Hill is not a future star. He’s not even a future full-time QB. But if that’s his goal, then he should go ahead and go for it.

Sean Payton knows what Hill is — and what he isn’t. There’s a reason the Saints coach picked Teddy Bridgewater, who looks like a replacement-level starter at this point in his career, to lead the team while Drew Brees was out hurt. Had Payton really believed Hill was the future, we would have seen a lot more of him during Brees’ absence. (Bridgewater is likely to leave New Orleans in free agency, and the Saints are likely to sign or draft another QB to backup Brees instead of elevating Hill.)

I’m sure Payton loves having Hill on his roster. But his endorsement of Hill looks more like a coach trying to drive up the value of a player who doesn’t have a long-term future as a quarterback in New Orleans … or any NFL city, for that matter.

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Taysom Hill prepared to leave the Saints if they don’t view him as a franchise QB

Taysom Hill has reiterated that he views himself as a quarterback, and he’s prepared to leave the New Orleans Saints if they disagree.

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What is Taysom Hill’s position? He’ll tell anyone who will listen that it’s quarterback, but more than half his snaps with the New Orleans Saints came on special teams last year. On offense, his time at receiver and tight end dwarfs his action at quarterback. But he elaborated on his stance during an interview with Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press.

“I definitely view myself as a franchise quarterback,” Hill said. “I think as you look at the other questions: is it New Orleans? Is it somewhere else? As you go into free agency, this is the time that you start to find out how people view you. We haven’t gotten into free agency long enough to really know how these guys view me, and we’ll just handle it as it comes.”

While Hill is only a restricted free agent this year (meaning the Saints will have the option to match any contract offers he receives, or keep him around on a low-cost one-year contract tender), he’s obviously casting an eye to the future. And he has to do that. Hill will be 30 when the 2020 season kicks off, and there’s no guarantee that his body will hold up to continued abuse in his current role — four of his five years at BYU ended with injuries. Unlike the 27-year-old Teddy Bridgewater, he doesn’t have the luxury of biding his time on the bench until the perfect opportunity opens up. There’s a very narrow window for Hill to cash out in, and he knows that.

So while he wouldn’t be happy in having to leave the Saints, it’s a reality Hill has already made his peace with: “I have loved every second of my time (in New Orleans). So do I want to leave? The fact of the matter is no, I don’t. But as you look at free agency, you have to find the right opportunity for you. You have to find the situation to take care of your family. I want to play quarterback in this league, and if New Orleans don’t view me that way, well then I have to leave. That’s really where we’re at.”

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